Chapter 29

Chapter Twenty-Nine

A few hours earlier

I ’m sitting in the car with Lucy. “Are you sure about this, Shar?” she asks, eyeing the skeevy-looking bar we’re about to enter.

“I have to do this. I need to help him, Lucy. How else can we prove his innocence?” I answer. I came up with a plan. I just need to pull it off. Lucy was all for it while we were shopping for what she called her undercover necessities —which included a pair of tight black leather pants, a black V-neck singlet, and heeled boots. Something tells me those Louboutins are more likely to stand out than blend in.

We both have recording devices strapped under our shirts. My plan was to befriend the woman suing Xavier and somehow get her to confess that her claims are bullshit. I just have to find her, ply her with alcohol, and somehow twist the conversation to her “asshole” of a former boss. Easy. Or at least it seemed that way in my head earlier today.

Once I have that recording, I plan on leaking it to the media. Xavier’s name will be cleared, and all will be right again.

I hope.

“You’re right. We can do this. Just… it’s going to be really hard not to punch her in the face for what she’s said about my brother.” Lucy smirks.

“I know.” I laugh, because Lucy has never punched anyone in her life. She fights with her words, and she does that really well.

“After this, we need a holiday. We should do a weekend getaway,” she suggests.

“Sounds like a plan, but you realise your brother will be third-wheeling us.”

“Argh, you know I was all for this you and Xavier thing. But if your boyfriend’s going to be hanging around us all the time, you could have at least picked someone hot who I could perv on.”

“Your brother is beyond hot, Lucy. You should see that man naked— god .” I shiver, as memories of Xavier’s naked body play like a slideshow through my mind.

“Ew, let’s never discuss my brother naked again. Come on, let’s do this.” She gags in disgust. I follow her out of the car, and we walk side by side up to the door.

I can do this . I mentally chant. This isn’t for me. It’s for Xavier.

Pushing through the door, I follow Lucy as she struts right on in without a care in the world. Or at least that’s the vibes she’s putting out. We take a seat at the bar. I pull out my phone and bring up the photo of the woman I found with my newfound cyber-stalking skills. All I had to go off was a name. Scrolling through her social media feed, I discovered this was her favourite bar. It really is way too easy to find people using their online presence. I was surprised how quickly I had all of her information. Also thankful. Because I want to get this over with.

My head scans the interior, looking for my target. “She’s not here,” I tell Lucy.

“Let’s order a drink and wait. She’ll turn up.”

The bartender—a young, rough, biker-looking guy with full-sleeve tattoos and piercings everywhere—approaches us. “Are you sure you’re in the right place?” he asks.

“Is this a place that serves vodka?” Lucy retorts.

“Sure is. But you two shouldn’t be here. This isn’t your kind of bar.” His eyes travel from Lucy’s face to her cleavage. “But you’re the customer, so who am I to tell you you’re in the wrong place. What’ll it be?”

“Two vodka sodas,” Lucy says. “Please,” she adds sarcastically.

“So, is there a reason you’re in here? Because if you’re looking to attract trouble, you’re going to find it.” He grins.

“I don’t need to attract trouble, unless it’s coming from you.” Lucy uses her best flirtatious tone. What the hell is she doing?

“Baby, you couldn’t handle the sort of trouble I’d give you.” He places two glasses in front of us. “That’ll be twenty,” he says.

Lucy hands him a fifty. “Keep the change,” she tells him with a wink.

He tilts his head. “You know you’re not the first little rich girl coming in here looking for a way to get Daddy’s attention. Word of advice? It never ends well.”

“Huh, well, damn, I really wanted Daddy to notice me. If that’s not going to work, maybe I’ll just find myself a new daddy. Surely there’s a few guys in here who’d want to audition for the role.” I watch Lucy smirk as her eyes roam the packed room full of bikers.

“It’s your funeral, baby.” The nameless bartender stalks off.

“What the hell are you doing?” I hiss in her ear.

“Having a bit of fun while we kill time. You know what I hate?” she asks me.

“What?”

“Fuck boys who think they know me. Who assume I’m a spoilt little rich girl and nothing more. I’m more than my family’s money, Shar.” There’s a sadness to her voice.

“I know that, and fuck anyone who doesn’t see how truly amazing you are. Besides, I don’t like sharing you, so I’m fine with being the only one who sees your greatness.” I lean in and kiss her cheek, wrapping an arm around her shoulder.

“Thank you.” Lucy lifts her glass in the air. “To us becoming sisters,” she toasts.

I clink my glass with hers and take a sip. “That is definitely jumping the gun, LuLu.”

“Meh, I predict that within six months my brother will have a ring on that finger.”

“Ah, no, he won’t,” I deny. Surely not. Am I ready for that kind of commitment? When I think of spending the rest of my life with Xavier, the only answer is yes.

Shit, I can’t be thinking like this. I will not be that needy, clingy girlfriend whose sole focus is getting a ring.

“She’s here, two o’clock,” Lucy says. “Don’t look,” she adds, when I go to turn my head.

“Okay, what do we do now?” I ask.

“We befriend her, right?”

“Yeah, let’s do that,” I agree. “How do we do that, exactly?”

“Shots,” she answers, then snaps her fingers at the bartender, who frowns in return.

“You called, your highness,” he grunts as he approaches us.

“I want a tray of shots, tequila,” she asks with a polite smile.

“Tequila shots? How many?”

“Ten.”

He glares at her for a moment—what he’s searching for, I haven’t the slightest—before pouring ten shots. And lining them up on a tray.

Lucy turns to me. “Wait here,” she says, slipping off her stool.

I watch as she approaches the woman in question. I don’t know what they’re talking about. Lucy points over at me and they both start walking my way.

“Sharon, this is—shit. I’m so sorry, babe. I didn’t get your name.” Lucy touches the woman’s arm in a friendly gesture.

“Juliet.” She smiles.

“This is Juliet. She’s going to help us out with these shots, but we need a body, right? Who do you think we can convince to let us do body shots off them?” Lucy asks.

“Um… hold on. Jay, get your sexy ass over here,” Juliet yells out.

A young guy struts over with what I’m assuming he thinks is a sexy smirk—really it’s just creepy and fucking gross. “What’s up, sugar?” he asks.

“Get on the bar. We’re doing body shots.”

He shrugs, then pulls his shirt over his head and proceeds to climb up on the bar. My face screws up in disgust. Sure, he has a nice set of abs, but there is no way in hell I’m doing a body shot off anyone who isn’t my boyfriend.

“I can’t, Lu. Nope, you two enjoy.” I hold up my hands.

“Oh well, more for us, Juliet. You’re first,” Lucy says, placing a shot glass on the guy’s stomach.

Juliet pours a dash of salt, grabs a lemon, and places it in the guy’s mouth. Then proceeds to lick, shoot, suck. Once they’ve made their way through all ten drinks, we end up sitting in a booth with the duo. Lucy ordered another round for all three of us. I’m only on my second glass, while the other two are already on their way to being white girl wasted.

A few hours and several rounds later, and I still haven’t found a way to bring up Xavier. Lucy, however, senses I’m getting impatient. Raising her glass, she toasts, “To asshole bosses who can’t tell us what to do.”

I lift my drink and tap hers. “I’ll toast to that. Fuck, my boss is the biggest ass I’ve ever met. I mean, the guy clearly needs to get laid or something.”

“I’ll second that. My last boss was the worst. But damn was that man fine.”

“Oh, where did you work?” I ask her.

“Some uptight law firm in the city.”

“Well, at least it wasn’t the one that’s been on the news the last couple of days. Xavier Christianson, now that’s a boss I’d let sexually harass me anytime.” I waggle my eyebrows.

“Oh, that was my boss,” Juliet says.

“Oh my god, I’m so sorry. I didn’t know.” I offer her my best sympathetic look. “Wait, you weren’t the girl he… were you? You poor thing.” Bloody hell, I need an Oscar for this role.

“Oh, I’m the girl, but you want to know a secret?” She leans across the table.

“What?”

“He didn’t do shit. I mean, I offered myself to the man on a silver platter, and he fired me. Who turns down a naked chick in their office and then fires them? I don’t get it. The bastard’s probably gay.”

“Wait, you’re suing him, but he didn’t sexually harass you? How the hell does that work?” I play dumb.

“My word against his. Everyone believes the girl, you know.” She shrugs, and I sit on my hands so I don’t reach over and strangle her.

“Oh, I didn’t know that. I thought you’d need evidence or something.” I lift my drink with a forced grin. “To asshole bosses who need to get laid.” I laugh.

All three of us clink our glasses together. “Okay, I think it’s time we head out, but we’re def coming back tomorrow night, right, Sharon?” Lucy says before standing.

“Sure are. This was the best night ever.” I slide off my seat, turn around to leave, and run smack-bang into a solid chest.

“Where are you going, sweetheart? You only just got here?” A sweaty, beefy palm grips my arm.

“I have an early start tomorrow. Excuse me,” I say, trying to shake his hand loose and step around him. He holds on tighter. I look over to Lucy, who’s being caged in by someone else. Her eyes are wide when they shoot to mine.

Yeah, this isn’t happening.

Lifting a knee, I swiftly connect it with the man’s balls. When he bends, I push on his chest, and he falls to the ground. This is when I step up next to Lucy. “Let her go. Now!” I demand.

“Or what? What on earth are you going to do about it, princess?” the guy sneers. “This little girl is coming with me for the night.”

I’m about to reply when he’s ripped away from Lucy. And all hell breaks loose.