Total pages in book: 235
Estimated words: 227851 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1139(@200wpm)___ 911(@250wpm)___ 760(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 227851 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1139(@200wpm)___ 911(@250wpm)___ 760(@300wpm)
We arrive and stand on the pavement outside, looking through the glass at the desks, all with bodies sitting at them. “He might not even be here,” Sam says as I take the handle.
“He’ll be here.” He’s either at work or at The Manor, and he’s not at The Manor right now. Pushing my way in, I’m greeted with numerous sets of eyes when everyone looks up. I smile. “Is Drew around?”
A lady stands, coming out from behind her desk, looking between us. “Can I tell him who’s asking?”
“Jesse,” I say. “A friend. And Sam.”
Realization pops into her eyes, and she smiles. “Well, what a pleasure to finally meet you both.” Her hand comes toward me, and I shake before she offers it to Sam. “I’ve heard a lot about you.”
I raise my brows, casting an interested look to Sam. “He talks about us?”
“All the time.”
“How sweet.”
“I’m Andrea.”
“Lovely to meet you, Andrea.” I crane my neck, trying to see past her. She’s a lovely lady, but we’re on an urgent mission. “So, where is he?”
“Give me a moment.” She wanders off, leaving us standing like two plums by the door, every single one of Drew’s employees—all women—staring at us, twiddling pens, straightening backs.
“Feeling scrutinized?” Sam asks quietly. “Fucking hell, I’m being mentally undressed.”
“Uncomfortable?” I laugh to myself. He’s used to being actually undressed. By various women, in one of the various rooms at The Manor.
Drew appears, suited, a massive fucking frown on his face. “What the hell are you two doing here?”
We both smile like chumps. “Missing your face, my man,” Sam chimes, and I roll my eyes.
“Your office is that way?” I ask, indicating to the door as I pass him, his confused face following me.
“Come on in,” he muses.
I take a seat at his desk, pushing the other chair out for Sam, gazing around. “Fucking hell, it’s a pristine as you.” Not one thing out of place, his desk an organized surface, with one posh pen in the pen pot and one file to the side.
“What’s going on?” he asks, lowering cautiously to his huge leather chair, eyes bouncing between us.
Fuck, where do I start? “I had a situation this morning.”
“A situation? What?”
Sam’s shrinking in his seat, happy to let me take the lead. A million words are rolling around in my head—bitch, pregnant, liar, trapped—but I’m struggling to know where to start. “Sam told me about the night of the anniversary party.”
Drew’s instantly hostile, glaring at Sam. “You’ve been gossiping? I told you to keep your fat mouth shut.”
“It wasn’t like that,” Sam says, a little high-pitched.
“Then what was it like?”
“He told me out of necessity.”
“I hardly even fucking remember,” Drew hisses, jaw rolling, eyes icy. “It was a grave mistake, and to be clear, I don’t particularly like the woman.”
A grave mistake? Oh, he has no idea.
“I know she’s been an issue for you,” he goes on, raking a hand through his hair. “And to be honest, I’ve never been so drunk in my life. I can’t believe I went there, even when I was pretty much unconscious.” Poor guy is sweating. Jesus Christ, I need to just get it out there. This is painful. “I’m sorry if you feel like I’ve—”
“She’s pregnant.”
Drew’s whole body jumps in his seat, like he’s received a physical punch. “What?” His eyes move from me to Sam, then back again, back and forth, as we remain in our chairs, unmoving, unspeaking, and expressionless. A smile breaks the corner of his mouth, slowly stretching across his face. “You’re fucking with me.” He breathes out, sagging in his chair. “Fucking hell, you cunt. You had me there.”
I press my lips together, slowly shaking my head, as Drew’s smile fades.
“We’re not joking, mate,” Sam says quietly. “Jesse’s seen the scan picture. It all lines up to the night of the anniversary party.”
Drew stares across at us, lost, and I see him mentally calculating the timeframe in his mind. Then he frowns. “How come you’ve seen the scan picture?”
Ah. I shift in my chair, all kinds of uneasy, and Sam must see my struggle because he speaks up so I don’t have to. “Coral showed up at Jesse and Ava’s place this morning. She told Jesse the baby was his.”
“What?” Drew blurts. “Wait. Is it?”
I glare at him in disbelief, and he notes my reaction, lucky for him, and backs down. “No, it isn’t,” I confirm for the sake of it. “It’s been months since I went there.”
“Coral told Ava she was four months pregnant,” Sam pipes in, his hand resting on my forearm, a signal to cool it. “Obviously to place Jesse in the frame. Ava only realized she was bullshitting when she looked at the scan picture. There were details missing, and the fetus is like . . . smaller than a peanut or something.” He shrugs. “Coral couldn’t double down because Ava showed her a scan picture of the twins.”