“No.”
“Because if he needs some pointers,” Izzy teased, “we could ask Martin.”
She and Dana gave each other a high five. Lexi laughed. She glanced toward the closed bathroom door and wondered what Skye was feeling, then thought about her fight with Cruz. Relationships were a complication. Even the ones that weren’t supposed to matter.
LEXI WALKED INTO Cruz’s house after midnight. She’d avoided the margaritas and still felt as if she had a hangover. Quite the trick, she thought, although not a good one. It was the emotional stress, she told herself. Too much happening too fast. Her life had become a roller coaster.
There were a few lights on downstairs. She turned them off, then went to the second floor. The door to the master stood open and light spilled onto the carpet. She went inside and saw Cruz sitting in a chair by the fireplace, reading. He looked up when she entered.
He’d taken off so fast, she’d wondered if he would ever come back. She’d been thinking that maybe she should leave. Yet here they both were.
He looked good, she thought, taking in the dark hair and eyes, the firm set of his jaw. Just being in the same room was enough to get her hormones cheering. It didn’t matter how often they made love-she always wanted him. Would it be like that forever? After the six months ended and they walked away from each other, would she still have these feelings?
“Did you have a good time?” he asked as he stood.
“I was at Dana’s house. Martin dumped her so we had a girl fest.”
“I didn’t ask where you were.”
“I know. I’m telling you.” She set down her purse. “You left in a hurry.”
“I was angry.”
“I got that. You’re a great communicator.”
She wasn’t mad, exactly, but she was tired of trying to make him see what was right.
“I’m sorry,” he said. “I shouldn’t have taken out my temper on you. You’re only trying to help. Kendra isn’t your responsibility, but you keep getting involved. She didn’t make it simple-I’m sure she was a pain in the ass, but you keep showing up.”
“I can’t help it.”
“I’m not saying it’s bad, Lexi. I’m saying…” He moved closer. “Maybe you’re right. Whatever the hell I have going on from my past has nothing to do with her. She’s just a kid trying to get by. I haven’t made that easy for her. In fact, I’ve made it damned hard. You were determined to make me see that, no matter how hard I pushed back.”
She let the words wash over her, then smiled. “You’re going to see her more?”
“We’re having dinner next week. It’s a start”
“That’s great. She’s a good kid. I think you’ll really like her if you just give her a chance.”
“I know.”
“What changed your mind?”
“You.”
Lexi’s already shaky stomach flipped over. “Oh, Cruz.”
“I have a choice with my daughter. My dad had a choice, too. Every time he hit my mother, he had a choice. He did what was selfish-what made himself feel good and damn the consequences. I don’t want to be that guy.”
“You’re not.”
He cupped the back of her neck and kissed her. His mouth was warm and tender against hers. He didn’t have to draw her in, she went willingly. As he deepened the kiss and she got lost in being with him, she remembered him asking why she’d wanted him to be her first time.
It was because she hadn’t had a choice, either. When it came to Cruz, she’d never been able to stop herself. She was the moth to his flame, despite the fact that she already knew that when it was all over, it never ended well for the moth.
WITH ENOUGH CASH, connections and a willingness to cross the line and do the wrong thing, a person could find out an amazing amount of information.
“You sure about this?” Cruz asked.
Lexi stared at the apartment building he’d parked next to, and nodded. “I want to talk to her.”
“Her lawyer could use this against you.”
“There won’t be any lawyers.”
Lexi was sure about that. Garth had picked the wrong Titan to screw with this time. She was done being taken by him. He’d caught her off guard with the loan and he’d won that round, but she was through letting him outmaneuver her.
They went into the apartment building and took the elevator to the third floor. Lexi had called before they’d left the house, pretending to have the wrong number. Ann Paul had answered and Lexi was betting she was still home.
Lexi rang the bell. A few seconds later, the front door opened.
“Yes?” the woman said.
She was in her late thirties, small and plain. Lexi didn’t remember seeing her at the spa, but she looked exactly like the picture Lexi had of her.
“Hi,” Lexi said with a smile, pushing into the apartment. “I’m Lexi Titan. The woman you’re suing. I thought I’d stop by so we could talk. This is my fiance, Cruz Rodriquez. He’s here to keep me from doing anything stupid.”
Ann had short brown hair and small brown eyes. She looked terrified as she backed into the kitchen.
“I’m going to have to ask you to leave,” she said, sounding as if she were asking a question more than making a statement.
“I will. But first I have a couple of things I’d like to share with you. I’ve done some checking. I know you used to work for Garth. You were the assistant to his assistant.” Lexi smiled. “Sort of like being the dog’s pet. The people in the office all knew you had a thing for Garth, that he never noticed you and that you would have done anything to get him to like you. Apparently even lie.”
Ann blushed. “I d-don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Then I’ll keep explaining. Garth is using you, Ann. He has a personal vendetta against my family and you’re simply one expendable soldier in his army. Filing a lawsuit is easy. I’m guessing Garth’s lawyers did it for you. All you had to do was sign. But it’s going to get a lot more tricky. There will be depositions and hearings. You’re going to have to face my lawyers and I can assure you, they’re not nice people. After that will be a judge, then a jury.”
Ann looked equally confused and scared. “There’s not going to be a trial. You’re going to settle.”
Lexi could almost feel sorry for her. “Is that what Garth told you? That I wouldn’t want to be bothered?”
“There will be a lot of negative publicity. All the things that happened to me after my treatments.” She swallowed. “I have pictures.”
“I’ll just bet you do. I have an investigation team that’s going to find out exactly where you got those pictures taken and who did the makeup.”
Lexi was bluffing. Still, Ann didn’t know that, and Lexi was pleased when her eyes widened.
“I was seriously hurt at your spa. You should have more competent people working for you.”
“What confuses me is, if your claim is correct, why you never came and talked to me.”
“I called,” Ann said, sounding more confident. “I was told you would call me back, but you never did.”
“Interesting. You know we have caller ID on our phones, right? We have a special system that tracks all calls and stores them. Not just the last forty or so, but
Ann clutched her hands together in front of her. “You should go now.”
“I will, but first let me share a couple of things with you that I’m sure Garth forgot to mention. What you’re doing is illegal. It’s fraud and extortion. There’s enough money in this lawsuit for you to be facing felony charges. Do you think Garth’s going to stand behind you on this? Do you think he’s interested in going to prison to protect you? Do you have anything in writing that proves this wasn’t all your idea?”
All the color left Ann’s face.
Lexi squared her shoulders. “You’re involved in something that’s going to ruin your entire life, Ann. I understand
