Total pages in book: 139
Estimated words: 132892 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 664(@200wpm)___ 532(@250wpm)___ 443(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 132892 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 664(@200wpm)___ 532(@250wpm)___ 443(@300wpm)
“This isn’t the right time for this, Tinker. Stop being so melodramatic.”
“If you want to help, send your financial papers to my lawyer,” I snapped. “Or is there some kind of problem? How about this—you let me worry about evacuating and you worry whether your documentation can stand up to a forensic audit. I’ve been hearing some ugly rumors lately. Got anything you want to tell me?”
Silence.
Of course, it was too good to last. Brandon always landed on his feet. “I don’t know what you’re talking about, but we can deal with that later. I love you. I need you. Come home, so we can move forward with our lives.”
“How many times do I have to say the same thing before you listen to me?” I asked. “Brandon, there’s fires everywhere. People could lose their homes, but all you see is an opportunity for publicity. It’s disgusting. You’re disgusting. And what’s this bullshit about bringing people to justice? None of the fires are even close to your jurisdiction!”
“Tinker, I don’t care about publicity,” he replied, his voice paternal. “You think it’s all about the campaign, but it’s not. It’s about wanting you back in my life.”
“You really that crazy about me?” I asked. “You want me back? Let me guess, you love me unconditionally and it’s all going to be flowers and roses if I come home, right?”
“Things will be different,” he insisted, his voice low. “I promise. And of course my love is unconditional. It always has been.”
Liar. Time to call him on it.
“Okay, Brandon, I’ll make you an offer.”
“What?” he asked, his voice eager. “You won’t regret this, Tinker. We’re the perfect couple—you know it’s true.”
“Once I get back inside the house, I’m going to upload a sex tape to the internet, and then I’m sending links to everyone I know in Seattle. Including the people at your office,” I said, smiling smugly. “It’ll make you look terrible and probably ruin your campaign hopes, but that’s nothing compared to saving our love, right?”
Brandon didn’t answer, and I laughed, savoring the moment.
“You made a sex tape of us?” he finally asked. “Tinker, how could you—?”
“No, you fucking egomaniac, I made a sex tape with someone else. I didn’t make it on purpose, but it exists. Right now it’s not being spread too far, at least that I know of. I’d prefer it stay that way, but if it takes a video of me fucking a stripper in a hotel room going public to get you off my back, it’s worth it. Last chance, Brandon. You want me, tell me to upload and I drive to Seattle. It’ll be rough—all your friends and co-workers will see it—but like you said, our love is unconditional, so we’ll survive it, won’t we?”
I heard a choking noise through the phone and I laughed again, feeling liberated.
“It’ll ruin your campaign,” I continued, savoring every word. “Destroy your reputation. You’ll be a laughingstock and everyone will know you’ve been lying about our marriage. Or I can keep my mouth shut and you can send the fucking paperwork to my lawyer. What’s it gonna be, Brandon? True love forever or a divorce?”
“I . . . I can’t believe—Tinker, how could you do that?”
“I’ll give you thirty seconds. Then I’m hanging up and hitting the upload button.”
“No!” he said. “Okay, you win. My attorney will talk to yours. We’ll get the paperwork figured out.”
So much for unconditional love.
“Lovely,” I replied. “Make sure it’s all legit. I’d hate to have any unpleasant truths come out in divorce court. Whatever shit you’ve been pulling, it will not touch me. Tread lightly, Brandon, and don’t fuck around.”
Then I hung up the phone and walked in through the side door, feeling like I’d lost fifty pounds. Well, probably more like a hundred and seventy—at least, that’s what it said on his driver’s license. Should’ve done it a long time ago, because I knew one thing for sure. I really would rather upload that video for everyone on earth to see than go back to his lying ass.
“You okay, honey?” Dad asked, wandering into the kitchen. I smiled at him brightly.
“I’m great,” I told him. “Finally figured out how to get Brandon off his ass and move forward on the divorce.”
“That sounds promising,” he replied, returning my smile. “Never liked that fellow. You think you could come into the living room? There’s someone at the door who’d like to talk to you. Says his name is BB. Big guy, wearing a leather vest.”
I followed Dad back to the living room, where sure enough, there was a great big guy standing by the door wearing a leather Reapers MC vest. He was built like a teddy bear, all round and soft-looking. His skin was medium dark and his hair was pulled back into a long braid.