“What does Cole think?”
“He wants to run around and beat people up until things are solved.”
She laughed. “Yeah, sounds right.”
“But that won’t work.”
“Can you pay them?”
“If we do, there’s no proof they won’t go public anyway, or that they won’t keep asking for more money.”
“Damn, girl. This is some real stuff.”
“So you see why I’m not just like legalling the crap out of him right now?”
“‘Legalling’? Is that even a word?”
“It is now!”
“Listen, Alexa, let me help.”
“How? I mean, this isn’t exactly your specialty.”
“No, it’s not, but I have some money saved up. I can help you with that at least.”
“No way, Lace. Thanks anyway, though.”
“Come on, this is big stuff. You don’t have to do this alone.” She paused, and I felt gratitude well up in me. “Anything you need.”
And then I had an idea. It was stupid, or maybe a little reckless, but it was a good one. Cole didn’t have to do everything alone.
“Actually, Lace, there is something you can do.”
“I don’t know how you talked me into this,” Cole said.
Lacey laughed at him. “You? I’m the one going inside.”
The three of us stood huddled at the entrance to the banquet hall from the night the photos were taken. Inside there was some event happening, though I couldn’t tell what it was.
“I could do this myself,” Cole grumbled.
“Enough out of you,” I said to him, turning to Lacey, “Lace, you look awesome. Sure you’re up for this?”
“Hell no.” She shrugged. “But I’m doing it anyway.”
I watched as she turned away resolutely and marched right through the front doors, blending in with the crowd and disappearing inside.
“Think she can handle it?”
“Probably,” I said.
The plan was pretty simple. Cole and I were both known to the people inside, or at least we were probably known. If one of them were blackmailing us, they’d definitely want to keep a huge distance.
But Lacey was different. Nobody knew her, nobody knew what she wanted, and that meant she was free to look around and maybe ask some questions.
The event happening inside was definitely something upscale and fancy, and fortunately Lacey had dressed for the part. She looked totally stunning in a floor-length dress, her hair pinned up in a complicated swirl, her makeup on point. I’d seen her get cleaned up before, but she looked particularly incredible tonight.
I leaned up against the wall off to the side, away from the entrance, and Cole joined me.
“I guess now we wait,” I said.
“Any ideas on how we pass the time?”
I gave him a look. “We could play I Spy.”
“Okay. I spy a naughty girl in need of punishment.”
“I spy an asshole.”
“That’s not how you play.”
“Maybe, but it’s true.”
He grinned at me, shaking his head. “When are you going to get over this whole denial thing?”
“There’s no denial here, Cole, just an asshole and his stepsister.”
He moved closer, our arms practically touching. I snuck a look at him out of the corner of my eye. His clothes clung to his muscular body, making my heart flutter. He caught me looking and smiled bigger.
“There it is,” he said. “That look.”
“What look?”
“Like you’re about to throw yourself at me. Mouth parted slightly. Makes my cock hard.”
“Anything makes your . . . penis hard,” I mumbled.
He laughed loudly at that, getting a few stares from people walking from their cars. “Penis? Are you joking?”
“Cut it out. People are staring.”
“No,” he said, turning to me. “You have to say it.”
“Say what?”
“Cock! You have to say cock.”
“No way. Cut it out. People can hear you.”
“Penis is about the least sexy word in the entire world. Say cock, sis, or I’ll keep getting louder.”
I glanced around us, my heart hammering in my chest. I was bright red and I knew it, but I couldn’t do anything about it. “Okay, okay. Cock.”
He moved even closer to me. “There you go. Not so hard.”
“I thought you were always hard around me?”
My joke eased my tension. He smirked. “Oh, I most certainly am. Have a feel.”
“Feel yourself.” I turned away from him, crossing my arms.
He leaned back up against the wall. There was a short silence between the two of us.
“She’s going to be fine,” Cole said softly.