“Derek, it’s Kade.”
“Hey. What’s going on?” Because Kade didn’t normally call this early. “Something with Blink?” Derek asked.
“No. You know how Lexie collects the articles we’re all mentioned in?”
He rubbed the back of his neck, suddenly anxious. “Yeah?”
“You have a problem. I know you had faith in Cassie, but I told you to be careful.”
The muscles in his neck bunched into tight knots. “Fucking spit it out,” he muttered.
“There’s an article on the Take a Byte website about you.”
Derek shook his head. “That doesn’t sound right. She would have told me.” He glanced at the bed. Her bare shoulders peeked out from beneath the comforter; her brown hair was splayed across his pillow. So innocent-looking.
“Yeah? Would she also have told you she was going to do a trash piece on your mother?” Kade asked.
“Excuse me?” Derek asked, his voice rising.
Cassie jumped up, her bare breasts bouncing and teasing him before she grabbed the comforter and covered herself. “What’s wrong?” She turned sleepy eyes on him.
He held up a hand, indicating she shouldn’t interrupt. “Go on,” he said to Kade.
“The story of how your mother worked for the Storms, was fired for stealing family jewelry, arrested … all of it laid out for the world to read.”
His stomach clenched in dread. “Fuck. Thanks for the heads-up. I’ll call you later.” He turned to face Cassie.
“What is it?” she asked, concern in her voice.
“Take a Byte ran an article about me.”
She blinked in surprise. “What? No. That’s impossible.”
“Well, somehow all the information about my past, growing up the son of the gardener and maid, my mother labeled a thief for stealing family jewelry, her firing and arrest, is out for public consumption. All of it,” he said, his anger and fury rising with every word.
Her eyes opened wide. “What’s the byline?” she asked, jumping out of bed, bending down, and searching through her clothes. She popped up again with her phone in hand. “Byline,” she said again. “Who wrote the article?” she asked, scrolling through her phone.
“Kade didn’t say.”
She studied her phone, gaze narrowing. “Anonymous. The byline says fucking anonymous.” Frustration shook her body.
Her naked body, and he knew they had to get dressed. Before he could make the suggestion, she sat back down in bed and scrolled through her cell phone. “Dixon, it’s Cassie. I know it’s the weekend but it’s urgent. Who wrote the article about Derek West, and why wasn’t I informed first?”
She listened, her shoulders straightening as indignation rolled through her. “I’ll kill him,” she muttered. “Thanks,” she said into the phone. “I’ll be in touch.”
She tossed her phone on the bed and met Derek’s gaze. “I didn’t write it.”
“I know.”
“But you thought it for a minute, didn’t you?” she asked, hurt in her voice.
He shook his head. “In the second in which I found out, I didn’t know what to think. All I knew was that my entire life had been revealed to the public by your magazine. I didn’t connect any dots.”
“Well, I didn’t do it. I wouldn’t.” She pulled the blanket up around her as a shield. “But I know who did. Dixon said they were told it was an executive decision and under no circumstances was I to be told. Or else jobs would be on the line.” Her face was flushed with anger. “My brother. He’s the only one with the ability to override me. The only one who could threaten job security and my people would believe him.”
“Jesus,” Derek muttered. The gall of the men in that family knew no bounds. He recalled his conversation with the PI. “Cassie, remember I told you if there was anything you needed to know about your brother, I’d tell you?”
She nodded, her shoulders slumping as she prepared herself for another blow. “What is it?”