@raiderssucks23’s real identity. Seen him before?” He pulled up the relevant screenshot on his phone and shoved it in front of Edison’s face. The photo showed a stocky guy with dark hair and a mean mug. Sammy had seen him only once before, but he recognized him on sight. It was Bulldog, the guy who’d accused him of sexting his girlfriend all those weeks ago.
Real name: Bobby Cooper. Girlfriend: Amanda Lerning. Girlfriend’s profession: paralegal at Sterling, Wilson & Cartwright, AKA Edison’s law firm.
Edison sneered. “No clue who that is, but it sure don’t look like me.”
“No, but it sure does look like your paralegal’s boyfriend.”
“So? It’s a small world. You can’t prove—”
“My investigator had an interesting chat with Bobby, who happens to be quite a whiz in the kitchen. Works as a production baker for a rival bakery, in fact. He also happens to have loose lips once he’s threatened with a lawsuit. Said you paid him a thousand bucks to replicate one of my cupcakes, bake a roach into it, and post it online. Now, why would you do that, Eddie?” Sammy’s tone remained conversational. “I thought we were family.”
“Fuckin’ Bobby,” Edison snarled. “That man doesn’t have two brain cells to rub together. He’s always hated you, you know. Amanda is a big fan—but then, she’s always been dumb too, and a shitty paralegal to boot—and he couldn’t stand it. Always hanging around outside our office waiting for her, complaining, being a useless piece of shit. Thought I’d fuck with him one day and said I overheard Amanda telling her friend she was sexting you.” He chuckled. “The stupid oaf bought it. He even showed up at your little shop. Too bad he was too much of a pussy to do anything. Hey, at least it was easy to convince him to mess with you. Business has boomed at the bakery he works at ever since the tweet went viral. Of course, most of that money goes to the owner, not Bobby, but that’s not my problem.”
Sammy forced himself not to throw his piece of shit cousin on the ground and beat him senseless. A few punches were one thing; murder was another, and he refused to go to jail because of Edison.
“Why?” he demanded. “We’ve never been close, but we’re family. Why would you do something so despicable?”
“Why?” Edison’s voice rose. “Because I can! Because I’m the star of the family, not you! I went to Harvard. I’m a fucking partner at my law firm. But all anyone talks about is you. Sammy, Sammy, Sammy. Even when we were kids, you were everyone’s favorite.” His eyes flashed with venom. “No one except me sees what a loser you really are, so I have to show them. How’s business been lately?” His sneer returned. “Heard you had to pause the expansions on the East Coast. What a shame.”
Sammy felt sick. He couldn’t believe he was related to someone so vindictive. Psychologists would have a field day with Edison—he was the textbook definition of a narcissist.
“Sorry to disappoint, but the expansions are going ahead as planned. Crumble & Bake will survive. So will I. But you?” He tightened his grip on Edison’s shirt. “You’ll always be a sorry excuse of a cousin and human being. Oh, and thanks for your little speech.” He waved his phone in the air. “I got it all on tape.”
Then, because he couldn’t help himself, Sammy punched Edison one last time for good measure. While the other man screamed and crumpled to the ground, he got back in his car and drove to the bakery.
He had a business to save.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Olivia was in a funk. She didn’t get into a funk often, so she had no clue what to do. Her usual methods of coping with stress all failed.
Deep-cleaning her off-campus apartment until the place sparkled like a Tiffany diamond? Failed.
Purging and donating half her closet to Goodwill and re-color coordinating the rest? Failed.
Eating her weight in Ben & Jerry’s while watching every Meg Ryan rom-com ever made? Failed.
“Get it together.” She glared at her reflection. She was wearing her only pair of sweatpants and an old tie-dye shirt she’d forgotten she owned. Eleanor would have a heart attack if she saw her dressed like this. Too freaking bad. Olivia was over trying to live up to her mother’s unrealistic expectations. She hadn’t spoken to Eleanor since that terrible brunch with her, Alina, and Richard, and she didn’t want to. She was stressed enough, thank