with L.A. traffic.
“Here, take this.” Edgar hands me half a bagel laden with cream cheese and a tumbler full of ginger and herb tea, from the way it smells.
“Seriously? I’m going to be late.”
“Have it on the way.” Then he adds, “But only when you’re stopped at red lights.”
I give him a smile. He’s just worried and being sweet. I kiss him. “Okay. Thanks.”
“I wish you didn’t have to work today. It’s Sunday.”
“I know. I’ll review my schedule and see what I can do to take some weekends off. See you this afternoon.”
I step into the elevator and hit the button for the garage, munching on the bagel. It’s quite good. Maybe I’m hungrier than I thought. I polish off more than half by the time the elevator arrives.
Quickly, I move toward my car. Then I stop when I see the familiar figure of Edgar’s mom moving toward me.
How did she get in? I thought this building had great security.
But maybe she snuck in after somebody. She’s a woman and richly dressed. Nobody would stop her, thinking she doesn’t belong in the building.
I pretend not to see her. I know it’s not the best move—and rude to boot—but I don’t have time to talk with her even if I wanted to. And I don’t, not after what happened yesterday and not until I know more about what’s going on in Edgar’s family.
“Jo!” she calls out.
Argh. Just feign deafness.
“Josephine Martinez!” she says, louder.
Her heels start clicking on the concrete floor at an accelerated pace.
This must be how a deer feels. She’s just minding her own business, munching on some grass in a forest, and all of a sudden somebody’s trying to hunt her down.
No way to ignore Edgar’s mom now. I stop, paste on a smile and turn around. “Oh, hello, Margot. I didn’t hear you.”
She’s breathing like I just made her run a marathon. “I need to talk to you.”
“Actually, I’m on my way to an appointment,” I say, taking a step toward my car. It’s only a few yards away. “I’m going to be late if I don’t leave now.”
Her lips curl in a hint of disdain. “Let’s be serious. You? Work? You’re with my son now, who’s worth billions.”
Ooo-kay. What tiny crumb of pity I might’ve felt for the way she was treated at the party evaporates.
“Well, I’m a professional who seriously does take some pride in her career,” I say, although I know I should get going rather than wasting my time talking with her. Traffic better be perfect. “And how did you know that I would be working today, anyway? It’s Sunday.”
“My husband doesn’t employ incompetent PIs, my dear. The value of good information is something you learn when you have money.”
“You’ve been spying on me? And hacked my email?”
She doesn’t even try to be coy like she was at the café. “Do you have any idea how humiliating it is to be tossed out by your own child? And all over a misunderstanding?”
“If there’s a misunderstanding, you need to work it out with whoever you’re having the problem with, not me. I can’t help you.” I start walking backward toward my Lexus.
“Edgar cares about you.”
“And I care about him. But I’m not getting involved in your drama.” I hit the button on my fob, and my car unlocks. “I’m going now.” I start to get in.
“Then I’ll release the video.”
I go still, my brain stuttering and going white in an instant of panic. I turn my head toward her. “What?”
“The sex tape you made with your former boyfriend. I’m going to release it.”
Fury erupts over her lie. There’s only one such video—the one Aaron made. But Edgar said he took care of it, so there’s no way she can have it. “Stop trying to play games. You don’t have anything.”
She pulls her phone out from her purse, taps the screen a few times and shows me the video.
Air seems to solidify in my lungs. I don’t have to see more than two seconds of it. It’s the same damned thing Aaron held over me.
“How the hell did you get that?” Edgar sounded so confident when he said it wouldn’t be a problem anymore.
“I have connections.”
Shit. Edgar said his family and Aaron’s did some business together. She must know Aaron and somehow got him to hand it over.
“Don’t you think it’ll be embarrassing? What father wants to see his daughter like that?”
“Shut up,” I reply, because I can’t think of anything better to say over the