Page 94 of Betrayal

“What the hell is going on?”Nick roared.“I’m leaving.”

“Not so fast.”Casildo stepped behind him, blocking the exit.

“A little conversation.”Hunter shrugged.“Before a few interested parties.”He’d opted for the nuclear option.He wanted Nick to pay for every moment of distress he’d caused Anna in the last few weeks.

The elegant dress said it all, and Hunter hadn’t got the full message until she’d spelled it out for him in his apartment days ago.She owned every mistake she’d ever made, while he’d refused to talk about most of his.

“You got me here under false pretences,” Nick snapped.

“A friendly chat.”Casildo smiled.

“Hariri, isn’t it?”Nick dismissed Casildo with a glance.“You’re a friend of my son, aren’t you?”

“I’m a friend of Hunt’s.”

“He is my son.His mother hadn’t prostituted herself at that stage.”Nick surveyed the crowd in the room, his eyes narrowing in recognition of some of those present.“Seems the gang’s all here.”Nick’s insolent gaze rested on Anna.“You’ve aged well, Anna.That little shimmy you did when you burst out of my fiftieth birthday cake was delightfully provocative.You followed it up with some moves my fellow guests reminisce about to this day.Such smooth, silky skin—"

“That was a professional performance.Wasted on you and your ‘friends.’”

“You’re wrong.”Nick puffed out his chest.“We enjoyed it very much.”

“Enough to take photos?”Anna was baiting Nick.

“You’re very photogenic.A few mementoes of a special occasion seemed fitting.”Nick seemed indifferent to the watching crowd, intent on his own revenge.

“Recording and distributing images without permission is a crime in this state,” she said sweetly.

Nick laughed.“Watch your mouth, missy.I’ll sue.”

“Crime, Anna?”Hunter tut-tutted.“Photos of his own birthday party?Everyone knowing what they were there for?I’d say he has plausible deniability on consent.No one in this room would pick you as the birthday girl.I’m more interested in how Nick identified you.Did you hand out business cards?”

“My professional name was Brandy Alexander.”Anna pouted.“My favourite drink at the time.”

“You want to talk charges.Kidnapping is a crime.”Nick waved his hand in Hunter’s face.

“Interesting charge, when we’re just having a friendly chat.”

“I’m finished,” Nick said.

“Are we finished, Anna?”Hunter’s voice held enough menace to fluster Nick.

“No.”

“I’m finished.”Nick made to turn away.

“I sure as hell hope so.”Casildo grabbed a chair and set it down.“Have a seat.”

“No.”The sheen of sweat on Nick’s forehead was another good sign.“What do you want?”

“An answer.”Hunter leaned back against Donna’s desk.

“The organiser must have given me your name.”Nick glanced around the room, possibly checking for other exits.

“Why would he do that?”Hunter pretended to give it some thought.“Unless you made it worth his while?And you’ve remembered Anna’s name all this time.Except, it’s not her name you remembered, but her bracelet.”

“Gina is pretty pissed at you, Nick.”

At the left-field attack, Nick’s gaze snapped to Anna, his Adam’s apple working.“Who’s Gina?”