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There was no point in lying. “I did,” she admitted on a

hiccup. Snake’s face didn’t change. He didn’t show any

emotion. He just found the car, held the door open for her, and

let her in. “They won’t say anything,” she whispered. “They

would never hurt me. They’re my best friends.”

“I hope so,” he responded. “None of that would go well if it

became public. For anyone.”

“Yeah,” she agreed as Snake drove out of the parkade, way

too fast. It was kind of thrilling. She could tell he was feeling

something by the way he drove. He never drove too fast or

recklessly. “I know. They wouldn’t. I trust them beyond

anyone.”

“Good.”

Haley waited a few minutes, until Snake’s driving resumed

its normal, careful pace. “Are you going to tell Claire?”

He nodded, and that was it. Haley tried not to squirm the

rest of the way home. Snake drank her smoothie like he wasn’t

troubled in the least. He knew it wasn’t his ass on the line,

even though he’d slipped up and let her out of his sight.

He had more faith in Claire’s magnanimity than Haley did.

Chapter 7

Claire

Claire was annoyed at the interruption to her work, but

when Snake confessed the morning’s incident to her, she saw

red. She saw red all the way up the stairs to Haley’s room. She

barely stopped herself from pounding on the door like a

demon. She was still seeing red when the door opened, and

Haley’s face appeared. She took one look at Claire and

stumbled back, searching for a retreat, a hiding place. She

wasn’t so bold and clever now.