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Alex wasn’t sure. But was she ever positive that a new person allowed into the ecosystem wouldn’t disrupt it? New clients posed risks, but they still took those on. Of course, clients only had limited knowledge and therefore could only cause limited damage. Charlotte would be privy to the behind the scenes. The whole picture.

“If we go down, she goes down too,” Alex countered. As soon as she went from passive knowledge to active participant, she’d be on the hook just as much as they were.

“I hope you’re right about that,” Stephanie replied. “I’ll defer to your judgment.”

There was more that Stephanie wasn’t saying, but Alex decided she didn’t want to know. Stephanie was right; she had already decided before she’d broached the topic. Alex didn’t just need a new accountant; she wanted a partner. One that was involved in all aspects of her life. She wanted Charlotte.

CHAPTER 30

AFTER A FULL MORNING spent with Harvey, the ancient accountant that had structured Alex’s businesses to fit seamlessly inside each other, Charlotte sat in her car in the spa’s parking lot and shoved French fries in her face.

She still couldn’t believe she’d done it. She’d broken through the barrier and into Alex’s inner circle. From late March to the first day of December, it had taken her eight months to work her way in, but now she knew exactly how the whole thing worked.

The sense of accomplishment she’d expected to feel was absent. In its place, Charlotte was engulfed by an amorphous and all-encompassing impending sense of doom. She drowned it with a greasy cheeseburger and a chocolate shake.

A banging on her passenger-side window nearly made her jump out of her skin. Scrambling to wipe her face, Charlotte shoved the remainder her of her food into the stained brown paper bag and stu ed it behind the driver’s seat.

Hitting the button on her door, Charlotte lowered the window. Stephanie peered at her as she did, her jaw set and

her expression severe.

“Yeah?” Charlotte asked, unsure why the woman was glaring at her during her lunch break. Considering Stephanie’s Tesla hadn’t moved from its parking spot, Charlotte figured that she’d come out to the parking lot to find her.

“Can you unlock the door?” Stephanie’s hand rested on the handle. It was phrased as a question, but it barely disguised the demand in her tone.

Charlotte hesitated. The prospect of being confined to a small space with Stephanie wasn’t immediately appealing, but she could use it to her advantage. Stephanie had never shown any interest in getting to know her but getting her on her side might be a benefit someday.

When Charlotte popped the lock, Stephanie opened the creaky side door and climbed inside.

“I heard you met Harvey today,” she stated so matter-of-factly there was nothing for Charlotte to do but nod. She appreciated that Stephanie had dispensed with the illusion of pleasantries. “Why do you want to do this?”

“Do what?” Charlotte wished her car didn’t reek of the nauseating smell of fast food. Now that she was full, the odor turned her stomach. She rolled down her window to mitigate the stench.

“Join the business,” she explained, her consonants sharp to display her irritation.

“Why did you?” Charlotte snapped, knowing aggression wasn’t the right tact, but it slipped away from her.

“I’ve known Alex all my life. She’s my family and I’d do anything for her. Plus, I was an ardent feminist and

aggressively pro sex work even before I knew the full extent of her business,” she countered as if she’d been ready for the question. “Your turn.”

Charlotte concealed her unsteady breath. Being pinned down and interrogated made it harder to think. She didn’t want to take a misstep. She wasn’t so cemented in the operation that her involvement couldn’t be undone.

“I haven’t known Alex my entire life,” she started by stating the obvious with as much gentleness as she could manifest. “But I care about her very much. I would do anything in my power to help her.”

Stephanie’s eyes narrowed. They were laser beams fired into her soul. Despite the open window allowing a cool breeze to stream in and join the air conditioning, Charlotte’s skin grew hot and sweat started to prickle at her back.

“That’s it? You care about her? I care about my dog’s veterinarian, but that doesn’t mean I’m willing to go to prison for her.”

Under the stress of Stephanie’s direct questioning, Charlotte’s mind wandered to the inane. She wouldn’t have pegged Stephanie as a pet person. Always impeccably dressed and well put together, she must have some tiny dog that didn’t shed. Or maybe a Doberman Pinscher. Either possibility seemed equally likely.

“I don’t just care about her ,” Charlotte replied after a beat. “You make it sound so small and meritless. Doesn’t the fact that I’m willing to implicate myself show how much she means to me?”

The words clanged in Charlotte’s ears like a rock through a window. She really was risking herself. Jayson had told her

she couldn’t commit crimes, but if she really managed to hand over some major smoking guns there was no way the State Attorney wouldn’t grant her immunity. It was either that or she wouldn’t talk. Without her, they wouldn’t have a cas

e against Alex. They wouldn’t prosecute her, they’d praise her. Plus, how else did they expect her to get anything? She had to get her hands a little dirty.