Page 101 of A Game of Deception

The room fell silent as we all processed the depth of the manipulation. Leo, who had been listening from the kitchen doorway, was the first to speak.

“So Hank orchestrated this whole thing—bringing Xander to Miami, paying off his own player to harass him—all to prove a point to Tara?”

“That’s what he said,” Diego confirmed. “He wanted to show her that the man she was obsessed with was nothing special. Just another self-destructive party boy who’d crash and burn.”

Tara’s face had gone pale, her hands trembling slightly as she finished bandaging Diego’s cuts. I reached over and took the gauze from her, our fingers brushing.

“He underestimated both of us,” I said quietly.

She met my eyes, and I saw the shock in them harden into pure steel. “Yes,” she said. “He did.”

Diego looked between us, a slow, dawning realization on his battered face. “You two are actually together, aren’t you? Not just hooking up. I mean, like… real.”

“Yes,” Tara said simply. “We are.”

Diego leaned his head back, a strange, pained laugh escaping him. “Damn. The old man really miscalculated.”

“He did more than that,” I said grimly. “He broke the law. Multiple laws. And now we have a witness.”

“What’re you going to do?” Diego asked, his voice barely a whisper.

I looked at Tara, letting her answer.

“We’re going to expose him,” she said, her voice steady and certain. “For everything. The bribery, the cover-up of my brother’s death, the manipulation, the harassment. All of it.”

Diego’s eye widened. “He’ll destroy you both. He has connections everywhere.”

“Not after we’re done,” Tara said. She stood, gathering the bloody supplies. “Ben, can you take him to the hospital now? He needs those X-rays, and we have work to do.”

Ben, who looked like he’d just watched a multi-car pile-up, finally moved, helping Diego to his feet. At the door, Diego paused and turned back to me.

“Why did you do it?” he asked. “Why risk your life for me when I’ve been nothing but an asshole to you?”

“Because I’m tired of watching people get hurt when I can do something about it,” I said.

Diego nodded slowly, a flicker of true understanding in his eye. “I owe you. Whatever you need against Hank, I’ll testify. I’ll put it in writing. Whatever it takes.”

“We’ll be in touch,” Tara said, holding the door open for them.

After they left, the penthouse felt suddenly quiet. Leo busied himself cleaning up while Tara and I stood in the center of the living room, the full weight of what we’d learned settling over us.

“Your father did all of this,” I said finally. “Just to prove to you that I wasn’t worth your… what did Diego call it? Your obsession?”

Tara’s jaw tightened. “He’s been controlling my life for as long as I can remember. This is just the most elaborate version of it.”

“What now?” Leo asked, returning from the kitchen.

Tara’s eyes met mine, and I saw in them a determination that matched my own. “Now we end this,” she said. “Once and for all.”

26

TARA

I stoodin the center of Xander’s living room, the adrenaline from Diego’s confession still singing in my veins. The lies were all out, a tangled, ugly mess on the floor. Now, it was time to clean them up.

“I need a drink,” I announced, not to anyone in particular, and strode to the kitchen. I bypassed the whiskey and pulled a bottle of sparkling water from the fridge. I didn't need to be numb; I needed to be sharp. My hands were perfectly steady as I twisted the cap off.

The cold bite of the water grounded me. I leaned against the counter, watching Xander pace like a caged animal.