Page 111 of Brutal Little Secrets

“Keira’s sixteen,” I offer.

Olivia’s angry eyes lift to mine. “So?”

Damon walks to the desk and sits in the chair facing Olivia. “You can do time for drugging a minor with the intent to sexually assault her.”

“Bullshit.” Olivia straightens and wipes at her cheeks. “There’s no proof it was me. She was at a party drinking. It could have been anyone.”

“Except you admitted it to us.” I lean against the wall.

“Yeah, but it’s not like anyone would believe you guys over me. It would be your word against mine. Even if I did put a drug in a drink, there’s no proof I was the one who gave her the drink. Besides, this is all posturing on your part.” Olivia looks at Damon like he’s contracted a deadly disease. “Maybe your reputation has been oversold.”

“How’s that?” Damon cocks his head to the side.

“You want me to believe that you…” She gestures to him, waving her hand up and down. “Are in love with an ant? I mean, I believe her when she says it. Fuck, she dated Chase, who is a known manwhore, for months. She’s pretty desperate, and you’re hot. But you loving her? I don’t believe it. I assume this is some sort of revenge plot? Because that’s the only thing that makes sense.”

She’s a little too close to the truth. We may have started out with revenge on our minds, but that seems so long ago. Annie’s become more to all of us. If she weren’t on board with bringing Chase down, we’d have ended this farce of her trying to get back together with him.

“You just can’t let go of the fact I chose Evan over you.” Damon smirks and shakes his head like she’s so far beneath him.

Olivia narrows her eyes at him. “Everything I’ve done has been for you. I even stooped low enough to find an ant to entice you with. Another little director nerd. Used my scarce supply of pills on her so you’d both have a good time. How was I supposed to know she couldn’t handle it?”

“You drugged her. What did you expect to happen?” I ask.

Olivia turns to me. “I’ve taken it before. I was fine. Maybe her destitute body couldn’t handle designer drugs? That’s not on me.”

“Except she didn’t know you were giving her a drink with drugs in it.” I relax my hands on my legs when I really want to throttle this girl. Drugging Keira is bad enough, but she wanted to pull that shit with Annie. Not on my watch. Not ever.

“Whatever.” She folds her arms across her chest and turns to Damon. “You’ve got nothing but your word. My father would crush you in court, so that’s not going to help you. Maybe I’ll go find a real man to fuck me since you only seem to want to slum it. I hope she’s worth it.”

Damon’s smile tells her everything. “She is.”

Olivia’s eyes narrow and she heads to the door. Before she can touch the doorknob, Damon clears his throat. I smile because this is when he shuts the trap.

She stops and huffs, “What else can you possibly have to say?”

“Did I forget to mention this whole thing has been recorded?” Damon leans back with his legs spread and his hands threaded together over his stomach. “Video and audio.”

Olivia glances around.

“Don’t worry. I’m not poor. I can afford the high-quality stuff. You’ll never find them.”

She glares with a glint in her eyes. “You’re bluffing.”

I hold out my phone with the video playback from when she came into the room. “Definitely not bluffing.”

Olivia goes still as she watches herself help Keira into the room. She pales and the martyred look drops from her face.

“I’m betting the police will be real interested to find out what happened in this room when a sixteen-year-old turns up at the hospital with alcohol and a date rape drug in her system.” Damon glances my way. “How long is the federal jail time for drugging a minor with the intent to sexually assault them? Up to twenty years?”

“Sounds right.” I’m not confident in my answer, but it seems legit. “State and federal would both want a piece of you, plus they’d want to know your supplier. Drug dealers get pretty twitchy when someone like you might turn on them. Especially for a reduced sentence.”

Olivia staggers like I hit her. “What? But Tanner?—”

“Is probably a dealer.” Damon stands but doesn’t approach her. “I mean, why else would he willingly give a chick like you drugs? The first time is always free. He probably wanted you to spread it around so he’d make bank selling party favors.”

Real fear plays across her face. “What will it take?”

“What will what take?” I stand and lean against the wall like I have all day. “You drugged my girl’s friend. Once the cops get involved, there’s not much we can do.”