Page 123 of Burden of Proof

I’d barely reached the bar when one of the other partners sidled up next to me. I didn’t remember his name because Hunter had introduced me to four or five men all at the same time, and their names flew over my head as fast as he’d said them. I gave him a polite smile, turning my attention to the drink menu propped up beside the tip jar.

“Lincoln, you said?” he greeted, and I glanced up at him with a smile.

“Yeah. Hi.” I nodded. “I’m sorry, I absolutely forgot your name.”

“Shaw. Scott Shaw, but you might be more familiar with my username, Shaws-six-nine.”

I scratched a sudden pressing itch along the underside of my jaw. “Why would I recognize a username?”

“Because yours is JayFxks, right?”

I had to physically look down, not convinced the floor hadn’t fallen out from under me at his connection of my face to my job. This was my biggest fear, all my inadequacies coming to slap me hard across the face at the worst possible time and the worst possible moment.

“What can I get you?” the bartender asked, and I tore my stare away from Scott to face her, but the outline of her face was blurry around the edges, her dark hair blending into the sky outside the window.

“Vodka soda,” I answered, thinking only of Hunter and not of myself. She mixed the drink, and I shoved some singles into the tip jaw before stepping to the side and praying I didn’t drop the glass all over the floor.

Scott followed, staying close. “Does he know?”

“Of course he knows,” I muttered.

“And he brought you here?”

I scanned the office for help, finding Hunter in a conversation with all four of his brothers, and they all looked sorelaxed and happy. There was no way I would even entertain the idea of going over there and ruining things for him.

“How is it bad for me to make the videos but not for you to subscribe?” I dared a look at him. “How much have you paid me over the years?”

Scott’s cheeks burned and he narrowed his eyes at me. “How I spend my money isn’t your concern, but the strict guidelines in Covington’s morality clause should be.”

Hunter’s drink squeaked against my palm, my grip bearing down around the glass. I hadn’t imagined Scott would be able to make things worse, and yet here he was. I couldn’t even keep looking at the party, couldn’t risk Hunter turning around and seeing the terror written across my face. I turned on my heel and brought myself face to face with a window, momentarily wishing I could throw myself out of it. Suddenly, the plug in my ass felt like an anvil, the tie around my throat, a vise. I reached up and tugged at the knot.

Scott laughed, low and dangerous in my ear. “I could look the other way,” he offered.

“If?”

“If you take a walk with me.” His words were quiet, closer. My shoulders hurt for how tense I was, the glass seconds away from shattering in my hand. “I’ve been paying to see you come for a very long time, and I think I might be convinced to keep this between us if I could see it in person…whenever I wanted.”

There was clearly no concern from Scott abouthismorality clause, but if I raised the issue, it would be my word against his, and who would they believe? Hunter would probably believe me, but why would the other partners? Why would anyone?

“You’re asking me to cheat on him.”

“I’m asking you to meet me in the bathroom,” he elaborated, and I fought back the urge to be sick all over his shoes because Iknew what was coming next. “And I’m not asking you for more than you already do,Lincoln.”

The way he said my name sounded like a slur.

“Make yourself come and let me help,” he said. “Whenever I want.”

“No,” I rasped, the weight of the word heavy on my tongue. This would be the end of my relationship because there was no way I would ever ask or want Hunter to give up his livelihood for me, and there was no chance in hell I’d ever let Scott see me naked in person, let alone see me getting off. I was going to delete his subscription as soon as I was in front of my computer, even though I’d probably need his money more than ever after Hunter broke up with me.

“No?”

“I don’t accept your offer.”

“What a piece of shit,” an almost familiar voice said from behind me. Scott’s entire body twisted, and he stumbled into me, losing his balance and sloshing Hunter’s drink all over my pants. I managed to catch my balance, but Scott never stood a chance because Andrew’s surprisingly strong right hook connected with his jaw and sent him straight down to the floor.

The whole room fell silent after that, all eyes turning toward the commotion. Andrew there shaking out his hand, me with wet pants, and one of the partners sprawled out on the floor of their office, barely conscious.

“Are you all right?” Andrew asked, taking a step toward me. “I heard the whole thing.”