Page 65 of Settling the Score

She nodded slowly, and of course, thought of Aiden, and how for years, she had loved and hated him. Different circumstances, similar outcome.

‘There’s fear, too, of turning into what you hate most in the world. And a few defensive mechanisms, like humour,’ he said with a droll smile, ‘used to cover up whatever you might actually be feeling.’

‘Well, I’m glad you told me,’ she said.

‘You’re easy to talk to. Blake thinks the world of you, you know.’ He looked over his shoulder, then back at Sienna. ‘I suspect his brother does, too.’

She pulled a face. She didnotwant to talk about Aiden with Chuck. Or anyone. It was too complicated.

‘Hey.’ She changed the subject swiftly, because her insides were feeling all jammed up by this conversation, her skin starting to get clammy when she thought about how long she’d known Blake and Aiden for, and what both men meant to her. ‘I’ve got a question.’

‘Okay.’ He shrugged. Another song started to play. ‘Shoot.’

‘How does it work, the whole tech bro thing?’

He laughed. ‘That’s your question?’

‘What’s wrong with it?’

‘Well, it’s a bit nebulous.’

‘Oooh, look at the dumb jock using big words.’ She grinned. ‘Careful.’ She lowered her voice to a whisper. ‘You’re starting to sound like you have more than two brain cells to rub together.’

‘Well, we can’t have that now, can we?’

‘So?’

‘I mean, it’s not like there’s a club. It’s business. I run a business. I just happen to invest in tech start-ups.’

The hairs on the back of Sienna’s neck stood on end. ‘Yeah, I thought so. And do you know other guys who do the same thing?’

‘Well, yeah, obviously.’

‘Have you ever heard of someone called Harvey Peterson?’

Chuck stopped dancing for a minute, then started up again. ‘Yeah. Why? Do you know him?’ A frown flitted across his face briefly.

‘Not personally.’

He let out a low whistle. ‘I’m glad.’

‘Why?’

‘He’s an A-grade asshole,’ Chuck said, confirming everything Sienna already knew and felt about the guy.

‘Why?’ she asked urgently, leaning forward a little, because sheneededto hear this.

‘Apart from the fact he stiffed me on a deal a few years ago?’

She shook her head.

‘I’ve just heard… some things. He’s not a good guy.’

‘That much I know.’

He stopped dancing again. But it didn’t matter. Inside, Sienna was all swirly, the possibilities opening up before her like a freaking rainbow bridge. After spending almost a year trying to work outhowto get revenge on a rich, privileged, Silicon Valley tech genius, and drawing a complete and utter blank, she felt like she might actually have the beginnings of a way in. She just had to work outhowto capitalise on that.

‘How do you know?’