Page 79 of The Book of Luke

Get Luke’s lawyer on the phone, or so help me, Troy, I will walk off this show and never come back!” Imogen barked.

“And stop filming right the fuck now,” PB added over her shoulder. Barnes had instantly tried to approach me, but PB had blocked him. I was too numb to realize how protective PB had been until months later while watching the episode. I never gave him the credit he deserved for being on my side.

Amid the cacophony, I heard a livid Tati griping to Fortune (“Now they arebothhere? Why did the rest of us even show up?”). Greta meanwhile shadowed Barnes, the flying monkey home to roost, her blond hair obscuring his face from me. Was he giddy inside, to see the tidal wave he’d set in motion? For once, I wished Balthazar was present so at leastsomeonewould recite Barnes’ litany of crimes at top volume for the cameras, because I certainly couldn’t. The last thing I would do was gift wrapfootage of me disintegrating into mania for his divorce attorney while Barnes played the cool customer.

All that grounded me was Erika’s hand in mine. She’d discreetly evacuated me to the empty chairs in video village as soon as he’d appeared. She was pointedly avoiding the melee, eyes boring like lasers into the columns of the Custom House. I couldn’t bring myself to ask how she felt to be plunged into the orbit of the monster she’d every right to despise, all because of me, the carcass who’d drawn this scavenger to us. Yet somehow she still refused to abandon me, which was more than I could say for Shawn.

He stood awkwardly on the periphery with Melange, his face out to the river. Why washenot holding my hand? When Barnes arrived, Shawn had staggered away like I was a leper. I wondered if he was worried his face might telegraph something to Barnes or the cameras without my approval. Or maybe he finally understood I only brought trouble.

My husband had been there five minutes, and he’d already ruined everything I’d spent weeks building. Rebuilding. And now I found myself whispering, “I quit.”

Zara crouched beside me. “What was that?”

“He didn’t say anything,” Erika quickly interjected, shooting me a warning look.

“Luke, I have Jenny on the line. She’s conferencing in your attorney.” Zara indicated for me to follow, but Erika wouldn’t release my hand yet.

“No sudden decisions,” she said, her voice drained of its usual brightness. “Please.”

I swallowed, managing to nod, and accompanied Zara to an alley a block away, where she grimly handed me her phone. “Take as long as you need.”

But before I spoke to Jenny, I had to know. “When was this decided?”

“The network closed his deal forty-eight hours ago.”

“But he’s asenator,” I said, still dazed. “How can he be on a reality show?”

“Your sister will explain.”

“Was this what upset you last night? That Troy was forcing Camdon out to get Barnes on the show? Zara, you can’t be okay with this!”

“Do I look like I’m okay with it?!” she snapped. “A tape was left anonymously in the production office with audio of Camdon and Royce arranging a bribery ring.”

The tape recorder. My jaw dropped, immediately suspecting PB had orchestrated this whole spectacle. “Who were they arranging it with?”

“It was just the two of them. My best guess is a crew member caught it and didn’t want any blowback.” Of course PB wouldn’t implicate himself on the recording. But why target Camdon now? How could he have known it would bring in Barnes? “Royce was already gone, but right when I was about to pull Camdon, the network demanded Barnes join. So Troy gave Camdon a choice: return in the future or get banned for life. Thus, the beer.”

“Wait—thenetworkcalled? Saying Barnes was what? Available for a vacation?!”

“Talk to your sister,” she said wearily, positioning herself between me and the set.

Trembling, I brought the phone to my ear. “Jen?”

“Luke?! Thank God, we’ve been trying to reach you for days!”

“We were remote, no cell service.” Which now seemed far too convenient…

“Is he there?”

“Yeah.”

“That motherfucker,” Jenny hissed. “Evelyn, is there any way this can be considered fraud on the network’s part? Or entrapment?”

Evelyn rapidly began reading my contract aloud, noting I had no casting approvals, but I interrupted. “Stop! How is a sitting US senator here in a contestant’s uniform?”

Jenny was quiet for a second. “You haven’t seenanynews?”

“You know we’re not allowed.”