Page 11 of The Price of Scandal

“Ma’am! Put your hands behind your head,” the first cop yelled.

“That shit’s not mine,” the pissant howled. The photographers started shooting video.

I scrolled through my contacts at lightning speed.

“Everything is fine,” I heard Emily say calmly. “I’m just reaching for my phone.”

“Hands behind your head!”

“Imani,” I said into the phone. “You’ve got about thirty seconds before you’re made aware of a rather large problem. I think I can be of some help.”

The cuffs snapped onto Emily’s well-bred wrists like damnation as two dozen paparazzi recorded every second.

5

Emily

Billionheiress’s public humiliation! Drug arrest!

Daughter of Miami cruise line executive Byron Stanton arrested for drugs!

Flawless CEO released without charges in drug bust

The secret drug-fueled life of party girl Emily Stanton

“Wake up, jailbird.” The chipper voice cheerfully intruded on the thirty minutes of sleep I’d managed to snag after the worst night of my life. And I’d once dropped a vial of leptospirosis on the lab floor.

I pried a crusty eye open and peered over the luxurious softness of my bed linens.

“What are you doing here?” I rasped at the three shadowy figures hovering over my bed.

I never should have given them my alarm codes.

“Emergency circle the wagons,” the tallest shadow said, arms crossed.

“Yeah. Now, get your adorable ass out of bed so we can make it all better,” the middle one chirped, slapping me on the butt. Luna was outrageously cheerful all hours of the day.

I groaned, sitting up, noting it was still dark outside.

“Get dressed, my little vagillionaire,” the third one said, throwing workout clothes at me.

“You want to work outnow,Daisy? You’ve got to be kidding me.” Daisy didn’t willingly spend time in the gym unless it was to flirt with a hot personal trainer.

“Lights on.”

My bedroom lights came on dimly.

“Damn it, Cam,” I complained. “I deserve at least another hour of wallowing.”

My phone signaled from the lovely hammered copper nightstand. I didn’t have the energy to pick it up and immerse myself in the shitstorm that was most certainly brewing.

“Get up and meet us in the gym,” Luna said.

They left the room, a united front of badassery.

I stared at the clothes in my lap. I was exhausted, humiliated, and not just a little worried. I was a fucking basket case. One misstep. I’d just endangered the future of my company, the security of my employees, with one horrifically bad decision. And I wasn’t ready to see just how bad the fallout was.

“Move it, Ems!” Daisy called.