“So… Now here you are. And it seems like you’ve come to make trouble for Callie and Rory.”
“Why would I do that?”
“I don’t know, Pat. Why would you tell lies to me about Callie and Rory? Why would you say the same thing to Raine? Seems you’re out to damage Callie and Rory’s relationships.”
“I haven’t lied.”
“Don’t give me that song and dance. We both know you never slept with Rory or Callie Pike.”
“I never said I slept with Callie. I said she was waiting in line.”
“Yeah, and I’m just that gullible.”
“You don’t have to believe me.”
“I know I don’t have to, and I don’t. But I do know one thing. I know you’re the person responsible for my sister being hospitalized for alcohol poisoning ten years ago.”
He shakes his head slowly. “So that’s what Callie and Rory told you, huh? I shouldn’t be surprised.”
“No, you shouldn’t, because unlike the shit that comes out of your mouth, this happens to be the truth.”
“Prove it.”
“Why? As you know, the statute of limitations for those crimes has long lapsed. It doesn’t matter if I even have the proof.”
“Still…if you had proof, you could make it public. You could hurt me that way.”
“That’s not the way we roll, Lamone. The Steels don’t play dirty tricks like that.”
“That’s not what I hear.”
Anger wells within me. He thinks he has something on the Steels? He can think again.
Unless…
A lot of shit is going down for us right now, but there’s no way Pat Lamone could know about any of it. He’s a nobody.
“We both know why you’re back in town, Lamone,” I say. “You heard that Callie Pike and I were dating, and you thought you could come out here and get some money out of me.”
“You’re full of it, Steel.”
“Am I? Let me tell you this. If those photos that you have see even a sliver of the light of day, it will be the end of you.”
“Photos? What photos?”
“Don’t play idiot with me, although I admit you do it well. We both know what I’m talking about. You don’t have anything else on the Pike women.”
“Don’t I?”
“No, you don’t.”
“What if I could prove something to you?”
“Like what?”
“What if I could prove to you that the fire that destroyed the Pikes’ vineyards was actually started by one of the Pikes?”
My blood goes cold. “Nice try.” I force myself to remain calm.