GRACE
When Carson told me he worked for Pennington and everything clicked in my head, I freaked out. I thought the man I was falling for was as corrupt as the rest of the politicians and businessmen I try to expose. But then I asked Owen, and he said he didn’t think Carson was in Durham for that. And I believed him. Why wouldn’t I? He is my brother, my flesh and blood. Why would he lie to me?
And so I went to Carson’s on Sunday feeling okay about us. Like I freaked out for no reason. And our night together was amazing. I found myself falling for him more and more.
But despite how my heart feels and my brother’s words, and everything else that has happened between Carson and me, I couldn’t let it go. I stayed up until three in the morning last night doing research, digging deep into files. And I found out Owen lied. Carson did work for Pennington when Williams was on trial. And Carson was there, in the courtroom, fighting for William’s innocence.
I shouldn’t judge him for that. It was his job. Just like it’s his job now. And I am sure he has let guilty clients go free. Because he did a good job finding the benefit of the doubt. Just like we have with the Phillips case.
But the Williams’s case was pretty black and white. There was so much evidence proving that he was guilty but somehow Pennington and his team got him off. And all Williams did was take a break and then start up his sex ring again. Or maybe he never stopped. His contacts run deep. And now, as a US Senator, he has more power than he ever had.
I dial Winnie up as I drive into the office.
“Hey Grace, how’s it going? Did you finally tell monster dick to stop pretending?”
Shit. I haven’t filled Winnie in on anything that has happened. As far as she knows, I have been working for Carson and pretending nothing happened between us.
“Umm, more on that later,” I tell her.
“Oh my god, you totally fucked him again!”
Ugh, I am never going to get her to let this go. “Fine, yes. I’ve fucked him. Multiple times. A lot actually.”
“You bitch! You didn’t even tell me.”
“It’s a long story, Win.”
“Well, I have all the time in the world. I am just sitting in my office, spinning in my chair.”
I groan and then dive into it. I tell her everything that happened between us in the last month. The sex. The secrets. Wilmington. And then I tell her about my suspicions.
“Shut the fuck up.”
“Win, I wouldn’t be reaching out to you if this wasn’t important.”
“Oh, I know.” I hear her start clacking away at her keyboard. “I am emailing Adam now,” she says, referring to her on-again, off-again boyfriend who also happens to be a hacker.
“Thank you.”
“I’ll know by the end of the day. I know he has a busy day today.”
I pull up to the office and park on the street like I always do since there are no available spots in the small lot. “God, Win. I am falling for this guy. And what if it turns out he is a piece of shit just like all the others?”
“Well let’s hope he’s not.”
“I just can’t do this again. I can’t let my heart be broken because I was stupid and naive and didn’t think things through.”
She gasps into the phone. “Oh my god. Are you in love with monster dick?”
I snort and start giggling. “Please don’t call him that. It only makes it harder.”
“Well you were the one that started it!”
“I know, Win. I know.”
“I think you should snoop around his office.”
“Why?”