Substitute Seduction (Sweet Tea And Scandal 2)

“Your comments about his spending habits at the polo match got me thinking. I’m not sure if he’s been engaged in questionable activities, and I sure as hell hope it has nothing to do with Crosby Automotive, but he’s spending above and beyond his income.” Harrison rubbed his hand over his eyes. “And I know he treated Zoe badly. She didn’t deserve his abuse while they were married or to be discarded the way she was.”

“She didn’t have an affair. It was something Tristan trumped up to get out of paying her a fair settlement.”

“I never believed she did and I should’ve spoken up on her behalf. She deserved better than she got.”

London remained quiet as Harrison’s eyes narrowed. His statements struck close to the heart of her motivation.

“Was Zoe the one you were helping?” Harrison asked after a long span of silence.

Her instincts urged her to trust him even as she doubted her purpose in doing so. Did she hope he’d forgive her if he knew what they’d been up to? And how would he feel about what Everly had done to Linc on London’s behalf? And what if Everly got wind of the fact that she’d confided in Harrison? What insane stunt would she pull then?

“Talk to me,” he said, softening his tone. “What the hell is going on?”

London chewed on her lip, fear of the consequences paralyzing her. At long last she sighed.

“All I can say is that I was trying to find out the truth about your brother’s financial situation. It seems likely that he’s hiding money because it’s pretty common knowledge that Zoe didn’t get anywhere near the settlement she should have.”

“And how did you think you could do that?” Harrison asked.

“He has to keep track of things somehow. I thought by gaining access to his computer I could find everything I needed.”

Harrison frowned. “That’s absurd. Didn’t you realize he’d have his computer and his files password protected?”

“I have something that’s supposed to get past that.”

“What?”

She went to her purse, pulled out the USB drive and held it up. “This. It’s some kind of special program that was supposed to get me past his security.”

Harrison came toward her, gaze fixed on the drive. “Where did you get it?”

With her eyes begging him to understand, London shook her head.

A muscle jumped in Harrison’s jaw. “How does it work?”

She explained the process and he held out hi

s hand.

“Give me the drive.”

Meek as a lamb, London handed it over. “I’m sorry,” she whispered. “Please don’t tell Tristan. If he finds out, he’ll make things worse for Zoe.”

If her plea had any effect on him, nothing showed in his expression. He remained furious, but London hoped a shred of affection for her had survived and he wouldn’t do anything to cause her harm.

Harrison turned the flash drive over and over in his hand, contemplating it. “My brother doesn’t need to know about this. But I’m keeping this and you will stay away from him.”

Relief flooded her. Nothing suited London more than backing away from the whole situation. Then she remembered that her problems weren’t limited to Tristan. Everly had sent Harrison the snippet of their conversation as a warning shot. London still had to contend with her.

“What are you going to do with the drive?” she asked.

“I don’t know.” He dropped it into his pocket. “The only thing I’m sure of at the moment is that you and I are done.”

* * *

Harrison drove the familiar roads to Crosby Motorsports, seeking comfort in what he knew and loved. Cars and racing had always been his go-to when things got hard. He’d lost track of how many hours he’d spent as a kid with a wrench in his hand, learning how to tear apart something and then putting it back together. There was security in the logic of how the pieces fit together, each with a particular purpose. As he’d reached an age when he spent more time behind the wheel than under the hood, his appreciation had grown for a perfectly functioning car.

Unfortunately, in the racing world, as much as they strove to have everything work smoothly, that rarely happened. Bolts loosened. Suspensions failed. Brakes gave out. Drivers trained for when things went wrong, when systems failed or other drivers made mistakes. Situations didn’t always have to spin out of control.