Substitute Seduction (Sweet Tea And Scandal 2)

“So where do things stand now?”

“I don’t know. Obviously, I wasn’t up to fulfilling my part of the bargain and you can see how Everly reacted to that.” London made a face. “I feel terrible for Zoe. Among the three of us, what happened to her was the most damaging.”

“Didn’t you say Everly’s sister went to jail?”

“Yes, but from what I’ve been able to find out, she did something illegal. Maybe Ryan Dailey didn’t have to go so far as to press charges, but his company lost several million dollars because of her and he was well within his rights.”

London lapsed into silence, her gaze fixed on his chest, her downcast expression battering the walls he’d erected against her. Her genuine remorse left him grappling with her decision to take revenge on her ex-fiancé. What did that say about her?

Yet after suffering his own heartbreak, he was better able to sympathize with the pain she’d experienced. Dark emotions had taken him to irrational places unlike any he’d visited before she entered his life.

Harrison reached around to the sofa table behind him and picked up a manila envelope. The information it held put him square in the middle of London’s trouble.

“Here,” he said, handing her the envelope.

“What is this?” London’s gaze flickered from his face to the envelope and back again.

“Open it up and see.”

London unfastened the clasp and flipped up the flap to peer inside. “It looks like banking information.”

“My brother’s banking information,” Harrison clarified. “Turns out Tristan had secret offshore accounts and shell corporations that he used to move money to the States. I don’t know if the information will help Zoe, but it wasn’t fair that Tristan hid these accounts from her.”

While he spoke, she pulled several pages out and scanned them. “Why did you do this?”

“Zoe got a raw deal.”

It wasn’t his only motivation, but Harrison wasn’t ready to say more. He’d done a lot of soul-searching before he’d betrayed his brother by using the flash drive and stealing these files. Although he remained conflicted about his decision, seeing the questionable legality of what Tristan had been up to had eased his conscience somewhat.

“This is a lot of money,” London said. “I mean a lot of money. Way more than he should have been able to put away by regular means. Where do you suppose it came from?”

The question had been keeping Harrison up at night. He had yet to figure out what to do with the information he’d gathered, but knew a conversation with his father and uncle was in order.

“I think he’s been laundering money,” he said.

“Laundering money for whom?”

“Drug dealers. Russian mob.” The more he’d reviewed the information, the more extreme his speculation had become and the more concerned he’d grown about the potential repercussions for Crosby Automotive. “It’s hard to say.”

Her eyes went wide. “You don’t seriously believe your brother is doing something illegal, do you? How could that be happening?”

“Crosby Automotive buys almost all its parts from overseas manufacturers and my brother is responsible for deciding which companies we buy from. It wouldn’t be impossible for him to channel bribes into one of these offshore accounts.”

“But does he need more money than he has?”

“You’ve seen his homes and his spending habits. Tristan likes to live the life of a billionaire. ‘Act like you’re worth a fortune and people will be inclined to believe it,’” he quoted in his brother’s lofty tones. “Instead it looks like he just went deeper and deeper into debt.”

“Is Crosby Automotive in danger from what he’s been doing?”

“I don’t think so.” Harrison hoped not. It would be something he’d need to address in coming months.

London shoved the pages back into the envelope. “How can I thank you for this?”

“No need. What Tristan did to Zoe was wrong.”

She set her hand on his. The move sent a zing of excitement through his body. He set his teeth against the urge to pull her onto his lap and sink his fingers into her tousled hair. His gaze slid to her full lips. One kiss and he’d be beneath her spell once more. But...

“I’m so sorry for what I did,” she said, forcing Harrison to rein in his lust-filled thoughts.