Vera and I picked up Chinese takeout on the way to my place. She sat across from me at the dining table, fishing a dumpling out of her wonton soup with a spoon.
“You’re unusually quiet,” I said, watching the steam curl between us.
Her gaze lifted from the bowl to my face. “Here’s the thing. Don’t you think I’m capable of looking after myself?”
“I know you can, sweetheart.”
“All my life, someone’s protected me. First, it was Julian. Now, it’s you and your friends. I appreciate the care, I really do, but I’m not helpless.”
“I know,” I admitted, leaning back. “But when I’m not here, I worry myself sick. Some nights I can’t even sleep. Keeping you safe is all I think about.”
Her eyes softened, though her chin stayed stubborn. “Scotty, when you spoke with Bianca, what did you talk about?”
I reached across the table and took her hand, thumb brushing her knuckles. A sigh escaped before I answered.“Bianca’s got an investigative journalist digging into Holly and the woman who hurt you. It might be Saira. But I need proof before I throw accusations. I want evidence, and it has to come straight from the source.”
“Meaning, Holly?”
“Yes.”
“I wish this nightmare were over,” Vera murmured, rubbing her temple. “But it won’t be until I know who did this to me. I barely sleep.”
“I know. I’m right there with you.”
She pushed her food aside, reached for my hand, and pressed a kiss to my knuckles. “Do you think Erin or Oliver could be behind this?”
Interesting.
“Oliver can be vindictive, but he’s my brother. And everything points to a woman. Besides, he and Erin are in Australia, tied up with that property in Sydney.”
“I still wouldn’t rule out Erin,” Vera said flatly. “She hates me, and Oliver would do anything for her.”
I shook my head. “Erin wouldn’t know her left from her right. And she can’t keep her mouth shut. She’s reckless, not calculated.” I leaned closer. “This feels like Holly, and behind her? Someone with precision. Someone like Saira.”
Vera’s lips tightened. “Erin is vicious, Scotty. She wants my blood.”
“This has Saira written all over it, sweetheart. She lives to wound the people she hates, and you and I are at the top of her list.”
Her shoulders slumped, sadness flickering through her eyes. “I’m sorry you didn’t get full custody of Damian. The judge was biased. Damian deserves better. He told me he doesn’t want to live with his mother.”
“I haven’t given up,” I muttered. “I swear, the moment Saira fucks up, I will appeal for full custody of my son.”
“You’re a fighter, and you don’t give up easily,” she said, getting up from the chair.
I stood up and brought her body into my hips, securing her tightly. “There’s something else on your mind. Tell me.”
“It’s probably nothing,” Vera dismissed, pushing away from my hips.
“Your eyes tell me it’s probably something,” I said. “Speak to me, sweetheart.”
“Is there something going on between you and Bianca?”
“No.”
“It’s just that Erin said?—”
“Erin’s a liar,” I bit out. “Here’s the truth. Bianca and I hooked up in high school and again in college. Then Erin came along.”
“Did you sleep with Bianca in the past few years?”
