“I don’t know, but if you let her, I’m sure she’ll explain.”
“It’s not necessary.” She stared into her glass. “I don’t think I can face her. Or Charlotte or Melody. It was humiliating.” She looked up to pin him with blue eyes brimming with hurt. “But not as humiliating as it was to sit with your friends, knowing what they must think of me.”
“What do you mean?” Even as he asked, the answer gutted him. He sat back, waiting for her to confirm his thoughts. That one if not all of the Sigmas had betrayed him.
“You told your friends the truth about us, Avery. Why would you do that?” Jo asked, looking as betrayed as he felt.
“Who was it? Blaze? Linc?” Probably Blaze because Gage had been on the other side of the room, and he’d left as soon as the lights went up. Bryce and Kate hadn’t made it through the keynote. But then they’d been sitting with his parents, and that was another train wreck waiting to happen.
“Does it matter? The point is, they know. It’s going to get out.”
“It matters, goddammit,” he bit out. “Which one said something to you?”
“They didn’t have to. You just confirmed it.”
He drove his fingers through his hair, wanting to pull it out. She was so fucking stubborn “That’s not good enough.”
“It’ll have to be.”
Avery sat forward, resting his elbows on his knees, staring at the floor as he chewed on that for a minute. As pissed and fucking hurt as he was, he could only do damage control for one shit show at a time. Right now, that was his arrangement with Legs.
Because if he read her right, she was about to call the whole thing off.
****
Part of Jo wanted Avery to suffer with her. The other part regretted the pain it caused him to know that one of his friends had sold him out. She didn’t know Olivia well, but she’d been there for her, and she wouldn’t throw her under the bus.
She’d known better than to jump into this crazy scheme, and unlike the decision she’d made earlier in the restroom, a few hundred dollars was not worth this psychological tug of war or the possible damage to her reputation. It was better if they ended it now before it blew up in their faces.
“Why were you sitting with them if it was so hard?” he growled.
“I don’t know, dumbass. Maybe because it was better than being interrogated by your family.” She shrugged, all the steam fizzling out of her. “Besides, a table full of billionaires? One of them was bound to be interested.”
His head snapped up. “The fuck?”
“Not in me, asshole. I’m talking about an investment in my shop.”
He straightened. “You need to stay away from them.”
Oh, no, he just didn’t.“Look, you ran off to chase Lashes, or whatever you’re calling her, which is fine by me. You don’t get to dictate what I do when you’re off…hunting.”
He growled again.
“And for Christ’s sake, I wasn’t withthem. I was with Olivia.”
“Who?”
“Seriously? You don’t know Maverick’s best friend’s name?”
“His admin?”
Despite his surly attitude, she had to laugh. “Let me guess. You have another name for her. Lips? Blondie?”
His smile was slow, but damn, it dampened her panties.
“She does have a nice mouth, but no. To me, she’s Goth-Not-Goth Girl.” He waved off her next question. “Long story.”
“Whatever.” Jo downed the wine, which had been flat to begin with but now tasted like wet cardboard. She scraped her tongue across her teeth and set the glass aside. “In case you’re worried, I didn’t embarrass you. I have enough social skills and common sense not to discuss business or beg for money.”
