“Better?” she asked.
“A little.”
“Good. Eat.” She pushed a plate of pad thai toward me. “And while you eat, we’re going to talk about strategy.”
“Strategy for what?”
“For fighting back.” Her expression was fierce. “Because I didn’t fly across the country to watch you roll over and let these assholes win.”
I picked up the chopsticks, suddenly ravenous. “What kind of strategy?”
“The kind where we figure out who’s behind this attack and make them pay for it.” Marta pulled something up on her laptop. “Starting with Kurt Wilder and his attack on you.”
“There’s more. A sexual harassment allegation against me from a hotel employee, complete with doctored footage.”
“Really? Daniel is a real piece of work. Look at your social media. Here you are proclaiming the Kolykos brothers were your heroes. You shared different shots of the hotel and the places you’ve visited. Stunning shot of the Grand Canyon, by the way.”
I blushed, remembering Orion between my legs on that trip.
But Marta continued without noticing. “I wouldn’t put it past Daniel that he’s been following your accounts since you blocked him. He probably informed his dad as soon as he noticed you were working for the Kolykos brothers and suggested it to him. But why?”
I thought of Daniel and his mother, and how she had approved of me over his other girlfriends. I remembered his deadline to get married before he turned thirty-five or lose his trust fund.
“Because he wants me back.”
Chapter 20
Orion
The restaurant wasone of Leo’s favorites, featuring intimate lighting, an exceptional wine list, and a location far enough off the Strip that we could have a conversation without being overheard. I’d suggested we take Tashi and Marta out for dinner, partly because Tashi needed a break from the suffocating tension of her suite and partly because I wanted to get a read on her best friend.
Marta turned out to be exactly what Tashi needed: loud, irreverent, and completely unfazed by the chaos surrounding us.
“So,” Marta said, gesturing with her wineglass in a way that made me worry about the white tablecloth. “You want to know how I know Tashi well enough to fly across the country and force her to shower?”
“Marta,” Tashi protested, her cheeks flushing.
“What? It’s a valid question.” Marta turned to me with a grin. “Our mothers were friends back in the day. Best friends, actually. So, Tashi and I have known each other forever. Since we were babies, really.”
“Marta’s mom used to joke that we shared a crib,” Tashi added, some of the tension leaving her shoulders as she settled into the familiar rhythm of their friendship.
“We basically grew up as sisters,” Marta continued. “Which is why I know when she’s spiraling and needs someone to snap her out of it.”
“I appreciate you being here,” I said honestly. “She needs people in her corner right now.”
“Damn right she does.” Marta took a sip of wine. “Though I have to say, you three are doing a pretty good job of that yourselves.”
“We try,” Leo said with his easy charm that made everyone feel comfortable.
“You know what’s funny?” Marta pulled out her phone. “Tashi looks exactly like her mother. I mean, exactly. My mom gave me some old photos she’d digitized, and the resemblance is uncanny.”
“Please, Marta,” Tashi said, but there was fondness in her voice rather than real protest.
“No, really. Look.” Marta scrolled through her phone and pulled up an image. “This is from some company picnic or something. Early 2000s, I think.”
She handed me the phone, and I found myself looking at a photo of two young women laughing together. One was clearly Marta’s mother—I could see the family resemblance. The other was stunning, with warm brown skin, bright eyes, and a smile that could light up a room.
Tashi’s mother.
