Betrayed (Sheppard & Sons Investigations #4)

2. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Blake

T he hair on the back of my neck stood up as I entered the campus coffee shop. It wasn’t the first time I’d had a feeling I was being watched. I paused and looked around, expecting to see some creeper watching me, but everyone looked normal. No one fit the movie-inspired image of a scary stalker I’d built up in my head.

Glancing over my shoulder as the door closed behind me, I noticed a guy staring. His attention made my skin crawl, but I forced myself to dismiss the feeling. He's not looking at me . It was the week before mid-terms and stress levels were high. I’m imagining it .

“Blake, over here!” Paige, my best friend and roommate, yelled, drawing my attention to the table she shared with Danny.

I waved and got in line to order a skinny latte with an extra shot.

“Can you believe how much reading we have to do this weekend?” Paige asked as soon as I sat down.

“It’s not so bad,” I replied. I liked reading case studies and looked forward to graduating in May. I couldn’t wait to join a not-for-profit organization and help make the world a better place.

“That’s because you love reading,” Danny said, his voice thick with sarcasm.

“I wouldn’t go that far,” I replied.

“You like it a lot more than I do,” he said.

“I love learning.”

“Blake!” The barista called my name.

When I got up to grab my coffee, I looked for the staring guy. He wasn’t there anymore, so I pushed it out of my mind and rejoined my friends. Our weekly Friday meetups helped us unwind before I headed home for the weekend. Unlike my friends, I had to go home on the weekends. Not that I minded. I loved my father, and weekends were the only time I got to see him.

“Are you coming to the party tonight?” Danny asked.

“No, my parents are hosting a dinner party and I promised my dad I'd go.”

“Bummer, I’ll have a shot or two for you.” Paige laughed, knowing I wasn’t a big party goer.

“She’ll be sipping her fancy drink while we chug from a keg,” he said, then turned to me. “Need a date?”

I wouldn’t mind having a friend there, but I’d never ask Danny. It hadn't gone well last time, besides, it was too late. My step-mother would have a fit if she had to re-arrange the seating chart.

“Thanks, but you know how Cilla is.” Cilla was the nickname I gave Priscilla shortly after she married my dad, when her sweet demeanor turned rude and selfish. She married him for his money and status, and didn’t give two shits about me.

“Yeah, the Wicked Witch of Texas,” Paige said while rolling her eyes.

We all laughed. They’d met her, they knew. She was closer to my age than my father's and saw me as competition for his affection. I didn’t expect Priscilla to poison my food or hire someone to kill me, but she wasn’t interested in being my friend, either.

I clasped the gaudy diamond necklace around my neck. It wasn’t my style, but Cilla wanted to show off the family’s wealth. My mom had never forced me to wear anything I didn't like, but Priscilla would be unbearable if I didn't wear it. Besides, it was a simple thing to do to make her happy, and that made Daddy happy.

God, I miss my mom. She'd made this house a home; now it felt like a stranger’s.

“It looks like a tiara on my neck.” I shook my head, using the mirror to verify the pink streak in my shoulder-length blond hair was hidden. I refused to give Priscilla a reason to gripe at me.

I might not be a fan of frat parties, but I was sure Paige and Danny would have more fun than me tonight. Unless there’s a nice, smart guy my age I can talk to.

A knock on my door interrupted my thoughts.

“Are you decent?” My dad’s voice came through the door.

“Come in, Daddy.” I turned to greet him, holding my arms out so he could see the new gown he’d insisted I needed despite the closet full of fancy, once-worn dresses.

He took my wrist in his hand, towering over me at only five-foot-ten, and spun me around. “You’re a vision, Princess.”

“You look handsome yourself.” I pulled my hand away to adjust his tie. “Is this new?”

“Priscilla picked it out. It’s flashier than I usually wear.” He sounded unsure about the choice.

“It looks great, Daddy. You should wear ties like this more often.” I wasn’t exaggerating. Dad liked unicolor power ties, so wearing a brightly colored one with bold geometric patterns was out of his comfort zone. “Priscilla has good taste.”

“Thanks.” His smile made his brown eyes sparkle. “Are you ready?”

“I am.” I put on my best smile; the one reserved for meeting my father’s influential guests. It didn’t matter if they were clients, the Dallas elite, or fellow politicians—they all got the same toothy smile. No one ever seemed to care if it was fake.

Priscilla gave me a once over when we reached the bottom of the curving grand staircase that brought us to the middle of the foyer, where we’d receive guests. Her disappointed look only lasted a second before she turned to greet my father with a smile, but I saw it. I didn’t care. I was here for my father, not her.

I shook hands and accepted kisses on my cheeks, like a good daughter as my father introduced me to his guests. Before long, my cheeks hurt from holding the smile . I can’t wait until we’re done and I can grab a BriarRose in the sitting room . My father had a bartender create the cocktail for my twenty-first birthday, and served it at any dinner party I attended. I loved the hint of vanilla and rose, the pink color, and how the sparklingrosé topper tickled my nose.

It was fun having my own cocktail, and the guests got a kick out ordering it.

“Steven!” A male voice interrupted my thoughts. “This must be that daughter you’re always bragging about.”

“It is.” Dad said with pride. “Blake, this is Jeffrey, a business associate.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Blake.” He held out his hand while his eyes roamed down my body. I fought back a disgusted shiver. Why do men think it was okay to leer at women? For a split second, I thought about asking him, but didn’t want to upset my father, so I bit my tongue and smiled.

“Nice to meet you.” I lied as I shook his hand. He grasped it in both of his before I could pull it away.

“You’re even more beautiful than your father said.”

Gross . “Thank you.” I pulled my hand out of his. His smile reminded me of a snake. “It was nice meeting you.”

He was the last guest to arrive, so Dad led him to the sitting room where they’d rub elbows and make deals before dinner. Dad always said social engagements were an important part of business, especially for politicians. Attending events like this was one thing I wasn’t looking forward to when I worked for a non-profit, but it was part of the job.

Wanting to create space between me and the creepy Jeffrey, I held back. I wish Paige was here.

During dinner, Priscilla sat on my father’s left side instead of the other end of the table, while I sat in the middle. She couldn’t stand my father paying attention to me, so she always made sure I was as far as she could reasonably put me. At least I’m not sitting next to Jeffrey .

I was between a guy named Carl, an intern at the Senator’s office, and the young wife of a high-powered Dallas defense attorney. Carl was full of himself, but at least we were close in age and he could carry on an intelligent conversation. The woman on my other side was too busy gushing over her sugar daddy to talk to me.

Seriously, women like her made the rest of us look bad. We didn’t all want to marry money and be mindless arm-candy. Some of us wanted careers and to make a real difference in the world. Doesn’t she have any dignity or pride?

I counted down the minutes as I ate the last dish of the five course meal, knowing my obligation to my father ended when everyone moved back to the sitting room. I couldn’t wait to change into leggings and a t-shirt and relax in front of the TV.