You’re My Family
YOU’RE MY FAMILY
Vera
A few months later
“Fucking bitch.” Alistair’s temper exploded like a grenade in his office. He threw the magazine at my feet.
I picked it up, saw the smut on the cover, and then flipped to the article, scanning it before placing it on the coffee table beside me. “It’s just tabloid rubbish,” I said, stroking my hot-tempered lover’s arm. His reddened cheeks ticked in heated anger.
“It’s a media attack,” he growled. “Clearly, someone is paying Rebecca to shit on me.”
The magazine, Lester Harbor Exposed, was a popular gossip rag with wild headlines and vulgar photos of the rich and famous.
The latest exposé featured Alistair’s former fiancée, Rebecca Ross, exposing him as a whoring, cheating playboy who gave her gonorrhea.
That last part was not true because his previous test results showed he was clean.
She posed nude, showing her “new” breasts, which she claimed were a gift from Alistair when they were together.
They didn’t bother covering up her nipples.
The budding actress probably enjoyed the attention.
“Alistair is a sex addict who invited other women to share our bed,” Rebecca said in the article. “Ménage à trois became a regular activity for us. He’s not capable of love. He’s a sociopathic heartbreaker. I hear he’s dating a lawyer. Whoever you are, stay away from him because he’ll wreck you.”
“Scotty, this is BS,” I scoffed. “You can’t take it seriously. Honestly.”
“Your girlfriend is right,” a cold voice confirmed. Bianca Cavalli walked into the office, smelling like sweet temptation with her high heels, flowing locks of ebony hair, and figure-hugging dress.
Alistair greeted Bianca with a light kiss on her cheek. “Listen, thanks for coming at short notice. I hope I didn’t ruin your evening plans.”
“Vera, sit next to me,” she commanded, taking a seat on a leather sofa. I sat down, mirroring her, and clasped my hands.
“You’ve heard of Lester Harbor Daily and the biweekly Lester Harbor City News, I’m sure,” she said.
I nodded, awed by the cold-as-ice queen bee. Her champagne dress shimmered against her smooth chocolate skin, the contrast striking and impossible not to admire.
“I haven’t properly introduced myself,” she said. “I’m Bianca Cavalli, CEO of Cavalli Media Group, the parent company of both The Daily and City News.”
“What does this have to do with me?” I asked, a little confused.
“Everything,” Alistair said. He stood by the forty-fifth-floor window and stared at the city lights under the night sky. We worked in the same building and met up in the evenings so he could drive me home when he was in town.
“Alistair tells me he’s invested in you,” Bianca continued.
I arched a brow. “Are you two planning my life already?”
“No,” the media magnate replied, calm but firm. “But we’re protecting you. A smear campaign is brewing. Someone with deep pockets is feeding the press stories to drag both of you down.”
I turned to Alistair, heat rising in my chest. “Scotty, we can sue Rebecca for defamation, and anyone else who tries this shit.”
“Rebecca will hear from my lawyer in the morning,” he said, his lips pressed into a hard line.
Bianca looked me straight in the eye. “There will be news about you, my dear. It won’t be from the Daily or any of my publications, but there will be more media attacks. We will do whatever we can to help you.”
“How?”
“For starters, I’ll arrange media training for you next week. Then we’d like to feature you and Alistair as Lester Harbor’s darling couple in The Daily’s next feature spread. You’ll talk about life, family, and your relationship. Oh, make yourselves relatable to the readers.”
“Will we see the article before it goes to print?” I asked.
“Of course,” Bianca promised, placing her hand on mine.
Alistair
“Bianca, I appreciate you being here,” I said, keeping Vera’s hand steady in mine.
“That’s what friends do,” she answered absently, checking her mobile phone.
“Vera, let me speak with Bianca.” I gave her hand one last pat before meeting Bianca’s eyes. “A word.”
“Sure,” she replied, glancing at Vera, who nodded and made her way to the coffee machine in the foyer.
I closed my office door. “What’s going on between you and Dominic?”
“My husband is living with his mistress these days. He rarely visits the kids,” Bianca said.
“I’m sorry.”
“It’s not your fault. You’ve done nothing wrong.”
“There’s something else you’re not telling me. What is it? Did your reporter find any more information about Holly James? Is it Saira who’s attacking Vera?”
“We can’t prove it’s your ex-wife, but it fits. She’d love nothing more than to drag you and Vera down. Remember, she’s Julian Richland’s sister. My sources unearthed some ugly truths about his arrangement with Saira. He ended things, and Saira’s furious. But lately, she’s gone silent.”
“That’s not a good sign.”
“No, it isn’t.”
“How about Holly?”
“My reporter dug up something damning. The woman who paid Holly and vowed to free her sister? She’s the one who arranged her arrest. Holly doesn’t know.”
“Oh? You’re sure this isn’t speculation?”
“Scotty, June is the Daily’s best investigative journalist. She works with credible sources. I can count on her, and she won’t say a word. She will not leak anything to harm someone’s life or reputation because she has integrity.”
“That’s rare in the world of journalism,” I teased, grinning at Bianca.
“Save that seductive grin for your girlfriend,” Bianca flirted, letting her hand linger on my arm. “I’d take you to bed in a heartbeat, but you’re clearly hers. I like this one.”
“My charm stays with her,” I assured. “I’m going to marry her one day.”
“Promise me the Daily will have exclusive photos and a feature on your big day.”
“Treat Vera well, and I’ll say it’s a done deal.”
“Scotty, are you treating her well?” Bianca asked, plucking lint from my shoulder.
I removed her hand and shifted. “I’d give everything for Vera.”
“You really mean that?”
“I do.”
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?”
“Yes.”
“Isn’t she married?”
“Yes.”
“Have you slept with her while we’ve been together?”
“No.”
Her eyes hardened. “How would you feel if I had sex with someone else behind your back?”
“Vera, don’t you dare,” I warned, heat spiking through my chest. A knot of jealousy and rage twisted in my gut.
She stroked over my clenched fists, prying my fingers open until the tension bled out.
“Don’t worry,” she murmured, working her thumbs into my palms. “I haven’t been with anyone else.
I needed you to understand it’s not okay to sleep with other people’s partners unless they have an open relationship. ”
Her lips brushed my neck as I exhaled. “Bianca and her husband had an open arrangement,” I said. “For years, it worked. But now? Dominic spends more time with his mistress than with his wife or kids. It’s messy.”
“You care about Bianca,” she said quietly.
“She’s my friend.”
“Oh. Then I’m sorry for assuming otherwise.”
“You made an ass of you and me,” I whispered, my teeth grazing her ear before I held her tight. “I had a quiet word with your brother at the Christmas party last year.”
“What did you talk about?”
“He told me something about you I already knew.” I brushed my thumb along her jaw. “Some men see you as a challenge, others mistake you for reckless. But the truth? You want the opposite. A real relationship. Respect. Honesty. Consent. You hate the lies and sneaking around that come with cheaters.”
“Julian told you that?”
“Yes. You’re an angel.”
“No, I’m not.”
“You are.” I held her gaze, even as hers darkened in defiance. “Vera, move in with me.”
“Scotty, I don’t think that’s a good idea.” Her brows pinched, hesitation flashing across her face.
“Why not?” I wasn’t about to take no without a reason.
“Because I’m a slob,” she muttered, dragging her fingers through her wild hair.
“That’s it?” I barked a laugh. “I can handle a slob. I’ve got a cleaner three days a week. Try harder, sweetheart.”
“I like to sleep in. You’re up before dawn.”
“Not an excuse,” I shot back. “We’ve been sleeping together long enough. You’re stuck with me.”
She crossed her arms. “I like my space. My privacy.”
“You’ll have it.”
Her eyes narrowed. “Then I’ll move in on one condition.”
“What’s that, sweetheart?”
“I want time with Damian, too. He’s a great kid. I feel like the goofy aunt when he’s around. He and I have a bond.”
“Deal.” I pulled her close. “You’re my family.”