POV: Evans

I stood in my closet, staring at the navy suit Valarie had demanded I wear. It felt like putting on a clown costume for the saddest show on earth. My older brother, David, had just left, leaving behind a trail of cold fear and the huge mess he made by getting rid of Calix. Now, I was facing a different kind of monster: Valarie, the blackmailer.

I had told Hailey I had an urgent late-night meeting with investors, another lie piled onto the mountain. The truth was, I was driving to Valarie’s fancy apartment for our first official "date," or what she liked to call our secret affair...