The Private Serials Box Set by Anie Michaels Read Free Book Online Page B

last words before he turned and walked right out the door. I let out a loud breath and collapsed against the back of my chair, not realizing I’d been upright and tense. I brought a shaky hand to my forehead and brushed my hair back, smoothing away nothing because I knew my hair was perfect. My hands were just looking for something to do besides the very thing they wanted to do, which was slide down my thighs and give attention to the ache that was still pulsing in my core.
       I hoped, if only for my sanity, that Preston Reid was as good at his job as he was good looking. The less time I spent around him, the better. He was bad news, but I was beginning to suspect that my body liked bad.
     
     

 
    Chapter Six
       The next day, after my body had calmed down, I called Sam and asked her over for lunch. Once she arrived, she wasted no time expressing her anger toward me.
       “I told you to call me, Lena.”
       “And I did. You’re here, aren’t you?” I didn’t bother looking at her as I spoke; I was busy building us sandwiches. I knew she’d be over her tiff in a few minutes anyway.  She just needed a few to harp on me and all would be well again.
       “Two days later! I texted you a million times. I even came by earlier today but you didn’t answer the door.”
       “I was out.”
       “Yeah, I figured,” she said snidely.
       I turned and handed her a plate with a BLT and some macaroni salad. “Let’s go sit on the deck.” I motioned with my head toward the sliding door that would lead us outside to a wrought iron table and chairs. Once seated, Sam dove right back in.
       “So, what’s happened since you discovered your husband is the biggest asshole on the planet?” She finished her sentence and took a big bite of her sandwich, her eyes locked on mine.
       I laughed because I loved how much she hated Derrek, and because of how ready she was to simply kick his ass.
       “I’ve got a plan in place. Actually, that’s one of the things I need to talk to you about.” I paused and tried to work up the nerve to ask my best friend for a loan. A loan she would know I didn’t need, so it had to come with an explanation. “Yesterday, I hired a private investigator to look into Derrek and his other life.”
       “Why do you need a private investigator? We saw him, Lena. We already know he’s cheating.”
       “I know, Sam, trust me. I know. But I want more. I need to know how long it’s been going on, how deep it goes. I know it might seem masochistic, but I just need to know.” I shook my head a little and looked down at my hands in my lap. I couldn’t tell her about the prenup. I was so ashamed that it even existed and I didn’t need her pity. I looked up at her. She already had a sad look on her face, and I knew it was sadness for me, and that was more than enough pity. “There’s one other thing, though.” I took in another deep breath. “I went to pay him with a check and he refused, saying that if I used a check, Derrek would catch on. For the same reason, I can’t really withdraw the money from our bank account, so I was hoping–”
       “How much do you need?”
       “Two thousand,” I said, as I winced.
       “Done. I’ll go to the bank today.”
       I sagged in my chair with relief. “Oh, my gosh, Sam, thank you so much. I promise I will get you the money. It just might take a week or two.”
       “Don’t worry about it. Honestly, I’m glad to help.” She paused for a moment, then tilted her head to the side and narrowed her eyes. “I can’t believe you hired a private investigator. How did you even find one?”
       “Google,” I said with a laugh. “It wasn’t difficult at all.”
       “So, you just call them up and tell them what you need?”
       “Well, basically, except we met in person to discuss specifics.”
       “Oh.” Then her face scrunched up and she sat back further in her chair. “I can’t believe you met a