GONE - Part Three (The GONE Series Book 3) Read Free Page A

the picture. I'm wearing panties though."
    "You sent the picture to this guy Parker." He drums his fingers against his thigh. "What did he do with the picture?"
    "Nothing," I say. "He actually gave me his brother's address so I mailed the picture and other stuff there."
    "What's his brother's name?"
    "Clive Parker," I blurt out without hesitation. "Clive Parker is the one who had my picture."
     
    ***
     
    "Sorry about that, Lilly." He places his smartphone on his desk. "I was supposed to meet my buddy, Nathan, for a drink. He's in town from Boston."
    "We can do this another time," I lie. I want to do it now. I've confessed so much already that I'm worried that if we agree to meet on Monday that I'll retreat into a cocoon and hide away forever.
    His brows rise. "I know it's not easy to talk about this. I'll see Nate tomorrow. This is more important."
    I'm grateful that he understands the urgency that I'm feeling. I've heard the muffled rumbles of my phone ringing from inside my closed purse. I know, without question, that it's Clive. I have to understand my legal options before I talk to him again. I owe that to myself. "I really appreciate you taking out this much time for me."
    "You said that Clive Parker had the picture?" His brows rise. "You don't mean the Clive Parker that owns that tech company, do you?"
    I stare down at my fingernails. I've come this far and leaving out any relevant details isn't going to change what happened earlier. "Yes, I mean him."
    "You sent a Polaroid picture of your exposed breasts to Clive Parker?"
    "Yes," I answer wearily. "I didn't know it was his address. The Parker I was emailing with is Clive Parker's half-brother."
    He traces a path over his left eyebrow with his fingers. I can tell that he's trying to absorb everything that I'm telling him. "So Clive Parker has that picture?"
    I scrub my hand over the back of my neck. "He did. He told me he destroyed it but I don't know if he has."
    "He's a high profile businessman," he says curtly. "Is there a reason you don't believe him?"
    There shouldn't be. I shouldn't have to question anything that Clive has told me after what we've shared together but I can't deny what I saw with my own two eyes. "I had to give a presentation at work today…"
    "Where are you working now?" he asks, seeming genuinely interested. "When you emailed me about selling your folks' house, you mentioned getting a job but you didn't say where."
    I can skip the part about working at Corteck for a hot minute because it's not relevant. "I'm working for Hughes Enterprises."
    ''Impressive." He kicks his foot out to tap my leg softly. "You put other kids your age to shame."
    I smile at the suggestion than I'm a kid. I searched online for any tidbits I could pull up about Garrett before I took the train from Boston to New York to meet him the first time. He's younger than Clive and the fact that he views me as a child makes me instantly aware that Clive may see me as naïve and easily fooled. "I've worked really hard to get to the place I am."
    "What happened at work today?" he presses on.
    "I was giving a presentation at a media event. I had to introduce two new apps. One was developed at Hughes and the…" my voice trails when I realize I'm rambling. "None of this matters."
    "It all matters," he says patiently. "Did something happen with the picture at work?"
    I swallow past the growing lump in my throat. "There was a slideshow."
    "Lilly?" He taps my leg with his hand. "Tell me."
    I pull all the courage I can find into the next breath I take. "I was talking and then I turned around and the picture of me… that picture was on the screen."
     

Chapter 5
     
    I walk back into his office after spending the past five minutes in the restroom splashing cool water on my face. Telling Garrett about the picture wasn't easy but it was necessary. I feel a small sense of relief knowing that I'm doing what I need to do to protect my reputation.
    "I'll talk to Alec Hughes," Garrett pauses as