Lip Service. Сьюзен Мэллери

easily be their spokesmodel. Her clothes were elegant, her skin perfect, her hair a shimmering cascade of ice-blond. Despite being nearly three months’ pregnant, she didn’t show at all. If they hadn’t been sisters, Skye would have found it fairly easy to dislike someone as perfect as Lexi.

      But none of that mattered now. Skye stood and hugged her, then led the way to a sofa against the far wall.

      “I heard from Garth again,” she said.

      “Our evil half brother came acalling?”

      “In a manner of speaking. Apparently the tip to the D.A. about the foundation laundering money was only the first part of his attack. Now he’s got someone telling reporters that we pay excessive salaries and bonuses, not to mention fund staff vacations.”

      Lexi took the papers Skye held out but didn’t read them. “We knew something like this was going to happen. We knew his campaign was just beginning.”

      A few months ago the sisters had received their first threat from Garth Duncan. At the beginning they couldn’t figure out why the successful businessman would care about them. A little digging had produced an unbelievable fact. He was their half brother, and Jed Titan’s bastard.

      Although Jed claimed Garth and his mother had been given a generous trust fund that should have taken care of them for life, Garth was out for blood. Or at the very least, the destruction of the Titans. He’d waged business and personal attacks on Lexi and Skye, along with Jed. And the hits kept on coming.

      “Glenna is looking into this,” Skye said. “But these reporters aren’t stupid. They would check their facts. Which meant Garth was able to give them the information in such a way that they believed it.” She felt sick to her stomach. “Can’t he go pick on someone else? Does it have to be us?”

      “We’re the family he never had,” Lexi reminded her. “He’s angry. I just wish I knew what had triggered all this. Why now? Why wait so long to start?”

      “He’s certainly moving forward with whatever plan he has. This one is especially good. The D.A. won’t get involved, but the IRS will. His claims put our nonprofit status at risk. Worse, who will want to donate? Being bad is always front-page news, but the retraction comes much later and on the back page. No one remembers that. They just remember the charges.”

      Frustration flared inside of her. “I will accept that for some reason Garth hates us. But children will go hungry because of his actions. Doesn’t that matter?”

      Lexi shook her head. “Not to him.”

      Skye stood and crossed to the window. “This is beyond frustrating. I have worked my butt off here. I wanted to make a difference and I have. When the rest of my life is in the toilet, the foundation reminds me of what is important. That at the end of the day, I can count the meals we served and the lives we made better. I won’t let him take that from me or from those kids.”

      Lexi stood and moved toward her. “He’s not going to win. We won’t let him.” She hugged Skye. “We’re the Titan girls. Nobody screws with us.”

      “Garth didn’t get the memo.”

      “Then we’ll send another one.”

      “Okay. Just give me a minute and I’ll be feisty again.”

      “We’ll get him. One way or another.”

      “I know.”

      They returned to the sofas. Lexi sat across from Skye.

      “Is there anything else you want to tell me?” she asked. “You don’t usually let things get to you. You’re as much a fighter as any of us.”

      Skye leaned back in the cushions. “There’s a lot going on right now. I’m a little distracted. It’ll get better.” She hesitated. “Mitch is back. I’ve seen him.”

      Lexi stared at her. “Oh my God! What happened. How is he?”

      “I’m not sure. He’s different. I know it’s been years and he’s been through a lot. But I didn’t think…” That he would turn mean, she thought, knowing she couldn’t say that. She loved her sister and trusted her completely, but she wasn’t ready to talk about what had happened.

      “He’s someone I used to know, right? Just a guy from my past.”

      “You keep saying that,” Lexi said, her voice gentle. “As if you’re trying to convince us he doesn’t matter. But the fact that he has you rattled means that he does matter. At least a little.”

      “I don’t want him to.”

      “Maybe you don’t get a choice.” Lexi smiled. “Look, he was your first love, your first lover. The relationship didn’t end on its own. It was emotionally violent for both of you. You were wrenched apart.”

      “Because of me,” Skye said bitterly. “Mitch sure remembers that.”

      “You hurt him.”

      “I didn’t have a choice.” She glared at Lexi, daring her to say she did. That there were always choices. But it was easy to be critical from far away. Skye had lost her mother when she was only ten; she would have done anything to keep her father—that included giving up Mitch.

      “I know,” Lexi said. “But Mitch could never understand. There was an intensity between the two of you. It’s not surprising you were both hurt.”

      “When did you get sensible?” Skye grumbled. “I want to be the sensible one.”

      “You will be. Just not about this. I couldn’t be rational about Cruz for a minute.”

      Just speaking her fiancé’s name made Lexi glow. Skye did her best not to be envious, but it was hard. Love should be powerful and compelling—like she’d had with Mitch all those years ago. She’d loved her husband, but it had never been the same all-consuming passion. She had adored Ray, but she’d burned for Mitch…long after she should have. Yet another guilty secret, she thought sadly.

      “You were young,” Lexi said. “It was a long time ago. Give yourself a break.”

      “Because you think I made the wrong choice?” Skye asked. “I don’t. I did what I had to. What was right.”

      “I know.”

      Lexi said the words, but Skye wasn’t sure she believed them. Skye had given up love to play it safe. Who did that? Didn’t she deserve the consequences of her actions?

      “To give up Ray would have meant giving up Erin. She’s my daughter. I can’t imagine life without her.”

      “I know,” Lexi said. “She’s amazing. You’re lucky to have her. Isn’t that the most important thing?”

      “Yes,” Skye murmured. A few months ago her life had been boring and familiar. Now there was very little she could count on.

      “As for Mitch,” Lexi continued. “Why worry about him? It’s not as if you’re going to be seeing that much of him.”

      “You’re right. I know he’s back, we spoke, end of story. It’s not as if we’re going to be running into each other very often.”

      IT WAS a little after four when Skye heard yelling just outside her office. She stood to investigate, but before she could cross the room, the door burst open and Mitch stalked inside. Elsa ran alongside him, trying to get in front.

      “I’m sorry,” she said. “I explained you were busy, but he insisted.”

      From the angry look on Mitch’s face, he’d done more than insist.

      “Don’t worry about it,” Skye told her assistant. “Mitch and I are old friends. I’m happy to see him.”

      Elsa didn’t seem convinced, but nodded and backed out of the room.

      “Have a seat,” Skye said, pointing