Bad Girl Lessons by Seraphina Donavan, Wicked Muse

be made, like ditching dated wallpaper and painting kitchen cabinets, but those were easy fixes. Jackson had taken her to lunch afterward, and it was then that her bubble had been burst. He’d gotten a strange phone call and told her that he had to meet someone that evening. It had been very hush-hush and mysterious, which was a huge red flag. She couldn’t say anything even if it was another woman. It wasn’t like she had a claim on him.
    Stifling a yawn, Evie signed off on the packages that had arrived and returned to her office to begin penning more of the handwritten thank you notes that would be sent out after the annual fundraiser. They were generic enough, but still added a classy touch to holding one’s hand out. As she turned down the hall toward her office, the face that greeted her there made her smile instantly vanish.
    “Trevor, you need to leave. Immediately.”
    “Why? Is Jackson waiting in your office to fuck you senseless?”
    “Even if he is, it’s none of your business. Get out, or I’ll call security.”
    “Evie, we need to talk about things. I have to explain to you why I left.”
    “No, you don’t. I don’t care about why you left, only that you did. I’m done with you, Trevor.”
    The curt dismissal only seemed to enrage him and grabbed her upper arms, shoving her back against the wall so hard that she bit her lip. “You have no idea what’s at stake here!”
    “I know about the loan, Trevor...and I know what you’ve been using my bank accounts for!”
    His face paled and he dropped his hands from her abruptly. “You fucking bitch.”
    “Is there a problem, Miss Harper?”
    Evie looked in the direction of the voice, never so thankful to see the security guard that patrolled the battlefield and house during the daytime hours. He’d never had to do more than run off kids who were trying to cut school in the past. “Mr. Dupree was leaving, Tom. If you would be so good as to show him out.”
    Trevor glared at her before turning to walk away and the look was pure venom. Evie retreated to her office. She was shaking as she sat down at her desk, tears threatening. Trevor was reaching bottom and she had no idea what he was capable of. But she wouldn’t be foolish enough to dismiss any further warnings about him. He was a desperate man, and that made him a dangerous one. Dashing tears away, she pulled a compact from her purse and tried to repair her face as a knock sounded on the door. When Reed appeared, she bit back a mild oath. He would tell Jackson she’d been crying. “I’m sorry, Reed. I forgot you were coming by.”
    He looked at her swollen, puffy eyes. “I can come back if it’s a bad time.”
    “No… It’s fine. You just missed Trevor,” she said tightly. “I think in addition to everything else, I may need a restraining order.”
    “That would probably make me cry, too,” he said, pointing to the small split on her bottom lip. “He do that?”
    “Indirectly... I bit my lip when he shoved me against the wall.”
    “I’ll work on the restraining order...the big thing is going to be how to keep Jackson from killing him in the meantime.” Reed placed several documents in front of her, “This is an accounting of the money that is missing from your accounts. It’s a small amount really, given the amount of money that’s been shuffled in and out. The big issue is the loan. I’ve already taken care of having the charges filed against him. I had a talk with the district attorney and they will probably issue a warrant for him by this afternoon… Are you prepared for all this, Evie? The gossip is going to get very ugly, very fast.”
    “I don’t think I have a choice. If I don’t get it taken care of, it could destroy me financially…and I can’t let Trevor get away with this. Whatever he’s doing, whatever shady dealings he’s involved in, they have to be stopped.”
    Reed nodded, “Okay. Just don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
    “I won’t. Thank you,