Plow (Brighten Sister’s Duet #1) by Heather Stone

humorless laugh. “The fact that you think you have any say over my life is comical. You and I are done. I’m happy and nothing is going to change that.”
    A joker’s smile develops on Troy’s smug looking face. “Oh, darling Courtney. How little you know. Must I remind you that sexual conduct at the workplace is strictly forbidden and is subject to immediate termination?”
    I give him a bored look.
    “I have proof that you and Decker had sex in the closet. I also have proof that you’ve masturbated in your office and used a government-issued phone to do it.”
    All I can do is laugh. “Are we in high school? Are you seriously expecting me to believe you have proof?”
    He whips out his phone and queues up his videos. A blank screen pulls up but the troubling part isn’t what I see but what I hear. “God, yes. You feel so good.”
    I gasp. It’s my voice loud and clear. “What the hell? Were you spying on us? You sick fuck!”
    “It doesn’t matter what I did. The fact is you and Decker are both going to lose your job if you don’t play things my way.”
    “Go to hell, Troy. Do what you will, but I won’t be blackmailed back into your bed. Ever.” I start to storm out of the room, but his icy words have me stopping in my place.
    “You may not care, but you both will lose it all.”
    I spin around to face him. “You can’t hurt us, Troy.”
    “Don’t be naïve. Once word gets out that he lost this account and why, you’ll see every other account in the area pulling their business. Nobody will want to work with someone the Governor has let go. As for you… well, you’ll be known as a whore.”
    My body sags. Does what he says have merit? Could I have ruined things for Brian and me? “You’re missing one thing. The only voice you have on that recording is mine. You’re only speculating that it’s Brian.”
    “It’s obvious. You’re seeing him.” It’s written all over his face. Doubt.
    “Nobody knows that.”
    “I do, and I will have no problem burying both of you with it.”
    “The only person you’ll bury is me, and I’d have to care for that to matter. I’ve never wanted this job and you know it. Go for it. Show the Governor, but I’ll never admit it’s Brian. In fact, I’ll tell him it was you.”
    His face morphs into rage. “You bitch.”
    “You’ve done this to me. You’ve made me cynical, empty and bitter. He made me whole again. I’d do anything to protect him.” I smile, knowing what I have to do. “Don’t bother doing anything with that video. I’m resigning.”
    His eyes go wide. “Why would you do that?”
    “I love him and that’s what you do for the people you love. You protect them.”
    His face morphs into an evil sneer. He presses some buttons on his phone and retrieves another recording. It’s me. It’s the video I made and sent to Brian.
    “How the hell do you have that?”
    “You forget who I am, Courtney. I plan to ruin you if you walk out that door. Are you prepared to be publicly shamed?”
    A tear falls down my face. I’m hurt because this man in front of me is vile. I’d actually thought at one point that I loved him. “You do what you will.” I walk out, defeated and broken once more by Troy.
    I knock on the Governor’s door. “May I speak with you?”
    He looks up with squinted eyes. He can tell something is wrong. “Come in, Courtney.”
    Once the door closes, I jump right in, wanting to simply tear the Band-Aid off. “I messed up. I did some things that are enough to cause a scandal and lose my job.”
    His brow furrows and a line forms across his forehead. “What did you do, Courtney?”
    “I really don’t want to give you the specifics. Just know I am resigning effective immediately. I don’t want this to ruin your upcoming election.”
    “Why would you be so careless? You’re an important member of my team, Courtney. You’ve really put me in a bad place.”
    I grimace. The last thing I ever wanted was to disappoint the