Lawful Wife
Page 9
The entry was on the tenth of the month at two thirty in the afternoon and read: AH re: DS cg.
He could only interpret this to mean: Audrey Hawkins regarding Daniel Sinclair, call girl.
Who else could it be? It had to be Audrey! She was the only one who still held such a deep grudge against him that she would try to destroy his happiness with Sabrina. He and Audrey had once been an item. With Audrey being the quintessential socialite, he’d once thought that they were the perfect couple. After all, they both belonged to the same upper class circles of New York. But for all her beauty and obvious charms, he’d never truly been in love with Audrey and had often traded dinner and sex with her for late-night business meetings.
Their breakup had been inevitable, though the way it had happened had surprised even Daniel: he’d found Audrey fucking his attorney. Daniel had broken it off right there and then and fired his attorney in the same instant. But Audrey hadn’t given up so easily.
When she’d followed him on a business trip to San Francisco in the hope of winning him back, she’d discovered him with Sabrina. Things had gotten ugly and nearly destroyed his already-shaky beginnings with Sabrina. And it appeared now that Audrey was still not done. She was still trying to destroy his relationship with Sabrina.
But he wouldn’t let her succeed.
Daniel charged out of the office, not caring if anybody saw him now. He’d gotten the information he needed. Nobody could stop him now.
Outside, he rushed to where he’d parked his car and sped away.
He could of course call Audrey on the phone, but what would be the point? She wouldn’t pick up the phone when she recognized the number. Besides, he wanted to confront her in person, because it was much easier to intimidate her face-to-face.
During the entire drive to her midtown co-op, rage tore through him. He’d thought that after the last confrontation with Audrey, which had nearly destroyed his relationship with Sabrina, she would have finally given up. However, it appeared that Audrey wasn’t done with her games.
The doorman in Audrey’s building called up to her apartment and then allowed him to ride upstairs. If Audrey was trying to pull the same seduction scene she’d tried on him once before, then she would get a nasty surprise. He wasn’t susceptible to her charms anymore. He hadn’t been for a long time.
At the door to her apartment, Daniel was greeted by Audrey’s housekeeper, Betty. Her face lit up when she saw him. He liked the older woman and felt sorry for her that she had to work for somebody like Audrey, who couldn’t possibly be a pleasant employer.
“Oh, Mr. Sinclair, how nice to see you again!”
He forced himself to be civil to her. After all, it wasn’t her fault that her employer was devious and heartless. “Hi, Betty. It’s nice to see you, too. I’m here to see Audrey. It’s important.”
“I’m sorry, but she’s not here.”
“Not here?” He stepped past Betty, entering the foyer that opened up to a large sunken living room. He cast a look around, but the room was empty and looking just as gaudy as ever. He’d never shared Audrey’s taste for over-the-top extravagance.
Behind him, Betty closed the door. “Did she know you were coming? She must have forgotten. I’m afraid she left rather abruptly two days ago.”
He turned to Betty. “Where to?”
The housekeeper shrugged. “She said she was going on a trip, that she needed some time to sort things out. But she didn’t mention where to. And I know better than to ask. You know Miss Audrey.”
Of course he did. He knew exactly what she was like.
Daniel pulled his cell phone from his pocket and found her number. The phone rang several times before it went to voicemail. He didn’t bother leaving a message and simply disconnected the call with a curse.
He caught Betty’s concerned look when he looked up.
“Is she in some sort of trouble?”
“She will be once I find her,” Daniel ground out.
4
“Are you sure you’re okay with this?” Holly asked.
“Yes, I’ll be fine.” Sabrina laughed. “Now go.” She shooed Holly away.
“Okay. Call us as soon as you’re finished with the pianist and we’ll meet up.” Holly gave Sabrina a hug, and then turned to Raffaela. “Ready?”
Raffaela nodded and looked at Sabrina. “We can stay and help you if you want us to.”
Sabrina rolled her eyes in an exaggerated way. “It doesn’t take three of us to go over the music arrangements. The pianist and I can handle it just fine. You two go shopping or whatever it is you plan to do.”
He could only interpret this to mean: Audrey Hawkins regarding Daniel Sinclair, call girl.
Who else could it be? It had to be Audrey! She was the only one who still held such a deep grudge against him that she would try to destroy his happiness with Sabrina. He and Audrey had once been an item. With Audrey being the quintessential socialite, he’d once thought that they were the perfect couple. After all, they both belonged to the same upper class circles of New York. But for all her beauty and obvious charms, he’d never truly been in love with Audrey and had often traded dinner and sex with her for late-night business meetings.
Their breakup had been inevitable, though the way it had happened had surprised even Daniel: he’d found Audrey fucking his attorney. Daniel had broken it off right there and then and fired his attorney in the same instant. But Audrey hadn’t given up so easily.
When she’d followed him on a business trip to San Francisco in the hope of winning him back, she’d discovered him with Sabrina. Things had gotten ugly and nearly destroyed his already-shaky beginnings with Sabrina. And it appeared now that Audrey was still not done. She was still trying to destroy his relationship with Sabrina.
But he wouldn’t let her succeed.
Daniel charged out of the office, not caring if anybody saw him now. He’d gotten the information he needed. Nobody could stop him now.
Outside, he rushed to where he’d parked his car and sped away.
He could of course call Audrey on the phone, but what would be the point? She wouldn’t pick up the phone when she recognized the number. Besides, he wanted to confront her in person, because it was much easier to intimidate her face-to-face.
During the entire drive to her midtown co-op, rage tore through him. He’d thought that after the last confrontation with Audrey, which had nearly destroyed his relationship with Sabrina, she would have finally given up. However, it appeared that Audrey wasn’t done with her games.
The doorman in Audrey’s building called up to her apartment and then allowed him to ride upstairs. If Audrey was trying to pull the same seduction scene she’d tried on him once before, then she would get a nasty surprise. He wasn’t susceptible to her charms anymore. He hadn’t been for a long time.
At the door to her apartment, Daniel was greeted by Audrey’s housekeeper, Betty. Her face lit up when she saw him. He liked the older woman and felt sorry for her that she had to work for somebody like Audrey, who couldn’t possibly be a pleasant employer.
“Oh, Mr. Sinclair, how nice to see you again!”
He forced himself to be civil to her. After all, it wasn’t her fault that her employer was devious and heartless. “Hi, Betty. It’s nice to see you, too. I’m here to see Audrey. It’s important.”
“I’m sorry, but she’s not here.”
“Not here?” He stepped past Betty, entering the foyer that opened up to a large sunken living room. He cast a look around, but the room was empty and looking just as gaudy as ever. He’d never shared Audrey’s taste for over-the-top extravagance.
Behind him, Betty closed the door. “Did she know you were coming? She must have forgotten. I’m afraid she left rather abruptly two days ago.”
He turned to Betty. “Where to?”
The housekeeper shrugged. “She said she was going on a trip, that she needed some time to sort things out. But she didn’t mention where to. And I know better than to ask. You know Miss Audrey.”
Of course he did. He knew exactly what she was like.
Daniel pulled his cell phone from his pocket and found her number. The phone rang several times before it went to voicemail. He didn’t bother leaving a message and simply disconnected the call with a curse.
He caught Betty’s concerned look when he looked up.
“Is she in some sort of trouble?”
“She will be once I find her,” Daniel ground out.
4
“Are you sure you’re okay with this?” Holly asked.
“Yes, I’ll be fine.” Sabrina laughed. “Now go.” She shooed Holly away.
“Okay. Call us as soon as you’re finished with the pianist and we’ll meet up.” Holly gave Sabrina a hug, and then turned to Raffaela. “Ready?”
Raffaela nodded and looked at Sabrina. “We can stay and help you if you want us to.”
Sabrina rolled her eyes in an exaggerated way. “It doesn’t take three of us to go over the music arrangements. The pianist and I can handle it just fine. You two go shopping or whatever it is you plan to do.”
