Fugitive Millionaire (Fugitive Millionaire Book One) by Jaclyn Brooks Page B

getting along better.”
    “I just don’t understand it, Fabian. Why would she write about the two of you having sex in her diary if it’s not true?”
    “Claire, there are some people in this world that defy explanation. Sloane is one of them. I don’t have a freaking clue why she wrote what she did. I’ve never laid a hand on her in any sexually suggestive manner. Even after she literally threw herself at me one time like a tramp.”
    Claire isn’t surprised to hear this about Sloane. This woman seems to lust after all the men in the Cooper circle. She comes across as being very classy, but behind closed doors she sure doesn’t act it. Yet, Claire intends to also keep an open mind about Sloane. She hardly knows anything about the current Mrs. Cooper. Claire believes that there are two sides to every story and she’s only getting this one-sided view.
    “How’d you handle that?”
    “I told her to get off of me and never do that again. I’m not some plaything she can use whenever she gets horny.”
    Claire can’t help but think about the moment she walked in on Nathan and Sloane at the office. It seems that Nathan is more than willing to be her plaything. She had wondered how it got started. Now she knows that Sloane was probably the instigator. But, Nathan had a choice, just like Fabian, to go along or tell her to get lost.
    “I hate people like Sloane,” Fabian continues. “They latch onto people when they are most vulnerable and suck them dry like leeches.”
    “Is she really that bad?”
    “In my opinion, yeah. Don’t be fooled by her fancy dress or airs. She’s playing the gold digger game with my dad to the hilt. For his sake I’m cordial to her, but I keep her at a safe distance.”
    “So, you think she’s just blowing off steam in her diary? Writing about things she’d like to do with you, but can’t because you won’t go along?”
    Claire is hoping that this is the case. Fabian doesn’t seem like he’s lying about his relationship with her. That’s real contempt in his eyes.
    “I dunno, Claire. Something weird is going on with this whole disappearance situation. I can’t tell you why, but I think I’m being set up.”
    “Set up? By who?”
    Fabian shifts uncomfortably in his chair. “I can’t answer that. I’ve been racking my brain trying to figure it out and coming up empty. All I know is that I’m caught up in something that’s going to be hard to get out of. You’ve got to believe me when I say I did not kill Sloane. I don’t know what the hell happened to her.”
    Claire so wants to believe him. Her gut is telling her he’s being truthful. But, again, how does she know what is real or not real? She’s never dealt with anything like this before. Because of all the secrecy she can’t even call her mom to ask for advice.
    “I don’t think you’re a murderer, Fabian. But, I do think Nathan is right about you needing a good defense lawyer—just in case things go bad.”
    Fabian leans back and shuts his eyes for a moment. “Yeah, you’re right.” A loud sigh escapes his lips. “Don’t send that lawyer list to Nathan. Send it directly to me. I’ll text you my email.”
    Fabian is asking her to disobey her boss, which is not something she takes lightly. “Okay, Fabian, I’ll do it, but I’m sending Nathan the list in a separate email. Since the company is paying all the expenses isn’t Nathan going to want to have some say in who represents you?”
    “I don’t give a shit what Nathan wants right now. I’m choosing my own representation.”
    “What if Gray doesn’t want to pay for an expensive attorney for someone he thinks murdered his wife?”
    “Hmm. I didn’t think about that. Well, in that case, I’ll use money from my trust fund. Thank god my grandfather set it up for me. I use that money to fund my trips and investments. I may be a rebel at heart, but I’m no dummy when it comes to money.”
    Claire was not expecting this statement to come out of