Seth wants to tuck her hair behind her ear, to tell her everything’s gonna be okay.
And he’s about to do just that when Lacey opens her mouth.
“There’s something else you should know.”
He frowns. She’s biting her lip, which means whatever she’s about to say can’t be good.
“Spill it,” he says. To the bartender: “Leave the bottle.”
“Okay, but you can’t be mad.”
“Lacey.”
“Fine.” She exhales sharply, gathering steam, strength. Then, in one long breath, she says: “Sal called me before she and Luke left for Pensacola. Pissed as hell. She said the photo was staged. That Luke didn’t do it. That she believed him.”
Seth shakes his head. Lacey’s reveal is like a bucket of cold water to his face. “Wait. You’ve been sittin’ on this?”
It’s been Luke’s greatest pain. Agonizing over whether or not Sal believed him. Thinking she was going to walk, to ask for a divorce.
This news—it’s what his brother needs. It would clear up those weeks before the plane crash. Would calm his ass down when it came to his wife. His guilt.
Lacey bristles. Her nostrils flare in warning. “It wasn’t exactly like it was in the forefront of my mind, Seth. My sister was dead. I was grieving.” Her eyes turn downcast. “It came back to me after I got here.”
Waving away her excuses, Seth asks, “What else?”
“She knew who had sent her the photo. It wasn’t Jasper,” Lacey says, beating Seth to it. “He took it, but he didn’t send it.”
His eyes widen. “Someone hired him to take it.”
“That’s right.”
“Fuck. Who?”
“She wouldn’t tell me. All she said was she wasn’t going to let anyone fuck with her husband. Family or not. She was going to handle it after the Pensacola trip ... only she didn’t get that far.”
Family. Family. Seth’s mind seizes on the word.
It could be anyone they’re close to.
Fury snakes its way through Seth’s veins. His hands pull into fists and he notes Lacey’s have done the same.
Someone they trust tried to ruin Luke with that photo.
And they very nearly did.
Lacey’s soft voice. “Who could it be, Seth?”
“I don’t know,” he says grimly. “And Sal doesn’t either.”
“Are you going to tell Luke?”
“Hell no. He’d go fucking ballistic.” Seth gives a swift shake of his head. “Besides, he doesn’t need another thing on his plate to deal with. He’s got enough goin’ on worryin’ about Sal.”
Lacey’s gaze narrows, her expression a mixture of amusement and suspicion. “So what? You’re going to figure it out?”
“Damn right I am.”