"I know who. The woman and her father, and possibly her brother, were in on it. But I need proof."
"Proof to protect yourself? Or proof to send them to jail?"
Did I really want Amelia to go to jail? Especially if she was carrying my child? Not really. But if she and her family stayed free, who else would they pull this scam on? The reality was, at some point, I would be exposed. Amelia was a social media star. It wouldn't be long before she'd use her platform to hurt me.
"I want them in jail."
Dax nodded. He pulled out a small pad of paper from the breast pocket of his coat. He jotted a couple of notes and then looked up at me. "Names?"
"The woman's name is Amelia Dunsmore. Her brother's name is James, although I'm not sure if he's involved. I do know her father is involved, but I don’t know his name."
"And where are they in Nevada?"
The fact that Dax didn't know the Dunsmore family was a reminder to me that I had much more to lose reputation-wise than they did. My family was well known throughout the country. It wasn't because Max and I ran clubs or that my dad and his brother ran the largest real estate company in New York. It was the philanthropic work of my parents and aunts and uncles that made the Clarke name well-known. It was clear to me that the Dunsmore family was well-known in Las Vegas. But he was a big fish in a small pond. With me, they could get money, or perhaps if I had continued with the marriage, they would have attached their name to mine, expanding their credibility and influence. I shuddered to think that I'd nearly been drawn in by Amelia and her lie. If I had told her I loved her and asked for a relationship, how long would it be before she let the truth out? The truth that she didn't love me. The truth that I’d been her mark?
I gave Dax all the information that I knew about Amelia and what happened. When he was finished taking notes, he put his pen and paper back into his pocket and rose from the chair.
"This woman you were with, are you sure she's part of the con?"
I stood to walk him to the door. "I don't know how she couldn't be.”
"Was she drugged too?"
I shrugged. "She said she was. But I was out of it. I didn’t see it.”
"I know this might feel invasive, but the more I know, the easier it is for me to get the information I need."
I nodded in understanding even as my gut tightened, wondering what he was going to ask.
"There was a time when Saint Security didn't care very much about who was paying the bills. We worked with some fairly unscrupulous people. But not anymore. I’m telling you this to let you know that if I think you're going to use it in retaliation or in some fashion that isn't well within the law, we’ll have a problem."
"I want to protect myself, and yes, I want them to pay for what they did. But not in retaliation. I want justice and to protect anybody else they could con in the future."
He nodded, seemingly to accept my explanation.
My door blew open, and Vivie strode in.
I arched a brow, not expecting her. She was supposed to be in California.
"Thought you were in Los Angeles?"
She stopped short when she saw Dax standing in my office. "I'm sorry. Your secretary wasn't out there, so I didn't realize you were in a meeting."
"This is Dax Shepard. Dax, this is my sister, Vivie Clarke."
They shook hands. I didn't miss Vivie taking a long look at Dax. She was young and prone to being distracted by good-looking men. I looked at Dax, wanting to make sure he wasn't doing the same to my sister.
His eyes narrowed as he studied her, and then he turned to me. He held out his hand and I shook it.
"I'll be in touch."
I nodded and watched as he strode out of the room.
Vivie watched him until the door shut behind him and then she turned to me. "He’s intense. So are you, come to think of it."
I turned away from her because while I just spilled my guts to Dax, I wasn't going to spill them to my sister.
I sat at my desk. "I thought you were going to Los Angeles?"