Revenge With Benefits. Cat Schield

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       Prologue

      While the keynote speaker for the Beautiful Women Taking Charge event droned on, Everly Briggs contemplated Zoe Crosby and recognized the former Charleston, South Carolina trophy wife was the weak link in her plan.

      Before the networking function Everly had researched the attendees and settled on two women recently wronged by the men in their lives. Over cocktails, Everly had chatted up both women, sharing her own tale of how her sister had been wronged by wealthy entrepreneur Ryan Dailey. In addition to Zoe Crosby, she’d encouraged London McCaffrey to pour out her heartbreak after Linc Thurston broke off their engagement.

      “We’ve each been the victim of a wealthy, powerful man,” Everly said, thinking that was most true of Zoe. Her ex-husband had hired Charleston’s most ruthless divorce attorney and rumor had it that Zoe’s settlement was going to be eaten up by her lawyer’s fees. “Don’t you think it’s time we get a little payback?”

      “Anything we try would only end up making things worse for us,” Zoe said, her hesitation grating on Everly’s nerves.

      Up until this moment, Zoe Crosby had been listening and nodding sympathetically. Before meeting her, Everly figured if anyone would want to take down a powerful man it would be a wife who’d been cheated on by one, then cast aside and forced to defend her honor in divorce court.

      Instead, Everly was starting to understand why Tristan Crosby had treated his wife with such disdain. The woman was too soft, too passive. She lacked fire and purpose. Well, Everly would just have to stir up the socialite’s indignation over how she’d been treated and drive Zoe into the revenge scheme.

      “Not if we go after each other’s men,” Everly explained, gratified to see London McCaffrey nodding in understanding. Zoe still looked worried, so Everly continued to lay out her plan. “Think about it,” she said, fighting to keep impatience out of her voice. “We’re strangers at a cocktail party. Who would ever connect us? I go after Linc. London goes after Tristan and, Zoe, you go after Ryan.”

      “When you say ‘go after,’” Zoe said cautiously, “what do you have in mind?”

      Everly resisted the urge to roll her eyes. From the first she’d suspected Zoe would be too timid to make a good revenge partner, but at least the socialite could be manipulated into doing as Everly wanted.

      “In Ryan’s case, his sister is running for state senate,” Everly said, deciding she’d better monitor Zoe’s part of the plan to make sure Ryan Dailey paid dearly for putting her sister in jail.

      After all, he was responsible for breaking Kelly’s heart and driving her to act out against his firm by deleting millions of dollars worth of engineering drawings. If he hadn’t led her sister on, Everly was convinced Kelly never would’ve snapped like that.

      Zoe’s frown deepened at Everly’s suggestion that she go after Ryan indirectly. “I thought we were supposed to be going after the men. I don’t feel comfortable.”

      “Since Ryan destroyed my sister’s life,” Everly explained with elaborate patience even as her irritation reached a boiling point, “it only seems fair that we ruin his sister’s chances at being elected.” Her pause was too brief to give Zoe a chance to argue further. “Getting at Ryan through his sister is the best way to go. Okay?”

      Zoe’s abbreviated nod didn’t fill Everly with confidence. Well, if the socialite couldn’t do what needed to be done, Everly would just have to take care of things herself.