Series: Willow Winters
Total pages in book: 53
Estimated words: 50025 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 250(@200wpm)___ 200(@250wpm)___ 167(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 50025 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 250(@200wpm)___ 200(@250wpm)___ 167(@300wpm)
My brother nods once and says, “I filled him in last night. He said he’s almost certain he knows who it is and will trace it back.”
“Does Ella?”
“No.”
“Is he going to tell her?”
My brother stills. “We have asked that he doesn’t say anything to her at this time.”
I nod in agreement. “She’s doing well. Very well. She’s happy. There’s no reason to alarm her if we can take care of this.”
“That’s what we suggested to Kamden. He agreed to give us a deadline before he takes things into his own hands.”
I swallow the ball of anger in my throat. “What do they have on her?”
“Video,” Cade answers, his tone solemn.
Shit. Video’s the worst kind of evidence. It can be faked or manipulated, but most people don’t have the necessary skills or technology. Video is usually trustworthy, and that’s what makes it so dangerous. Even if it’s fake, you can still be fucked over. People believe what they see more so than any other kind of evidence.
“Is it credible?” I ask.
“From what I can tell, yes,” my brother confirms. “Kamden agrees. That’s why he believes he knows who may have sent it.”
“How much?”
“Two million.”
“The hell’s in it?” I ask.
Cleaning up messes like this is a specialty of The Firm’s. We help people get out of impossible situations. I’m so glad they let me back in. If I hadn’t known about this, Ella would have been at even more risk.
I wouldn’t have been able to protect her from the various threats in her life.
If my brother had kept me in the dark …
It would have torn apart our relationship. These are things I need to know. I remind myself again that it’s all right. I am back in The Firm, and Cade did tell me. I have what I need to keep Ella safe.
Cade watches me from across the table. I don’t know what I was thinking before. Cade would have told me about this even if I wasn’t working for The Firm.
“What’s on the video?” I press and take a look around the room.
“It’s a video of her parents.” His tone is sober. “Family secrets. And some truly fucked-up abuse.”
I sit back and take it in. “Is Ella in the videos?”
“No,” he says. “Not as far as I know, but that could change as we find out more.”
I have to take a minute to sit with that. Fucked-up abuse scars a person. Ella seems focused on James’s death as the cause of her spiraling, but clearly her trauma began earlier. It wasn’t a single moment that triggered her downfall. A chill runs down my spine as I’m reminded of what Kam said at the house. That she had a difficult life.
This must have been what he was talking about. That’s why he was drunk last night.
“What exactly is in the video? Did Kam see it?”
“Yeah. And he recognized it. He said it’s not the first time the video has been used as blackmail.”
“Did they pay last time?”
“Kam said the problem dissolved itself.”
“What the hell does that mean?” I ask even though I know. Cade shares a look with Silas and Damon looks down to the floor.
“The problem went away on its own and I believe it was buried ten feet under.”
Fuck.
“So it can’t be the same person?”
He shakes his head slowly.
My jailbird.
I want to be with her right now. I fight off a strong urge to get up and leave the table.
But as much as I want to hold her, I want to keep her safe even more. That starts here and now, at this table, with The Firm.
“Okay.” I look Cade in the eyes. “Let’s figure this out. Ella is depending on us.”
ELLA
The phone is clunky and old, but it does the trick.
I text Kam once I’m finished. You know I could open apps on the laptop too right?
Kam: Do I need to tell Zander to take it away?
I narrow my eyes at the old phone that’s practically a brick.
Ella: No need. I don’t have my passwords. I hope that eases his worries, but judging by what he says next, I’m not sure I accomplished that task.
Kam: No new accounts.
My eyes roll without my conscious consent.
Ella: I’m aware, Kam. I was just messing with you.
I debate on calling him to voice my discontent at not being able to send a GIF of a dog rolling his eyes, but I decide not to since he should be here soon and I can tell him face-to-face.
Life is slowly going back to what used to be normal.
Well, other than replacing what used to be and rearranging finances. Kam is taking care of that, though. In less than a week three homes have gone into escrow, all cash. I try not to think of it and instead I scroll, searching for new properties and wondering if we should sell this one.