Total pages in book: 144
Estimated words: 147415 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 737(@200wpm)___ 590(@250wpm)___ 491(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 147415 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 737(@200wpm)___ 590(@250wpm)___ 491(@300wpm)
I stare at her, my mind stalled.
Screw this.
“You’re sick,” I grind out. “He never forced anything. I’d rather hang up my whole career than make a penny your way.”
“So self-righteous. Sad.” Adriana tsks, shaking her head. “One little word. That’s all it takes to make this go away and turn you back into Little Miss Perfect again. I’m sure your father would appreciate it, wouldn’t he? What does he think of this sordid business?” Her lip curls as she says the words.
She’s doing it.
She’s actually using my freaking family against me.
It takes a special kind of fire-breathing bitch to harness my worst fears so effortlessly and without shame.
I’m already halfway out of my seat, about to tell this woman where she can shove her blackmail and her head, when Shepherd moves again, grabbing my wrist.
“I have a very low tolerance for bullshit, Miss Cerva,” he says, his words falling like icicles. “Not with me, and especially not with a smart young woman with a bright future ahead of her.”
I fully straighten, but I hold my fire just long enough to fix them both with a steely stare rather than the torrent of abuse that’s trying to claw out of me.
Don’t do it.
Don’t give her ammunition.
“As for your ‘proof’?” Sarcasm drenches Shepherd’s words. “I fail to see how these photos correspond to me or Miss Lancaster. Your habit of spying on strangers isn’t my business, aside from the corporate espionage that must’ve been necessary to facilitate this. Now, I’m used to ugly rumors. I’ve only dealt with them my entire life. Miss Lancaster, though, there’s no good reason she should have to suffer the same frustrations—and she won’t. I will only say this once. Leave us the fuck alone before you wind up in court, selling your damned purse collection for legal fees.”
That “fuck” gives him away.
He’s still got his professional voice on, but he’s spitting nails.
Who can blame him?
“Don’t even try to deny it. It’s you and Destiny, clear as day,” Adriana insists, her voice jumping an octave.
People in the restaurant are looking at us now.
Shepherd cocks a brow, staring at the crazy woman until that smarmy look on her face melts. I’ve never wanted to kiss him more than right now.
“Prove it,” he growls. “That burden is on you.”
Adriana levels a slow look and sighs.
“I was worried you’d react this way. So blustery and unreasonable. So stupid. Since you want to be a tightwad, there’s one more way we can both walk away with our dignity intact. You restart Young Influencers, and this time you choose Meghan. Do it, and I’ll come down with a bad case of amnesia. I’ll forget all about your love life and Meghan here will happily take some videos down.”
Speechless.
I’m flipping speechless.
My eyes flick to Meghan. She’s hunched in her chair, looking like she wants to be anywhere but here, and that small germ of pity sprouts into real concern.
Something isn’t right.
It’s like she’s a puppet, helplessly chained to her psycho mom.
“Even if you could prove it,” Shepherd says, “and I’m not saying you can, but if you could, that would be interesting, wouldn’t it? I’m awfully certain I could prove criminal blackmail if this winds up in court.”
Adriana has a smug smile on her face. “How interesting. So you wanna see who has the fastest lawyers in the old west? Game on!”
“No game, Miss Cerva. Just very serious questions about how you obtained those photographs, and what your business was spying on private citizens in protected wilderness with proprietary technology.” He pauses to let his words sink in.
I see the moment they sink in, and she actually has a flicker of fear.
“Criminal questions,” Shepherd says slowly.
Her smile vanishes.
Her garishly manicured nails press the table, almost hard enough to break, scratching the tablecloth.
Shepherd turns to Meghan this time.
“Think real hard before you follow her lead,” he bites off. “If you two have any sense of self-preservation, you’ll pretend we never spoke today. You’ll be smart. Shut up, get out, and never breathe another word to me or Destiny again.”
I think Adriana might have been struck mute.
Her breathing turns loud, rattling as she stares up into Shepherd’s face.
Even Meghan looks up, her eyes wide and uncertain, almost bugging out of her head as she looks between us painfully.
“Miss Lancaster, let’s go.” Shepherd stands and pivots.
With his arm in mine, he steers us out of the restaurant, leaving them gawking behind us.
Even with my back turned, I can feel Adriana’s glower, and when I glance back—a big mistake—she fixes me with a look I recognize.
I’ve seen that look before once, on a family friend I loved like an adopted uncle who wound up doing the unspeakable to my father and Eliza.
It chills me to the bone.
This so isn’t over.
This is a crazy narcissist who’s just had her pride shredded, and I know she’d rather die than let it go.