Page 74 of Blackmail of a Billionaire

She licked her lips, flicking her gaze to the phone again. When she spoke, her voice sounded shaky. “That wasn’t my brother-in-law.”

“Who was it?”

She flicked her blue eyes to him. A cloud of disbelief and pain passed through them. “Kyle Carter.”

Grant’s muscles tensed and heat washed over him. “What?”

“He said he was Ethan. I was surprised because Ethan has no idea I’m married. But…”

“What did he say?” Grant pressed.

She shook her head, the shock seeming to wear off a little. “The same nonsense. He wanted to make sure I was safe, he was worried, and there were things I didn’t know that would convince me. The same thing as yesterday.”

Grant leapt from his chair, fury burning through him as he paced back and forth. “Unbelievable. He has no right to worry about you.”

Julia sat silently in the chair as he stalked back and forth.

“I’m sorry,” Grant said when she didn’t respond. “But this crosses the line.”

“I told him that.”

Grant whipped around and crossed the room in the opposite direction. He eyed the phone on her desk, anger welling inside him as he snatched it and pressed the button to redial the last number that had called.

“What are you doing?” Julia asked.

“Calling him.”

She leapt from her seat, placing a hand on his arm as she stared at him with wide eyes. “Grant, I don’t think–”

Kyle’s voice echoed in the speaker. “Julia?”

“Not quite,” Grant’s voice growled back.

Julia bit her lower lip, her expression a mixture of worry and disapproval with the escalating tension.

“Grant…”

“Yes. If you ever call my wife again…” He flicked his eyes to Julia who shot him a pleading glance as she shook her head, but he couldn’t stop himself from issuing the threat. “You’ll regret it.”

He ended the call, dropping his arm to his side as she slid her eyes closed. Had he just escalated things unnecessarily?

Julia exhaled deeply, a flicker of relief crossing her features followed by a shadow of concern. Her eyes, a storm of emotions, met his–conveying a blend of gratitude and apprehension. Julia clicked her tongue as she wrapped her arms around her midriff. “You shouldn’t have done that. You fed right into his story.”

Grant leaned over, gripping the desk as he shook his head. “I’m sorry, Julia, but what he did was way over the line.”

“Yes, I know that, but that was an overreaction.”

“I disagree. He upset you, and I’m not going to have him torturing you like this.”

“It’s not torture. Aggravating, yes. Torture, no.”

Grant flicked his gaze up to her for a moment before he stared at the wood grain. “I’m sorry. I suppose I just continue to ruin your image of me. First a murder charge, then a fist fight, and now a violent warning.”

She laid a hand against his shoulder, offering him a slight smile. “Not really. I could have crawled through the phone and choked him myself. He just can’t let this go.”

Grant straightened, a measure of relief coursing through him at her words. “Then, you agree I’ve done a relatively good job of defending your honor.”

A chuckle escaped her lips. “I think you’ve done a fine job, but I don’t want you behind bars again thanks to my honor.”

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