Page 54 of Her Alpha Bosses

“Now I’m even more confused.”

“That fucker,” Bianca spat, vocalizing anger I was too tired to access. “Who the fuck does he think he is? This kind of manipulation is insane! You have to go to the police now, surely. It’s one thing to pay a few bills but now he’s trying to blackmail you into committing a crime!”

“They didn’t listen to me the first time,” I reminded her. “And he knew, somehow. He told me if I called the police again, my mother would suffer. I don’t know how he found out the first time, but he knew. So I can’t, even if that was a good idea.”

Bianca rose up suddenly, calling the name of one of the dogs as their play session became a little too rambunctious.

At that moment, I wanted to be a dog. To run around carefree, with the biggest stress being where my next meal would come from. No lawyers or romance or blackmail.

Once the dog calmed, Bianca sat back down.

“If you can’t tell the police, can you tell your boss? I know it looks bad but surely if you explain the situation and the blackmail, he’d understand?”

“I can’t.” My hands twisted together in my lap. “I already lied to them last night. We were supposed to have an open and honest talk and I just spewed a bunch of lies, then fucked them. That makes me a terrible person.”

Bianca scoffed and lounged back on the bench, causing the wood to creak. “Honey, if you were a man, you would consider that a conquest.”

Laughter bubbled up, and a much-needed smile crept across my lips. As the wind picked up, I caught my hair and tucked it back behind my ears.

“Maybe I should view it that way so I don’t feel so bad.” It would be easier. “There’s also… one other thing.”

“Oh?” Bianca leaned forward, toying with the leads in her hands. “What is it, chick?”

“Well… Eli might be right.”

“Excuse me?” Her brow flew up to her hairline.

“My mother is getting amazing treatment now, like to the point that I can’t believe it’s been so easy. That has to be more important than the crush I have on Sawyer, and Liam and Kane. Eli said it didn’t matter who distributed the drug; it would end up in the hands of the public regardless. It would be helping people regardless of the name on the label.”

“Oh, he’s good,” Bianca muttered. “Honey, we both know that won’t be the same. Sure, it’ll end up out here but with a hefty price tag to line Elis’ pockets.”

Deep down, I knew she was right. Eli would increase the price and undo all of Sawyer’s hard work to keep it affordable. But, there was a part of me that simply did not care.

“I think about that,” I nodded, toying with the fabric of my jeans. “But then I think about how I felt when I went to meet Mom, and she recognized me.” Recalling it, even now, made my chest squeeze hard and my breath caught in my throat.

“She knew who I was. She knew my name. There was clear recognition in her eyes. I know she’s still sick, but the medication she is on now has her being my Mom again and that was—.” Emotion cuts me off and I swallow hard. “I know it’s selfish but I felt like a little girl again. I wanted to curl up and cry in her lap and I knew she would soothe me because she knew who I was.”

Bianca’s face softened with understanding and she reached for my thigh, gripping tightly.

“I know how much that must have meant to you, chick,” she said warmly. “It’s been too long.”

“Years,” I said hoarsely, fighting the sting of tears. “And that makes me selfish because I want that. I want that for as many years as I can get her treatment there. Even if it’s on Eli’s dime, I don’t care. I want my Mom back and I have her. Giving that up just feels wrong.”

“I understand.” Bianca’s shoulders rose. “It’s tough and I can’t imagine what it must be like caught between these three things. Eli, your Mom and your men. Whatever you want to do, I will support you. I’m here for you, okay?”

“I know.” I covered my hand with hers and squeezed. “Thank you.”

“So, she remembered you, huh?”

I nodded and smiled weakly. “She knew my name. She thought I still worked at the store, though, but when I told her about my new job and my promotion six months ago, she was proud of me. So proud.”

I couldn’t fight the tears this time and I laughed as a few slipped down my cheeks.

“I don’t want to lose that, so I’m… I’m leaning toward doing this one thing for Eli and then breaking away somehow. My mum will be treated and everything will be fine.”

“Exactly!” Bianca slotted easily into the role of my supporter while she stood and whistled for the dogs to return. “Plus, people like Sawyer always have backup plans, right? The rich lose out to each other all the time. It’ll just be another failed project.”

“Do you think I’ll go to hell?” I asked, semi-joking as the dogs tackled one another in their excitement to rejoin us.

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