Page 20 of The Blackmail of Denise Randall

THE BRIDAL SHOWER

(THAT DID HAPPEN).

Dread fills me as I’m back in the parking lot of my hometown’s country club. So far, nothing good has come of me being here. I decide to check on my blog before going in, giving myself some time to settle my nerves.

The knocking at my driver side window has me looking up from my phone. I roll down my window as Keaton Sloan casually leans against my car. He’s in his work uniform, a white shirt under beige overalls. He stands out from all the guys walking around in khakis or white slacks and polos. I can’t help but notice how in shape he is. The plain t-shirt stretches over his chest. I hate that I find him attractive. Wait, no I don’t. He’s not attractive. I’m not attracted to someone who would blackmail me.

“Haven’t heard from you in a while,” he states. My response is to grit my teeth. His eyebrows raise and he lowers his voice. “Why didn’t you call? Did you forget the terms of our deal?”

I grit my teeth harder and give him a closed lip smirk. I start to speak but stop myself, working to get my temper under control. That’s what got me into this mess in the first place. Swallowing my pride, I take a deep breath and try to release all my resentment. “Our ‘deal,’ and I use that term loosely, doesn’t begin until I’m on break from school.”

“Does it? We should still talk, don’t you think?”

“Are you planning to be this controlling through my entire sentence? You get a whole month. I should be allowed an afternoon of freedom with my family before you jump all over me.” I rub my temples. “It’s only noon, I’ve not been in town for even five minutes, and I already have a headache.”

A slow grin spreads across his face. “It is, isn’t it? My lunch break is coming up. We can start now then. Let’s go have lunch.”

“Daddy has you working on a Saturday?”

“We don’t all get weekends off, princess.”

I ignore his dig. “I was on my way somewhere actually. Alice’s bridal shower, hello?”

“You have time. Let’s go have a quick lunch inside. Come on? Get out and have a bite with me.” He straightens and a wide grin spreads across his face. “Hey, would you look over there? I think that’s Sheriff Miller. Better watch your bag getting out. Wouldn’t want anything to fall out.” I bite my bottom lip so hard that I’m sure it’ll start bleeding. I don’t move, so he says, “Am I gonna need to call for backup?”

“And just what are you going to tell them?”

He gives me a full smile, showing off those perfectly straight and white teeth. Somehow that smile makes his caramel eyes seem to sparkle and become brighter. His golden sun-kissed skin, short dark blond hair, thick eyebrows and slightly full lips make him look more like a naughty calendar model than a real-life construction worker from a small town. His eyes are his most physically attractive feature. They are two shades of brown, and some specks are light while others are a deep mocha color. His eyes remind me of a citrine stone. Those eyes are laughing at me right now.

“Well, Miss Randall, there’s a whole deal of things I could tell them. I came over here and you’re acting suspicious would probably be an interesting tidbit to share. The longer you keep me waitin’, the more I can come up with.” He’s clearly toying with me. He thinks he has me in the palm of his hand. At his freaking mercy. I’ll show his cocky ass.

I huff and push the door open fast and hard, hitting him in the leg. I step out and lean against my car. He’s instantly in my personal space, crowding me. I don’t let him intimidate me though. I raise my chin up and sneer, “Listen here. You can’t really do anything. Also, you work for my daddy. What do you think would happen? Don’t be dumb, Keaton.”

I instantly regret my words and hate myself. Why can’t Keaton just let my drug habit go? I don’t want to be mean, but maybe if he hates me, he’ll leave me alone. His eyes are heated. I expect him to be angry at what a little bitch I’m being. Instead, those heated eyes come closer to my face as his arms wrap around me. Slowly, his hands slide up my waist and then take my hands. He lifts my hands up to the top of the car. Then he slides them back down. I forgot to roll my window up, so my back sinks in a little. He removes his hands as his lips caress mine. My eyes fall closed on a sigh. His strong hand comes back to mine, and then I feel cold metal clasp around my wrist. The more I struggle, the more it bites into my skin. He steps away and begins walking toward the country club.

My eyes fly open, and I jerk my wrist that is now handcuffed to the steering wheel of my car. I call after him, but when he doesn’t stop, I begin screaming.

“What the hell? Why do you have handcuffs? Who does that?”

He turns around and smiles. “I figured I’d see you today with the bridal shower. Thought you’d get a kick out of them. My citizen’s arrest and all.”

“You’re unstable. You need help.” He gives me a bored expression and shrugs, then turns around and begins walking again.

“Are you forgetting something?” I hold my wrist up what little I can.

“No. I’m not the one forgetting anything, but you are. You seem to have forgotten our mutual agreement. I expect you to uphold your end of the deal. Pop off at me again like that and you’ll have worse consequences.”

“You’ve got to be kidding? You really are an ass.” He shakes his head and puts on his sunglasses. “I’m sorry,” I sneer.

“You’re not sorry, yet.” I watch in horror as he walks to the clubhouse and shuts the door behind him.

What a prick!A fucking deranged prick. I look around feeling humiliated. I struggle to open my car door, but I can’t get in with how my wrist is handcuffed through the window. I end up just crawling through it. I can’t reach my bag with my phone in it, so I press the handless call button on my steering wheel. “Call Trent.”

“Calling Trent,” my car announces. I patiently wait for him to answer my call. Thankfully, he does. “I need your help, but you can’t tell anyone.”

Long pause. Then he asks, “Denise, what kind of trouble are you in?”

“I’m handcuffed.”

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