Page 163 of The Pucking Wrong Man

I forced myself to straighten, dragging my eyes to meet Camden’s face. I just needed to get the words out, to get it done.

Slowly I began…every syllable halting and painful.

“Growing up, Michael would take...pictures of me...without my consent. And since then, every time I’ve come here, he’s forced me to take more.” I took in a deep, shuddering breath. “I know I shouldn’t have let him, but I’m terrified of him,” I tried to explain.

My excuses sounded stupid coming out of my mouth, but I didn’t know how else to explain the sheer psychological terror that I experienced because of Michael. He was the bogeyman in the closet for me. And he knew it.

Michael had never given a threat that he hadn’t followed through with.

“Now that you’re here, though, you can give me the money that your little girlfriend couldn’t. And this whole thing can be over with,” Michael said gleefully.

Camden was still looking at me, a blank expression on his face. Why wasn’t he reacting to what I’d said? What was he thinking?

He was disgusted by me, I knew it.

I knew this was how it was going to be.

“He’s been blackmailing me since you and I met. I…I didn’t want to embarrass you.” The words came out in a choked whisper, shame so thick in my voice that I could taste it on my tongue.

Camden slowly turned to give Michael his attention, not acknowledging what I’d said at all. I squeezed my eyes shut in pain, a tear sliding down my cheek.

“You ever study cockroaches, Michael?” he asked, and I blinked, because that’s what Michael was. A cockroach.

“Can’t say I have, Camden.”

“Well, the thing about them is that if you kill one, there’s always another one that’s waiting in the wings. I’m sure someone has described you as one before, so you should get that allegory.”

Michael lifted his chin, his cheeks reddening.

“I’m not paying you that money. Cockroaches like you never give up. There’s really only one way to get rid of them. Do you know what that is?”

There was a tic in Michael’s cheek, and he didn’t answer, his pale blue eyes darkening like clouds right before a storm.

“Extermination.” Camden leaned forward, his lips curling into a menacing smile that gave me goosebumps.

Michael’s eyes widened in shock, and my heart was pounding...I was pretty sure Camden had just threatened to kill Michael.

The thing was, I wasn’t sure what method of death could possibly be enough to pay Michael back for what he’d done.

The door opened then, and Mrs. Carver peeked her head out, her gaze darting between us all, like she’d just noticed the tension that had been present all of dinner. “Everything okay out here?”

“Of course, Mrs. Carver. We were just talking about pest control.”

“Oh,” Mrs. Carver said, clearly confused since it was the dead of winter and bugs weren’t a problem at the moment. “Well, have a safe drive.” She lifted her hand in farewell.

“See you, ma’am,” Camden nodded, his palm on my back as he led me toward the truck.

I could feel Michael’s gaze digging into my spinal cord, probably planning all the terrible things he was going to do to me.

We drove off, and I kept my eyes on the road in front of us, not daring to look back and lock eyes with Michael.

I could only breathe after we’d turned a corner and we were no longer in his sights.

The silence was stifling though, and I couldn’t handle it. I was so damn grateful that Camden come for me, but I was sure I’d fucked it all up—again.

I glanced at him, flinching when I saw how livid he was. His teeth were gritted together and he was clenching the steering wheel so tight, his knuckles were white. My heart was squeezing in my chest. I knew he’d be angry at me for this. I knew he’d hate me.

“Thank you for coming to get me. I’m so sorry,” I finally sobbed brokenly. “I understand if you don’t want to see me again…”

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