Page 64 of A Package Deal

Nothing about this scene was okay. Everyone on the street was watching, wondering about the commotion. I followed the couple, ignoring the whispering and gawking. Cayden stopped by a dented gray work truck.

“Get in the fucking truck, Jess.”

Jess held her wrist, rubbing the pink skin he left behind. “No. Not until you tell me what’s really going on. Did you really sign away your rights?”

Cayden heard my footsteps and turned. “What the fuck are you doing? Going to follow me all day, asshole?”

I pointed to Jess. “Just making sure she’s okay to be in your company.”

“She’s my fucking fiancée! She’s fine! Mind your own damn business.”

I held my hands out, wanting to be the bigger man here, and quite frankly, that wasn’t hard to achieve. “Listen, how about we strike a deal? I have another errand to run right now, but then I’ll drive out and meet you at your house. I’ll bury the pictures. You hand over Em’s cross necklace and drop the lawsuit. Simple as that. Won’t hear from me again.”

Cayden paused, hatred flowing from his mottled face. He spoke to Jess without breaking our staredown. “For the last time, get in the damn truck, Jess.”

She ducked her head and climbed in the truck. My heart sank. Took a lot to stand up to a bully like Cayden, but I hoped someone in her life would help her escape before they made things legal.

Cayden walked over to me as soon as she slammed the door closed. He dropped his voice. “You delete every last picture on your phone and send an email calling off your watch dog. Then I’ll drop the suit. As for the necklace, I don’t have it.”

That asshole was still denying it.

I shook my head. “No deal without the necklace, sorry.” I was far from sorry.

Cayden looked down the street, then swung his gaze back to mine, some defeat showing in those evil eyes. “Fine. Be there before five or the deal’s off.”

I waited until he left, Jess’s empty stare out the side window haunting my brain. On my way to Roger’s house, I texted Anton and asked him to give me a call when he had a second. There was no way I was going to just bury those photos. I’d send them to Anton and let him do with them what he’d like. I never promised Cayden I wouldn’t send them to someone else. That’s what made me a better human than Cayden. I used loopholes for the greater good, not to make a profit that put other people’s safety in jeopardy.

Roger met me at the end of his driveway with a scowl. I rolled down my window and offered a pleasant greeting. He just grunted and picked at his teeth.

“Heard you’re having a barn built, Roger.”

He grunted again, not confirming or denying it.

“You hired Em.” I leaned out my window. “You know Em’s my wife, right?”

He quit picking his teeth long enough to glare at me. “So what?”

I shot him a winning smile. “Just making sure you know what’s mine before you decide to screw someone over.”

Roger batted his gnarled hand through the air.

“Don’t act like you aren’t the town Scrooge. We all know how you like to con people out of money. Just letting it be known that sort of shit won’t fly in this case.” I patted the side of my fancy truck. “I’m retired now, if you didn’t know. Have all this time on my hands and more money than sense. Might just find it fun to sue someone.”

Roger glared at me but didn’t say anything.

I waved and kept smiling, rolling up my window with the touch of a button. Then I roared my engine and backed out of his driveway.

My work here was done and I had an important necklace to retrieve.

CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

Emmerleigh

The old truck creaked over the curb as I turned into the gas station. Warrick was gone when I woke up this morning and he hadn’t filled up my tank with gas, which was also odd. For the last several weeks, my truck would somehow always be topped off. When I asked him about it, he admitted he would check my gauge daily and gas up my truck if it was getting low.

The gesture was sweet. Insanely thoughtful.

Yet another reason I felt myself falling in love with this overprotective man. I fought so fiercely to be independent and yet Warrick took care of me in ways I didn’t know I needed. And I discovered I liked it.

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