Page 29 of Smitten with the Single Dad

“Okay. I’ll escort him to the gate.”

The call disconnected and Wyatt decided that since it was his property, he had a right to say “no firearms.”

“If you’re meeting Ms. Vitale, you’re going to have to leave all of your weapons in the trunk, and your chauffeur needs to do the same and join us. No surprises. I’ll be frisking you too.”

“Fucking hell,” he murmured, “you’re blowing this all out of proportion.” But he obliged, removing the gun from his shoulder holster concealed beneath his suit jacket, as well as the blade at his ankle, and the second gun at the small of his back. Wyatt patted him down as well.

“Get out, Monty,” Sir Grunts-a-lot said, opening up the passenger side door. “Leave all your weapons behind.”

“Why?” Monty asked.

“Just do it.”

Monty lumbered around the Suburban looking just as menacing and beefyas Sir Grunts-a-lot. Only where Sir Grunts-a-lot had a brown crew cut, Monty was bald and had a thick, gray beard that hugged his round jaw. Otherwise, they were identical in height and stature.

Wyatt patted down Monty too before he escorted them up to the gate where Brooke, Clint, and Vica were waiting.

“Ms. Vitale,” Sir Grunts-a-lot said with a slight bow to his head. “Name’s Gino. I represent Mr. Croft Sr., and we’re here to negotiate a settlement for your discretion regarding the, uh … situation with Mr. Croft Jr. that took place last night.”

“You mean when he tried to rape her, and she acted in self-defense and killed him?” Brooke said.

Gino grunted. “Mr. Croft does not want his family’s name or business dragged through the mud. And because this was an unsanctioned work outing involving a Croft Engineering employee, things can get a little …”

“Complicated,” Monty added.

Gino nodded. “Yeah, complicated.”

“Mr. Croft Sr. would like to negotiate an amount that you both agree is fair, with the expectation that you will not go public with this. All murder charges will be dropped—at least by the family—and we will work hastily with Croft attorneys to put this entire situation to bed.”

“Just because Mr. Croft isn’t going to press charges doesn’t mean the district attorney, or whoever, won’t,” Clint countered. “Are you making any kind of guarantee that she’ll stay out of prison if she takes this deal? Because she’s basically agreeing tonotcharge Track Croft with attempted rape and sexual assault if she takes the hush money. Then her self-defense argument comes into question, and she could wind up in prison.”

Leave it to Wyatt’s big brother—a hardcore mystery buff—to break out with the details the rest of them hadn’t thought of.

And clearly neither Monty, nor Gino, had answers for those questions because they stood there like gaped-mouthed fools.

“What will it cost to keep you quiet?” Monty asked.

“Notgoing to prison.Notgetting deported,” Vica said. “Can you or Mr. Croft guarantee me that?”

Again, the goons were silent.

“I did not think so,” she whispered. “I will take my chances then. You can tell Wyndham Croft, ‘thank you, but no, thank you.’ His son is—was—a predator, and I am not the only victim. We will find others. We will find them and find out that they were paid to keep silent so that Track could continue to hurt, and manipulate, and abuse. Mr. Croft enabled his son to hurt people, and he deserves to pay for his son’s crimes too.”

Oh, shit!

Wyatt did not see that coming.

Pride surged through him, seeing Vica’s strength. Though, he did notice the slight quaver to her voice and the way she bunched and stretched her fingers at her sides. The woman was stressed, and rightfully so. Nobody should have to deal with what she was dealing with. And it wasn’t like these two ding-dongs showing up was the end of it either.

“No price is worth what Track did to me. I am not for sale.” A muscle ticked on the side of her jaw. She was probably clenching her molars to keep herself from crying.

Monty and Gino exchanged looks.

“You’re making a big mistake, lady,” Gino finally said. “Going up against the wrong family.”

“Is that a threat?” Wyatt asked, heat flaring in his abdomen and racing up into his face.

Neither man said anything, but rather plodded their way back down the hill to their Suburban. Wyatt didn’t leave the others at the gate, and the four of them stood there and watched the SUV drive away.

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