Page 64 of Wicked Arrangement

“Oh, what did you hear?”

“I heard that you’ve not been in to work in almost a month and that you’re shacking up with some billionaire. I take it he’s the one paying for Gran’s care facility, too?” he asks.

Shit.Noah was bound to find out sooner or later, but there’s a reason I didn’t want him to know much. Noah’s bound to try to get some money out of this.

“Yaroslav has been a good friend helping me out during a difficult time,” I reply, sidestepping his question without lying.

Noah’s demeanor has me on edge. He’s up to something.

Dina returns with our food, telling us to let her know if we need anything else before departing. Noah eagerly digs in while I push my food around. She’s right, the pie is delicious, but I’m too anxious to eat. I should have known Noah would have ulterior motives for wanting to meet. He’s never shown remorse before unless it benefited him in some way.

“We both know he’s more than a friend, Kim,” he sneers.

“My relationship with him is really none of your business, Noah,” I reply, defensively folding my arms. “If you think by virtue of being my brother that he’s going to give you a penny, you’re wrong.”

He lets out a humorless laugh, “I don’t think he’s going to give me money because I’m your brother, I doubt your pussy is worth that much. But Iknowhe’s going to give me money to keep his little secret.”

“What secret might that be?” I ask, hoping it’s something inconsequential. If Noah knows the truth about Yaroslav, it’s a big problem.

“Don’t play dumb with me, Kimmy. We both know your boy ain’t whiter than white. Even if you are fucking a cracker,” he sneers.

“Noah Walsh, I know Gran taught you better than that!” I scold, feeling shocked he would use a racial slur when we both know firsthand how hurtful they can be.

“Oh untwist your panties, I’m sure he’s been called worse. Look, let’s not beat around the bush here. You tell your ‘friend’ that I want one million by tomorrow or else I go to the cops with all of the information I know about his ‘business’,” Noah threatens.

“How do I know you’re not bluffing? That you’re not just pretending to know information other than rumors?” I retort, hoping that my guess is accurate. How could Noah have found out anything the police haven’t? How could he have learned all this when I only just found out what Yaroslav was involved in.

Noah raises an eyebrow, leaning back smugly in his chair and opening his arms wide, “Because, Sis, as you so often like to remind me, I hang out with a bad crowd. We know things, we’ve seen your boy in action, and some have been recruited, but we don’t snitch. And I won’t,ifhe gives me what I want.”

My heart races as I’m flooded with panic. Oh god. He’s serious. He could actually turn Yaroslav in. My hand instinctively reaches for my stomach as I think of the precious life growing inside of me. There’s no way I want my child growing up with a father in prison.

“Noah, he’ll kill you for trying to blackmail him,” I plead. “Just because you’re my brother that doesn’t protect you.”

As much as my brother might be a low-life piece of shit, I don’t want him to die. But I know how Yaroslav has to be. Ruthless. He can’t let Noah get away with something like this without opening the floodgates, family or not.

Noah shrugs, “Convince him, that’s your problem, not mine. Think how upset Gran would be if something happened to me, it might finally finish the old bird off.”

He’s right, if something happened to Noah it would break Gran’s heart. “At least give me more time,” I beg, hoping I can change his mind or figure out a solution.

Noah shakes his head. “A man like Yaroslav has that kinda money to hand, he doesn’t need more time. More time gives him more opportunity to find and kill me, and I rather value my life. Lie to him if you have to, tell him you need it for something else. He seems quite willing to throw his cash at you for opening your legs. I don’t care how you get it, just get it,” he says, standing up.

“You can pay for breakfast, you’re a trophy fuck now. Twenty-four hours Kimmy. Send the money to this account,” he says, sliding a scrap of paper with the information in front of me.

“Noah, you can’t do this!” I cry out desperately as he walks away, but he ignores me.

Fuck. How do I protect my brother and the man I love from each other?

Double fuck. Did I just admit that I’m in love with Yaroslav?

Chapter 32

Kimberly

Having thrown the cash down on the table and racing out of the diner, much to Dina’s surprise and concern with her calling out after me, I am now anxiously pacing the vacant parking lot, staring at my phone and wondering what the hell I should do.

If I tell Yaroslav, I’m effectively signing my brother’s death warrant.

If I don’t, then Yaroslav goes to jail and my child will grow up fatherless. Possibly motherless too since it’s likely I’d be killed myself for betraying Yaroslav and his family with my silence.

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