Page 88 of Pin-up Girl

Milo and I exchanged concerned looks. Until recently, I’d hated his Dad. I still mostly hated him. And I had no idea how to handle his breakdown.

“This is the best thing to happen all week!” he howled, slapping one knee.

“I’m glad you think this is so hilarious.” Milo crossed his arms and leaned back against the doorway.

“No, not hilarious,” he wheezed. “This motherfucker has been trying to make my life hell for years. Especially the last year, and I highly suspect he’s the one that’s trying to make your life turn to shit. So I’m deliriously happy he got his just desserts. You could have chosen a less obvious way to take care of the problem, but you still solved it.” The laughter died, and he used one hand to wipe the tears from his eyes.

“Hewasthe one out to get us. All of us apparently. What are you going to do about it?” Milo sounded more like the brat he never had been in that moment.

“Don’t worry. I’ll have a crew on site within thirty minutes. You and your friends—which I’m assuming the whole crew is here—need to leave. Go across town and purchase something in a very public area to make sure there are multiple ways to verify you weren’t close to here.”

He started to send out a text, but I had one more request. “Who is responsible for holding the collateral over the heads of the Elise’s and Cass’ of the world?”

Milo stiffened while Marsten paused what he was doing. The giddiness seemed to leak right out of him as he straightened up. “That’s something only full members are aware of. I see you got your little whore to talk. You must have really given it to her good to make her sing like that.”

Before he finished his sentence, Milo had him up against the wall by the throat. They were the same size, similar build, but Milo had years of pent up fury when it came to his dad. And to insult Elise, yeah, his dad broke whatever relationship he might have built with his son.

“Don’t ever speak about her like that. She’s done with everything to do with that life. We all are. And you’re going to tell us how to get her out.”

Marsten’s face turned purple as he clawed at Milo’s wrist. “And what if I don’t?” he rasped through broken inhales.

I stepped forward, and delivered my signature smirk. Damn, this felt good. After months and months, we were finally ready. “I’ve collected evidence from every female on your staff. We know your nasty little habits of screwing all of your business partners’ wives. And we know you blackmailed them, to which they readily complied to save their marriages.”

Hate bled into his eyes, but he remained quiet. “You’re Milo’s dad. We don’t want to leak any of your secrets. We sure as shit don’t want to help any of those selfish bitches. If you help us, all this goes with us to our grave. We only want to live our own lives.”

“Dad.” Milo let go of his neck, fixing his collar like a loving son might do. “I don’t want to follow in your footsteps. You know I’ve been working on getting out. What you don’t know is that I’m ready to ruin everything around me to get out. Including you. Something else you need to know…” He bent so close, their foreheads nearly touched. “I’ll ruin myself right along with you. Either way, your precious elite is going down.”

“So who runs the collateral?” I itched to share what I knew with the world, but I would hold it if it got us what we wanted.

A fleeting look of calculation entered his eyes. “I do.”

What the fuck?

“You’re the one that makes sure these girls do whatever they are forced to do.” Spit flew from Milo’s mouth as he slammed his hands on either side of Marsten’s head.

“Not just girls. Anyone who doesn’t have incentive to stay.” His words were airy, nonchalant.

“That stops now,” Milo grated out.

“Or what, Milo? You’re going to tell my partners they’ve been cuckolded?” He rolled his eyes. “They all have affairs. You’d be hard pressed to find a married couple in our world thatisfaithful.”

“I will make it my mission in life to destroy you. I’ll use my entire trust fund and all my resources to take away everything important to you.” Milo’s smile was sinister.

“You could try.”

“We’ll see.” Milo backed away, heading toward the door with the gait of a confident man. “We’re going to get Elise’s sister. If you try to cause problems for us, you’ll see just what I’m willing to do.”

Elise and Jules stood in the doorway. With tears in her eyes, she looked at Milo, then me, and mouthed‘Thank you.’

Before Milo was out of sight, Marsten called his name. I almost thought he wasn’t going to turn around, but he did.

“Yes?”

His dad had always been self-centered, completely absorbed in the life and what made him money or increased his influence. But for a second, as he watched Milo leave, he seemed almost human.

“I’m proud of you. You really are a tenacious opponent. I’ll do everything I can to make sure Elise’s sister stays free. But I’m one person out of many.”

With one nod, Milo left and I followed.

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