Page 50 of Shadow Scorching

“Oh?” His words took on a certain perkiness that told me he had taken the bait. “To give is better than to receive,” he added. “Tell me, my queen, do you invest your money?”

I blinked. So, were we dealing with a pig-butchering scam as well as a romance scam? I hesitated a moment, then said, “Well, I do—some. But I’m not all that conversant with the stock market, so I’m wary about trying.”

That gave him the perfect opening. “I made most of my money through investing,” he said. “I could help you with that, if you like.”

I didn’t want to seem too eager, because that might give me away. “I wouldn’t want to impose on you. After all, I signed up for this app to find a partner, not to take advantage of someone’s skill.”

“It wouldn’t be an imposition,” he said, his voice smooth. “Not at all. I’d be happy to help.”

“So, not to sound nosy, but you said you are wealthy, as well?”

“I’m a rich man, Estelle,” Jet said. “A very rich man. But I’m having some troubles. When I fled Singapore, my accounts were frozen and I’m fighting to get them reopened.”

I raised my eyebrows, glancing at Dante, who mouthed, “Remember, Jet used the same line on Tilly.”

“Oh dear! What happened? Why did you have to flee Singapore?” I wanted everything on tape that we could manage.

“Well, my love…I suppose I’d better tell you, though I want to spare you any gory details. Through no fault of my own, I ended up on the bad side of a mob boss. And he has connections to the government. When I fled the country, he was able to intervene and have all my financial accounts frozen. Now the government is demanding I pay a fee to reopen them. I don’t have the money, unfortunately.” He sighed.

Carson suddenly motioned to me, and held up a piece of paper, on which he’d scribbled “Found him!”

“Oh dear,” I said, not sure where to take this next. “How much do you need to pay the fee?”

“I couldn’t ask, it’s too much,” Jet said. “It just…I have ten million dollars in those accounts. Once I have access, I can pay back all the people who’ve been helping me survive the past few weeks. And I can look to buy a nice house and settle down with…a family, I hope.”

There was another carrot. “Well, what are the fees?” I asked.

“Twenty thousand dollars,” he said. “That will secure the release of all my funds to me.”

I worried my lip. I wasn’t sure how quickly to jump. But Carson had his address, so even if I scared him off, we knew where to find him.

“I suppose Imightbe able to loan it to you. I would need it back. While I have plenty of money, I don’t have that much available to just give away.”

Jet chuckled. “Trust me, Estelle. I would never accept a loan if I couldn’t pay it back. If you can help me, that would be wonderful. I would beso grateful. You are truly a wonderful woman. Just like the kind of woman I’ve been looking for.”

“Doesn’t it bother you that I’m older?” I asked.

“Iloveolder women,” he said. “They’re more mature, and have more experience in all phases of life. Including the bedroom,” he added. He giggled, which made my stomach turn. He sounded creepy as fuck.

“Well, we do have experience,” I said.

“Would you like to see a picture of me? One I can’t post on my profile?” His tone suddenly turned sleazy. He was probably trying for seductive, but it didn’t fly with me.

Ireallydidn’t want to see a dick pic, so I tried to tap dance my way out of it. “Well, you know, I’m an old-fashioned girl. I like taking my time.”

“Oh, my queen. Can’t you feel it? I truly feel as though fate matched us—I can tell you’re the right woman for me. You’re gracious and kind, generous and loving. What more could Iask for in a wife? Surely you don’t object to a couple sending imaginative pictures to each other? I would love to see your breasts!”

More love bombing, and he was putting on pressure. He wanted the pictures to use as blackmail, if the need arose. As he tried to tighten the net, I began to see how someone who might have been brought up to play nice, to avoid rocking the boat, and to be grateful for a man’s attention might be herded right into these scams.

“Of course not, but…I’m too shy.” Once again, I had to bite my tongue to keep from telling him to fuck off.

“What about in person, my love? Would you object to unveiling your lovely body if we were alone?” The energy shifted again and I instinctively pulled back.

“Well, yes. Of course it would make a difference if we were a couple.” I paused, then said, “I want to meet you, Jet.”

“I’d love that. Where do you live?”

Oh gods!That was one thing Ihadn’tthought of. I wasn’t about to ask him to my house.

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