Page 122 of Always

“Easy, Mr. Black. I can see you’re an intelligent man.”

“We went to the ER. She corroborated what I told the doctor.”

“And she can easily say you coerced her into her corroboration.”

“So you’re saying you’ll blackmail me if I don’t drop the stalking charges? Is that what this is about?”

“Blackmail is such a negative term,” he said, grinding his pipe ashes into the blacktop with his Italian leather−clad foot. “I prefer to think of this as two people making a deal.”

“A deal where you have all the leverage,” I said through clenched teeth.

“You may find it interesting to know that Addie thinks she’s in love with you. She doesn’t want to make any assault claims.”

“Then why are we having this conversation?”

“Because she will make the claim…if I threaten to cut her off.”

Money. Rage gripped me. It all came down to money. If I ever had money in my life, I would never use it to control others.

Fucking never.

“So we’re back to blackmail, then,” I said.

“Not necessarily. We’re back to the drawing board where we’ll make our deal.”

…

“How did you not punch his lights out?” Skye asks.

“Trust me. It was difficult,” I say, “but that would have only made things worse.”

“I never found any record of any charges against you or against Addie.”

“When you were nosing around,” I say.

“Well…yeah. You know I was curious. But I haven’t looked recently, Braden. Believe me. I made a decision to respect your right to tell me in your own time.”

“I know.” I smile.

Skye has come a long way. So I need to finish the story. Tell her this part of my past. Once I’m finished, she’ll understand why I can’t talk about it…and why I’ve sworn her to secrecy.

“So what ultimately happened?”

“We struck a deal,” I say. “A deal that changed my life.”

Chapter Forty-Six

“Have you ever seenThe Godfather?” Brock asked.

I shook my head. We never had cable TV growing up, and now I didn’t have time to watch TV or stream movies. I was either working or sleeping.

“Too bad,” Brock said.

“Why?”

“Because I’m about to make you an offer you can’t refuse.”

I didn’t respond. I simply lifted my eyebrows, waiting.

---