Page 99 of Fiery Romance

His words annoy me. Inconsequential? A nobody?

How dare he say that about her?

But when I open the folder he slides to me, I realize that sometimes words and actions don’t line up.

“How did you get this much money?” My eyes jump to his.

The banker shifts nervously. “I sold some things off.” His Adam’s apple bobs. He’s nervous. Anyone parting with this kind of cash would be. “Like I said, compared to you, Island is not worth the fuss. Now that your temper’s cooled, allow me to pay off her debt with the bank so she can be free. If you sign there, I’ll have the money transferred to you at once.”

I slap the folder closed. “Why would you do this?”

“Excuse me?”

I look him up and down. His pudgy face. His too-small suit. His balding head. “Do you love Island’s grandmother that much?”

His eyes bulge out of his face.

I temple my hands, battling an irrational fear and anger. I don’t know where it’s coming from, but it’s swirling in my stomach like a storm.

“Do you think her grandmother will thank you for what you’ve done?” I shake my head. My tone is especially vicious. “On the contrary, Mr. Porter, no one will thank you. No one will even care.”

His shoulders tense. His voice becomes iron. “I’m not doing this to get thanks. I’m doing it because my heart is telling me to.”

My eyebrows hike. “Your heart? Come on now. You’re a businessman.”

“I’m aperson, Mr. Bolton.” As he looks at me, his eyes fill with the one thing I can’t stand.

Pity.

“To you, Island might be a toy you can use and abuse for your own amusement, but to me she’s like my own granddaughter.”

I flinch at his accusation.

“I’ve got many step-sons and step-daughters, but they don’t give a damn about me. Island’s the only one who calls me, checks up on me and shows care. She’s brought me food when I was sick. She helped me out after my lung surgery.” He blinks rapidly. “Now, I know some of that was just to get on my good side so I could help her with the bank, but most of it was genuine. She’s a good girl. A girl with a lot of love and a lot of loyalty.” He pushes up his glasses with a middle finger. “Too much if you ask me.”

I wonder if he’s thinking about that Taz situation.

Porter straightens his shoulders. “Anyway, I don’t think I need to explain the details or the whys to you. Like you said, Bolton, I’m a businessman and you fall under that category too.”

Porter pulls a pen out of his pocket and slides it over to me.

I dig my fingers into the corner of the folder, eyeing the pen like it’s a venomous snake.

“Sign it. You get your money and you never have to deal with Island again.” He stares at me intently. “There’s no reason to reject this.”

He’s right. This is what I’ve been looking for all along. A way to make a clean break.

I reach out. Take the pen. Feel the weight of it in my palm.

There really is no reason to reject this.

* * *

I shakePorter’s hand at the door of my office and send him on his way.

Lincoln sidles up to me, trying to ask what happened, but I brush him off. I feel sick to my stomach and the last thing I want to do is talk.

Abe’s silence is welcome as we drive to the warehouse.

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