Page 196 of Fiery Romance

Sid Porter.

I answer with a shaking voice. “Sid, what’s up?”

“Island, I need to see you in my office.”

I stop in the middle of the sidewalk. “Why?”

“It’s regarding your bank loan.” He pauses. “Mr. Bolton has paid off your debt.”

* * *

I tryto breathe through my pounding headache and the nausea rolling in my gut. The words on the document in front of me are turning into mush.

“Tell him I don’t accept.” I push the folder back toward Sid. “I don’t want it. Any of it.”

“The thing is… it’s yours.”

“Give it back.”

“It’s too late. The process is complete. Your debt is paid.”

My body trembles.

A lump forms in my throat.

“Mr. Bolton also left an additional provision,” Sid turns the files around and points to it, “that you use some of the payout to hire a new security firm for your salons. He left some references with me if you need direction choosing a new firm.”

Stop, my heart cries.

Sid slides his finger down to a new paragraph. “This sum here is separate from the payouts I’ve previously discussed. Mr. Bolton made sure to emphasize that this is particularly for your assistance with Regan’s child care.”

Please stop.

“The only stipulation is that you do not make contact of any form with him or his family. I don’t think that should be too hard to follow.”

My head feels too heavy. It’s like my neck has turned into jello. Like someone undid a screw. Skin smacks against skin as my chin hits the middle of my collar bone.

“Island?”

“Stop!” I cry.

Sid blinks at me. His voice softens. “Isn’t this what you wanted? To be free of him?”

I bite down on my bottom lip.

It is, isn’t it? I wanted to be free. To have a choice.

Now I do.

“Mr. Bolton has officially waived you of all responsibility to him and to this bank. You owe nothing. In fact, you’ve gotten a windfall. It’s compensation for the hell he put you through.” Sid rounds his desk and touches my shoulder. “Whatever you’re feeling right now—whether it’s guilt towards his kids or some misguided sense of responsibility, you don’t have to let it chain you down. The door is open. You have every right to walk away.”

But what if I don’t want to? What if walking away is the worst decision I could make?

“I’ve seen you with Taz,” Sid says, his voice light and coaxing. “You two work well together. And he was your first choice. You shouldn’t let someone come in from nowhere and steal you away. Even if he made a mistake, give him a chance to make it up to you.”

I blink rapidly.

It’s too much.

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