Page 38 of Hidden Heir

Leon moves to sit on the table, pushing the cup aside. “Don’t be ridiculous.”

“I did,” I whisper, my voice now trembling harder than my hands. “She’s dead, and it’s all my fault.” My head dips and my stomach contracts. “It’s my fault.”

“Brooke. I need an explanation. That picture is a message. A very clear one.”

A thought occurs to me then. A distraction from having to tell the truth. “How did you know?” I lift my head. “How did youknow about it? You rushed up here within minutes after it came through.”

“I cloned your phone when you arrived,” Leon answers with unexpected honesty. “The way you turned up here was abrupt and I had to know your intentions were not sinister. My line of work is?—”

“Criminal,” I say hoarsely.

His eyes narrow.

“I saw you on the news. Standing next to your father. I know you’re criminals.”

Leon sighs tightly, almost whistling as he does so. “And yet you still came.”

“I had nowhere else to go.”

“Because of this?” He reaches down and taps my phone. “This isn’t someone tossing your place of business then burning it down, Brooke. This woman was eviscerated and tortured. Who was she?”

I stare at the dark screen on my phone, seeing only the picture of her body. “My nanny. My friend. She… she took care of Tiffany while I was working. She was a good person. She was sweet and kind. She was…” Grief and guilt overwhelm me and I clasp a hand to my mouth. “Oh, god, I got her killed.”

“Why? How? You keep saying that but you’re not giving me any explanation. Brooke, you need to tell me the truth,” Leon says firmly. “I can’t help you unless you do.”

I look in his eyes. Telling him the truth would be simpler if I were by myself, but I can’t risk putting Tiffany in harm's way. I have to lie because I don’t know his connection to these people. I just have to trust that whatever he feels for me is more powerful.

“I wasn’t entirely honest with you when I came here.”

Leon holds eye contact but doesn’t make a sound.

“I was attacked. And I did have to run, that’s all true. The only difference is, well….” I attempt to steady myself with a deepbreath. “Ant and I owe someone a lot of money. I’m talking an eye-watering, life-changing amount of money. We ran out of time to pay it back because I barely make enough to cover basic expenses. My business isn’t profitable yet and Ant is… well, you’ve seen him.”

Leon nods slowly.

“He got tired of waiting and wanted me to give him my business but it wasn’t worth what we owe. I knew he was getting restless so I ran to protect Tiffany. And in doing so, I completely forgot about Hannah. It didn’t even cross my mind that he would start attacking people close to me.” The tears fall and I drop my head into my hands. “He killed her to show me I was running out of time.”

Leon’s warm hand lands on the back of my neck, massaging slowly. “Shit.”

“I don’t know what to do. I didn’t think he was capable of something like that. I can’t believe he did that to her. She’s dead and it’s all my fault!”

Leon slowly pulls me into a hug, his silence the heartbreaking confirmation I fear. This is my fault. And the only way to make it right is to make sure no one else suffers the same way.

“Is there anyone else that he would target?” Leon asks.

“I have no one else close to me like Hannah was. The only people I talk to is the librarian and a grocery store clerk who always sets aside my favorite wine. And of course my clients.”

“Who is this man you owe money to?”

“Just a guy.”

“Brooke.”

“It’s true. He’s just a guy named Paul. I know nothing else. Ant got into debt with him and I tried to help. Now we’re in this mess together and I have no idea what I’m supposed to do.”

Leon’s grip tightens and I lift my head, clutching at his shirt. “Please,” I beg. “Please, you have to help me pay him back so noone else gets hurt, and then I can owe you the money. I’ll pay it back, I swear, but please, I can’t have anyone else die because of me.”

“How much?” Leon asks the dreaded question.

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