Page 73 of Resisting Temptation

I stare back at her; she’s lost her mind. “Except you’re already in bed with old man Prescott. Aren’t you, Margo? You were only ever using me to get what you wanted.”

Her lashes flutter flirtatiously. “I’m just using the old coot; he means nothing to me, Noah. I did all this for you. So we could be together and rule this town. Can’t you see that? That’s why I had to take out Paisley, she was getting in our way. And like I’ve said to you before, she’s not good for you. But I am.”

I can’t believe the words I’m hearing. Does she know how crazy she sounds? “You know how deluded that all sounds, don’t you? Normal people don’t run people off the road because they’re jealous.”

“I was trying to save you from her. She’s no good for you. Can’t you see? I did this for you.” She pouts. Is she kidding me? This shit might work on the old man, but it won’t work on me. All that her actions this evening prove to me is how right I am for what I’m about to do.

“You’re fired, Margo. Get your shit and get out of this office.”

She stares back at me, all wide-eyed and baffled. “Didn’t you hear what I said? I will do anything for you, Noah.”

The longer I look at her, the crazier she starts to appear. I hope Detective McAllister is searching herfather’s shop as we speak after the lead we gave him. She’s not getting away with running Paisley off the road. I went back and checked her van, and sure enough, there was red paint on the back of it. It was Margo, I’m sure of it. “I know everything you have done, and it makes me sick to think you have been in a position of power for so long. Your reign is over, Margo.”

“You need to calm down, Noah. Don’t make poor decisions out of fear.” She opens her laptop, and I see over her shoulder what looks like a live feed of Paisley’s bedroom.

Sickness fills me. “What the fuck is that?”

“It’s how I see what she’s up to.”

“You have a camera in her room?”

“Since the Founders’ Day parade. It was nice of you to distract her for me so I could sneak into her house.” The words slip off her tongue like it’s no big deal.

Sneak into her house. For fuck’s sake, she was the one who broke in. And she did it so she could leave a camera.

She types something into her laptop, unaffected by my disgust at her admission, then spins the screen so I can see it clearly. “Miss Turner’s latest edition of Sweet Tea Scandals.” She smirks slyly.

Running my eyes over her screen, I already know I’m not going to like what this article has to say.

“Either you do as I say, dump the girl, and follow everything I tell you so we win this election, or I make sure we hit send and the whole town will know all your secrets, Noah, and there are some good ones in there.”

I pick up the laptop and read over the article. It has Mr. Whittaker’s involvement with the Rebel Raidersand exactly what happened to Paisley because of it. It also details the full story of what I did to Lucas, leaving no room for suspicion that it was me who ended him. This story will kill Paisley if this whole town knows her terrible secret. It will also send me to jail. I glance back at Margo, swallowing the lump in my throat. She was ready and waiting with this ammunition, and I wonder how long she’s known all of this.

“If you really care about her like you say you do, you will do the right thing and walk away from her before it’s too late. Come join me, I can make you more powerful than you ever imagined. You just have to do as I say. It’s that simple.”

My mind flashes back to the conversation with Beckett this morning, and I wonder what he has on Margo. They dated, so he must know something more than what he was willing to share. I also don’t think he would let this run. As much as I despise him, he seems to have a fondness for Paisley, and this would destroy her. Something tells me he won’t let that happen. “You don’t have the authority to have this story printed,” I growl, challenging her.

She shows me her hand, and perched on her right-hand ring finger is none other than a massive diamond engagement ring. “Look who’s about to marry into Prescott Media. I have all the authority I need, sweetie.”

I stare back at her, trying to work out how to get out of this mess. I knew she was sleeping with him, but I never thought he would be so vapid as to marry her. But she might have him manipulated like she seems to every other person around her. “Explain something to me, Margo, what do you get from me being elected?”

Her lips turn up at the sides. “No one ever suspects the sweet little blonde girl, but here I am. I managed to get myself a spot at the Prescott Media table. Not only that but I will have you, Noah. The sports star with a tainted past at my beck and call because I have his big bad secret, and if I let it slip, you will end up rotting in prison just like your daddy. Honestly, things couldn’t have worked out better if I planned all this myself.” She cackles, taking her computer back from me. “Three years ago, you came home to take care of your mother and the two of us got talking at McAllister’s one night. But you don’t remember me, do you, superstar? That little cow Paisley walked in the place and stole all your attention. You didn’t even say goodbye, just off you went chasing after her like the little puppy you are.” She shakes her head, disgusted. “So, you ask what do I get? I get you, and poor Paisley will end up all alone.”

I swallow the lump in my throat, starting to see Margo for who she really is. Beckett was right, she’s mentally unstable. “What did you do, Margo?”

She smiles sweetly. “It was easy really. When I worked out the connection between the dear old town doctor and the Rebel Raiders, I got her father to send you back to Jacksonville. If I couldn’t have you, she wasn’t going to.”

My vision blurs as anger pulses through me. She did this to us, kept us apart all this time. “How did you know about Lucas?” I demand, not holding back anymore. She’s pushed me over the edge.

She leans into the desk, folding her arms, unaffected. “You can learn a lot about a person when you watch them. That night I followed you, watched you and waited to see what you were going to do. I can’t even tellyou how much it turned me on to see you so violent. I saw what you did to him, Noah. You killed him, the son of a notorious gang family.”

“You didn’t see anything because I didn’t do it,” I say, raw anger radiating off my body in a way I have never felt before. Who the fuck does Margo think she is, following me.

“I have photos, Noah,” she sing-songs, like this is all some motherfucking game. Maybe it is to her.

My spine straightens, knowing the implications if this is really true and she did follow me that night. I will end up just like my father. But unlike him, it will be my fault. I killed that asshole for what he did to her. From the moment I learned what he had done, I knew I had to. I might not have been able to change the past, but I couldn’t have him walking around free to do it to another poor girl.

“You think I wouldn’t make sure I had proof? I knew what I was doing.” She walks toward me. Dusting a hand up my arm, her touch sends a shiver down my spine, her fingers lacing into my hair. I stare back at her in disbelief. She’s set all this up, years of meddling in my life, and I fell right into her trap. “I thought long and hard about the next part of my plan. How to get you back here, with me.” She smiles, her eyes dropping to my lips as if she’s thinking about tasting me. “I could have just blackmailed you back then, but I needed security to know you wouldn’t have anything better to run off to. And when Mayor Micheals informed me he would be retiring this year, I had my plan.”

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