Page 88 of Out of the Shadows
“Fuck yeah, I did. No way was I going to miss a single one.”
“So, can we put all this behind us? I couldn’t think of anyone more perfect for me, I adore everything about you, and I don’t want anyone else.”
He sucked in a sharp breath and pushed himself away from the wall, pressing our bodies tightly together. I tilted my head back and gazed into the depths of his blue eyes.
My heart pounded like crazy as his large hands framed my face and his head bowed down to mine. Our lips met in a kiss bursting with tenderness so affectionate and intimate it felt like everything inside me was melting into a puddle.
Colt pulled away and our eyes met. His thumbs stroked my face, and in a husky voice, he said softly, reverently, “Hailey, I love you.”
A volcano of emotions exploded within me. Butterflies fluttered in my stomach, my eyes prickled with tears, and I choked back a sob. “I love you too.”
He blinked a couple of times really fast, then squeezed me so tight it almost hurt, pressing his face into my hair. I could hear and feel his heavy breathing, and enveloped so tightly in the cocoon of his huge arms, I felt untouchable.
Footsteps pounded up the stairs, breaking the emotionallycharged silence that had settled over us. I was almost certain Hunter was intentionally making noise to give us a heads-up, because I usually never heard him wandering through the house.
When Hunter entered the room, he did so just as wordlessly as when he’d left. He sat back down on the chair in front of his desk, then turned around to face us.
We disentangled our limbs, and Colt spun me in his arms so my backside was pressed against his front, his arms still clamped around me.
Hunter looked at us expectantly, so I assumed it was time to get back to business.
“Well, let’s get into it, then. My dad somehow got his hands on your folder and our, um, tape and is blackmailing you with it?” I shot a sideways glance at Colt, who nodded.
“Uh, yeah. That pretty much sums it up.”
He grimaced when I asked, “That’s not all, is it?”
“Not quite. Your dad, he, um, had …” He ran his hand through his hair in frustration. “Your father apparently wanted to forge some sort of union with a business associate by having you marry his son. And it looks like I kind of blew up those plans.” He sneered. “Not that I regret that part.”
Shocked, I blinked at him. “He was going to do what?”
The shock that my father would sell me like cattle lasted only a second. Then it faded, giving way to grim understanding. It was perfectly in line with what my father had become — manipulative, ruthless, and willing to use anyone, even his daughter, to secure what he wanted. I didn’t know why I’d momentarily doubted he’d stoop so low.
“Sounded like it was pretty much a done deal too. He was less than amused. I got the impression that the money wasthe main thing on his mind. He was grasping.” Colt shook his head. “He’s been careful to keep my parents out of his little blackmail scheme, though. Otherwise, he’d definitely have tried going after my trust too. Guess he knew my parents wouldn’t give him what he wants. Apparently, my dad’s refused to do business with him before, and now he’s determined to not alert them.”
I frowned, disgust swirling in my gut, making me nauseous. “I don’t understand. Is he just that greedy, or is there something else going on?”
Hunter cleared his throat. “I’ve been doing some digging the last few days. It seems that the last few deals Mr. Brentwood has made have completely bombed. Not only has he blown most of his fortune but also that of several other investors, and from what I’ve been able to find out, they aren’t happy.”
My eyebrows shot up. “So, what are you saying? He’s bankrupt?”
Lips pursed, Hunter braced his elbows on his knees as he leaned forward. “More than that, I’m afraid. It seems that your father has been having trouble persuading partners to invest for some time now, and as a result, has found other ways to raise the funds. Some of the people he’s been dealing with and borrowing money from are far from innocent.”
I closed my eyes for a second, shaking my head before opening them again. “That bastard.”
They looked at me a little taken aback, perhaps expecting disbelief or assurances that my father would never do such a thing. Deep down, I knew he was capable of this, knew how much he’d changed over the years. It had taken being removed from his daily influence to show me how truly corrupt and controlling he had become over the years. And now hisimpossible behavior toward my dating life began to make sense.
He’d been constantly throwing me at the candidates with the most money because he was in deep shit, and I was the bargaining chip he could use to pull himself out of the slurry pit.
“So this is why he’s been trying to set me up for months,” I muttered, the words spilling out before I could stop them. “Even though I’ve been dating you, Colt. He didn’t care. He just kept pushing, like my relationship didn’t matter.”
Colt’s expression darkened, and his fists clenched at his sides. “That’s why he’s so pissed. He thought he could control you, and me being in the picture ruined his plans.”
The nausea in my stomach turned into a cold, hard knot of fury. “I’m not some pawn he can trade for his own benefit.”
Colt softened, holding me close. “I know, Princess. And he’s not going to get away with this. We’ll figure it out.”
“What exactly does he want you to do?” It felt as though a big rock was sitting in the pit of my stomach, heavy and crushing.
