Page 126 of Ruthless Rebel

“I don’t know how he found out.”

From the ashen look on his face I can guess that my father could have only done one thing with that information.

“He threatened to expose you didn’t he?” I stutter, wishing he could prove me wrong.

“He did.”

“Oh God. I’ll speak to him.”

“No.”

My brows knit. “Of course I have to. If your grandfather finds out the truth you’ll lose the position and—”

“That’s not what I’m worried about. There’s something more important to me than my job or anything my grandfather could offer me.”

I stare back at him in utter shock. All he cared about months ago was his empire. “What could be more important than that?”

“You.”

“Me?” I point to myself as if needing to check that he’s really talking about me. “Why… me?”

“Your father found out about the trouble I got myself in years ago. Years ago when we broke up.”

“What was it Jericho? Tell me. Tell me what happened.” Whatever it is is clearly something that involves me in some way. Now I want to know more than ever.

“I didn’t know what I was getting myself into, but I take full responsibility because I didn’t think,” he starts.

Jericho pauses for a moment. When he speaks again he takes it back to the problems he was having with his father. As he verges on to talking about some hackers who hired him to make a hacking device my stomach twists, but it’s not enough of a warning to give me a heads up that it was the same device that stole my father’s designs. I don’t know until Jericho says the words, and even as he spells it my mind is so numb that it can’t connect what he’s actually telling me.

When the connection forms, itformsand sinks deep into my body from head to toe rooting me to the spot.

Jericho made a hacking device that these people used to steal my father’s designs.

Jericho…

My mind races back to that time and everything that happened with my father.

My father who could walk at that time. Then he couldn’t because of this thing that Jericho made. Now my father can’t walk and his business partner is dead. Sure, I might be taking it too far by thinking that, but it happened.

It happened and Dad lost everything.

I think back to how Jericho was at that time and I realize he did act strangely. He hardly wanted to see me. I was so wrapped up in tending to Dad that I didn’t take much notice.

Everything makes so much sense now.

Everything, including his willingness to help me in my recent devastation with Gina and even with Sasha.

Jericho felt guilty.

I stand on shaking legs and tremors rush through me.

Jericho stands too seeing my distress. “River—”

“You.” I cut him off. “It was you. You did all that?”

“I didn’t know what they were going to do. You have to believe me. If I’d known I would have never done it no matter what. I swear to you. I didn’t know.”

“You think no knowing matters? Jericho so much happened because of what you did.”

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