Page 17 of Forbidden Love Still Blooms

“Honestly?” he mocks me in a higher voice, scowling. “Why would I trust a murderer to tell me the truth? Why else kill your dad if not to get his money?”

Growing frustrated, I put a hand to my forehead. It's clammy and cold. “I don't know how to get you to believe me.”

“You can't. Luckily, you don't have to. I thought about this long and hard last night. I probably should have come up with the idea sooner, I spent months sitting on my little secret, trying to work out what to do with it.”

I gape at him. He's all smiles, the man is reveling in his complete control. “Whydidyou wait?”

“Do I come off like the type of guy that'd snitch?” he asks, shrugging. “Ow, my poor heart.”

“You'd snitch for the right reward.”

“You got me there,” he chuckles. “That's exactly it. You're smart, no wonder you got away with this for so long.”

I don't feel very smart.

This is real. This is happening.

My hand moves to my scalp, clutching my hair so I can focus on what he's saying.

“The cops don't think he's dead, Lori. Thereisno reward for turning you in and showing them where the body is buried. Everyone in this town but you and me think he's run off somewhere to fuck on beds of cash. I was sure someone would report him missing, except months later, no ones has. You've even got your mom fooled!”

“What's stopping you from reporting him missing?” I ask warily.

“That's a fucking joke. The cops around here wouldn't believe me, they think I'm a shithead.”

“Guess they know you too well,” I say before I think it through.

His eyes widen, then narrow sharply. “You're getting cocky again. Do you need a reminder that I've got your life in my hands, Lori?”

“No. I get it.”

“Good. That's real fucking good.” He lets go of the stairs, looking around like he expects someone to be watching us. “No reward means no easy money for me. Or that's what I thought, until I realized I could just threaten you. It's like, wow, how damn obvious? Huh?” He grins to himself, enjoying hearing himself talk. I let him. I have this whole time. “That two grand I stole vanished fast. You're sitting on a dragon's nest of millions. It's somewhere, and I have a sure way to make it become mine.”

Now that we're back to what brought us outside, I shift my body forward intently. “No amount of blackmail can make money appear that doesn't exist, Dez.”

“Itdoesexist,” he snarls, as if my suggestion was a personal insult. I stagger back in surprise, but he follows, grabbing my shoulders to keep me still. “Marry me.”

Fuck, I want to hurl up the contents of my nearly empty stomach. “Why?”

“If we're married, that money you're hiding from everyone? It'll become mine by law. If it's not hidden in some bank account or safety deposit box, then I'll find a way to make you show me where you put it.”

“Dezmond—ah!” His grip crushes until I cry out.

“I'll propose at the parade tomorrow.”

“What?” My voice cracks. “Why then?”Why so soon? Why at all?

“Almost every single person in Crestwind will be there. I want them to see it happen. I don't want any questions about us being engaged.”

I'm still lost, which I hate, because surviving this mess means I need to understand Dezmond. I have to be one step ahead at all times. “No offense, but I think everyone who knows who you are will question why I'd want to marry you.”

His nose crinkles. Letting go of my shoulders, he grips my chin, like he wants to kiss me. It's revolting; my jaw wobbles. “Fuck you, Lori. I'm saying I need them to witness the proposal in case you try anything. If I turn updead,for example, they'll look directly atyou,my new fiancée. A public proposal is my safety net. I don'ttrust you.Get it now?”

This man is awful, not a whisper of kindness in his heart. Malice rules his smile. No empathy waiting to awaken in his ice-blue eyes.

And finally … I relax.

There's a weight that leaves my mind, my muscles, as I stand there while he goes on about the ways he'll make me do what he wants. He's chasing cash. It's always been about that. Not just for him, but for everyone I've met after my father's “lucky break”.

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