Page 13 of Blackmailing the Bad Girl

He chuckled. “I’m sure there will be moments. And Harry, this is Summer Delaney, whom you’ve read up on and no doubt studied in detail.”

Harry didn’t offer to shake hands. What a surprise. It was going to be so much fun working here.

“Ms. Delaney.” He gave her a short nod. “Just so you know, my advice was to hand the file, and you, over to the police. One step out of place and that can still happen.”

She nodded and wondered if the day could get any more shitty. And it had started out so well. She didn’t say anything, because she suspected she might sound pathetic, and she needed to be strong. Suddenly, she had to get out of there, before she made a complete fool of herself.

She got to her feet, wiping her hands down the sides of her jeans. They were both so big and they hated her and she couldn’t blame them, and…

She ignored Harry Brent. Turning to Nik, she took a deep breath. “If we’re done here, I’ll go learn about my new job.”

He searched her face, and for a moment, she thought he was going to make her stay, torture her some more. But in the end, he nodded. “I’ll see you later.”

Was that a warning not to leave without seeing him? Probably. But she had to get away from him. It was all catching up with her. She put her head down and headed for the door.

Once it was closed, she sagged against it, the strength oozing out of her. When she looked up, her gaze caught Lisa’s. She swallowed and forced a smile. “Is there a bathroom?”

Lisa waved a hand at a door off to the side.

Summer hurried through it and went into the ladies’ room. She locked the door behind her, sank down onto the toilet, and burst into tears.

She didn’t care what people thought about her. Really, she didn’t.

So why was she crying?

She hadn’t cried when she got caught. Or when she’d been sentenced. Or even her first night inside, when she’d been so scared she’d nearly peed herself.

No, it had taken Nik horrible Masterton to reduce her to tears. Though it wasn’t him. Not really. Rather, she’d built herself up with the idea of a new life. She’d changed in the last two years, taken the time to step back and look at herself and what she’d become. And she’d wanted to be a better person. She’d thought all she had to do was make the decision and then go out and be…good. But her past was catching up with her, and she couldn’t run fast enough to leave it behind. She couldn’t run at all with Nik holding his evidence over her.

She scrubbed a hand over her face, then sniffed and stood up. She crossed to the sink and splashed cold water on her skin. She couldn’t bear it if Nik realized he’d managed to reduce her to tears. Hopefully, he would stay out of her way for a while. Then she caught sight of her face in the mirror and nearly cried some more.

She was too thin, her skin pale with shadows under her eyes—she hadn’t slept well in years—and her hair lank. She was totally colorless. Except for her eyes, which were red.Bugger.

Someone tapped tentatively on the door. “Summer.”

She took some slow breaths—Darcy had taught her how to deal with stress—and turned to open the door, giving a bright smile to the super-smart, confident, beautiful woman—who hadn’t been crying—on the other side. Lisa did have a worried frown on her face. And shock flashed in her eyes as she took in Summer’s tiny, no doubt pathetic, figure.

“Are you okay?” she asked.

Summer gave a small nod.

“Really?” When Summer didn’t answer, she continued, “I know Nik can come across as kind of intense—he wouldn’t have survived if he couldn’t. But whatever he said to you, he probably didn’t mean it. Honestly, he’s a good boss. Long days, but he’s not unfair and…”

Summer raised her hands. “Okay. I get it. He’s a great guy.” She eyed up the other woman. “Are you in love with him?”

“Of course not.” Then she grinned. “Maybe just a little bit, but don’t tell my husband.” She flashed her wedding band. “We’ve only been married three months. But Nik would never have anything to do with anyone at work. He has this really strong ethical code.”

Not with her he hadn’t. She might have kissed him first that night, but he’d hardly fought her off. That, for some reason, made her feel a little better. It was time to put her big-girl pants on. “I’m sure he has. So, you want to teach me everything you know?”

Lisa cast her a worried glance. “I’ll try.”

She clearly thought Nik had lost his mind. But an hour later, she was sitting back, watching in awe as Summer’s fingers flashed across the keyboard, accessing the different systems. Summer only came to a halt when she couldn’t get into one.

A little color washed over Lisa’s face. “That’s the interface with the finance department. Nik said to close it off.”

Summer shrugged. “Don’t worry about it. And just in case you’re wondering…yes, I have just come out of prison. This is a sort of…halfway job, Nik’s good deed for society. I’m not allowed access to the financial systems under the rules of my parole, so it’s no biggie.”

Lisa cleared her throat. “Do you mind if I ask…?”

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