Page 70 of Blackmailing the Bad Girl

Chapter Sixteen

Harry reckoned he should give her time.

Nik wasn’t so sure that was the right way to go. The thing was, he hadn’t been all that surprised that she’d texted in sick on Monday, or that she hadn’t returned his calls to her house phone, or that her cell went invariably to voicemail.

Something had happened at that party. Something that had made her run. And he wasn’t allowing it this time.

Tuesday, he was still trying to give her time, but how much goddamn time did she need? He wanted proof that she hadn’t already run, that she was still where she was supposed to be and safe. So he’d texted her and told her if she didn’t pick up her house phone next time he called, then he was coming straight around and wasn’t leaving until she’d seen him and told him what was going on.

He’d given her ten minutes, and then he’d called. The phone picked up right away. But it wasn’t Summer on the other end. “This is Darcy Butler and you’re harassing my friend. Please desist.”

“Is she there?”

“Actually, she’s in bed with the covers pulled up over her head. She’s not going to talk to you.”

So he asked the one question he needed to know. “Why?”

She was silent for a moment. “Look, you haven’t given her up when you could have. She says you’re her goddamn friend—so I’ll tell you. She hates your kind.”

“My kind?”

“Rich fucking dickheads.”

“Thanks.”

“Just saying it like it is. The truth is, you’re scaring her. She likes you, and she’s worried that might be a sign that she’s totally insane.”

“Again…thanks.”

“My pleasure. Anyway, your swanky party sort of freaked her out. She’s convinced herself there’s no way you and she can ever have anything more than friendship, so she just needs a little time to get her head straight.”

The explanation made sense. But he couldn’t help but think there was something more. At the same time, he was pretty sure he wasn’t going to get anything else out of Darcy.

“How much time? When will she be back?”

“Wait a second.” The line went quiet; presumably she had her hand over it while she consulted with Summer. “Thursday,” she said eventually. “Thursday morning, she’ll be back at work.”

He wanted to shout at her to let him talk to Summer. Hell, he even considered begging. Maybe a bribe? But he knew it wouldn’t do any good. This woman was firmly on Summer’s side. He sighed, rubbed a hand across his scalp. “Tell her I’ll see her Thursday.”

He tried to immerse himself in work for the rest of the day. Tried again the following morning. He missed her. She’d become a fixture in his office—well, the small amounts of time he allowed himself in his office. He watered her plants.

He wrote a huge personal check to her friend’s charity.

No doubt Summer would accuse him of trying to buy her. She wouldn’t be wrong. At the same time, the money was for a good cause. The charity gave people the chance to give a little back, not only money, but time and a small part of their privileged lives, as well.

It made him wonder what Summer had done with the money she’d stolen. Because he was 100 percent sure she hadn’t spent it on herself. He thought for a few minutes, jotted down a few names. Then picked up his phone and called Harry. “Anything?” he asked.

“Not yet.”

Harry had reopened the investigation into Summer, mainly looking from a financial point of view. Nik did feel a little guilty prying into her life, but if she was in trouble, then he wanted to know about it. Even more, he wanted to be in a position to get her out of that trouble. Maybe she was being blackmailed. Her life could be in danger.

“I had a thought,” he said. “I’ve made a list of charities. I’m sending them to you. I want you to see if you can find out if they had any big donations at the time Summer stole the money from us.”

“You think she gave it away?”

He’d expected Harry to show disbelief, but his friend actually sounded thoughtful.

“Well, I’m pretty certain she never spent it on herself.”

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