Page 91 of Pick Six
“Alex…”
“Fine. I fucking promise. I won’t hurt him. Now tell me why the fuck in a million years you would do that.”
She takes a breath, like that promise has satisfied something. I hope I can keep it. I think she has a lot more faith in me than I have in myself when it comes to holding true to that.
“Drew came to my work today. He texted first really, but I blocked him, so he showed up. He’s making a lot of threats if I don’t call things off with you.”
“What threats?” I immediately feel my heart race, the blood in my veins turning up to a simmer. He shouldn’t be going anywhere near her, let alone threatening her.
“This is where you need to stay calm. I’m almost positive he’s betting on me telling you, so that he can use that against you too. So please Alex, I’m trusting you here to believe me that we’re going to figure this out a different way, okay?”
I nod but don’t speak because I don’t have words. I can feel the anger rising, just knowing he’s threatened her. That he couldn’t leave well enough alone and let her have her life finally, after all the time she’d wasted on him.
“He has the pictures from the incident. The ones he took the next day at his office. Your injuries and mine. He’s planning to release them and say that I was cheating on him with you. That I decided to leave you and go back to him, which sent you into a rage where you hit me.”
I stare at the floor, trying to process the insanity of that statement.
“And then you what? Made our relationship public for fun?”
“He’s going to claim you blackmailed him and me. That you threatened his job by taking your business and going to his other clients if he spoke out. That you made me pretend to be your girlfriend to smooth things over, and that you promised to help me save the museum with your political influence.”
“Wow. He put a lot of fucking thought into this.”
My heart is going a mile a minute in my chest, and I want to put my fist through something, preferably his face. But I’m willing myself to stay calm for her. I know she’s right. If I react after this story he concocted, I play right into his hands.
“I imagine it’s all he’s been thinking of for the last few days. I knew he was upset when he saw me here, after he suspected when we were at the old house. But he’s on a war path now, Alex. He even threatened the museum.”
“The museum?” I ask, wondering how the fuck he could do that.Whyhe would do that.
“His father’s on the board. His father assured me he still remains happy to serve and that the personal side of our lives doesn’t matter when it comes to the work we need to do. But if Drew tells him a story… some bullshit about how we blackmailed him? His father won’t play nice. He can play just as rough as your father, if not worse.”
“He’s one board member. What could he possibly do?” I look at her confused. “The rest of the board wouldn’t let him fire you or do anything stupid. They’d have to see his conflict of interest.”
“They couldn’t stop him from going to the press, concocting his own story right before the vote. It would mean all our hard work is down the drain.”
“Fuck…” I run a hand through my hair. Staring at the rug on floor. Wishing I had answers instead of shock and confusion.
“Right. So… this is what I mean. I have to go, at least for now.”
“Where are you going to go? Back to that empty shell of a house? You were worried about him having the key here. He owns that whole fucking house, Saint. I won’t be there to protect you.” I feel sick thinking about it. “No way. You’ll stay here. We’ll figure something out together.”
“I’m going to stay with Violet and Ben. They have a guest room open and I’m going to stay there. He just wanted me out of your place. He didn’t make any other stipulations. I’ll be safe with them. Their drive is gated. They have that elaborate security system after that fan tried to break in. I’ll be okay there. Violet and I already discussed it.”
“How’s he even going to verify where you are? Stalk your every move?”
“I don’t know. But I don’t want to try him right now. I just want to pretend like I’m doing what he asks.”
“And what’s his end game with all of this? Keep us apart?”
“He wants me to give him another chance.”
I let out a sardonic laugh. “And he can’t fucking get you to do that unless he threatens to destroy everything you care about. That stupid motherfucker…” I crack my knuckles. I want to destroy him right now. Everything he cares about. His agency. That fucking ridiculous mid-life crisis condo he bought. Sue him for every last penny he’s worth and hand it all over to her. The alimony she should have taken from him. A black eye or two would do him good.
“Alex…” I hear the wary tone in her voice. I know she’s going to want to talk me down. Tell me to think clearly and not act on impulse. I know she’s right before she even speaks. But I can’t help how much I want to make him pay for even thinking he can hurt her like this.
“He should get his face bashed in. A few broken ribs wouldn’t hurt either. Something that forces him to have some time to reflect.” I start pacing the living room. “How does he think this works long term anyway? He’ll just hold it over your head forever? Once the levy’s passed he’s got nothing on that front.”
“He knows what I could have guessed. What I assume you know—if it comes out you lied about all of this, even if it’s the real truth that comes out about me not being your girlfriend when you hit Daniels, management is likely still going to be furious with you. If this story comes out and they believe it? You’re done.”
