Page 79 of Flirting With Forever
Her father sat with his hands fisted in front of him, like he wanted to wrap them around her neck and squeeze to express the rage. Had they been somewhere private, she believed he wouldn’t have held back. Had he always been this man?
“I should have forced your compliance sooner. I’ve spoiled you.”
“Maybe you have. But we both know you didn’t force me to come back here because you knew I’d never be okay with what you’re doing. And neither would Mama have been.”
“You don’t understand the situation,” her father said. “These men… You can’t do this to me. To us.”
“She’s doing to you what you were going to do to her,” Noah interjected in a low voice. “And she did it well, in my opinion. Just like a chip off the ol’ block, as they say. Sloane’s won her freedom. And she’s right. You’re to blame for the situation we’re in. You’re the one who got greedy, so it’s only right that you pay the price. You can volunteer to marry someone from their organization. It’s your fingerprints all over their accounts, after all. God knows they’re not mine.”
Her father looked up at Noah in surprised fury.
“I know better than to bite the hands that feed me,” Noah said. “So does Jarrett. This is on you.”
“You ungrateful little— You’re all turning against me? I’ve given you everything,” her father growled, surging to his feet as though he was going to battle the three of them.
Noah and Jarrett stood as well, and Noah shifted protectively toward Sloane.
“You have endangered us,” she said softly. “You’ve sacrificed all of us and for what? More money? Will it ever be enough? It won’t, will it? Because no matter how much money you make or steal,” she said, lowering her voice as she also stood, “you’ll always want more.”
“I will destroy your little boyfriend,” her father growled. “He’ll have nothing when I’m done with him.”
The fear that came with his words almost took her under. But she squared her shoulders and lifted her chin, refusing to let the fear win. “Try it. Try it and see how quickly your dirty secrets become public record. I don’t want to use that. I don’t want to destroy my family. Out of respect for Mama, I don’t want a war, but I will do what it takes to live my life free of you. If you come near me again or threaten the people I love—my brothers included—if you so much as breathe in my or any of the Blackwells direction after this meeting, I will blast your deception to every corner of the earth. And I think we both know your clients will do far more to make you suffer for your behavior than the authorities ever could.”
Her father paled once again, going from ruddy red to a sickly green in seconds. He glanced down at the thumb drive on the table and swiped it up, fisting it and holding it like he wanted to punch her with it.
“One of many,” she said again, just in case he needed to hear it. “You have more to lose by trying to force my compliance than you do by letting me go. Take the loss, Daddy.”
Her heart squeezed a bit at the fury and panic and contempt he wore like the expensive pin-striped suit.
“I am your father,” he growled. “You can’t do this to me. This is all a show. You don’t have real proof.”
Sloane lifted her chin a notch higher and exhaled the tension lining her shoulders and neck. “I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t. And if anything happens to me or anyone I love at any point, the fail-safes I have in place will activate. Every account you dipped into will be notified, along with the authorities. Goodbye, Daddy. Don’t ever contact me again.”
Her father’s hand repeatedly pulsed over the USB drive. His nostrils flared with every breath, and then—then he bit out a curse and stalked away.
Jarrett blinked at her but dipped his head as though in thanks and slowly followed, not making any attempt to catch up to their father. Only Noah remained behind.
Once Jarrett and her father exited the hotel, she turned to look up at Noah—who looked as shaky as she inwardly felt. She’d done it. She’d actually done it, but now she felt like it had all been a dream.
Noah gave a slow, soft whistle. “I don’t know, kiddo. You might be more cut out for the family business than you think.”
A high-pitched laugh left her, and she shook her head. She might have had to beat her father at his own game, but it didn’t mean she ever wanted to play it again. “That’s a hard pass.”
“So what now? You heading back to Carolina Cove?”
She pressed a hand to her fluttering stomach and nodded. “That’s the plan. Noah…”
“No, kiddo.”
“You can. You can make a break, too. Get out before he gets you killed. Do it now. Just—walk away.”
A muscle spasmed in his jaw, and for a moment, he looked intrigued by the idea. “It’s too late for that. While I’ve stayed on the up-and-up, I’m in too deep. But who knows? Maybe I will give in and marry that mob princess,” he said in a low voice. “Have a few kids. With that backing, I could take over the company and keep things as clean as I can.”
“Father won’t like that.”
Noah’s grin was wide and bright. “No, he wouldn’t. But after watching you today, I’m feeling inspired.”
She laughed softly and wrapped her arms around his waist, hugging him tight—one last time. Because if he stayed in the world her father created, she might never see him again. “You’re an absolute idiot, but I still love you.”
