Page 53 of Last Chance Seduction
I let go of Mercy’s hand reluctantly and pulled out a seat for her in the breakfast nook.
“Thanks,” she whispered.
I took my seat next to her and wrapped my hands around my warm coffee mug.“Talk to us.”
“Is it okay that I say all this in front of Lex?”Daisy asked.“It’s not proprietary information, and it’s good for him to know, but I also want you to have the choice.”
I scowled at my cousin.Because of course I was going to fucking know.I needed to know what the hell was going on in Mercy’s life.
Mercy squeezed my knee before nodding at Daisy.“You can talk in front of him.I know the cops said they’d call today to get in touch, so I wonder what you must have found so quickly.Did the guy say anything?Or was it just a mugger?”
Daisy met my gaze, then turned to Mercy.She shook her head, and my whole body stiffened as Mercy’s shoulders fell.
“The man has ties to a loan shark.”
I blinked, leaning forward.“I’m sorry, what?”
Mercy cleared her throat.“He works for a loan shark?Why the heck would he followme?”She turned to me.“I don’t even do scratch off tickets.”
“Denver isn’t pristine, and there is an underworld out there.And the guy we picked up is one of the enforcers who tries to use family members in order to get what they want from clients.Namely clients who are in debt to them.”
“I have no idea why he would be targeting me though.I don’t have any family.”
“But you almost did,” Daisy said slowly, and I pushed back from the table, my chair falling.
“What the hell did Justin do?”I growled.
“Is he right?Is it the man I almost married?That ass-wipe who cheated on me?”
If I was going to love her, if that was an option in whatever relationship we had, this moment was probably where it would’ve begun.Because that look on her face?It waseverything.And it was probably the least likely time for me to even pretend I wasn’t falling.
“It seems that Justin owes money, a lot of money.We’re talking six figures.The loan shark that he worked through has mob ties and happens to be a cousin of a cousin or something like that to the head guy.It’s not good.”
“But why would he come after me?It’s been two years.I don’t even know where he lives.”
“Florida,” I growled.
Mercy looked up at me.“What?”
“Justin lives in Florida.With his brand new wife,” I spat.
“You’re right.He does.However, it seems that our least favorite person made a connection with another guy in Justin’s new home, and Justin explained that he didn’t have any money, but he knew who did.Justin believes you got enough insurance money from your family that it can cover his debts.And while I don’t know if whoever loaned him the money truly believes that, they’re going to take it out on whoever they can until they get paid.”
Mercy pulled back from the kitchen table and began to pace.“That small-dicked, little piece of shit, cheating asshole.What the hell was he thinking?Why would he need money?”
“He’s not great at gambling and picked up a lovely pain pill addiction,” Hugh added.
Mercy froze, her hand going to her chest as she blinked.I didn’t blame her.Because what the fuck?“No, Justin didn’t even like taking Advil.”
“There was a reason for that,” Daisy whispered.
“You know what happened with his aunt.”I nodded, remembering everything my former friend had told me about his family.“She OD’d.It started with just normal pharmaceuticals and turned into something worse.Is that what’s happening with Justin?”
Mercy came back to sit next to me and I slid my hand over her shoulder, running my thumb along the back of her neck.She was so tense I was afraid she was going to break something.But after a few moments of my touch, she relaxed.Marginally.
“We’re still looking into it.It’s only been a few hours, but this is what we could scale off from the top.We have good people on our team.”Daisy shook her head.“I’m sorry.I’m going to let the authorities know exactly what we found, because I’m sure they found something similar.But, please let us put a security system into your home?You work from there, you’re there often.Just let us help.”
“I can’t afford that,” Mercy said, looking down at her hands.“All of that insurance money went to Emily’s debt for all the medical bills that we had.I’m still in debt.”
