Page 46 of Cade

“I’m serious.” He finally took a seat on her sofa and turned to face her. “Father has been threatening me for a while now and I haven’t told anyone. When I try to find him, it’s useless. I don’t know where he’s getting help, but it’s damn good.”

“Ryker has a guy—”

“I know. No luck.”

“What do you mean, he’s been threatening you?”

Cade sighed. Here came the part he was dreading. “Most recently, he was mad that I want on my blind date. Then demanded that I get married and produce an heir.”

Catherine looked at him like he’s lost his mind, and maybe he had.

“It doesn’t make any sense, but he threatened to do more to the restaurant and to everyone if I didn’t. Then he said he’d pull you into it and I didn’t want that to happen. So I talked April into marrying me and, well, we got her pregnant faster than expected. But I don’t want to lose her, Cat. I just am so tired of dealing with this shit.”

“That’s why you’ve been asking where they were?” she still sounded like she didn’t believe him.

“Yes. I know he was the one putting Lauren’s mother up to things. Well, maybe not putting her up to it, but he was financing it. She was capable of the nonsense havoc she created all on her own.” He stood and started pacing. “Think about it. The one thing we’ve wondered with Lauren’s mom is how she was able to hire anyone.”

“Right. That doesn’t mean it was Father. And what the hell? Produce an heir? Are we in a historical romance novel now?” She looked around. “If we are, then it’s not well done. The TV is kind of modern.”

“I’m not joking. I’m really fucking not. I wish I was.” God, did he wish he was.

“So you’re wanting me to believe that Father is behind all the problems that have been happening lately? And that no one can find an old white man with a lot of money hiding somewhere?”

“That’s exactly what I’m saying. He found out I married April somehow without me telling him and before the article in the paper. I’m still not really sure how, though I wasn’t exactly super quiet with it at her work.” It was still bothering him because it felt like there was a spy in their midst. “He demanded I annul it because she wasn’t who he wanted me to marry. Threatened something else would happen and then it did.”

“Cade, sit down. You’re making me nervous with all that pacing.”

He did, but they both knew it wouldn’t last long. “The fire outside the restaurant was just after he threatened it. It’s not a coincidence, Cat. I know that you don’t want to believe me, but it’s all true. I don’t know what he’s going to do now that he knows she’s expecting and I’m really not going to end the marriage. I don’t want to.”

She was quiet for a moment, processing, he guessed. “First, I’m glad you don’t want to end things with her.”

“We have a contract. I wasn’t kidding. Now I need to make her believe that I don’t want it anymore while keeping Father from her.”

“Let’s talk this over. Do you have anything you can show me for proof?”

Cade handed over his phone. There wasn’t much in their messages beck and forth, but a few veiled threats. Catherine was smart enough to pick up on them, though.

“This doesn’t show much. I agree he’s threatening you, but—” She was interrupted by someone at the door.

“Are you expecting anyone?” Cade asked.

Catherine shook her head. He went to the door to answer it and nearly fell out when he saw who was there.

“Just the two people I wanted to see!” His mother pushed past him and into Catherine’s apartment.

“Mother,” Cade greeted. “What are you doing here?”

“Your father wanted me to come and check on the two of you. He said that you had been up to no good lately and thought I might be able to talk some sense into you and keep Catherine from making the same foolish decisions.”

The suitcase she was wheeling along had been set in the middle of the living room as she turned to Catherine, taking her in.

“Mother, I have plans. I won’t just be around here to stay with you,” Catherine tried, eyeing the suitcase.

“That’s fine, dear. I don’t need anything. Your maid and cook can help with whatever.”

Catherine turned to Cade for help, her eyes pleading. Though both of them had been raised in homes with full staff, neither of them had any full time. They had shoppers, and that was it. Both preferring to have their homes to themselves.

“Catherine doesn’t have staff,” Cade reminded her.

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