“Uh…”
“Of course it was.No doubt he’s been grooming you for months.”
“Shiro…Shiro escaped.”
“I should have realised you’d try to retrieve the dog.”
“Where is he?”
“How should I know?”
“Because you let him out?”
That made more sense than Ari leaving the gate open.She was careful.
Ridge sucked in a breath.“There you go again with the false accusations.”
“Then what…?How…?”
“One of those imbeciles milling about at the front told me to try the back, and it’s a good thing I did because here you are.”Ridge took my arm, and instinct kicked in.I tried to wrench myself free, but his fingers dug into my flesh, and all I got was more bruises.“Don’t try me, Jessalyn.You’ve already ruined my reputation.Your little band of trolls has tanked the firm’s Google rating, and who do you think is going to suffer from that?That’s right; both of us.If clients shun me, then our income takes a dive.Your spa appointments won’t pay for themselves.”
“I have my own career.”
“A career that I built, and you tried to ruin.I’m not sure the publishing deal is even salvageable at this stage.”
Ridge began pulling me along the trail, and as he tugged, his jacket fell open and I saw the gun on his hip.The freaking gun.Oh hell, oh hell, oh hell.He’d bought the pistol years ago after a spate of home invasions in the neighbourhood, even though I hated the idea of having a gun in the house, and then he’d signed both of us up for membership of the local shooting club.Which had been a waste of money—we only went twice because the lessons clashed with his golf games.
The gun lived in the safe in his study.Why had he brought it with him today?I wasn’t sure I wanted to know the answer, and for the first time, I felt glad Justin was safely out of the way in jail.
“I’ll make the cookbook work,” I lied.
“Good.But first, you’ll need to apologise.”
“Uh… I’m sorry.I’m so sorry for everything.”
“Not to me; to your fans.You’ve broken their trust by turning a lifestyle show into a soap opera.”
He sounded unhinged.Even more unhinged than normal.Sweat beaded on the back of my neck as the drizzle settled on my hair, but Ridge didn’t seem to notice the weather as he forced me along the trail.There was a note of mania in his voice, and that worried me even more than his usual anger.
“So you want me to record an apology video?”
“Exactly.”Triumph mixed with venom.“You’ll recant your earlier lies and explain that you were brainwashed by a lunatic.”
That part was actually true, except it happened six years ago and now he’d come back for more.I’d be making a hostage video.But when Saylor saw it, she’d call the police because she knew there was no way I’d ever go back to Ridge.And when Justin got out of jail, he’d raise hell too.Ari was a private investigator, so she’d find me in Maine, and?—
“Is this your dog?”
My heart stuttered.A stranger had stepped out in front of us, a blond man in an overcoat, and he was holding Shiro’s collar.Which should have been a good thing, but Ridge would only give him back to the shelter.
“N-n-no, I think he lives over there.”My hand shook as I pointed toward home.And Justin’s housewashome now, even if he was away temporarily.
The gentleman looked from me to Ridge.“Ma’am, are you okay?”
“She’s fine,” Ridge snapped.
“Do you know this man?”The stranger’s eyes turned from friendly to hard as he saw a side Ridge tried to keep hidden.
“She’s my wife.”
