Page 148 of When We Were Young

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you.” He glances over at me but doesn’t grab his phone.

“Do what?”

“Call security or whatever it is you planned on doing.” I shrug, then stand. “I mean, you can if you want, but I wouldn’t recommend it.”

He leans back in his chair and crosses his arms over his chest. Arrogance written all over his face. I wonder if he thinks he’s intimidating? He’s not.

“So, is this where I ask you why and you feed me some bullshit line about how I’ll regret⁠—”

“No. Not at all.”

I walk to his desk and stand in front of it.

“This is where I tell you that I know a guy. A guy who found a lot of dirt on you. Enough to draw plenty of attention from your insurance company. Maybe even earn you some jail time.”

Landon’s beady eyes narrow, but a drop of sweat rolls down the side of his face near his hairline. His hands shake ever so slightly.

I’ve hit a nerve. Good.

When he makes the decision to play dumb, it’s written all over his face.

“Bullshit.”

“Try me, Carter. There are few things in life I’d rather see than you get what you deserve.”

“What do you want?”

A sarcastic laugh escapes me. I place my hands on his desk and lean toward him. He may not realize he does it, but he inches away from me.

“I don't want anything. But I am here to tell you that this obsession you have with Lizette ends now. You’ll stay away from her and Simon.”

He jumps out of his seat.

“Fuck you.” He storms around the side of his desk. “You don’t tell me what to do with my woman and⁠—”

I lose my mind when he dares to call her his and almost miss his fist as it flies toward my face. Fortunately, I catch his wrist and stop him before he makes contact. He tries to pull away, but I tighten my hold.

“Stay away from my family, or I’ll use every resource at my disposal to destroy you and everything you care about. I won’t stop until there’s no chance in this lifetime of you recovering from the havoc I unleash upon you. Do you understand me?”

He stares at me for what seems like an eternity, and when I see a hint of defiance in his eyes, my grip tightens.

“Fine. I understand.” His words drip with bitterness.

“Don’t ever make the mistake of forgetting this conversation, Carter. But in case you need a reminder, in”—I pause and look at my watch, then back at him—“about five minutes, you’ll get an email with a sample of what my guy dug up.”

Having a brother with connections at a high-end security firm comes in handy. I’ll have to send Heath a bottle of his favorite whiskey for the connection. With his salary as a professional football player, his tastes aren’t cheap, but it’ll have been worth every penny.

I push him away from me. Then, I leave, because I’m desperate to get back to Aron Falls and see Lizette and Simon. This pathetic excuse of a man has stolen enough of our time.

Chapter Fifty

Lizzie

One month later…

“You’re not peeking, are you, Mom?” Simon’s excitement is palpable.

“I promise, I’m not. I can’t see a thing.” In truth, the blindfold is a bit see-through, but I’ve been keeping my eyes closed since I gave my word.