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“By all means,” I said sarcastically.
“It’s Brock. There’s something not right about him. I told him about the plan for you to bring in Powell—”
“I agreed to no such thing.”
“—and he’s been acting strange ever since. I thought he’d like to go back to New York. Maybe it’s best that way.”
“I’d like for him to go back to New York too.” Further, if it were possible. “But, what are you saying? You think Brock is the one who slashed my tires?”
“I think Brock is capable of a lot of things,” he said lowly. “But I can’t get him out of here until the Denver branch is secure. I need a new client, Pumpkin. Believe me, I want him gone as much as you.”
“Then do that. You’re the boss.”
He scoffed, and we both knew that the real boss was his wife. “Most of the big fish we need around here are already taken, and we aren’t big enough to get their attention, let alone sway them to our firm. I wouldn’t ask if I wasn’t desperate. Please. I don’t want Brock near you any more than you do.”
My stomach knotted. All of my emotions were torn. I didn’t think my father magically woke up and decided to be a decent parent out of the blue. No, he wanted something, and that was Jack’s business. But maybe he wasn’t in on this scaring me scheme like I thought. If he was worried about Brock? Tied with the fact that if it was him breaking into my car and house…
I choked on the thought.
I was back to square one. Wondering and worrying when he’d come after me.
I couldn’t live like that. In constant fear. Especially with how hard it had been to move past it. If I had my dad on my side this time, and he saw that Brock had problems, maybe this could work.
“If you get this account, Brock will be gone?” I asked.
“Yes,” my father said, with way too much hope in his voice.
I took a deep breath. Here, last night, I had felt safe, able to breathe for the first time in what felt like a lifetime without the weight of fear pressing down, but I couldn’t stay at Jack’s forever—even though that was just what I wanted. No, if I wanted a real chance with Jack, a chance to see where this could go, I needed to get Brock out of town as quickly as possible. Otherwise, I’d never know if Jack wanted me with him because he was protecting me, or because he loved me.
“If I set up a meeting, it doesn’t mean he’ll invest with you.”
“Of course, I just need the meeting, Pumpkin.”
“If,” I said clearly, “I can get him to agree to sit down with you, and he still doesn’t invest, I still want Brock gone. Back to New York, no matter the outcome with Jack’s company.”
He was silent. Not a good sign. I was gambling with something I valued very much, and that was Jack’s trust. But there was no other way. If I told him it was Brock who hurt me, he’d never sit down with them. Worse, he’d likely do something that only made Brock angrier and give him more of a reason to keep harassing me.
Brock was a sociopath to his bones, and that’s what terrified me the most. Common sense didn’t dictate his actions. If I could get him gone, then I could finally move on, with Jack. I wanted my strength back. Strength Jack helped me find. Strength I’d fight for.
“Those are my terms, Dad. One meeting. Regardless of the outcome, Brock leaves Denver.”
“Okay,” he said finally.
“You swear to me?”
“Yes,” he snapped. “I swear.”
“I’ll see what I can do.”
~
I quietly walked back into Jack’s bedroom, to find him sitting up and awake.
“I don’t like that,” he said, those steely dark eyes fastened to my every move.
“Don’t like what?”
He put an arm behind his head, stretching those amazing muscles from his abs to his biceps, and I checked the urge to pounce on him.
