AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Claudia looked genuinely terrified. It made me angry, that this guy could make her this upset. My skin was flush and hot. My limbs were shaking.
“Tell me before I rip his arms off.”
She looked at me with apology in her eyes. “He told me I had to see him… or… or…”
“Or what?’
“Or he was sending the photos to everyone.”
“Who’s everyone?” asked Colin.
“The Dean’s office, for one,” she said glumly. “And my friends, my entire family…” She cringed. “He knew your names. He said he’d send the photos to your families also, and—”
WHAM!
I punched the wall so hard my fist went all the way through both panels of sheetrock. My arm started in the foyer and ended up in the dining room.
“Easy asshole,” spat Hunter. “I just fixed that wall.”
By now however, I was long past restraint.
“Look, that wall is just a small example of what I’m going to do this guy’s face!” My fist was numb. I pulled my arm back. “Threatening to send photos of me having sex — this kind of sex — to my family?”
I whirled on Claudia, probably just a little too harshly. It made her flinch.
“Where is he?” I growled. “Give me the address! Tell me where you used to liv—”
“STOP!”
We turned, and Colin was standing there with his arms folded. We’d all been talking at once, but his voice had been loud enough to make everyone shut up.
“I want to beat this guy’s ass as much as you do,” he said slowly, “but if we’re not careful this whole thing’s gonna blow up anyway.” He shook Claudia’s phone for effect. “Before we go putting him in the hospital, we need to get these photos away from him. And to do that…”
Colin turned on his heel and abruptly led us into the kitchen. Completely at a loss for words we all followed.
He sat down at the table, then kicked a couple of chairs our way. Wordlessly we seated ourselves. The four of us sat staring down at the floor, our faces in our hands. Thinking. Wondering…
“Alright,” Colin said at last. “I’ve got it.”
We all looked up. Even Claudia’s face was hopeful.
“Y—You do?”
“Yes,” Colin said definitively. “Okay. Here’s what’s going to happen…”
Thirty-Eight
CLAUDIA
It was bizarre, walking up to the restaurant after all these years. I hadn’t been there in forever, although Garrett used to take me all the time.
More importantly, he took me on the night we got engaged.
Meeting here had of course been his idea. I didn’t know if he was trying to taunt me or romance me. All I knew was I had to meet him, or the photos would come out. And once that happened, that would be it.
It would be the end of my job. Probably the end of my teaching career, unless I moved far, far away. And it would be the end of my family too; or at the very least, cause irreparable damage. Personally and professionally, I’d be ruined.
And beyond that? My boys. I couldn’t imagine how they felt about this whole thing, especially since it was all my fault. Garrett had never done anything like this before. But he was my ex, and therefore my problem…
