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“What’s up, Simon?” There went the sour stomach churn.
He sucked in his breath. “You know what I’m calling about. Have you made any progress?”
“Simon, I think you might have a hearing problem. Or maybe it’s a listening problem. So let me tell you again. I wasn’t kidding when I said I didn’t have ten grand.”
An image of strangling him with my bare hands flashed through my thoughts. At least then I wouldn’t have to divorce him.
“Stop fucking with me, Nara.” His voice had lowered, transforming into something like a growl. I didn’t know he had it in him. But I didn’t know he had it in him to extort ten grand from me, either.
“I want my goddamn money, and I want it now.”
Okay. I was done.
“Look, you little creep. You got your citizenship. You are entitled to nothing else.”
“You’re wrong there. Thanks to me and my investment in you, you’ve accomplished quite a lot. Like creating your own software firm. And I want a return on my investment.”
“Simon?”
“Yes?”
“If you expose me, you’ll be exposed, too. I will have to pay a steep fine. But you—you’ll be deported.”
He guffawed. “No, I won’t darling. You know why?”
“Why?”
“Because they’ll never catch me. I already have another identity to assume when the time is right.”
His cold words gave me goosebumps. “Just like you, always figuring out a way to cheat the system.”
“Hey, I wouldn’t talk, my little friend. You are guilty of the same.”
My hands fisted, and my back went rigid. “I broke the same law you did. But I will never, ever be the disgraceful scumbag you are.”
I swiped my phone closed as best I could with a wildly shaking hand. I wasn’t sure if my upset was from being pissed off, afraid, or both.
Nausea settled in my stomach. I had a feeling it’d be there for a while.
* * *
Heels clicking on the lobby’s marble floor, I crossed to the huge doors leading from my office building to the hectic New York street scene.
“Good night, Miss Kincaid.”
I waved at the front desk guard.
Just before I reached the doors, my phone vibrated. I considered ignoring it, which I almost never did. But curiosity got the better of me.
It was Brodie. Again.
hey. join me for a drink?
Hmmm.
i’m out front of your building.
Shit. Was I dealing with a stalker?
If he was in front of my building, it was too late to hide. I’d just exited the front doors. It was dark, but I was still under the building’s lights. Most likely, he could see me—and I couldn’t see him.
I looked around, checking out the pedestrians walking by and the cars parked at the curb. A limo window rolled down, and he leaned out. He looked terribly sexy with his open-collar dress shirt and suit jacket.
“Nara. Over here.”
Why was I not surprised this guy traveled around in a limo?
Anyway, I guess I was committed. Maybe he’d be a welcome diversion from my crummy day. I hoisted my heavy tote over a shoulder and started toward the shiny black town car, conscious that he was watching my every step.
“This is a surprise,” I said as he got out of the car and held the door for me. But I wasn’t about to jump right in.
“Are we going somewhere?” I asked with a raised eyebrow.
He laughed and bowed as if I were royalty. “It’s a beautiful evening. I thought I’d try to catch you on the way home from work. I remember your saying you leave between eight and nine every night, just like I do.”
Oh, what the hell.
“Okay. Let’s go.” I slipped into the back seat of the car with a quick hello to the driver.
Brodie pulled the door closed behind us with a smooth swoop.
“Where we going?” I asked.
I had to admit, a drink sounded nice. And he sure was handsome, with that dark, brooding thing going on. So different from Michael at work. And the creepy Simon.
“What do you think about stopping by The Speakeasy in Brooklyn? That’s where you live, right?”
Oh!
“I’ve always wanted to go there. To The Speakeasy, not Brooklyn.”
He laughed at my lame joke.
“Cool, let’s check it out.” He leaned forward to give the driver directions.
I made a mistake with Michael at work. I’d made a colossal mistake with Simon.
I couldn’t afford to make any more.
