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“You’re as delusional now as you were years ago. Bri hates you, just like I do. And lucky for her, she’s not here so you can take your sorry ass out and don’t bother coming back.”
Jake’s smile didn’t fade, but when he reached up to take his sunglasses off, the chilled ice of his blue eyes was anything but friendly. Tiffany shivered as if that icy gaze could lower the temperature around him.
“That’s a naughty girl, Tiffany. You shouldn’t lie to me like that.”
“I…”
He held his hand up, finally letting his smile slip. “Don’t bother. I know Bri is here. She’s in the back.” He paused, nodding in that direction before letting a small smile return. “I’ll wait.”
“No, you won’t. If you don’t leave in the next thirty seconds, I’m calling the police.”
He moved like a ninja, grabbing her biceps and pulling her against him so fast it took her breath away. Tiffany struggled to free herself from his grip, but Jake overpowered her to whisper against her ear. “Don’t make a scene. We both know you aren’t gonna call the police. If you do, I’ll be forced to share a few special video tapes I’ve been keeping secure in my safe. You wouldn’t want that to happen, would you?”
She’d expected the threat. She’d lived with it for several years now. It didn’t make it any easier to keep her heart from thumping out of her chest. “You don’t scare me anymore, Jake. I’m done letting you blackmail me into silence.”
“We’ll just have to see about that, won’t we?”
Neither of them had noticed Brianna’s return from the back until she was standing next to them. “Let her go, Jake. Tiffany’s right. I told you last time, you’re never welcome here again. I warned you then we’d call the police.”
Jake turned his glare from Tiffany to Brianna. “Oh, and just what exactly are you gonna tell them, Brianna? How much you miss me and the things I do to your body? How you can’t wait for me to come to town so we can resume our little tête-à-tête?”
Brianna reached out to try and make Jake release his grip on Tiffany as she berated him, “I don’t miss a damn thing about you, Jake. Let her go, now!”
Jake released Tiffany so quickly she stumbled backwards, trying not to fall to the floor. When he traded his grip to Brianna, Tiffany started hitting at him.
“You have ten seconds now, or I’m calling 911!”
Jake yanked both women toward him, growling near their ears. “I’m not leaving here without Brianna. If you attempt to call the police, I promise you, I won’t be the one they take in for questioning. Do you really want to bring the police down on you both and your families?”
Tiffany wanted so much to hold her ground. To tell him to fuck-off and to pick up the phone and punch those three little numbers, but familiar dread clouded her judgement. If it was just about her, she’d call in a heartbeat, but there was too much at stake for more than just her.
Brianna hesitated, probably worrying about the same things, but then she spoke up. “I’m not going anywhere with you, Jake. Not again.”
Tiff wanted to reach out and wipe that wolfish grin off his face as he leaned in close to Bri. “I seem to remember you loving coming with me last time I was in town.”
Sheer panic seemed to be pouring from Brianna at the mention of what they both knew was the biggest mistake of her life.
Brianna lowered her voice as she spat, “Don’t you dare bring that up. It’s over. You need to get it through your thick skull. I’m done with you.”
“Isn’t that too damn bad, because I’m not done with you by a long shot,” Jake growled.
“Then we have a problem, don’t we? I’m happily married. I’m not leaving here with you. Period.”
“We’ll see about that.” Jake released Brianna as quickly as he’d snapped her into his arms. Tiffany glanced around the salon and realized they’d already gotten everyone’s attention. Employees and customers alike were watching the drama playing out with interest and they needed to get him out of there.
“Jake…” she started.
“What are you gonna do, Tiffany? Willing to bet your brother’s lives on this?” he taunted, and fear pierced her again.
Brianna spoke to her through gritted teeth. “It’s okay, Tiff. I don’t want you mixed up in my problems anymore. Let me handle this.”
Tiffany rounded on her. “This isn’t your problem, Bri. It’sourproblem. And you’re not seriously considering going anywhere with him, are you? Not after last time!” Tiffany pleaded with her best friend.
“Of course not! I don’t want to go anywhere with him, but we can’t stand here in the middle of the shop arguing like this. At least if I get him outside, you can get things back to normal.”
“Fuck normal. You promised me. Never again.”
“I’m not gonna leave with him. I’ll just step outside and talk to him and make him leave.”
