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“Not yet. We will get that information from Dave on Christmas Eve after the exchange is made.”
I narrowed my eyes at him. “What exchange?”
“Like a drug deal going down?” Rory got excited.
“No, son. More like a bribe.”
“A bribe?” Bridgette and I said in unison.
Patrick’s face turned a few shades of red. “The man has threatened to publish a nasty piece about my life with Nina and the circumstances around her death.”
We all gasped.
“But wasn’t her death from a medical procedure?” I was confused, though Dave had warned us he was digging into Patrick’s past. What a slimeball.
“It was, but Dave painted an ugly picture, with the help of some of Nina’s family, making it look like I forced her to keep having procedures—”
“Who talked to him?” Bridgette demanded to know.
I wanted to know the same thing, but I was sure Patrick had left the names out on purpose. I admired him for trying to take the high road.
“Honey”—Patrick swallowed hard—“it’s not important.”
“It is,” Rory stated. “People can’t lie like that. You begged her to stop. It’s her own fault she died.” His voice cracked.
Patrick went to his children and knelt in front of them, taking both their hands. “I’m so sorry to dredge up the pain we are all trying to work through. I promise you, those lies will never see the light of day.”
“I feel like I should apologize,” I interrupted, feeling awful seeing the anguish on Rory’s and Bridgette’s faces. “If I hadn’t ever lied and said we were getting married, Dave would have never come after your family. It’s all my fault.”
They all faced me, blinking like I was speaking a foreign language.
“It wasn’t a lie,” Bridgette spoke first. “Youaregetting married, and we love you. You’re our family now.”
Tears pooled in my eyes.
“Yeah.” Rory punched a fist into his hand. “Anyone messes with you, they mess with us.”
I laughed through my tears.
Patrick reached for me, and I joined him on the floor. “Listen to me, Isabelle—you are worth any cost.”
I loved that he thought so, but ... “You aren’t actually paying the dirtbag, are you?”
“Of course not. He only thinks we are.”
“Explain.”
“Well, the police needed evidence he was actually blackmailing me, so we set up a meeting tonight and recorded it.” Patrick sounded quite happy about it all. “Dave even patted us down to check for wires. It was obviously not his first rodeo. Little did he know the kind of equipment Drake has access to.”
“That’s so freaking awesome,” Rory exclaimed.
Oh, holy night. They were living out some movie scene. I wasn’t sure if I should be impressed or think they were idiots. What would have happened if Dave found the recording devices? I shook at the thought. “So why do we need to get married next week? Why don’t they just arrest him now?”
“Obviously because I want to marry you.” He gave me a wicked grin. “And guys like him will be out on bail in no time. There’s no way in hell we are letting that guy be proven right. Also, it makes a stronger case for blackmail if money is actually exchanged. So, we will get married before your sister and Drake and let him watch us become man and wife. This way he will be shown, once and for all, that he was wrong, just in case he gets any stupid ideas to call in the press. He’s only blackmailing me as a backup plan. He doesn’t care how he gets his money—just that he gets it.”
“So when are you going to give him the money, and how much money are we talking about?”
“Drake and I will pretend to slip away after the ceremony to meet the charlatan. As soon as the hundred grand is exchanged, an undercover police officer will arrest him.”
