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Tatum.This is my fault. If she hadn't been with me, she'd be fine right now. I wouldn't have to imagine her dead body lying beside Amanda's in some random building.
“If you killed her, I swear to God…” Emotion chokes me before I can finish the thought. What would I do anyway? Kill him? Kick him in his shin? How could I possibly do any of those things with an armed man standing a short five feet behind him?
“You'll, what?” he taunts. “What would you do if I killed your little friend the way I killed her mother?”
What would I do? The answer is nothing. I can't do a single thing, and this asshole knows it. I grit my teeth and clench my fists, fighting back the anger. If he did kill her, at least Tatum heard in the end how Amanda didn't want her to be part of this.
She must have heard the fear and anger in her mom's voice when she first discovered us. At least she has that little piece of knowledge. That her mom, even as selfish as she was, still tried her best to protect her in the end.
There's still a chance she's alive.I remind myself. Jack hasn't confirmed he killed her, and I'll hold onto that until I know for sure. Nausea grips me hard enough to bring tears to my eyes. Somehow I manage to blink them back.
“In fact…” Jack's amused expression hardens. “Your little friend ended up the way she did, thanks to that nasty mouth of hers. You might want to take a lesson from her and watch what you say, or you'll get the same treatment she did.”
A chill runs through me at the memory of that sound. Even the gunshot that killed Amanda doesn't make me shiver like that. “Why are you doing this?” I whisper. “Is it because of what I did to your son?”
“Come on, you're a smart girl. Do you truly think I'd go through all this trouble because you jabbed Dominic with a fork?” His smirk sets my teeth on edge.
“Why, then?” I mimic his smirk, looking him up and down while I do. “Let me guess. Amanda twisted you around her finger the way she twisted my ex-boyfriend? She must've offered you something great.”
“She didn't twist shit,” he snaps. It doesn't take much to shake him up—I make a mental note to remember that. I don't want to be the next person with a bullet in her head.
“No? Then tell me this wasn't her idea. She's one of few people who know I'm pregnant, and she told you. The two of you concocted this little kidnapping scheme together.”
“She didn't concoct a thing,” he informs me in a deceptively smooth voice. If I didn't know better, I'd think he was a calm, rational man. I might even make the mistake of finding him charming. He's skilled at putting on an act, that's for sure.
He folds his hands in front of himself, smiling faintly while standing over me. “Poor Amanda was the typical greedy woman who thinks they're smarter than they are. She made the mistake of believing she was in the driver's seat when all she did was give me the ammunition I was looking for. Fucking with the man's business wasn't enough to make him pay for insulting me. He needs real motivation to make things right.”
I can't believe I'm asking this question, “What will it take to make things right?”
He lifts a shoulder encased in a dark suit. Nobody looking at him for the first time would have a clue as to what he's capable of. “I'm not quite sure yet. Amanda wanted to dangle the baby over his head to squeeze every cent she could out of him, but I'm not particularly interested in cash.”
When I raise my eyebrows, he chuckles. “You've got me there. Money is good. But making a man regret his choices is much better. And I intend to make Callum regret insulting me to all of our business associates.”
“How are you going to do that?”
He sighs as he tips his head to the side. “You'll find out when the time comes. For now, you have nothing to worry about.”
“Why is that?”
“If he loves you as much as he supposedly does, he won't hesitate to give me what I want. I'm sure you'll be out of here in no time.”
He's loving this, savoring it like a fine wine. Watching my every reaction and barely bothering to hide his glee. “And I know that I said this didn't have to do with my son, but since you brought it up, maybe the next time you want to stab a man for brushing his hand over your leg, you'll think twice. Look at what your actions have set into motion. All of this because you couldn't control yourself.”
I know this is nothing but an intimidation tactic, and I'm feeding right into it by responding. Only I can't stop the words from coming out.
“Your son was groping me, and I told him to stop.”
“So you say.”
My skin grows hot as blood rushes in my ears. I can't let him get to me. I can't make it that easy for him, but damn it, there's not much that gets under my skin easier than being deliberately misunderstood. I doubt he even misunderstands me—no, he knows what his son did. However he doesn't care. It's all the same in the end.
“Now that you mention it.” He lowers his arms to his sides, and from the corner of my eye, I notice his hands tightening into fists. “I'll have to see to it that you regret your decision, as well. You both have a habit of reacting without thought.”
This son-of-a-bitch. How fragile must your ego be to make you do something like this? The bitter heat in my chest threatens to crawl up my throat and flow out of me like lava.
Go fuck yourself, you piece of shit. I want to say it, snarl it, scream it. But this isn't only about me. I believe Callum loves me, no matter what Jack thinks. He's going to find a way to get us out of this, and the least I can do is stay alive until he does.
I can't give this guy a reason to lose his temper.
