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“You asshole.”
Was it just audio? Please, God, if she had any wish chips to cash—
Niall turned the laptop and there it was. Her. Them. In the bed upstairs, her on top, of course, his hands full with her breasts. Though that modesty didn’t last.
Her eyes fixed on the screen. Ire hit the spacebar, pausing the image of her, head thrown back, sheer bliss on her face.
“Out,” Ire said.
Daly retreated from behind her to open the door as the couch guys and Niall stood to head that way.
Her eyes met Ire’s. Had this been his plan all along? Why hadn’t she seen it coming? Had she believed a guy like him could be honest? Decent? Honorable?
The door closed, shutting them in. What did he expect her to do? Scream? Curse? Cry?
“This is simple,” he said, opening a desk drawer to retrieve something. An envelope, that he tossed to the corner of the desk closest to her. “You’re gonna take that to Babcock tomorrow.”
Is that what he thought?
“Go screw yourself.”
“Round two?”
“What kind of asshole films a woman without her consent?”
“Would you remember if I asked? You were sunk, baby.” His hand hovered over the keyboard. “Need a reminder?”
Her feet moved before she thought. “It’s illegal—”
“And?” That wasn’t a deal-breaker in his house. He rose when she paused in front of the envelope. “All you have to do is go to his office and hand it over.”
“You’re insane,” she spat, shaking with the anger that burned inside her. “If you think I’d ever do anything for—no. Forget it. I’m out of here.”
Spinning around to stalk toward the door, she was done. God help any of the goons who might try to get in her way.
“That how your daddy feels?” he asked. She stopped. “Video like that gets out, your brother’s career is over. Your grandfather, your father, both made it to superintendent. Be a shame to dash Lachlan’s hopes, so early…” She loathed turning, and from the look on his face, he knew it. “You told me not to threaten his life. How about his career? His reputation? His dignity? You? The perfect McLeod princess, in my bed, screaming for a McDade. How will that go across with the superiors?”
Nausea sapped some of her anger. “You’re a real asshole. The lowest kind of scum.”
“There would be investigations into their past convictions,” he said, enjoying each second of her torture. “Every decision. A few choice leaks would confirm just how intimate I’ve been with their cases.”
“You haven’t been intimate with—”
“People love a sex scandal.”
And that was it. He had her and he knew it. Her respected family name would be dragged through the mud. Everything would be brought into question. Her attitude as a reporter. Her celebrated and praised exposé on the Manzanis would be slandered and dismissed. She’d be a joke. But that was nothing; that was deserved for her stupidity. Her family didn’t deserve it.
Her grandfather loved the city he’d dedicated his life to serving. Growing older, he didn’t talk about slowing down, but his career wouldn’t have time to recover. What would he do but wither?
And her father. What about him? If he lost his job and the media hounded him as cases he’d overseen got reopened, he’d be ruined. His professional identity was what he valued most. Over his family, over everything else. Some part of him still wanted to earn his own father’s esteem while he demanded it of his children.
And though it was her father’s judgement that beat in the back of her head, it was her brother who squeezed her heart. Her brother was good. Better than any other man in the world. Pure of heart, honorable, filled with an unparalleled integrity that just wouldn’t allow him to consider ever doing anything illicit.
What choice did she have?
“I do this and that’s it,” she said, marching over to snatch the envelope. “You destroy that recording and we’re done. And get your guys to back off. I don’t want them anywhere near me.”
She didn’t give him the chance to argue. Walking in there had not been her choice, and she resented the shit out of him for manipulating her. But this was it, a final act that would sever her life from the McDades forever.
