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She swallows hard before glancing at the musicians who are heroically still playing.
Then she leans forward and whispers above the music, “It started with a note left on my car he delivered to my home and some crank messages and calls on my phone.”
“What did they say?”
She rolls her eyes. “Well, let’s assume it’s not you for a second. Mainly threats to kill me, telling me they knew my secret and to watch my back. The thing is, I don’t have secrets, not really. Sure, I may have maxed out my credit card and got in the shit with my mother. Possibly there was the time I tried a cigarette at a party and the time I attended a strip club in town and may have got a little drunk and pretended I was better than them but well, it’s hardly breaking news, is it?”
Her admissions make me laugh out loud because she is fucking Barbie, so innocent and so naive, it’s ridiculous.
“I’m glad you find it funny.” She says angrily, the embarrassment evident on her face.
“Anyway, then Rafferty’s date wound up murdered and the threats notched up a thousand levels. He was home that weekend and when the news broke, he cornered me and told me he had spent the night before she died with the woman. He had just signed for the Jets and was shit scared that he would be involved in the investigation, but nobody came. The fact he learned of my own threats was inconvenient because he told me to move in with him and he would look out for me. I had already secured an internship at The Queen and so it made sense.”
She drains the glass of champagne and glances around the boat before whispering, “Then I got the note telling me Rafferty was going to be framed for Taylor’s murder.”
She sighs. “He was so happy, Shade. If I told him, it could ruin his big chance, so I dealt with it behind his back. I thought…”
“That the money would stop the threats.”
I shake my head, marveling at the naivety of these people.
“Yes.”
She looks so broken I almost pity her, but I don’t.
“I’ll ask you again. Why didn’t you go to the cops? It’s obvious there’s a hate campaign against you. They would deal with it.”
“Because of Rafferty. He is riding high, and the scandal would never go away. I thought I’d pay the money and that would be the end of it.”
“Where did you get the money?” I ask out of interest, wondering if she borrowed it from anyone else she may have told.
“My savings.”
She pushes back her plate and says miserably. “The fact it’s soaked with a man’s blood means I’ve lost that as well. If that doesn’t implicate me in his murder, I don’t know what will. I have been so scared to go out ever since, waiting for the cops to hammer on my door and arrest me for murder. My prints must be all over that alley along with my DNA. It’s only a matter of time before they come for me. Tonight is the first time I’ve been out since.”
The fact I already know may be best kept to myself before I freak her out anymore. I’ve had eyes on Allegra Powell for several weeks now, and I know every inch of her routine. Did I send those threats? Fuck no, which means someone wants her scared. It’s not only me who is using her for something, which is an inconvenience that needs to be dealt with.
Leaning forward, I lift her hand and this time she doesn’t attempt to snatch it back and I smile a reassurance that only I can offer her.
“Seven days and nights, Allegra. The deal hasn’t changed, however, in return I’ll make it all go away. I will find the person responsible for blackmailing you and I will deal with it.”
“Empty promises, Shade.”
She cocks her head to one side and rolls her eyes. “For all I know, that person is you. I’m not that gullible.”
She makes to snatch her hand back and I hold on to it tightly and growl, “I never lie. You will soon learn that about me. I tell it how it is and I’m telling you now. By the end of this evening, you will be begging to stay. You don’t realize it now, but you need me far more than I need you, so you would be wise to smile prettily and say the words, thank you, Shade. My answer is obviously yes.”
To my surprise, she throws her head back and laughs, much like she did at the club while I stalked her on the monitor. It completely transforms her, and I stare as if mesmerized. She is so beautiful, like a rare orchid blooming in the wilderness and it captures my attention in a way I never saw coming. Yes, Allegra Powell will make for an interesting seven days, and I am going to ruin her father in the process.
As I raise her hand to my lips and steal a kiss, this time she stares at me with a smile on her face and a spark of desire in her eyes that I knew she was hiding the entire fucking time.
CHAPTER9
ALLEGRA
I’m not sure why, but the relief hit me hard. When he told me he wasn’t my stalker, it drove the tension away that’s been building for weeks now. Finally, I have offloaded my secret to someone who didn’t bat an eyelid. A man who deals with shit like this every day and can sort things. I already know that about him.
Men like Shade Vieri don’t play by the rules which is why he’s the perfect man to help with my problem. The fact the payment he desires is almost certain to be my body doesn’t seem as appalling as it did earlier. In fact, the more time I spend with him, the more interested I get and for a girl who has played it safe for her entire life, I am fast falling down the blackest hole, desperate to experience something I probably never will again.
