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He winked at her. “I figured you’d feel that way. How about I explain the stakes?” He leaned close again. His expensive aftershave choked her. “If you don’t help me, I’ll have to hide out somewhere. Redemption Creek’s a perfect place. There’s a chance these men won’t find me here, but if they do…” He shrugged helplessly. “I’m not sure they’ll care about causing collateral damage.”
Nausea rolled through her stomach. The threat was more than clear. “How much do you need?”
“Thirty thousand’ll do it. I’ll pay you back,” he added quickly. “Once I get on my feet.”
She rocked back on her heels. That was everything she had in her personal account.
“There’s more,” he added.
Again, she waited. Whatever he had to add wouldn’t be good.
He looked at Jane beseechingly. She stared back, keeping her face impassive through sheer force of will.
Pete’s eyes locked on hers. “Help me and I’ll give you what you’ve always wanted.”
Jane’s breath caught. Surely he didn’t mean...
“Full custody of Kellen,” he finished.
Jane’s heart constricted painfully. Her stepson, the boy she’d loved as her own for three short years. The child Pete had ripped away after the divorce, refusing to even let her see him.
Pete reached out, taking her hand. “Help me, and the boy is yours. I swear it. I’ve been thinking about signing over custody for a while now. With my work…” He sighed soulfully. “He’s with nannies most of the time. My work situation’s not going to change. It’s a tough decision, but it would be best for him.”
Finally, one thing they could agree on. Pete might be Kellen’s biological parent, but he was no father. Which left the boy a virtual orphan since his mother’s death years ago.
Jane yanked her hand back, conflicting emotions churning inside her. She knew she should refuse. Pete had never kept his word about anything. But the thought of having Kellen back...it was almost too much to resist.
Still, she had to be smart. Her ex was a master manipulator—she couldn’t let her guard down.
Jane met his gaze evenly. “I’ll get you the money. But if I do, there will be conditions.”
Pete’s mouth twisted wryly. “Let me guess. I can’t drop by to see Kellen?”
Jane nodded curtly. “We can come to some kind of arrangement. Whatever’s best for Kellen. But it’ll be at my discretion, not yours.”
“Let’s get through this mess and then we can talk.” He reached for her again, but Jane stepped back forcefully.
“I mean it, Pete,” she said through gritted teeth. “Take the money and leave. Come around here again and you know what my brother’ll do. He’s got friends from the military in the area, too. Lots of them. There’re the kinds of guys who make people like you disappear.”
Pete’s smirk faltered. After a tense moment, he shrugged.
“Have it your way,” he said lightly, though his eyes were hard. “How soon can you get the money?”
She eyed the clock. The bank had just closed. It would have to wait until morning. “Nine a.m.”
“Fine. I’ll be at the Creekside Motel when you have the money. Room 12.”
With that, he turned and sauntered out, leaving a cold emptiness in his wake.
Jane let out a shaky breath as the door swung shut behind him. Every nerve in her body was screaming at her to run, to put as much distance between them as possible. But she had to stay calm.
She busied herself re-stacking cans of paint, trying to ignore the ice in her veins. What did he really want? Oh, he needed the cash, of that she had no doubt. But there was something else. They’d only been together three years, but she’d learned a lot about the man. None of it good.
Pete was incapable of telling the truth. Over their brief marriage, he had spun story after story to manipulate her—tales of a tragic childhood, a dangerous job, people out to get him. Lies, all lies.
No, this was some new scheme. Another con with Jane as the mark. Only this time, he’d pulled out the big guns—the promise of getting Kellen back.
Jane’s hands stilled on the paint cans. Kellen. Her sweet boy, with his mop of brown hair and gap-toothed grin.
