Reveal (Wicked Ways #2)(97)

“Still a no?” I ask, worried he’s not going to care how far I take this high-stakes game of chicken.

“Yes. God. Fuck. Yes. I did it. I fucking did it. Are you happy?” Spittle flies off his lips and hits my cheek.

“Did what?” I demand.

“Had sex with Samantha.”

I release my hold on him and wipe the spittle off with the back of my hand. It takes all I have to look at him, my stomach churning, my heart hurting.

“You sick fucking bastard.” Fury riots through every single part of me as I look at the wasted man. “I would add that if you so much as go near another little girl, the same goes with the contents of this locker. I’ll turn everything over to the police.” I run my eyes up and down the sorry sight of him. “But I guess Samantha made sure that wouldn’t happen again with where she aimed, now didn’t she?”

He grits his teeth as my smile widens.

“If you ever come near me again . . . ,” he says, his face a mask of fury.

“You’ll what?” I laugh. “It’ll be because you broke your word, and I’ll be at your sentencing in court. You’re a pathetic piece of shit. May you rot in hell.”

I head toward the library door, and once I have it open, I turn back to face him one last time. “For your information, Samantha didn’t tell me a thing. I never had the pleasure of meeting her. You sealed her fate the minute you chose to violate her. You sealed your own as well.” I remove my cell phone from my pocket so he can see that the record button on the screen has been engaged. “You go back on your word to me, I have your confession right here.”

Without another word, I move to the foyer, where Beatrice is heading toward me.

“Leaving so soon?” she asks cheerfully.

“Yes. Poor James isn’t looking too well. You might want to check on him.”

Just as I pass through the gates and take a breath of non-creepified air, my cell rings. I chuckle when I look at the screen and wonder just how fast good ol’ James rallied up the Dillinger family.

“Chance. Brother. Are your senses on high alert? I step foot in Greenwich, and it’s like you know I’m in your town.”

“I know, and it’s about damn fucking time. You didn’t call. You didn’t write.” He laughs.

“Yeah. I wasn’t sure how long my business was going to last.”

“You done now? Can we have drinks? Dinner with my fam? What?”

I think of the woman I have at home. The woman who is a complicated mess of gorgeous chaos, feisty innocence, and flawed perfection. She’s the one I’d much rather be with right now.

I look back at the house behind me and hope to never see it again.

Fuck that. I will see it. In fact, I’m going to buy the place when the old buzzard dies, and then I’ll burn it to the ground.

For Samantha.

For Vaughn.

For Lucy.

Demolishing to ashes a past that never should have been would be worth every goddamn penny.

“Thanks for the offer, Chance, but I have a sour taste in my mouth after my meeting.”

“One of those fuckers you’d like to wrap your hands around their neck to shut them up?” He laughs.

“Exactly. One of those.”

“So that’s it? In. Out. Done?”

“I’m sorry, but yes, that’s it.”

“Just like the college days. Nothing changes,” he jokes.

Interestingly enough, everything has, though. My thoughts flash to Vaughn and the long drive home. To how I can’t wait to see her and look in her eyes knowing I’ve taken one more step so that she never has to worry about that prick again . . . even though I’m not even sure I’ll tell her.

Now Carter’s threat holds no weight.

“Hey, Lockhart? You still there?”

“Yeah. Sorry. I was just staring at a piece of real estate I have my eye on.”

“Here?”

“Mmm. Yes.”

“Lots of gorgeous places to buy.”

“Not this one. I’ll raze it to the ground.”

“Really? Here in Greenwich?” His shock would be even greater if he knew what I was looking at.

“Yep. Here in Greenwich.”

“So you’ll be back, then?”

“Someday, yes.”





CHAPTER FORTY-FIVE

Vaughn

“So that’s it?” Ella asks me, her grin beaming, her enthusiasm borderline annoying.

“I guess so.”

Shouldn’t I feel excited? I made this—Wicked Ways—into something that someone else wants. Something they are paying handsomely for. Shouldn’t I be proud of that?

I am.

I’m just exhausted in ways that no one can ever understand. There will be no more looking over my shoulder constantly. No more fear I’ll mix up who I am with the wrong person. No more hiding the money and trying not to trigger interest by the police despite all the precautions.

But it’s also a little bittersweet. Despite all the cons, there was something about being Madam Vee, something about running the business, that was empowering.

I smile at Ella. “If all goes as planned, it will be official by the end of next week. Upon your wire, I will transfer my book of business and everything else with it to you.”