Disillusioned (Swept Away, #2)(39)

“Is that why you both threatened Larry?” I looked back and forth at them. “Is that why he’s in hiding? Did he set off your warning bells as well? Were you scared he was going to come clean about everything? And what did you do to Steve? Was that all part of the act as well? Where is he now? Laughing in some hotel room and counting all of the money you paid him?”

“What?” David frowned, his expression changing, and he looked at Jakob. “What’s she talking about? What threats did you send to Larry?”

“I didn’t send anything to Larry.” Jakob blinked and scratched his forehead, his expression changing.

“Larry was on our side.” David frowned. “Larry’s the one behind all of the paperwork. If there’s anyone who wouldn’t want any information to be revealed, it’s Larry. I’d have no reason to threaten him.”

“What about Steve?” Jakob stepped toward his brother. “Why did you tell Steve to go rogue?”

“What are you talking about?” David frowned. “I didn’t even know Steve was going until after you both left. I didn’t tell him to go rogue.”

“It was your idea for me to kidnap Bianca and take her to the island. You’re the one who told me that she was a gold digger like her mother and that she was trying to use you to get her hands on the Bradley money!”

“I just wanted you to warn her away. Give her a little scare.” David pursed his lips. “I didn’t tell Steve to do anything.”

“Who were you speaking to?” I looked at David and poked him in the chest hard. “The last time I saw you before I caught you f*cking that whore, who were you on the phone with?”

“What?” He frowned.

“When you were talking about me on the phone with someone, you said that something was too dangerous, but they could go ahead. Who were you talking to? I always thought it was Mattias. Was it Jakob, then? Or was it Larry? Is that why Larry’s disappeared? Is he scared of you?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about, Bianca.” David shook his head. “I don’t remember that conversation. There were many times I pretended to be talking to Mattias because I wanted you to believe that he existed. And I’m telling you once again, I don’t know what’s happened to Larry.”

I looked into David’s eyes and could see he was just as confused as I was. He wasn’t the one who had been threatening Larry. But if not him and not Jakob, then who?

“Why did you send me those letters?” I asked softly. “And why did you leave us letters on the island as well? What did they mean?”

“What letters?” David frowned, and I could tell he didn’t know about them either.

“Jakob?” I turned to him. “Are you the one who left the letters?”

“No.” He clenched his fists. “It wasn’t you and Steve?” He grabbed David’s shirt tight.

“No,” David squeaked out. “I didn’t send any letters and I didn’t send Steve to the island and tell him to listen to me, instead of whatever he had planned with you. I just wanted to scare you, Bianca. I just wanted you to back off. Jakob was taking care of that for me. I don’t know anything else.”

“What do you know about my mother’s death? What do you know about my father’s share in the company? Why did you want me to back off?”

“I didn’t know anything. Larry contacted me and said we might have a problem. He told me he gave you some boxes from your father and then you asked him to get you shares so you could attend the shareholders’ meeting. He warned me that we needed to be careful. Larry is the one that had the most to lose. He’s the one that set everything up.”

“So what the f*ck has happened to Larry?” Jakob said in an annoyed tone, and we all just looked at each other, our faces a mix of anger, hatred, suspicion, and worry. I felt as if I’d uncovered a huge secret, but it wasn’t satisfying. All it had done was expose a deeper and scarier void of unknown. We’d all thought that we were the main players in this game, but we were all just puppets. Someone else was pulling the strings, and none of us knew who or why.





ten


Jakob and I left David’s house in silence. I sat in the passenger seat and stared out the window as he drove me home, the tension thick in the air. I could hear my own heart beating as I sat there tensely listening to Jakob’s fingers tapping against the steering wheel.

“You’re not going to say anything?” he said finally, and I could feel his eyes on me.

“What am I supposed to say?”

“Maybe you could tell me why you let David put his—”

“Are you f*cking kidding me?” I turned to Jakob angrily. “Did it look like I let David do anything?”

“Did you tell him no?”

“Not at first,” I acknowledged. “I thought it was you.”

“How could you—”

“I was blindfolded, Jakob, and the letter was from Mattias. I thought it was just some kinky shit you were into.”

“Did you like it?” he growled.

“Did I like what?” My voice rose.

“When he touched you.”

“I’m not talking about this.” I shook my head. “You’re a f*cking * to even be asking me this shit. What do you think? I was taken advantage of, Jakob.”