Her Forever Hero (Unexpected Heroes #3)(65)

“Her mother talked her out of it.”

“What?” Cam stood rigid next to the window, the need to strangle someone so overwhelming that his fingers hurt. “Why? Why would she do that?”

“Because she convinced Grace that if she cried rape, they would turn it around on her, making the Sinclairs look bad. Mommy dearest couldn’t allow that to happen,” Sage said, scorn dripping from her tongue.

“Grace won’t prosecute this bastard even with all of this. It’s bullshit,” Cam raved.

“And I think he’s coming after her for more money, now that he knows she’s back where it all began. I don’t know if he’s trying to get a nice fat sum of money in his account before his fiancée figures out exactly who he is, or if the well has run dry from his job—but I think he’s trying to scare the crap out of her, make her weak, and then exploit her for all she’s worth.”

“Why wouldn’t he just demand more money? This doesn’t make sense,” Cam said, anger still ripping through him, but trying to calm down so he could think.

“I don’t know, Cam. I really don’t know, but there’s too much coming at her right now, and I don’t think she can handle anything else.”

“So the threats have nothing to do with the embezzlement,” Cam stated.

“I don’t know. I don’t know how any of this is happening to Grace. She doesn’t deserve it,” Sage said in a defeated tone.

“I’m going to solve this. I think it’s time Jimmy and I have a little chat.”

Cam couldn’t hear anything further. He needed action. Yes, he was a man of the law, but at this moment the law couldn’t help him. Although he had friends who could—no questions asked.

It was time to call them.





“Hi, Grace.”

Her spine stiffened at the sound of his voice. Disgust and shame all at once filled her. “Why, Jimmy? Why are you back in my life? Why are you calling me?”

“Aren’t you going to even ask how I got your number, darling?”

“I’m not your darling, Jimmy. I never have been, never will be,” she snapped.

“You’re just no fun at all, are you?” he mocked.

“Why don’t you tell your fiancée—I know you stole my number from her—that you’re a rapist and extortionist? I have nothing to say to you.”

“I wouldn’t hang up if I were you, Grace. I know that high-and-mighty tone. You think you’re so much better than me—that you always have been. But you see, I’ve managed to pull myself out of that trailer park I grew up in. I’ve managed to make a name for myself—and find me a real respectable whore to marry, even. A very wealthy whore, at that,” he said with a laugh.

“Then go back to your whore and leave me the hell alone,” she snapped, her fingers itching to hang up, but she knew this wouldn’t end until the filthy man said what he intended to say.

“I can’t do that. You see, she’s begun to grow suspicious that I’m not exactly who I say I am. She doesn’t think I’m quite as wealthy as I’ve implied.”

“So that’s why you finally came out from hiding behind your future bride and let me see your face—you want money.”

She fought to keep her voice even, to make it sound almost bored. What good would showing him emotion do her? None at all. It would give him power, and she was through with giving this man power over her.

“I need more money, darling. You know, not many people will want to hire an event planner who so willingly took slutty pictures when she was barely out of high school.”

Grace was silent as she counted to ten and then twenty silently. She’d promised herself she would never again let this man manipulate her, and she wasn’t going to do it this time.

“I’m not afraid of you anymore, Jimmy. You see, when I ran to my mother and told her I was raped, and she acted like it was my fault and made me go clean myself up before she was able to even look at me, I felt shamed and alone. I felt that way for years, until the day I walked into her bedroom and found her on top of you. Neither of you looked ashamed—you looked pretty damn hot for each other.”

“What does that have to do with your pictures, sweetie?”

“I didn’t pay you off because I was ashamed, Jimmy. I paid you off because my mother was ashamed. If you want to publish those pictures, you go right ahead and do that. But just remember that I know some pretty powerful people, and I figured something else out as the years went by . . .” She stopped, a smile creeping into her tone.

“And what is that?” The more she taunted him, the angrier he became. Good. She wanted him angry, because she was sure as hell pissed off.

“No one controls me. Try and use those pictures and I’ll have you in jail for slander, extortion, and rape.” She wasn’t bowing down to him ever again.

He was silent as he tried to comprehend what she was saying. She waited.

“You can’t do that,” he finally spluttered.

“Oh, yes, I can, Jimmy, believe me. I don’t know whether you still even have those pictures or whether you were smart enough to think of using them against me twice. But all the same, those pictures are evidence of what you did to me.”