Blackmailing the Bad Girl (Cutting Loose)

by Nina Croft

  So here she was. But things weren’t going as planned. The sergeant put down the phone and turned back. Summer rose to her feet, but when the sergeant raised an eyebrow, Summer sat down again.

  What was going on?

  Maybe Trenton had already contacted the police. She’d hoped by giving herself up, she might get some sort of reduced sentence. Plus, she planned on giving back the money. There was more than a million now. Her mom’s house had appreciated in value.

  She just needed something to happen, because she was going to go crazy sitting here, not knowing what was going on.

  It felt like an age, but glancing at her watch, she saw only five minutes had passed, when the door behind the counter opened and a man came out. Tall, dressed in a dark gray suit, white shirt, and red tie, he had gray eyes and a dimple in his chin. He spoke to the sergeant and then came around the counter, headed her way, and stopped in front of her. “Summer Delaney?”

  She nodded. “I want to—”

  “Come this way.”

  “But I…”

  He was already walking back the way he had come. She followed him, passing the sergeant, who gave her an amused grin.

  I don’t know what’s happening.

  The words wailed through her mind as she followed him down a corridor. He eventually stopped in front of a door, opened it, and gestured for her to enter. She hesitated. “Am I under arrest?”

  “Not that I know of.” He waved her into the room once more, and she gave in with a sigh. It wasn’t a cell, but some sort of interview room, she was guessing. With a wooden table and two chairs facing each other.

  “Can I get you a drink?” he asked. “Tea? Coffee?”

  “Coffee, please,” she said as she sank down into the chair facing the door. And he was gone.

  A few minutes later, someone tapped on the door, and a young uniformed officer came in carrying a tray with a mug of coffee, cream, sugar. If she was about to be arrested, they were treating her very well.

  “What am I doing here?” she asked as he was about to leave.

  He gave her a smile. “I’m sure someone will be with you soon.” And he left as well.

  Summer drank her coffee, because what else was she to do? She got up and paced around the room a few times. Sheer nerves had gotten her this far, but now they were draining away, leaving nothing in reserve.

  Sinking back into the chair, she used her bag as a pillow and laid her head down and willed the time away.

  She would be doing a lot of that over the next few years.

  Chapter Nineteen

  Trenton had believed he was coming to the office this morning to finalize the deal he’d been trying to get Nik on board with for over a year. Nik had disabused him of that idea quickly.

  It appeared Trenton had recognized Summer and tried to use her as some sort of bargaining tool.

  His little ex-con girlfriend, Trenton had called her. Nik had said if he ever mentioned her again, he’d make sure Trenton lost every last penny he had. He’d cooperated after that.

  Nik had demanded his immediate resignation, plus a signed affidavit that the money Summer had taken from his company was compensation for industrial injuries suffered by her mother. He’d told the man if he did that, then there would be no further reprisals. From him, at least. But he might know of a few other people who would be interested in the contents of Harry’s research files.

  But it was over, and Summer was safe.

  Now he had the company jet ready to fly to Edinburgh, and somehow, he’d find her. Harry had contacts. He’d had someone watching the train station. They hadn’t spotted her yet, though, which was worrying.

  He’d find her if he had to go stand in the middle of the city and shout out her name.

  His phone rang, and he picked it up. It was his temporary assistant. “There are two people here to see you. Harry let them up. Regan Malloy and Darcy Butler.”

  “Send them in.”

  Summer’s friends. What could they want?

  They charged in like a pair of angry lionesses. What had he done to cause this?

  Darcy was waving something in the air. She threw it on the table, and he glanced down. It was the check he’d given Summer. It had been torn in two.

  “How could you?” Regan asked.

  “How could I what? I was trying to help.”

  “That’s all people like you can understand. Goddamn money,” Regan snapped. “She needed your help, and you gave her a check.”

  “Good point,” Harry murmured. He’d followed them in and was leaning against the door, his arms folded, a smarmy smile on his face. Not helping.

  “She didn’t want my help. She wanted to go.” Now he really had to find her, before she starved on the streets. She had cleared out her accounts, but there hadn’t been much in them.

  “No, she didn’t,” Regan said.

  “Yes, she did. Look, it doesn’t matter. I’m going after her.”

  “You can’t.” That was Darcy.

  “Yes, I can. I have a plane ready.”

  “Whoop-de-do for you,” Regan replied. “But it won’t do you any good.”

  He’d been reaching for his jacket, but now he paused. Something churned in his stomach. Fear? What had she done? “Why?”

  “Because she hasn’t gone.”

  “So where is she?” He looked around the room as though she might suddenly pop up from behind her friends.

  “She’s giving herself up to the police. She’s going to confess everything. She’ll go back to prison, and she won’t make it this time because she’s too good for that place.”

  He sat down, his legs shaky, and ran a hand through his hair. “She has nothing to confess. I’ve sorted out Trenton. He’ll never press charges. She’s free and away.”

  “Not if she confesses first. The case probably won’t go forward without Trenton, but it could still mess up her parole.”

  “There’s no smoke without fire,” Harry murmured. Nik ignored him.

  “Shit, crap.” What the hell was he supposed to? “Phone up the police station. Say there’s a bomb.”

  “No, you need to get down there.”

  “Won’t it be too late?”

  “Let’s just say Regan has contacts within the force. We’ve employed a little delaying mechanism, but who knows how long it will last.”

  “Let’s move then.” He pressed the button on his desk. “Tell Paul to have the car waiting.” He stood up, at the last minute grabbing the affidavit Trenton had signed, exonerating Summer of all wrongdoing.

  He led the way out, his posse behind him. In the elevator, Darcy studied him. “On the drive there, you’d better come up with some idea of how to convince Summer you’re worthy of her love.”

  “Because she does love you,” Regan continued. “We’re just not sure she likes you enough to see past what you are.”

  Harry snickered. He was obviously having so much fun.

  But they were right. He still had to somehow get past her very genuine and deep-rooted dislike of rich people. He was asking her to become one of the enemy. How the hell was he supposed to persuade her he was the right man for her? That he could make her happy?

  “Have you got a piece of paper?” he asked Harry. Harry handed him one, followed by a pen, before he could ask.

  He thought for a moment, scribbled something down, keeping it simple. Then he signed it and passed it to Darcy. “Can you witness this?” he asked.

  She read it, her eyes widening. But she wrote her name and handed the paper to Regan, who spluttered but added her name to the bottom, as well.

  “Let’s hope it’s enough, rich boy.”

  “Soon to be poor boy,” Darcy added.

  It appeared they were expecting him at the police station. No one asked him his name or his business. A uniformed officer led him through a door, down a corridor. He tapped on another door, pushed it open. “Go ahead, sir, and good luck.”

  …

  The sound of the door clicki
ng open woke her, and Summer raised her head.

  Something was happening. At the last moment, she wanted out of there. Wanted to say she’d made a mistake and run until she found Nik.

  Then she looked up and straight into his eyes.

  She didn’t have to run anywhere. He’d come for her. Somehow.

  For a second, all her fears fell away. For one sublime moment, all that mattered was that he was here. Then reality crashed in. “What are you doing here?”

  Nik took a step into the room, and the door closed behind him. “I’ve come to ask you to marry me.”

  She shook her head. “Say that again.”

  “Will you marry me, Summer Delaney?”

  “What? Why?” Nothing was making sense.

  “I’m sorry I don’t have a ring. We can go pick one together when we get out of here. But in the meantime, please say yes.”

  “I can’t.” She stood up straight. “I’m going to prison, and I can’t ask you to wait.”

  “No, you’re not, but if you were, I’d wait forever.” He shrugged, took a step closer. “Maybe they’d allow us conjugal visits. But it’s not going to happen.” He held out a piece of paper. She took it and glanced down. Read it once. Then again. “Is this for real?”

  He nodded. “He’ll never come after you. He’ll never come after anyone, and he’ll pay for what he has done.”

  “I’m safe?”

  “Yup. And you get to keep the money.”

  She scowled. “I don’t want his money. I don’t need it anymore.”

  “Then you can give it away to charity. Like you did with the money you stole from me.”

  “You know about that?”

  He nodded. “And you do realize that with Trenton out of the way, I am now the only person with evidence against you. You have to marry me—because husbands can’t be made to give evidence against their wives. It’s the only way you’ll be safe.”

  “That’s certainly worth thinking about.”

  He held out his hand. She slipped hers into his, and he tugged her up. “You haven’t answered my question yet.”

  He wanted her to marry him, but how could she ever fit into his world? Did she even want to?

  The answer flashed up in her mind straightaway. Oh, yes. If that meant she got to keep him, to spend her life with him, she’d put up with anything. But somehow, she didn’t think it would be so bad. He might be rich, but he was a good person.

  She was clearly taking too long to answer, because he frowned and then pulled a second paper from his pocket. “Darcy suggested I was going to need something big to persuade you. This was all I could come up with.”

  She took the paper from his hand. It was only a single line.

  “In the event of her agreeing to our marriage, I, Nikolay Masterton, give all my worldly possessions to Summer Delaney.” It was signed and witnessed by Darcy and Regan.

  “All rich people have prenups,” Nik said. “I thought I would keep ours simple.”

  “You’re giving me everything? As simple as that?”

  “Only if you take me with it. I love you, Summer. Give me a chance to prove it to you. Give me a chance to prove I’m worthy of you.”

  She blinked away a tear. “I love you, too.” It was slowly sinking in. She wasn’t going to prison. And she was going to marry Nik, and she’d get to keep him forever, and he knew all her secrets, and he’d saved her life. Something occurred to her. She waved the paper at him. “Does this mean I’d have to buy my own ring?”

  “I hadn’t thought of that, but I guess so.”

  “Sod that.” She crumpled up the paper and tossed it on the floor. “I’m not buying my own ring.” Then she wrapped her arms around him and kissed him.

  A few minutes later, she came up for air and realized she’d forgotten to say the all-important words. He was watching her, an expectant look in his dark eyes.

  “I will.”

  Epilogue

  Danny pushed the wheelchair slowly down the aisle, turning his head to toss Summer a huge grin as they passed.

  In her long cream dress, with her hair loose around her shoulders and a huge bouquet of mixed flowers clutched on her lap, her mother was radiant. Summer sniffed. A tear welled up and trickled down her cheek. Beside her, Nik shifted closer in the pew, slid a hand into hers, and squeezed.

  It had been a month since the whole police station fiasco, and her mom and Pete were getting married. Her mom had met Nik and managed to forgive him for being rich. She’d given Summer her blessing. But then, her mom was a new woman since she’d fallen in love.

  And Summer had gotten her ring. She cast a surreptitious glance at her left hand and the simple sapphire on her ring finger. They were planning to get married when her mom and Pete got back from their honeymoon. Nik’s mother was helping organize the wedding, as Summer’s had been a little preoccupied. It would be a small affair; she didn’t want anything too ostentatious, but Elena had gotten one of her designer friends to make a dress just for Summer, the most beautiful dress ever.

  She glanced over her shoulder. On the opposite side of the aisle and a few pews back sat Regan and Darcy. Regan appeared dazzlingly happy—no doubt something to do with the gorgeous man at her side—but Darcy had a pinched expression on her face. Things were not going well, and Summer longed to do something to help her friend. Darcy had told both her and Regan there was nothing they could do, that she had to manage this herself. But if things didn’t get better soon, Summer was going to visit the source of Darcy’s problems and tell him he was being an asshole and to sort this whole thing out.

  The wedding passed as if in a dream. So much of her life had been a nightmare that she was finding this hard to accept. At the reception, she managed to sneak away from Nik for five minutes—he had a habit of keeping hold of her as though he couldn’t quite believe it was all for real either—and she, Darcy, and Regan all snagged glasses of champagne from a passing waiter.

  “Look at you two,” Darcy said, shaking her head. “Giving up your freedom already. Who would have expected it?”

  “Not me, that’s for sure.” Regan grinned as she admired the diamond on her finger.

  “Things will work out for you,” Summer said. They had to—Darcy deserved to be happy. More than any of them.

  Darcy gave a smile. “Of course they will. Don’t worry about me. I have a plan.”

  That was a little scary. “Well, don’t do anything stupid.”

  “And ask if you need any help,” Regan added. “We’re still here for you.”

  “I know.”

  They all clinked their glasses together. “To the future.”

  It was a totally different future than Summer had foreseen when they’d made a similar toast back in their prison cell on the day of her release. She’d wanted a new beginning. Instead, the past had come back to haunt her. She was so glad.

  “I want to show you something,” Nik said a few hours later, after the reception was over and her mom and Pete had left for the airport. They were flying out to Mauritius for their honeymoon. “It’s in London.”

  “Where are we going?” she asked as they headed back to the city.

  “Wait and see.”

  Before long, Nik was driving down into the parking area beneath Masterton Industries. He pulled into the space next to his own. She glanced at the name on the wall. Summer Masterton. Aw, he’d given her a parking space of her own. He was so sweet. Lisa was back now, so Summer wasn’t so sure she would be staying with the company. Maybe it wasn’t the best idea when she was engaged to the CEO, and besides, any position she could legitimately earn wouldn’t come with a parking space, which was a perk reserved for top executives.

  Nik was already out of the car, and she got out and walked around to stand beside him. “Thank you, but—”

  He stopped her words with a brief kiss that turned into a not-so-brief one. “Wait,” he said. “I have something to show you.”

  He took her hand and tugged her in the directi
on of the elevators. As they got in, he pressed a button and she frowned, trying to remember what was on the second floor. Sales and Acquisitions?

  She followed him down a carpeted corridor until he came to a halt in front of a set of double doors. She turned to look at him, not sure why she was here.

  “I was going to put you next to me,” he said quickly. “But I thought you might be a distraction and I’d never get any work done. And neither would you.” He waved a hand at the doors, and she turned back. This time she read the gold lettering on the black plaque: The Elizabeth Delaney Foundation.

  She stared at it for a long time. She’d told Nik of her dreams to set up an organization to help people in the same situation as her mother. He’d said he wanted to help, but she hadn’t expected this.

  “I wanted it to be a surprise,” he said, sounding almost nervous. “But I spoke with your mom first. She liked the idea.”

  Her eyes pricked, and Summer buried her head against his chest while she fought for control. Finally, she straightened and smiled up into his face. “It’s perfect.”

  Relief flashed in his eyes. “Come and have a look.”

  He pushed open the doors and urged her forward, leading her into a large reception area decorated in pale gray and blue, with a desk and two doors leading off. The door on the right had a name plaque. She moved closer, ran her fingers across it. Summer Masterton.

  “I thought there was no point using Delaney when it’s going to change soon.” Did he sound nervous again? “The other office is for a lawyer. You can start interviewing right away. I’ve set you up with a meeting on Monday with the finance department to discuss budgets.” She stood there, speechless, and he turned to her. “Say something.”

  “I don’t know what to say. I never expected to be this happy.”

  “You deserve to be happy.” He sounded so fierce.

  All her dreams were coming true. She had a chance to do something of value with her life, and she wouldn’t waste that. And she had Nik at her side. Looking so hopeful and expectant and…worried. She rested her palm on his chest, felt the beat of his heart. “I remember when you turned up at the prison gates. I thought I was going to have to pay for my crimes for the rest of my life. That I would never be free.”