“What, you got nothing to say?” Malcolm crossed his arms.
“I’ve already asked what you wanted and I never received an answer. That would be a good place to start.” They continued to stare across the room at each other.
Malcolm broke first. The man wasn’t much of a poker player or businessman. “I haven’t seen you in ten years, unless you count what I read and see in the paper. I thought maybe we could get to know each other.”
Griffin’s chuckle came out more as a growl. “Are you getting so old you can’t remember which ploys you’ve already used? You tried that ten years ago. I guess you’re here for your last check.”
“It doesn’t have to be this way.”
“Mom’s dead. More than two years ago. Did you know?”
Malcolm shook his head. Griffin couldn’t read the expression in the older man’s eyes.
“That’s why this will be the last time you ever contact me. You have nothing else over me. You can’t hurt her anymore. You don’t even deserve money now, but since you had the balls to actually show so I could say this to your face, I’ll give you that.” He crossed the room and opened a drawer to the side table. “How much this time? And remember, it has to last.”
Now the wheels turned in his father’s head. The realization that he couldn’t get to Griffin through loved ones ruined his plans. First Selena, then Mom. Griffin made sure no one would ever get that close again. But Malcolm still knew about Selena, and Griffin would do anything to save her parents any more pain. Add to that the damage to his reputation, and paying his father was worth it.
“You drive a hard bargain. You’re a lot more like me than the way you look. Keep it simple so no one can touch you. I tried to tell your mother that so many times. She never understood.”
The pen in Griffin’s hand began to bend, so he released the grip. “Unless you want to get tossed out on your ass without a check, I suggest you shut up and give me a number.”
“Fifty thousand.” He smirked as if Griffin should be shocked by the number.
Hell, he’d expected twice that. “I’ll cut you a check for ten. I’ll wire the rest when you leave town.”
Malcolm tilted his head, but then nodded. Griffin scribbled out the check and ripped it from the book. Handing it to Malcolm, he said, “Now get out.”
With the check tucked safely into his pocket, Malcolm smiled broadly. “A pleasure doing business with you. We’d make quite a team. If we were together, there wouldn’t be a safe heart in all of Chicagoland.”
Griffin took one step forward and Malcolm jolted from his spot. He quickly left the condo. Griffin returned to his bottle of whiskey and wondered how much he’d need to make him forget where he came from.
Indy dragged her feet toward her apartment. The bar had been slammed with business. The stack of singles shoved in her pocket made the sore feet and aching back worthwhile. Even though she wanted that money to go straight into her vacation fund, she had a feeling it would be poured into her car instead. The beast had begun making strange noises. Again.
She stopped in front of her neighbor’s house, surprised to see Richard leaning against her porch. “Hi. What are you doing here?”
At the sound of her voice, he looked up and his back stiffened. “You said you had to work. I thought you were showing houses, not shaking your tits at a bunch of drunks.”
She so did not need this right now. She’d had enough of Richard’s jealousy. “I’m tired. It’s been a long day.”
“We need to talk.”
She hated that sentence. Nothing good ever came from it. Already sore muscles clenched.
“About what?” she asked, trying to keep the irritation from her voice. She walked up the steps and unlocked the door.
Without turning around, she knew that Richard scanned the street to check on his car. He routinely made comments about the location of her apartment. She shook her head and went in alone.
She kicked off her shoes and sank onto the couch. The cool leather stuck to her skin. She closed her eyes and relished in the quiet. She heard Richard enter.
The familiar sound of crinkling cellophane had her gaze shooting up to his arms. He carried a huge bouquet of roses. He only brought roses when they’d been fighting. Usually because he tried to change her.
The thought came in a flash, but stuck.
Why was she still with him? Her sister, Quinn, and her best friend, Kate, had been asking her that for months. She’d brushed the question aside, but now, as Richard approached her with a serious expression, the question reverberated in her brain.
He sat beside her and laid the flowers on her lap. “You know I don’t like you working at that place. I’ve offered to help.”
“I don’t want your money. I can pay my own way.”
He slid a small black velvet box onto the table. He flipped the lid and a huge, sparkly diamond winked at her. She wanted to reach out and touch it, but shifted the flowers from her lap to the table beside the ring. Her heart raced and her stomach roiled. This was not going to end well.
Marriage had never entered even the remote recesses of her mind. Especially with Richard. He was a guy with money looking for a break and she knew how to show him a good time. Good times tended to end with commitment.
Someone always had to change.
“Marry me. You can quit that crappy job and leave this place.” He handed her a key.
“What’s this?”
“The divorce is done. I got the house.”
He took the house from his ex-wife and kids? “What about your kids?”
“What about them? They’ve moved to a new house. We can start our own family together.”
The snort burst from her before she thought. “I told you a long time ago. I’m not looking for marriage. I’m not marriage material.”
“Everyone is marriage material when it’s the right person. You wouldn’t have to work anymore. You can stay home and take care of the baby.” He leaned back and crossed his legs as if this was a done deal.
“Baby?” She laughed, and he jerked back. Startling him hadn’t been her intention, but the man was clueless. “What’s next? Dinner on the table every night at six?”
“That would be nice. That’s one thing I do miss from my marriage to Marion.”
Yeah, that’s what every woman wanted during a proposal—to be compared to the ex-wife. “I can’t do this, Richard.”
“Do what?” He scooted forward on the couch.
“Marry you. I don’t want to be with someone who doesn’t get me.”
“I get you, Indy. I love you.” He grabbed her hand and held it to his chest.
She tugged free and tried not to laugh. “You love the idea of me, but not me. Not really. I’m the girl who leaves tawdry messages for you in the middle of the day. The girl who loves the ceramic cows in her kitchen. The girl who strips her pantyhose off in the middle of the street.”
“Why would you do that?”
The question said it all. He would never understand her. He didn’t know how.
“Because I can. I’m not the right girl for you because you can’t imagine doing something ridiculous or silly.”
“Don’t do this.”
“You need to move on, Richard. I was a nice distraction during your divorce, but now that it’s over, you need to look for whatever will make you happy.” She handed him the key and the ring. That part was hard. The price on the ring would pay her rent for months. She moved away from the couch.
“You make me happy.”
“But I won’t for long.” She crossed her arms. “I can’t give you what you’re looking for.”
Backing away from her, his hands balled into fists. “There’s someone else, isn’t there?”
“No.” Priceless. So much for being nice and letting him down easy. Her phone rang. She pulled it from her pocket. Griffin. “I need to take this.”
She turned away from Richard, hoping he’d take the hint and leave. “Hello.”
&n
bsp; “Hey. Sorry to call so late. I planned to leave a message.”
His rough voice massaged her irritated nerves.
“It’s fine. I just got home. What did you need?”
“I want to refine my search for a house. Are you free for lunch tomorrow? I have some things I want to talk about.”
She paused, immediately thinking he was trying to make another date, but something in his voice convinced her otherwise.
“Sure. Text me the time and place.” She paused again. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah, long day. See you tomorrow.”
She hung up and turned back to Richard.
“There is someone else. Don’t try to lie.”
“That was a client.”
The disgusted humph made her want to slap him.
“What kind of client calls after ten?”
“The kind that is a friend. Someone who wants to make plans. Someone who knows that I don’t mind late-night calls.” She recrossed her arms. Time to end it. For good.
He stared at her with eyes burning. “I’ve felt it for months now. You’ve been pulling away, and I’ve been trying to hold on. I guess I’m too late.”
His eyes darkened and new wrinkles spread around them. Indy’s stomach fluttered and she clutched her phone in her hand. He’d never given her any reason to fear him. He was controlling and manipulative, but never violent.
“No one else can give you what I can. Be careful who you choose to be with.” He snatched the bouquet of roses from the table. “And remember. I always take what’s mine.”
He stormed out the door and she stood silently. What the hell was that? She inhaled deeply and locked the door. Good riddance.
I always take what’s mine. What was he talking about? Would he want the gifts he’d given her? He could have the ugly-ass furniture he’d insisted on getting for the living room. She stripped her clothes off in the middle of the room and tossed her T-shirt on the white leather couch.
The move would’ve driven Richard crazy. Everything has its place. She smiled and threw her panties on the coffee table.
She hadn’t felt so free in a really long time.
Photo: Nicole Morisco
About the Author
Shannyn Schroeder is a former high-school and middle-school English teacher. She holds a B.A. in English and M.A.’s in Special Education and Gifted Education. After having her third child, she decided to stay at home. She’s since worked as an editor for a couple of e-publishers and currently works as an editor for an education company that publishes online current events assignments. She juggles writing around the kids’ schedules.
In her spare time, Shannyn loves to bake and watches far too much TV, especially cop shows. She started her first book on a dare from her husband and has never looked back. She came to reading romance later than many, but lives for the happy ending, and writes contemporary romance because she enjoys the adventure of new love.
Readers can visit Shannyn online at www.shannynschroeder.com and can follow her on Twitter @SSchroeder_ and on Pinterest at http://pinterest.com/seschroeder
eKENSINGTON BOOKS are published by
Kensington Publishing Corp.
119 West 40th Street
New York, NY 10018
Copyright © 2013 by Shannyn Schroeder
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means without the prior written consent of the Publisher, excepting brief quotes used in reviews.
Kensington and the K logo Reg. U.S. Pat. & TM Off.
First Electronic Edition: January 2013
ISBN: 978-1-6018-3007-4
ISBN-13: 978-1-60183-147-7
ISBN-10: 1-60183-147-1
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