Chapter 23
CHAPTER 23
MEREDITH
" P romise you won't tell them? Not yet?" I curled deeper into Sofia's plush couch, clutching one of her designer throw pillows like a shield. I’d even gotten my weighted blanket from the room and wrapped it around myself again. Leo’s stupid thoughtfulness was both infuriating and softening. I wanted to hate him, but it was a little hard right now.
"Your secret's safe with me." Sofia settled cross-legged beside me, concern etched on her face.
"I found my medical files at Gray's new place." I glanced down at my painted toes poking out from the bottom of my blanket. I’d changed into some comfy clothes before plopping on the couch to talk to her, wrapped up in my blanket. "Hospital records from when I was younger."
Sofia's eyes widened. "Records? What did they say?"
"They documented a lot of injuries. Broken bones, concussions, you name it. Almost one visit a year since my mom died."
Her frown morphed into horror as I chewed my cheek, unable to hold her gaze.
"Wait, did your father do all that?"
I nodded, resting my chin on the pillow. "I remembered them, what caused a few of them in my early and mid-teens. Him just being mad over stupid things. Gray never knew. Dad always made sure to hurt me when he wasn't around. And it was covered as an accident. Biking injury, falling down the stairs, you name it."
"Mer… Jesus Christ, that man was fucked in the head. To hurt his own daughter like that?" She shook her head, her expression pained and saddened. "I'm so sorry."
"Well, it's over, he paid for it," I mumbled.
"Leo and Gray..." Sofia took a moment to choose her words, but settled on what she believed. "They did the right thing, putting down that monster."
"Yeah, I guess so." I pursed my lips for a moment as Sof stared at me like I was about to break into pieces. Surprisingly, I didn't feel that way. Sure, I'd cried, but I was doing well for the most part in life despite his attempts to destroy me and break me down. Hell, even kill me. I was alive despite him. Was I thriving? Well, I was doing better than him by any account.
"That's not all." I took a deep breath. "Today, at work, I think I ran into the blackmailer. He kept saying 'we know' about my father's death, but maybe it's just him trying to sound more threatening."
"What?" Sofia sat up straighter, her expression shifting to a new kind of shock. "What happened?"
"Well, I tried to question him, but that got interrupted when Miss Home-wrecker showed up?—"
"No way!" Sofia's eyes went wide. "You saw her? Holy shit, why didn't you call?!"
"Sorry, I was a little preoccupied being restrained." I couldn't help a small, bitter laugh. "She slapped me, I slapped her back and tried to go in for more, so security got involved. She had the nerve to go off at me, saying how dare I? Probably for Logan being in the hospital I suppose."
"Good for you!" Sofia actually clapped as she barked out a gleeful laugh. "Let her have those sloppy seconds and a messed up face. You should've put that bitch in the gutter and given her a black eye. Man, what I would've done to see that!" She grinned wickedly. "She'll get her karma when he cheats on her too though, just wait and see. Stupid cow." Her expression sobered though as mine did. "But back to this blackmailer. Even though that was utter gold. You think you know who it is?"
I nodded, thinking of Sullivan's voice on the phone. "He used to work with my father, before Leo came into the picture. Before my father started working with the Donati family."
"Don't leave me in suspense, what's his name? Why haven't you told Leo or Gray?" Her brow drew together uneasily.
"Andrew Sullivan. And because it's from before the Donati family. What if he knew way back then but kept it secret because he knew of the Donati family my father was mixed up with? What if he's got a sick daughter he needs money for, or…" I let my words trail off as she nodded knowingly.
"You think Leo will wipe him off the board when he might be someone innocent. Although, just saying, no blackmailer is innocent," she said pointedly. "But it's nothing we can't figure out. So he worked with your father before Leo came along? Do you remember how they worked together?"
She had her phone out now, and I relaxed, knowing if anyone could help me get to the bottom of this, it was my CIA sleuth of a friend. The information she'd dug up on others in college and throughout our friendship had been insane, although now I knew how and why.
"They worked together, a financial partnership. AA Finances," I shared, and she rolled her eyes.
"So original. I'll find him."
"I already did, I called him?—"
Meredith!" Sofia's gaze shot up from her phone. "You don't call the man trying to blackmail you!"
"I thought he might give me more answers," I defended myself, feeling a little silly now with her outburst. Maybe it hadn't been my smartest move, then again, none of them had been lately.
"Well did he?"
"No…"
Her expression screamed 'what did you expect' before she focused on her phone without another word. Her fingers flew across the screen and then she was making calls. Despite leaving her family's business behind, she clearly still had connections. A few quick calls as she paced the living area, and information started flowing.
"Okay, we'll know in the next thirty minutes," Sof said once she hung up on yet another call. "Now, going forward, don't contact him, Mer. If he said ‘we’, maybe he is working with someone else, and if he knows the Donati family, maybe it's not good people."
"If so, why would he visit me in person at work?" I pointed out, although my stomach was knotting now.
"Yeah, that's weird. Either really bold or really stupid on his part," she muttered as she sunk onto the couch beside me. "Honestly, I swear, your life these past few days has been insane."
"Tell me about it." I checked my phone, looking at the message from Gray I'd gotten on the drive over here.
How he'd found Logan's ring on the bedside table at my place and taken it. So Logan had taken it off. The sting from that hadn't been as much as I'd expected.
"So, the hoe who fucked Logan, who was she?" Sofia focused on something to keep us occupied while we waited for answers.
"Shannon Peters."
"Maybe I should drag her ass through the mud," Sof mused as she began googling instantly. "Make sure everyone knows she likes to fuck engaged men."
"Sof, it's fine. Like you said, she'll get her just desserts," I said as I covered her phone with my hand, not wanting to add yet another thing to the long list of wrong moves.
"Ugh, fine. So, what'd you bring from Gray's? Did you check all your stuff? Did he get everything?" She fired off the questions as she nodded at my duffel bag discarded by the hallway.
"Well, the wine we were meant to pop on our wedding day, Gray got that out. Along with the keyboard and headset I got Logan. And his engagement ring," I said, unable to contain the devilish smile.
"Oh, god, I love him now," she said dramatically. "We should get the ring appraised, get the money back. I know a guy actually, get you closer to retail value," she said thoughtfully. "And taking his gaming stuff, man, I wish he'd taken the whole damn PC. That would've ruined his day for sure."
"I think Leo beating him into the hospital did that enough," I shot back.
"Yeah, true."
"But Gray got all my main things, which is good." Even with me shutting him out, he was still looking out for me. It was all he'd ever done, and I couldn't fault him for it. We'd get past this, somehow.
"Perfect! I'd suggest popping that bottle now, but I'm still…" She scrunched up her nose as she held her stomach with one hand, and I laughed.
"Don't worry, I'm in no rush either. I might actually have a coffee and bite to eat. Was doing that before Shannon and Andrew messed up my afternoon," I said, and she was already on her feet, headed to the kitchen.
I watched her quietly as I wondered why my life had decided to implode right now. It wasn't like I'd kicked someone's dog or smashed a mirror. I'd always tried to do the right thing in my life.
Sof was back with two mugs of coffee and some pastries in record time. She must've ordered the food while I was gone.
"Now, we need to figure out what our plan is. Are we going to Lake Forest?" She peered at me over the rim of her steaming mug.
"I have no clue. I'm still figuring things out," I said softly, my mind jumping right to Leo. We needed to talk about so many things. About my boozy kiss, about how I felt. Logically, I knew I should take Gray's offer and leave Ironstone, to turn my back on this mess and set myself free. But would I truly be free? Gray was still tied up with the Donati family and had blood on his hands, and Leo… I'd always think about him, about what he'd done for me, how he'd felt that night, how he'd cared for me.
I'd always wonder 'what if?'
"Hey, you okay there?" Sof drew my attention back to her. "You looked deep in thought."
"Just Leo…" I admitted as I stared into my coffee. "I do care for him, Sof. But I know how risky it would be to want to be with him. He's killed for me. Hell, he kills for a business. He's a dangerous man."
"All men are dangerous," she stated blatantly. "But is he dangerous to you ?"
I'll always protect you.
"No," I said honestly. I knew he wasn't a danger to me. He was a danger for me. Which was what I was struggling with.
"You don't like the idea of the things he'd do for you, right?" she confirmed, and I nodded. "You know, some women would throw themselves at a man like that. A man made of money who'd bury anyone who put you at risk. But it's also so much better as a fantasy than an actual fact," she noted. "Definitely something more terrifying in reality. At the end of the day though, I think I'd look at my options. You had Logan, a cheating shitbag who used you for your money in a lot of ways, you could wind up with an abuser like your father, a gaming deadbeat, or you could wind up with Mr. Golden Retriever and live in a town far away from here, raise a family away from all this madness, and never look back." She studied me for a moment as I pondered this. "But would you always think about Leo and what he did for you? How he makes you feel? How life could've been with him? Sure, it's a dangerous, bloody, and risky world, I would know, I chose to leave it, but it's also a powerful, rich, and freeing one. You'd also lose Gray, your brother, the man who killed for you to save you. "
"You know, you're the worst at helping me figure some things out." I chuckled, and she shrugged.
"This is for you to decide, I'm just helping you see all sides. Know your options all round."
This was not going to be an easy choice at all. When she put it the way she had, I knew the smart move was to just pack up and leave entirely, move to some small town and never look back. Meet my Golden Retriever husband and have a beautiful family. Maybe it would work, maybe I could do it. But if I did, would I have to change my name? Cut myself off from Gray and everyone here so there were no ties? I'd have to in order to be safe.
Would I have to cut off Sof?
"Whatever you do decide, when you do, I'll support. You want to run away to some small town in buttfuck nowhere, I'll go too. We'll change our names and start completely fresh, no ties to Ironstone. I'll make it work for us, promise. We can be little florists or bookshop owners or some crap." She grinned as she imagined it, and I snorted.
"God, I love you, you're the best."
"I know." She winked before laughing. "I love you too, Mer. We're sisters nowadays, and family looks out for one another."
I bobbed my head, thinking of Gray now. He'd always looked out for me too. He'd hate it if I ran and cut him off. He'd always wonder about me. Maybe I'd tell him my plans but not say where before cutting him off. I'd never be able to reach out or update him. I'd lose him forever.
And that thought hurt deep.
Was I willing to lose both him and Leo?
Sof's phone sounded off, and she snatched it up. "Hello?"
I watched as she nodded and confirmed a few things. She finally hung up, and I leaned forward in anticipation.
"So, Andrew Sullivan," she started, setting her phone down. "Looks like life hasn't been kind to him lately. His company went under six months ago after some nasty allegations, all which were proved true – embezzlement, sleeping with his secretary, the works. His wife left him, took everything she could in the divorce. He's facing bankruptcy. He's still trying to do Accounting from home, but it's not working out for him."
"So he's desperate for money," I murmured, pieces starting to click into place. I'd been right then, he was in a tough spot and desperate.
"Do you think he knows who he's really dealing with?" I asked, twisting a strand of hair nervously. "What the Donati family is capable of?"
Sofia chewed her lip. "I'm not sure. I mean, he waited this long to blackmail, so he's had the records and stuff. Makes me think he did know and was too scared, but kept it as a backup plan for such a time as now. Although, if he really knows the Donati's, he'd know that's a damn stupid idea. They're not a family to blackmail. But Mer, I think we should tell Gray and Leo. They need to know. My guys couldn't find him linked with any bad guys, so it might just be him. And if so, they can sort that out easily enough."
"If we do that, Andrew Sullivan might end up dead." Leo was not one to take anything lightly, even I knew that. Andrew had threatened to out him, and that was not someone you did to a damn made man. "He's just desperate, he doesn't deserve to die. Sure, he's no saint," I added, having been in his wife's position. "Anyone would be desperate given his situation."
"Yeah, I know. He may be a cheating lowlife, but death is too much," Sof agreed. "We could just tell Gray then. He can handle it a bit more civilly. Or, y'know ask Leo super nicely not to?—"
Sudden pounding on the door cut her off. Roman's voice carried through: "Ms. Cassaro!"
My phone rang simultaneously – Gray's name flashing on the screen. Sofia rushed to let Roman in while I answered.
"Gray?"
"We got intel." His voice was tight, controlled, not bothering to address the tension we had. Whatever this was, it outweighed that. "Someone's coming after you. You need to move. Now."
"What? Why?" My heart thundered against my ribs as I shot to my feet.
"I'm not sure, but Sofia's place is compromised. We need to get you somewhere safe."
The urgency in his voice made my blood run cold. Was this because I'd called Andrew Sullivan? Was I here trying to protect a man who was now coming after me?
Or was this something else entirely? Something to do with Gray or Leo?
Whatever it was, if he wasn't taking it lightly, then neither would I.
"Okay, got it. Roman's here," I said as Roman stormed into the room like a man on a mission, ready to usher us to safety.
"Perfect, go with him. I'll see you soon. We'll get to the bottom of this, Mer. I'm sorry you're so tangled up in our mess lately. I never wanted any of this to happen, for you to get involved. Please know that."
I hated how defeated he sounded right now, and my heart pulled as I followed Roman outside. I knew Gray only wanted to take care of me and look out for me.
"I know, it's okay. We'll figure it all out," I assured him.
"We will. You just stay safe. I love you."
"I love you too, Gray." A part of me wanted to say I understood and forgave him for what he did, but the words caught in my throat. The chance was gone as he hung up, and I glanced at Sof, noticing she'd grabbed my duffel bag on the way out.
Roman hurried us to the car, his usual composed demeanor replaced by sharp urgency.
"This day just gets crazier and crazier," Sof stated as she slid into the backseat with me.
"Sof, I'm so sorry?—"
"Don't you dare blame yourself," she cut me off, squeezing my hand as the car jerked into motion. "This was bound to happen sooner or later, though I always thought it'd be because of my family's mess, not yours."
"Gotta love crime families, right?" I said dryly, and she scoffed.
"Any idea who’s after Meredith?" Sof asked Roman, but he shook his head.
"No idea yet, Leo's working on it. We just got the intel and had to move you both right away."
"Great. Guess I'll need to move no matter what now," Sof said with a sigh, but offered me a reassuring smile. "I was getting tired of having that yard maintained anyway. I think I'll go with an apartment next."
I knew she was only trying to make me feel less guilty. She loved that house. She'd bought it as soon as she'd finished college, and I'd even helped her repaint rooms and modernize it, since she loved doing her own little renos when she could.
So many years, so many memories, and now she'd have to flush it away. All because of me.
"Hey, like I said, this isn't your fault. Don't you dare start blaming yourself, Meredith." She squeezed my hand again, giving me a firm look.
"If we weren't friends?—"
"Oh shush, I'd never want to change that. It's just a house. A home is made from the people in it, and you're there more often than not. You're the important one in my life, not some bricks and wood." She shut me down quickly, and I smiled, squeezing her hand back.
"Thank you."