Chapter 32 #2
I shake my head. “No. I think it’s Billy Akers. He was the guy who was cooking the books at Black Rabbit before I took over.”
His brow furrows. “I don’t think you told me about this.”
I didn’t. “He fucked Clyde over. While we were tending to him on his deathbed, Billy was cutting deals to sell Black Rabbit to the highest bidder.”
“Holy shit. You told Clyde, I assume. Is that why he left you the shop?”
I shake my head. “He never left the shop to me, he left it to Kelly.”
Camden turns to face me. “What?”
“Billy was the business power of attorney for Black Rabbit; he told Clyde he transferred ownership, but he never actually did it. What he did do was try to sell the shop to some faceless corporation who probably would have turned us into a cash cow, bleeding it out until there wasn’t a penny left.
Those weren’t Clyde’s wishes; it was supposed to go to Kelly.
I never found the paperwork to prove it, though. ”
He brings the rim of the beer bottle to his lips and waits for me to continue.
“I spent two-thirds of my trust to buy the shop and kill the deal.”
“What the fuck?” he shouts.
I glance over my shoulder and look up toward the house to make sure nobody heard his outburst. “Christ, keep it down!”
“Logan. There was close to three fucking million in that trust.”
“I know. That’s why I forged the papers to say it was left to me instead.
” I don’t tell him that since we’re married, Kelly and I both own it now.
That crosses a moral boundary for Camden, and I don’t need to involve him any more than I already have.
But in order to explain why I think the stalker is Billy, I had to give him something.
He turns back to looking over the water. “Who knows about the money?”
I take a sip from my beer. “Dad knows. And Billy.”
“How did you not kill that motherfucker on the spot?”
“I wanted to. Fuck, I wanted to. But between taking over the business, being there for Kelly after Clyde passed, not to mention my own fucking grief, I just didn’t have the energy. I needed to put my focus into Black Rabbit to make sure we didn’t go under.”
“Well, what’s stopping you now?”
“He was smart enough to take the money and run. Always talked about moving out west—”
I nod. “When he sent that letter, guess where the PO box was?”
“Bozeman,” Cam answers.
“Not Bozeman, but a city less than two hours away.” I let my beer dangle precariously over the water, holding on to the lip by my fingertips.
All the work I’ve put in the last few years has left me in a similar position as the bottle in my hand, barely hanging on.
“I’ve busted my ass to build Black Rabbit into something bigger.
I had to in order to keep it afloat when Clyde Everhart was no longer the main draw. To keep his legacy going.
“We’re worth more now than we were years ago .
. . I think he’s going to blackmail me for more money.
He sent me a letter recently—well, he addressed it to Kelly—but it went to the shop instead of her house.
I don’t think those messages about being replaced are meant for Kelly, I think they’re meant for me. ”
“Shit.” Cam blows out a breath.
“He knows the best way to motivate me is through her.”
“Yeah, and you’ve proved him right by handing over millions, you stupid fuck.”
I shrug. In retrospect, I should have buried this whole thing.
Would have been cheaper to fund a second funeral.
I won’t make the same mistake this time.
“I didn’t see any other choice, and I didn’t have time to come up with something better.
It’s not like I could prove anything to his lawyers.
I had to buy him out or we would have lost everything. Kelly would have lost everything.”
He takes a drink and tips his bottle. “What else do you know about the guy?”
I grasp my beer in my palm so it doesn’t fall. “Not enough. I’m hoping he’s out west and staying there. I can deal with the fucking DMs until then, as long as it’s nobody nearby who could hurt her. But I’m unable to do anything until I find out where he’s living exactly.”
Cam huffs. “Look, if he’s far, then you’ve got a little leeway.
Don’t go all Lenny and the mouse on her.
If she feels like you’re trapping her, then she’ll want to leave.
I know your instinct is to protect, but you have to give her space to breathe, or you’ll lose her entirely.
She’s probably freaking out as it is. It’s safer to give her a leash. ”
I shake my head. I don’t like those options.
“Have you installed cameras at her place?” he asks.
I don’t tell him I’ve installed the attic door sensor. “Not yet.”
“Might want to do that sooner rather than later. Just in case,” he says. “Was Bozeman the last message you received?”
I nod. “Kelly is talking about going to the police in case it’s just some asshole in the industry trying to fuck with her.”
He shrugs. “She can go to the police, but . . .”
“But?”
“Stalkers are hard to nail down. You report it, get a case, and they investigate. It’s an endless cycle of search warrants and requests for information; they can take weeks or months to gather that intel, and in most cases, those leads are dead ends.
It’s not that cops are lazy, it’s that the procedural shit takes too much time.
They can’t do anything until there’s enough to build a case, and stalkers are good at covering their tracks. ”
Casper is good at gathering intel. It might not be legal, but I don’t need a clean case. I just need confirmation on who it is.
I scrub a hand down my face. “How did you deal with this with Jordan?”
“It sucked.” He groans. “But I had her hidden for a good amount of time; that made it easier for me to breathe. You’re dealing with a different animal, a stalker who knows where his prey is. He’s tormenting both of you.”
My jaw clenches.
“If you haven’t gotten anything since Bozeman, maybe she’s right and it was just some obsessed client or a rival artist or something.”
I wipe some of the condensation off the cold amber bottle. “Maybe.” I don’t buy it.
“I’m really sorry you’re dealing with that shit. Don’t let it drive you crazy.”
Too late.
Camden rolls his shoulders. “How’s it going otherwise? Between you two?”
I smile. “So fucking good.”
“I don’t really have to ask, but . . .” He raises his eyebrows.
We exchange glances, letting the breeze do the talking. The water slaps against the wooden posts beneath the platform, causing it to creak. I don’t answer him.
“Yeah, I thought so,” he says. “I’m really happy for you. I know this is something you’ve wanted for a long time. You deserve it, especially after Piper died.”
I nod. “How are you and Jordan?”
“Great.” Cam looks around and lowers his voice. “We haven’t announced anything yet, but we found out last week that Jordan’s pregnant.” He gazes up at me, already proud.
I pause mid-sip and my brows shoot up. “Holy shit. Cheers.” I hold out my bottle, and he clinks his to it.
“Thanks.” He smiles bigger than I’ve ever seen. “Weird, right? I’m going to be someone’s father.” He shakes his head in disbelief.
“It’s terrifying.”
“I feel so damn lucky. I never thought I would have a life like this.”
I peer out over the water and smile. Camden and I are opposites in almost every way; we’ve always respected but never truly understood one another. Until today. We’ve found common ground in the prospect of permanence and family.
“Yeah, I know what you mean.”
After a few beers, we head back up to the house. Kelly’s eyes find mine from across the room, and it’s subtle, but I see the look.
“Another message?” I sign from across the room.
She nods.