Chapter 40 Scarlett
SCARLETT
“Holy crap,” Tessa gasped.
We sat in Blake’s dining room, crystal wineglasses catching the amber glow from the recessed lighting above.
Well, technically, this was Blake and Tessa’s place now since she’d moved in shortly after they’d fallen in love.
It was at this very penthouse that I had first met Blake, back when I was the spitting image of confidence.
Sitting on his countertop, giving him advice like I had my life together.
And now here I was, with my world crumbling, and I was trying to stop it before it turned to dust. I’d filled her in on my weekend of fun with Jace. A weekend Blake probably knew about, too, after the ER visit. But most pressing at the moment, I’d filled her in on Marcus.
“You can’t let this guy get away with that,” Tessa insisted, her small frame practically vibrating with indignation as she leaned forward across the table, which smelled of sandalwood and wealth.
My best friend was right.
“I have no intention of letting him get away with it.” I took a deliberate sip of the cabernet and savored its rich bite against my tongue. Liquid courage. I’d need it.
“You have to tell Jace.”
“Agreed. But I have to be smart about it.” I traced the rim of my wineglass, buying time to organize my thoughts. “Marcus is a slimeball. He clearly knows Jace very well and will probably know just what to say to convince him that he’s innocent.”
“I’m sure Jace will take your side,” Tessa said, taking a sip of her own drink.
“If there’s even a small chance that what Marcus is saying is true, if Marcus has some dirt on Jace that could destroy his company and endanger everyone he cares about …” I swallowed hard. “If I tell him before I have my ducks in a row, this will go south. Fast.”
When I told Tessa how Marcus had essentially threatened people like Blake, her face went through a complete emotional journey.
First stop: wide-eyed shock. She’d stared into her drink for several silent seconds.
Then, step two. With a sharp intake of breath, shoulders squaring, nostrils flaring, she’d gone into anger mode.
Now, it looked like we’d graduated to step three: an unexplained gleam in her eye.
“What?” I demanded.
“You realize what just happened, right?” Tessa’s eyes lit up like she’d just solved a murder mystery.
“My growing venomous hatred for a sexual harasser?” I arched an eyebrow, reaching for my drink. “Or the fact that I’m now fantasizing about Marcus mysteriously falling down an empty elevator shaft?”
“When you caught me up on everything, it was all my career this and my job that. But now?” She leaned forward, voice dropping to a dramatic whisper. “Now you’re worried about Jace.”
I blinked. “Huh?”
“You. Want. To. Protect. Him.” Her smile stretched wider with each word, her eyes twinkling, like she’d just caught me writing his name, surrounded by little hearts. “Just like he protected you from your father.”
Yep. I’d told her that whole debacle, too, including the ER visit.
“And,” she added, “you said the sex was HOT.”
“Are you hearing me?” I straightened my shoulders. “Did you miss the part where this sociopath might come after Blake? Your boyfriend? The love of your life? The guy whose face is literally your phone background?”
Tessa waved her hand like I’d mentioned a minor inconvenience. “Which is exactly why you need to warn Jace. Once he tells the guys what’s going on, it’s Marcus who should be shopping for a bulletproof vest.”
“She said with disturbing murderous implications.” I squinted at her. “Should I be concerned about your browser history?”
“Back to the point,” Tessa sang, tapping her nails against her glass. “You, my friend, want to protect Jace.”
“It’s the decent thing to do.”
“It’s the romantic thing to do,” she countered, practically serenading the words.
I glared at her. “You know, for someone who just found out her boyfriend might be in danger, you’re disturbingly cheerful. Did you replace your blood with champagne when I wasn’t looking?”
Tessa’s smile fell, and she stared at her wineglass as she swirled the red liquid around, creating a miniature burgundy tornado.
“You’re right. Sorry.” She squared her shoulders. “Okay, back to the plan. What is the plan exactly?”
“First of all, I’ve already applied for two other jobs.”
“You’re quitting? That’s your grand plan?” Disbelief dripped from every word.
“My plan of attack has multiple levels,” I explained, setting my glass down with a soft clink. “I need to be smart here and protect myself and Jace. So, parallel to the big plan, I’m going to be looking for another job, just in case.”
“I guess that’s smart …” She fiddled with the delicate silver bracelet on her wrist.
“Which leads me to the second part.” I leaned in. “I need proof. I need to bring Jace evidence that Marcus is the one who harassed me and is now threatening him.”
“Maybe we should ask Blake how to approach Marcus?” Tessa suggested. “Maybe he’s met him before?”
“If you ask Blake, he’ll go to Jace, and then Jace will be tipped off, and Marcus will have an opportunity to weasel his way out of all of this.” I shook my head firmly.
“But if this guy is dangerous, I want to warn Blake.”
“Give me a day or two.” Surely, Marcus wouldn’t have a reason to turn into a serial killer within forty-eight hours.
“So, what is your plan to get this proof?” Tessa mirrored my posture.
“I’m going to wait until the office is mostly cleared out. And then I’m going to tell Marcus that I want to meet with him.”
A crease appeared between her brows. “Trapping yourself alone with a guy who might be dangerous sounds risky.”
“When he left me, he gave me a choice: to drop this or face the consequences. So, it stands to reason that he’s waiting for an answer.
” I tapped my nails against the table. “I’m going to give him that answer.
But I want to be recording audio when I do it.
All I have to do is catch him saying one thing that corroborates my story, and then I can take that to Jace. ”
“But what if he—”
“Tessa?” Blake’s voice boomed down the entryway, interrupting whatever objection she was about to raise.
“In here!” she chirped.
“I thought he wasn’t going to be home tonight?” I whispered.
Not that I minded seeing Blake. He was a really good guy. It was just that this was a very private conversation, one that I did not want her to share with her boyfriend right now.
She shrugged, lips quirking apologetically. “His hours are unpredictable sometimes.”
Right. ER doctors.
“Remember what you promised: that this conversation was just between the two of us,” I said, my voice low but firm.
Based on Tessa’s pursed lips, I could tell she didn’t like this, but her slight nod told me she would oblige. At least for now.
“Scarlett.” Blake entered the room, wearing black pants and a fitted black shirt that emphasized his broad shoulders.
“I didn’t know you were coming over tonight.
” His voice had changed in the time since I’d first met him.
Before, it had been gruff and grouchy. Now, there was a lighter side to it, like someone had finally adjusted his settings from brooding hero to actual human being.
Case in point, he walked over to Tessa and kissed her on her forehead like a lovesick puppy. He might be huge and muscular and smart enough to save lives, but he was seriously becoming a bit of a golden retriever if you asked me.
Which, yes, was beyond adorable. And he treated Tessa like a queen, so Blake was golden in my book.
“I was just about to leave,” I said, already gathering my purse.
“No need.” Blake waved a dismissive hand. His doctor eyes settled on my cheek. Stepping closer, he put his finger beneath my chin and tilted it toward the light to get a better view, his clinical assessment mode apparently never fully off.
“It’s healing nicely,” he said approvingly.
“It was a minor injury,” I reminded him.
“Sometimes, even minor injuries can get infected. You ladies hungry? I can have Maria cook up—”
“I’m fine,” I interrupted with a forced smile. “I was actually just about to leave.”
“You don’t have to—” Tessa started.
“I’m tired,” I cut her off with a smile that, hopefully, didn’t look as fake as it felt. “Thanks for the wine, Tessa.”
She followed me to the elevator. Yep, Blake lived in a penthouse with an elevator because of course he did—and waited until she seemed sure Blake was out of earshot.
“You look great, by the way,” I said, genuinely meaning it. I should have led with that, for crying out loud, rather than droning on about my problems. “You still feeling healthy?”
She’d battled a medical mystery, one that Blake had been there for every step of the way. Another reason I adored Blake; had it not been for him, Tessa wouldn’t be here right now.
“Never better,” she said, glancing over her shoulder to make sure Blake wasn’t within hearing range before whispering, “Are you sure about your plan?”
“I’m sure.” I stood straighter, channeling my inner warrior princess.
“What if he does something?” Worry etched across her face.
“That’s why I’m doing it in the office. The building has twenty-four-hour security on the first floor.”
The elevator doors opened with a soft ding, and I stepped inside, summoning every ounce of confidence I could muster.
“Scar, I don’t think you need to go through all that to tell Jace the truth. I’m sure he’ll believe you.”
“But this isn’t just about me anymore, and this is too important to take any risks. It’s only one conversation in a carefully controlled environment.”
What could go wrong?
Spoiler alert: everything. Everything was about to go horribly, worst-case scenario wrong.