Chapter Eight
Emily never thought her life would take this course. She didn’t expect to find love, especially not with her high school bully. People really could change and Dalton was a testament to that fact.
They’d been playing house for nearly a month now. She’d only gone back to her apartment to grab clothes and to water her one spider plant. In all honesty, being with Dalton was the only place she wanted to be. She just wished she could get rid of the nagging feeling that it was all too good to be true.
She patted Zero on the head before leaving for the shelter. Dalton’s rescued dog had already undergone a huge transformation. The training and attention were exactly what the dog needed. It was heartwarming watching the two of them together. Every time Dalton came home, Zero’s eyes would light up.
When she got to her car, she noticed an envelope under her windshield wiper. Emily paused, looking around the quiet end of the street before opening the letter.
“What the hell?”
It reminded her of an old horror movie. The entire letter was written with letters cut out of a magazine. She was being blackmailed. Again.
Her heart began to race.
The letter threatened to expose Dalton’s illegal businesses unless she gave up fifty thousand dollars. She didn’t have a penny to her name. Just because Dalton insisted on spoiling her and making her drive one of his high-end SUVs, didn’t mean any of it was hers. They weren’t even married yet, and hadn’t talked about it the past month.
Everything between them had been going so smoothly. It was perfect, maybe too perfect, and she didn’t want to ruin it all by bringing up this nightmare. Dalton shouldn’t have to pay that kind of money to a blackmailer. Who would want to do this to them?
Emily wondered if her life would always be in danger. Being in a relationship with a criminal, they could use her against him. Maybe some men were better off single—but she still wanted to marry him with every fiber of her being. She was crazy and stupid but undeniably in love.
She was still standing by the side of the car with the letter in her hand when someone grabbed her from behind. Emily screamed out loud, turning and falling back against the car door.
“Whoa, it’s just me, baby.” Dalton held out her pink travel mug. “You forgot your coffee in the kitchen.”
She exhaled, feeling dizzy as the adrenaline rush drained away.
“Sorry, you startled me.” She shoved the letter into her purse and took the coffee.
He kissed her temple. “You need to take it easy. I’ll help you relax tonight.” That sexy grin of his always unraveled her, but sex was the last thing on her mind right now.
As she drove away, her mind wandered. Maybe the person who left the letter wouldn’t try anything else. Maybe they’d regret everything and move on. Or would they just follow through on their threat if she didn’t comply?
How would she even give them the money? There was no name, number, or contact. This was ridiculous. It was probably teenagers just fooling around. It had to be a joke. She reached over, stuck the letter in the glove box, and decided to forget about it, or at least try.
When she got to the shelter, Casey was already in the office.
“Hey, Emily. Your mom called again.”
“Again?”
“She called four times already. Said it was urgent.”
Emily stopped in her tracks. Her mother never called the shelter. She should have known it was her mother, but never expected her to sink this low. Dalton was right. She’d been foolish to keep paying her mother’s bills and bending over backward for her. This was too far, though.
Once she was alone in the office, she called her mother.
“You called the shelter and said it was urgent. What’s so important?”
“I tried your cell but it kept going to voice mail. I was wondering if I could borrow fifty dollars. There’s this thing…”
Emily rubbed her temples. Her mother never paid back money, but that wasn’t the issue right now. Emily wanted to know if she was blackmailing her, trying to destroy Dalton.
“Fifty dollars or fifty thousand?”
“What?”
She sounded confused but Emily wasn’t buying it. “Did you leave a letter on my car this morning?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“You know where I’ve been staying lately, don’t you?” Emily asked.
Her mother must have come early in the morning or even during the night to put the note on the SUV. She’d been held at the house by Dalton’s security before for stealing, so her mother had a grudge. A grudge and a blind desire for wealth.
“Everyone does. I mean the whole town knows you’ve shacked up with your millionaire boyfriend. What does this have to do with lending me fifty dollars? I know you have it.”
“Look, I just got to work two minutes ago.” She wasn’t one hundred percent sure her mother was the blackmailer so didn’t want to accuse her falsely and create more headaches for herself. And even though she felt used, she still found it too hard to say no to her mother. “I’ll run it by on my lunch hour.”
She sat alone in the office, the silence settling around her. Her thoughts were loud. Her mother was probably jealous. Emily had what her mother had been striving for since she was a child—a rich man. But Dalton’s wealth was the last reason she was with him.
She’d fallen in the love with the man, the one hidden under all the layers of hurt and pain. Even if he didn’t have a penny, she’d be with him.
The phone rang again, making her jerk to attention. Her nerves were shot.
Emily scrubbed her hand over her face, knowing it was her mother again. She probably wanted her to drop everything and rush over to her trailer immediately.
“Hello?”
The voice wasn’t human. It was deep and robotic. “I see you got the letter. I hope you’re taking it seriously. I’d hate to see your boy toy in prison and your dog shelter up for auction.”
“What do you want from me?”
Her hand began to shake so she held the phone to her ear with two hands.
“I’m watching you. I want the money in large bills this Thursday. I’ll let you know the time and place tomorrow.”
“That’s only two days,” she said. “I don’t have—”
“This isn’t a game. And all those puppies need a place to stay. I suggest you comply.”
Then the call ended.
Emily froze in place. She held her breath, the hot tears filling her eyes. Who would do this to her? Nobody knew to use the dog shelter against her except Dalton. Was this another game? Had she misread their entire relationship?
Maybe he wasn’t the man she thought he was at all. A month wasn’t long in the big picture. He could be a psychopath. Emily had nowhere to turn and no one to trust.
****
“You’ve hardly touched your food,” he said.
Emily had been pushing her vegetables around her plate with the fork since they sat down to eat dinner. She’d been quiet, distant, and it was doing a number on his insecurities.
“I’m not hungry.”
“Why not?”
She shrugged.
Dalton sat straighter, pushing away his plate. “If you have something to say, just put it out there. Are you unhappy? Do you regret this, whatever this is, you and me?”
“I never said that,” she said.
“You don’t have to,” he said. “Tell me what it is and I’ll fix it. ”
This time she shifted in her seat and really faced him, looking him in the eyes rather than avoiding him. “I’m sorry, I just…”
When she began to cry, he was taken by surprise.
“Did someone hurt you, Emily? Fucking tell me what’s happening.”
“I don’t know what to do, what to feel. I’m scared. I’m terrified. I don’t want anything to happen to you.”
“Me? Nothing’s going to happen to me. What’s going on?” he asked.
“You don’t understand. You could lose everything, Dalton. I’m not so na?ve. I know some of your businesses aren’t legal, and obviously other people do, too.”
She reached into her pocket and pulled out a crinkled piece of paper, putting it on the table and sliding it toward him.
Emily let out a shaky breath, tears tracing down her cheeks. “Read it for yourself.”
He opened the letter and read the amateur threat. It took everything for him not to laugh out loud. Instead, he folded the paper neatly and pushed it back to Emily.
“This is why you’re upset?”
“There’s more. They called me at work and said I had two days to come up with the money. They’re supposed to contact me tomorrow with a drop-off location. Dalton, they said I’d lose the shelter.”
“Emily…”
Her crying intensified. “I thought it was you,” she said. “I thought you were blackmailing me again, and I never felt so alone. Then I realized it sounded like I was lying and blackmailing you, and I didn’t want you to think I’m that kind of person. I’m not like my mother.”
“Oh, baby.” He got up and pulled her against his chest, holding her head to his heart. “If you were like your mother, I wouldn’t be with you. The thought never entered my head.”
“But what will we do? Obviously we can’t go to the police.”
“Hush now.” He kissed her atop the head. “You need to eat. You’re going to make yourself sick, Emily.”
“But—”
The last thing he was worried about was the dead man who’d written the letter. Emily saw him as her reformed childhood bully. The man who melted when a dog kissed him after a long day. The man who granted her every wish and more.
But she didn’t know the man he’d been for the past decade.
He could take care of himself, take care of her, and deal with anyone who threatened them.
“What if they never stop? What if you give them all that money and they keep coming back for more? We’ll never be at peace, always worried about what will come next.”
“I don’t want you to worry about this. It’s not the first time and won’t be the last. I promise you, I’ll handle it. Now, no more tears.”
His blood was beginning to boil. Seeing Emily crying and worrying because of some asshole was seriously pissing him off. He’d make the fucker suffer for this.
“Do you think it could be my mother? You said she wanted to give you her body.”
He tried not to scoff. “Definitely not. Your mother may be a piece of work but even she wouldn’t go this far.”
Dalton pretended his phone vibrated. He pulled it from his pocket.
“I’ve got to take this. Eat, baby. I’ll be right back.”
Once alone outside around the back of the house, he called one of his security team.
“Someone’s been sleeping on the fucking job. Tell me how the fuck someone managed to put a letter on my woman’s car?”
“Boss—”
“No, I don’t want to hear excuses. Check the security footage over the past twenty-four hours. I want a name and address today. Do you understand me?” Dalton asked.
“Yes, it’s as good as done,” Carlo said.
“Until this is done, extra detail on Emily and the shelter. Tap both phones, too. Understand?”
“Of course.”
He put his cell away and took a cleansing breath. This was not how he hoped his evening would go. Dalton reached into his front pocket and took out the small black velvet box. He opened the box, the large diamond sparkling in the sunlight. Tonight he’d planned to propose to Emily, to make their relationship official, binding, and forever. It had taken him this long to work up the courage, certain she’d never say yes if given the choice.
Now it would have to wait.
He clenched his fist tight at his side. New possessive feelings grew inside him. He’d do anything to protect Emily. Whoever was behind this would live to regret it.