35. Chapter 35
Grace
“I don’t understand.”
I stare at Victor, confusion making me frown as I try to process what he just told me. “You’re telling me the scholarship was real, but it was funded by Griffin Price just to get me to the university?”
We’ve been staying at his house instead of the club for two days, and it seems like every hour Owen is calling with additional information from the voice recorder.
“I know it’s a lot to process, butterfly.”
“I can’t keep it. Which puts a damper on my plans to graduate faster.”
“You want to write, anyway,” Lili says from her perch on the barstool in the kitchen.
Victor reaches out and grips my hand. “I can set up a fund for you.”
I pull my hand away. “No. Absolutely not.”
He frowns. “Why not? You’re mine. That means I have financial responsibility for you.”
I groan. “Not for things like that. Making sure we have what we need here? Sure. Making sure I don’t starve? Yeah, I’d appreciate that. But forking over thousands of dollars so I can finish my degree early is not your job.”
He wants to argue. I can see it in his eyes, but he presses his lips together and stays quiet.
“Seriously, Grace. Why are you not putting all your effort into the book you haven’t been able to stop working on for the last week? Focus on that and opening your bookstore.”
“Bookstore?” Victor questions.
I glare at Lili as my face turns red. “It’s a pipe dream. I want to open an indie bookstore that focuses on romance novels from indie and small press authors.”
Victor grins. “That’s not a pipe dream, Mariposa. That’s a brilliant idea that I’d love to help you put into action.”
“I’m not ready for something that big.” I hold up my hands, palms toward Victor. “Look. This is a lot you’ve just dumped on me. Can I have a minute to think before I make major life decisions?”
“Of course, Grace. I won’t push. But hear me when I say that I support whichever way you want to go. We’re building a life together. Money isn’t an issue.”
Considering that he’d already paid the lease break fee on my apartment and had it packed up in a matter of twelve hours yesterday, I believe him.
Sabrina decided to stay with Tyson while she figures out her next steps.
She wants to follow him to New Orleans but isn’t sure how one of her other partners feels about her uprooting her life again.
Victor rises from the sofa and bends to kiss my forehead. “We’re going to figure things out. But take your time. There’s no need to decide right now.”
He walks to the kitchen and fills a glass with water from the fridge and drains it. “I have to go into Las Vegas to talk to Harper at the hospital before she goes to jail.”
“Are you going to show her Kara and Griffin’s photos?” Lili asks.
Since discovering that Kara and Griffin do have a connection, there has been speculation that the two of them are the couple who blackmailed Harper.
“I am. And ask her a few questions. But don’t worry,” he says when I give him a look. “I’m not going to hurt her. She’s already been arrested for her crimes, and I’m going to let the justice system handle her.”
“Good.”
He chuckles and picks up his keys from the corner of the kitchen island. “You know the rules. Don’t leave and listen to my security over my father’s goons.”
“I really wish they would leave,” l mutter.
“That makes two of us.”
He kisses Lili who has stayed largely quiet, and then me before heading for the door. “When I get back, we’re going to have a talk about your bookstore dreams.”
I groan and glare at Lili again as the door shuts behind him. “Why did you do that?”
Lili shrugs and slides off the barstool. “Because you needed a push. We both know you don’t actually want to be a nurse. You light up when you’re writing, and every time I mention the bookstore idea, you smile even when you’re busy glaring at me.”
I can’t help but laugh. She’s right, and I need to take that into consideration.
For now, I do my best to set aside the disturbing news about Griffin Price funding my mysterious scholarship and head for the stairs.
I have boxes to unpack. Victor gave me one of the spare bedrooms as an office but insists I sleep with him at night.
Lili sleeps with us too but maintains her own bedroom for now.
As I unpack a box of books, I imagine what it would be like to have my own bookstore.
My own little corner of the literary world where I could stock the books you can’t always find in Barnes & Noble.
Where I can let people soak up the cozy atmosphere and read while enjoying baked goods or a glass of wine.
Nursing school was never a passion. It just felt like something I would be good at that would make a decent living.
But the thought of using Victor’s money, or the money associated with Griffin Price to pay for it just doesn’t sit right.
If I’m going to let Victor pay for something, it should at least be something I’m passionate about.
I slide another book onto the bookshelf and let myself dream. I have a lot to consider, but for the first time in a long time, I’m excited about the possibilities in front of me.
Victor
“When will she be released?”
“She can be released into police custody tomorrow,” Dr. Singh tells me as we stand outside Harper Cantrell’s hospital room. “She was extremely sick. Do you have any idea who did this to her?”
I shake my head. “No. And it’s pissing us off. We have no idea who got to her or how. But Owen is digging into it.” I start to mention the voice recorder but decide against it. Jacob would want her to be left out of it.
“Owen will find them. Do I need to have security make sure you don’t kill her, or can I trust you to be civil?”
I let out a sharp laugh. “Don’t worry Amarjit. I’m not here to slit her throat. We just need to show her a couple of pictures and see who did this to her.”
“Leave the door open,” the doctor says as she steps back to allow me in.
“Fine,” I growl, giving her a sharp look. “You’re lucky I like you, Doctor.”
“Lucky indeed,” she says with sarcasm dripping from her tone. “I’ll be at the nurses station charting if you need me.”
In the hospital room, Harper is curled up in bed with one hand chained to the bed with a handcuff.
“Harper,” I say, trying to keep the anger out of my voice. “I need to ask you some questions.”
“I’ve already told you everything I know. Please, just go away.”
“It’s important. I need to show you some photos and see if you recognize any of them as the people who lured you into their scheme to hurt Grace.”
She sighs and tries to sit up a little. I help her and then hold the tablet out to her. On the screen, I’ve placed an array of photos of six different men and six different women.
“That one,” she says, pointing at Kara. “She’s the one who approached me in a nightclub one night asking me to have a drink with her and her boyfriend.”
She scrutinizes the men’s photos for a long time before she points at Griffin. “He’s mean,” she whispers, fear evident in her voice. “He’s the one who threatened me after he showed me the videos and pictures. I’m so scared my parents are going to see them.”
“Does he have your parents’ information?”
Tears stream down her face as she nods slowly. “He… he cloned my phone and stole all my contacts.”
“Fuck. Was your phone at the club by chance?”
“It was in my locker.”
It never occurred to me to look for a phone when we confined her to the suite before she was drugged.
“Who drugged you, Harper?”
“I don’t know. I didn’t recognize him. He just waltzed into the suite as if he knew the code to unlock the doors. But he had on a mask and he had a gun. All I could do was pray you guys found me in time. I’m glad you did,” she whispers.
Despite still being royally pissed at her, I pat her shoulder empathetically.
“I’m glad, too. You’re going to jail, Harper, but we’re going to do what we can to make sure it’s not for very long, and we’re going to protect you after you’re out.”
Her bottom lip quivers, and she wipes tears away from her cheeks. “Thank you.”
If I had my way, she’d rot in jail, but Grace insisted we try to help her if we can. I’ve already secured an attorney for her, and if Kara and Griffin are arrested soon, she can trade information for a lighter sentence.
Harper’s story is going to be hard to prove without the videos and photos Griffin has, but hopefully Owen will get lucky and find them out in cyberspace. Her story about Kara isn’t particularly damning without any evidence either, but I believe her.
I text Owen a recap of my visit with Harper, then head for my car. As I slide behind the wheel, intent on getting back to Grace and Lili, an idea occurs to me, and I dial a number.
“This is a surprise, Master Victor,” Bellamy says instead of hello.
“How would you like to help me with a project? I have an idea. Are you at the club?”