Chapter 17 #2
Since it was the tenth time he’d thrown those questions at her, she didn’t bristle.
Just sighed with resignation. “Like I said, Jesse put himself away. Was I ambivalent about the Walkers, thinking they had everything, why’d they have to take my brother?
Yes. But I met them and they’re good people.
They might not have trusted me, but Brock treated me with more respect than people I’ve been around for years. ” She shot him a pointed look.
“And you jumped into bed with them.”
Oh, his snide tone…
“No. I stick with one man at a time. People do that, you know.” She ripped her glare off Gage and stared at the ceiling. “Brock is different. He accepts me like I am and only asks for the same. I like him.”
“But you loved me.”
“Until you broke my heart, Gage. And then I saw everything wrong with us.” Like how he was even more controlling than Bill, only he was smoother about it. She swung her feet down and sat up. “What are you going to do with all the girls you’re stringing along?”
“They don’t mean anything.”
“Well, they should.”
“Has this Brock confessed his undying love? Is he in Moore wearing a chastity belt? A guy with money in a small town… What do you think is going to happen?”
Gage meant to unsettle her, and maybe with a guy other than Brock, it’d work. When she’d learned of Gage’s cheating ways, she’d been crestfallen but in an I knew it way. If Brock stepped out on her, she’d be devastated—but he never would.
“Anyway,” Gage reclined in Bill’s chair, “it doesn’t matter. He’s going to think you used him and stole his car.”
A lead weight settled on her shoulders. She’d been telling herself that Brock would understand. But why would he? He’d been so uptight about her sneaking around his place.
But he’d believed her when she’d said she was enamored with his collection.
And then she’d helped him get the car and as soon as she’d left town, the Shelby had disappeared. Who else knew he wasn’t going to be home all afternoon? Her.
She rubbed her face. What a mess.
Josie had coasted through life, letting other people dictate her path. Now she’d finally chosen her own, and those same people were blocking it.
She brainstormed through her options. She had to do something fast. Bill would finalize the deal in Detroit and move the car at any moment.
Even if she didn’t know where it was exactly, the car was still in town, still untouched as far as she knew.
It looked like she’d have to sneak out after all and call Brock now.
She squared her shoulders and clenched her jaw. Call the police.
A spike of guilt threatened to overwhelm her, but she’d been here for three days . Bill had allowed it. He’d trusted Gage over her.
Gage’s phone rang and yanked her out of her dour thoughts. Bill. And this time, Gage was smug enough to let his voice carry.
By the time he hung up, she’d determined that her dad had found a buyer who’d purchase the car up front, at a cost that’d pay for most of their debt toward Milton. Gage just had to get it to Detroit as soon as possible.
Gage shoved his phone in a pocket of his grease-stained pants. “Finally, we can get out of here.”
“What’s going on?” she asked, stalling for time. Good news, he was letting her leave the house. Better news, he’d take her right to the Shelby. Really bad news, they were sneaking it out of town. How to turn this to her advantage?
“You don’t need to worry about that. Just do as you’re told.”
Like hell she would. She was so going with them, but when they stopped to take a leak, she and the Shelby would drive off into the sunset.
She’d been coddled and protected her whole life, they’d never expect her to go so far as stealing back the car they’d stolen.
It’d take a little planning and whole lotta luck, but maybe she’d nab one of their phones at the same time.
She had to make this look convincing. “I don’t think so. ”
“Bill’s orders.”
“Bill doesn’t order me around. I’m not going to be strong-armed into anything.”
“What else are you going to do? Stay here where Milton can watch you until he gets his loan paid in full, plus interest? You have no money, no food, and no car.”
She crossed her arms and tried to look defeated. “Where are we going?”
“Detroit.”
She’d heard correctly, then. That meant the car was loaded on a trailer somewhere. Their business was obvious. Where would they stash it? God, if she could keep it from leaving town, somehow get to it first…
“Is Bill bringing it here before we go to Detroit and ruin a piece of history?”
Gage rolled his eyes with exaggeration. “An old man drives his wife around a few times and you think we should throw tens of thousands away because he has fond memories ? Grow up, Jo. This is why I told Uncle Don you couldn’t run Alvarez Automotive, that he had to step in and do something before Bill signed it all over to you instead of me. ”
A chill rippled down her spine. “Uncle Don?”
Gage snapped his mouth shut.
She stood and circled him, all thoughts of grand theft auto fleeing in the face of his betrayal.
“You didn’t .” Her voice rose to a shout.
“This ‘we’re meant to be together’ garbage was all because you wanted the garage, wasn’t it?
You kiss Bill’s ass and we get serious, then he boots Jesse.
But Jesse snaps and you cheat on me, so Bill decides I’m the one who gets the garage and you snap?
Uncle Don? That wouldn’t happen to be Don Milton, would it? ”
She anchored her hands on her hips; otherwise she’d rip his face off. “Explains how you knew Bill would take the bait. You probably knew he’d borrowed money years ago. I bet Uncle Don shared all the information with you.”
Gage rose and towered above her. “It doesn’t matter.
Bill owes Uncle Don a hundred thousand dollars.
And if Bill had signed the business over to you, then you would have owed him a hundred grand.
Your dad almost handed it all over. Did you know that?
Before we broke up, he dipped into financial trouble, and selling to me would have taken care of it all.
” A muscle leapt in his jaw. “But Camilla couldn’t keep her fucking mouth shut. ”
Josie snorted. “In so many ways.”
That earned her another glare. So satisfying.
She’d be indebted to Gage and he’d rule her worse than her dad. Would Bill just retire and move, thinking she was taken care of? Would he have ever realized how royally he’d screwed his own daughter’s life?
A sharp knock on the door ceased their argument. Both of their heads spun to gawk at the front door.