Just A Moment #3
The woman flinched and lifted her head. From his research, Wyatt had seen photos of the woman online. She had a cold beauty that reminded him of Genn; the same impersonal stare, the same arrogance.
Tonight, that beauty was gone, replaced with a wild rage that appeared out of control. Her eyes nearly spat fire.
“You’ve stolen everything from me, you stupid bitch. You deserve to die.”
Esme raised an eyebrow. “I’ve never stolen a thing.”
Lacy threw up her hands. “That sweet, innocent act fooled them all. They felt sorry for you and gave the poor orphan pity jobs. Jobs that should have been mine. I’m prettier and more talented.
Pity jobs. That’s all you could get. Even after I got you out of the way, you’re all they can talk about.
Too bad Esme doesn’t want to model anymore.
We’d love to have Esme back. Even with the scar, Esme could sell anything. They all pity you.”
Wyatt wanted to argue, as even with Johnson’s phrasing, it was obvious pity wasn’t their main motivation.
To his surprise, Esme chuckled. “Seriously? You’re delusional.
While you’re a beautiful woman, Lacy, you ruined your own career by being so difficult to work with.
If people don’t choose you, it’s because you’re selfish, demanding, and mean.
Hurting me the first time didn’t gain you a single thing. ”
Triumph lit Lacy’s eyes. “It got you out of the running. No matter what they said, no one would hire you with that hideous scar. You’re too ugly to work now.
I took care of that. But you poisoned them against me.
Even Giovanni dumped me because I wasn’t you.
I need them to stop talking about you. You were supposed to die tonight, and then it would all be mine. You need to pay for ruining it all.”
Wyatt wondered if the model realized she’d confessed to being behind the first attack and her intent to murder Esme tonight. The bitch said the words with pride and belligerence, while Marcus recorded the entire conversation.
Instead of crowing in victory at the confession, Esme shook her head.
“Even hiring someone to attack me didn’t get you what you wanted, Lacy.
Your failures as a model have nothing to do with me or anyone else.
Even with me out of the running, you didn’t get the skincare contract, and that’s all on you. It’s your own fault.”
“I told him to ruin your career, and he did. But you’ve made them all hate me, so it wasn’t enough. You ruined everything, you ugly bitch.”
Wyatt kept the smile internal. Thanks to Esme, Lacy had confessed to hiring the thug for the first attack.
“I know you won’t believe it, Lacy, but I haven’t said a word about you to anyone else. In fact, I haven’t wasted a single moment thinking about you.”
Even with her arms cuffed behind her back, Lacy screamed and tried to lunge across the table. Gomez barked wildly and jumped on the table between them.
Boomer barked an alert and bit the woman’s sleeve, hauling her back into her chair. Marcus raised an eyebrow at Esme. When she nodded, he and a deputy escorted Lacy, kicking and cursing Esme, to the waiting police cruiser. Boomer stayed on their heels, while Gomez stuck close to Esme.
Quiet filled the yard when the door closed on her ranting.
Into the quiet, Downey called out. “That woman is crazy. I have pictures to prove it, Esme. And a video, too. You can use them all. They’ll prove she was behind it and keep her in jail.”
Wyatt slung his arm over Esme’s shoulder, felt her body trembling. “Do you want to talk to him?”
She shook her head. “No. I’m done. Can we leave?”
“Absolutely.”
Downey continued to call out that he could help, his pleas growing more and more desperate as they walked up to the porch and into the farmhouse, Gomez at their side.
Once they had their bedroom door shut behind him, Esme turned into him. “It’s over.”
He hugged her and nodded. “It is. We’ll have to do the finishing stuff with Marcus, but it’s over. You know who attacked you and why. You got her to confess to everything.”
“She’s broken.”
He nodded as he swayed them in the quiet of the night. “And she won’t hurt you or anyone else again.”
Esme looked up at him and looped her arms around his neck. “I don’t want to think about her or any of it. I want to think about the fact that you love me back.”
His body fired up instantly at her soft words. “That’s a much better topic. I love you, Esme. I love your inner strength and your positivity. I love your worldview and your joyful videos.”
He dropped kisses along her neck. “I love your mile-long legs, especially when they’re wrapped around me.”
She laughed. “I love you, Wyatt.”
“Going to want to hear that every day forever, Esme.”
“That can be arranged.”
“Good.”
The next kiss was deep, carnal. Clothes flew while they touched and tasted. She’d flown over the edge twice by the time he settled between her thighs. Once he was seated deep inside, he cupped her face. “I love you, Esme. Forever.”
“Forever, Wyatt.”
And then they flew over the edge together.