Chapter 18
Ethan
The dismissal stings. I want to follow Jamie, to make her understand I'm only trying to help. But that would only make things worse.
With a muttered curse, I leave, making sure the door is locked behind me. Steve is waiting in the limo at the bottom of the stairs, and I start toward him. The street is quiet now, most businesses closed, the streetlights casting long shadows.
I've reached the bottom step when movement catches my eye. An older man emerges from the darkness of a doorway, stepping directly into my path. He's tall but narrow shouldered, with graying hair. He’s wearing a rumpled suit and a big smile.
“Hi there.” His voice is jolly and his eyes crinkle. “You must be a friend of Jamie’s.”
He holds out his hand, and his whole demeanor is so warm, my first instinct is to shake it. But alarm bells are sounding, and I think of the man I saw duck into the shadows earlier. Could this be the stalker who’s been sending me photographs of Jamie?
“Who are you?” I ask.
"I'm Frank.” He drops his hand when he sees I’m not going to shake it but doesn’t lose his smile. “I’m Jamie's father, and it’s a real pleasure to meet you. Any friend of Jamie’s… well, you know the rest.” He chuckles as though he finds his own joke hilarious.
I stare at him wordlessly, everything Jamie told me about him going through my head. She didn’t want to answer her father’s phone calls or to see him, yet here he is lurking around the gym at night.
“What do you want?” I ask, curling my hands into fists.
His smile finally falters, and a calculating look flickers across his eyes. In that moment, I know for sure that he’s not the friendly, amiable man he’s pretending to be.
“You’re my daughter’s boyfriend, aren’t you? Like I said, I’m Frank. But I didn’t catch your name?”
“Because I didn’t say it.” My voice is ice. “What is it you want?”
"I've been trying to reach Jamie, but she won't answer my calls. Well, you know what she’s like. She’s a sweet girl, but she can be hard on her dear old dad.” He raises both hands as though to stop me from protesting.
“And now, I’m not saying I’m blameless. No, not at all.
But I’m in a bit of a pickle, see. And if she knew about it, Jamie would understand.
She knows that sometimes things don’t go to plan.
But she’s being all stubborn about it, and if she only knew what was going on, I know she wouldn’t want me to go through this alone.
We’re still close, the two of us. Even if she forgets that sometimes?—”
“You want money,” I interrupt, disliking the man more with every word he says.
He blinks at me, then laughs. “Well, you’re direct, my friend, I’ll give you that.
And I suppose you’re not entirely wrong.
Of course, the main thing I want is to see my little girl.
But I can’t deny I’m hoping she might help me out with a short-term loan.
” He glances behind me to where my limo is waiting at the curb.
His eyes gleam as they bounce off the car and back to me.
“Listen, friend. Would you consider helping out both Jamie and me? If you can help me put all that money stuff aside, then my daughter won’t need to be bothered with it, and she’ll get to reconnect with her father?—”
“How much do you want?” I try not to let my anger leak into my voice. But there’s only one thing he cares about, and it’s not Jamie. No wonder she’s not taking his calls.
He gives another laugh that sets my teeth on edge. “You’re not one for small talk, are you, my friend?”
“I’m not your friend.”
“But you’re her boyfriend, aren’t you? So her happiness must be worth a great deal to you.”
The rage that floods through me is instant and overwhelming. Before I can stop myself, I say, “Her happiness is worth everything. So I’ll give you a million dollars to get on a plane. Go somewhere very far away and never bother Jamie again.”
His eyes light up. Eagerness and greed consume his face before he manages to school his features. “You drive a hard bargain,” he says. “But if that’s the only deal you can offer, I guess I’ll have to take it.”
The enthusiastic way he agrees to abandon Jamie makes bile rise in my throat. "On second thought," I grind out through clenched teeth, "I'm not giving you a single fucking thing. Get out of here."
His expression transforms, the facade dropping away to reveal the true ugliness underneath. “You can’t take it back,” he snarls. “Not when you said you’d give me the money.”
"You're despicable." I lean in, my lip curled. "You sicken me. You’re not getting a cent."
"Fuck you, mister." He doesn't back down. His stance subtly shifts. There's something dangerous in his eyes now, a coiled readiness that makes the hair on the back of my neck stand up. "You don't know what I'm capable of."
Behind me, I hear Steve getting out of the car.
Frank shoots a quick glance back at my bodyguard, then melts into the shadows. His parting words float back to me. "Tell Jamie I'll be seeing her soon."
My heart is beating as hard as it does when I’m training.
I should go back into the gym to talk to Jamie. To tell her what just happened.
But I don’t.
Instead, I walk over to where Steve is waiting by the limo.
“You got a good look at that man?” I ask quietly.
“I want a security team stationed outside the gym tonight to make sure he doesn’t come back and bother Jamie.
And have the team also watch for other threats.
But tell them not to be obvious about it.
I don’t want her to know we’re keeping watch. ”
He purses his lips doubtfully. “You sure, boss? She can take care of herself better than most.”
“I know she can. It’s only for tonight. I won’t sleep unless I’m certain she’s safe.”
Steve nods, his eyes sympathetic. “You got it, Mr. Kane.”