In front of me were two envelopes. Bentley’s gaze flicked to them briefly, then he returned his stare to me.
I spoke. “Before we start, how is Emmy?”
Bentley sighed. “Grieving. I hated to be the one to tell her what Aiden discovered, but I think that perhaps it gave her some peace. She’s mourning Jack’s loss, but she has her answer. She can move on.”
“She’s strong. She’ll be okay.”
“Yes, she will. I’ll make sure of it.”
“I know.”
Our eyes met, his worried, mine anxious.
“What’s going on, Maddox?”
I ran a hand over my face. “The night we had dinner with The Gavin Group, I saw a woman who looked familiar. It happened so fast I convinced myself I had imagined it.” I inhaled and blew out the air. “But I hadn’t. It was Jill.”
“That girl from university?” Aiden asked.
“Yes.”
“Fuck,” Bentley swore.
“She showed up on Tuesday night, insisting we talk.”
Aiden scowled. “What the fuck did she want? Is she bothering you?”
My hands curled into fists on the boardroom table, my knuckles turning white from the pressure.
“Bothering is one word.” I gritted my teeth. “She’s blackmailing me.”
They looked startled, sharing a glance, then returned their attention to me.
“With what?” Aiden asked calmly.
I slid the larger envelope his way. He opened it, his eyebrows rising as he looked at the pictures, but he said nothing. He passed the photos to Bentley.
The silence screamed in my face.
Bentley passed them to me, and I tossed them on top of the envelope.
Bentley stood and paced. “This happened that spring. When I left university to open BAM, didn’t it?”
“Yes. You were busy and rarely home, and Aiden was swamped with finals. It was a short, destructive relationship. You met her one time, and it was brief and not particularly pleasant.”
“I didn’t like her.”
“No, neither of you did, which probably made her even more interesting to me.”
He stopped pacing, bracing his arms on the back of a chair. “You changed after you split. You were withdrawn for a long time. But you never talked about it.”
I ran a hand through my hair. “I was embarrassed, horrified, and ashamed, Bent. I broke it off and avoided her at all costs. She left at end of term for an acting job, and I thought I would never have to think about it or her again. Until she showed up the other night.”
I pushed the other envelope his way. He opened it, scanning the document I had created on our heavy, embossed company letterhead.
Bentley read it and scowled, lifting his eyes to meet mine, then handed the letter to Aiden. He read it slowly, his brow furrowed as he made his way through the short document.
“Explain this, Maddox,” Bentley demanded.
I leaned forward. “She wants a house and money—a yearly payout. If I don’t give it to her, she is going to put these pictures out there. To the media, on social sites, everywhere. Once they’re out there, that’s it. BAM will forever be associated with them. The scandal will be huge. You don’t want that stain on your company, Bent.”
“Our company,” he said.
I continued as if he hadn’t spoken. “If I pay her, shut her up for now, and leave, if it ever comes out, you can distance yourself. Spin it so you can keep your reputation clean and not affect the company. Say you fired me the second this came to your attention. Whatever you need to do.”
“And what do you plan on doing? Where will you work?”
I barked out a laugh. “I don’t need to work. You know that.” I huffed out a long exhale of air. “I haven’t given it much thought, but I’ll probably move . . . somewhere. Get as far away as possible, so if it hits, the fallout for you will be minimal. I’ll find some little company that needs an accountant and take it on. I’ll be fine.” My voice barely shook as I lied.
“Right. So you want to dissolve our partnership, leave town, and sever our friendship. Over some photos?”
“I think it’s for the best.”
“What about Dee?”
I shook my head, unable to answer.
Bentley picked up the letter, tearing it into pieces. “Not fucking happening, Mad Dog.”
“Bent—”
“No!” he roared. “What the hell are you thinking? That is not how this works. How we work! Jesus, Maddox! Where is your logic?”
My anger suddenly matched his, and I stood and pounded the table. “I am thinking logically! I’m thinking about you and Aiden, and the company you worked so hard to build up! I know what your reputation means to you, and I won’t be the one to destroy it all.”
Our eyes locked, both of us leaning over the table. I swallowed, but my voice was still raspy. “You mean too much, Bent. This place means too much. I can’t do that to you.”
Aiden placed himself between us, pushing us apart with his arms. “Okay, guys, let’s calm down. Maddox, sit down. Bentley is right. You’re not going anywhere, you stupid fucker. We’re going to figure this out.” He ran a hand through his hair. “Damn it, I need some coffee and a Danish so I can think.”
Despite the anger, I felt my lips twitch. “Always with the food.”
“I think better on a full stomach.”
I dragged a weary hand over my face. “I’m not sure how much we can come up with.”
He pulled the photos close and studied them, flipping them over to study the back. “I have some thoughts. This was a while ago.”
“Yeah. Last year of university.”
He whistled. “She’s been holding on a long time.”
“Yeah, no shit.” I snorted. “She recognized me and checked me out. She saw her financial opportunity and took it.”
“You trust me, Mad Dog?”
“With my life.”
“Okay.” He pulled out his phone. “I’m bringing in some help.” He strode out of the boardroom.
Bentley flipped the photos facedown. “No offense, Maddox. But I don’t really want to stare at those.”
“I don’t blame you.”
“So, just for information . . . is this—” he tapped the photos “—is this what you like?”
“No. You know how unsettled I was back then. I was still figuring myself out—my likes and dislikes.” I sighed, letting my head fall back. “Jill liked it when I ordered her around, and she suggested we move it to the next level. I wasn’t that into it at first, but, ah . . .” My voice trailed off.
“Tell me. Nothing you say is going to shock me now,” Bentley said dryly.
I hung my head as I spoke. “I was high and drunk. I lost control of the situation and myself. Things went bad pretty fast.”
He was aghast. “Maddox, you were doing drugs?”
I met his shocked gaze. “Yeah, I did, Bent. I was looking for an outlet, trying to find my place. I did a lot of things with her I’m not proud of. She was a destructive force in my life. Brief, but caustic.
“I had no idea she took pictures, and it never happened again—at least not for me. I stopped seeing her after that, and she wasn’t very happy about it.”
“I remember. She obviously held on to her grudge.”
“I guess this is her payback.”
He nodded, averting his eyes.
“I’m sorry I wasn’t there for you then when you needed a friend. Maybe I could have helped if I’d been around more.”
I shook my head. “No. This is on me. Don’t start with that. You’ve always been a good friend.”
He huffed out a long breath.
“You are, Bent. You and Aiden. I’m sorry my bad decisions could hurt what you’ve worked so hard to build up.” I paused and sighed. “I’m sorry, Bentley. I really am.”
He snapped his head up. “Shut up, Maddox. We’ve all made mistakes. Granted some of them weren’t captured on film, but we still made them.�
�
“They weren’t big enough to harm those around us.”
He leaned forward, once again angry. “Bullshit. May I remind you what happened to Emmy? Because of my ego, she was hurt. Aiden’s stubbornness almost cost him Cami. We all do things we regret. But the one constant is that we have been there for each other. And it’s not changing now. So forget the fucking apologies and let’s figure this out.”
I was taken aback by his words. “Okay,” I muttered.
“And stop referring to BAM as my company. It belongs to all of us. We make it what it is. We make the decisions, and we do that together. Stop this arbitrary shit decision-making. Am I clear?”
“Crystal.”
He dropped his voice, tapping the table rapidly with his finger. “You know what angers me the most? The way you’ve handled this. Instead of coming to me, you took it upon yourself to decide to walk away. If you think some stupid photos of you brandishing a whip are going to bring down our company, you’re mistaken. Furthermore, if you think I would let these ludicrous pieces of paper end our friendship, then you need to give your head a shake, Maddox Riley. We’re family, and I don’t walk away from family. I’m angry you didn’t trust me enough to know that.”
He pushed backed his chair. “I need to go home to Emmy. You figure out how to handle this with Aiden and keep me in the loop. I’ll do everything I can to help. Excuse me.”
Stunned, I watched him walk out, passing Aiden in the doorway. They spoke for a moment, and he left.
Aiden sat down. “Well, you’ve pissed him off. That’s good. A pissed-off Bentley is a fighter.”
“So glad I could be of further use.”
He ignored my sarcasm. “I have Reid coming in.”
I groaned. “Is that necessary? I’m already embarrassed enough.”
“It is.” He glanced at the photos again and shook his head. “Who knew you had that kinky shit in you, Mad Dog? You hide it so well under your cool attitude and hip suits. Do you carry a whip in your briefcase for when the mood strikes?”
I rolled my eyes, knowing he was trying to lighten the mood. It was how we handled things when the atmosphere got tense. “Shut up or you’ll be the first to find out.”
With a chuckle, he pushed the photos toward me. “Who else knows?”
I tugged on my scruff. “Richard VanRyan.”
His eyebrows shot up. “What?”
“I ran into him. He could see I was upset, and we started talking. He shared something from his past, and without going into a lot of details, I told him what was happening. He’s the one who convinced me to call you and talk instead of walking away.”
He stared at me, astonished, then his head fell back as he laughed. “Mad Dog, I’m usually the one fucking something up. But when you do it, you do it well. Sex pictures, an attempted resignation, and a confession to a new business partner.” He wiped his eyes. “Bent is gonna be thrilled with that news. You have been busy.”
I tried not to smile, but my lips quirked. Only Aiden could summarize the mess into a comedy sketch.
His expression became serious. “Would you have done that, Maddox? Walked away?”
“To protect what we’ve built and not drag your name and Bentley’s into the mud with mine, yes.”
He leaned over and gripped my shoulder. “Not happening. You’re not going anywhere. You’re going to push back and shut her down.”
I met his gaze. It was intense and hard.
“Okay,” I agreed.
Reid appeared in the doorway, carrying a huge tray. He placed it onto the table with a grin.
“Hey. Got the coffee and Danishes. Now let me have a look at the nudie pics. This should be fun.”
I stood, helpless, watching Reid and Aiden. We had moved to Reid’s office, and the sound of the constant keystrokes and their mumblings were driving me mad.
“Have you been in contact with her?” Aiden asked, glancing up from behind Reid’s shoulder.
“No. She gave me a card with her email and cell number.”
Reid looked at me. “She doesn’t live here, right?”
“No, she’s part of a traveling drama troupe. She’s in a hotel. She didn’t say which one.”
“We need to find out.”
“All right,” I agreed, confused.
Reid tapped the photos. To his credit, he had been nothing but professional, other than the one comment. “These are stills. From a video.”
I felt ill.
There was a video?
“Oh fuck,” I groaned.
“No, this is good. And she printed them from a cheap printer, probably a small one of her own. Which means she keeps these on her computer and maybe a backup,” Reid mused, typing fast. “At least, she would have a backup, if she were smart.”
He extended his arm. “Give me her card. You need to let me work. I need her email address. I will be emailing her from your account and setting up a meeting with her. You’re going to meet her wherever and whenever I tell you.”
“Okay.”
He frowned, turned his head, and spoke to Aiden in a low voice. Aiden nodded.
“When you meet her—” Reid crossed his arms “—you’ll tell her you know there’s a video and demand to see it.”
“Why would I want to see it? I don’t even want to see her.”
“I’m sure you don’t. But you need to tell her you do.”
“And?” I prompted.
Reid smirked. “You don’t want to know what happens next. Just know I have your back and this is going to be over—fast. Trust me on that.”
“What if she has a backup?”
Reid grinned—wide and evil. “Trust me. I’ve got it.”
Aiden squeezed my shoulder. “You should go home. Have you told Dee?”
“No.” That wasn’t a conversation I wanted to have.
“You have to, Mad Dog. If this doesn’t work and it comes out, it would be better coming from you. You owe her that.”
“Damn it, I’m sorry I ever got involved with Jill.”
“I’m sorry too. That I wasn’t there for you.”
I waved him off. “I was an adult, Aiden. I could make my own choices, including taking the drugs. She said and did all the right things. Neither you nor Bent liked her. I should have known.”
He shook his head. “Exactly like Bent with that girl he had who caused him such grief. The more we said we disliked her, the more attractive she became.”
“I suppose.”
“Reid and I are going to figure this out. You need to go talk to Dee.”
“Okay.”
“Good luck.”
I had a feeling I was going to need it.
“Thanks. Both of you.”
I opened the door, offering Dee a tight smile. I had texted her, asking her to come upstairs once I got home. I was nervous, my stomach twisted with anxiety.
“No remote today?” she asked.
“No.”
She came in and sat on the sofa. Without asking, I poured us each a generous whiskey and handed her a tumbler. As she lifted it to her mouth, I caught sight of her thumb, and with a curse, I reached for her hand.
She transferred the glass to her left hand and allowed me to hold up the right. “Dee, what have you done?” I was horrified at the mangled flesh on the end of her thumb.
“I’ve been anxious.”
“Because of me,” I stated the fact.
“I know something is wrong. Terribly wrong. I was with Emmy and Cami earlier, when you texted Aiden and Bentley. They tore out of the house, and now you’ve asked to see me.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Please, can you tell me? Whatever it is, we’ll deal with it.”
Her words hit me. “We will?”
She shifted closer. “Maddox, I’m your friend. Your lover too, but most importantly, your friend. You can talk to me.”
“I’m not sure you’ll want to be either once you hear what I have to say.”
“Let me be the
judge of that.”
I swallowed another mouthful of whiskey. “Before I start, how is Emmy? I know Bent says she’s trying to come to terms with her brother’s death.”
“Yes. She’s sad and needs to grieve, but she’s going to be fine. Cami and I spent the afternoon with her, talking.”
“Good.”
I stood, walking around the room. “I’m not sure where to start, Dee.”
“Pick a spot, and we’ll go from there.”
I sucked in a deep breath. “Okay. There is someone—a woman—from my past. She’s trying to blackmail me.”
She was startled but remained calm. “Go on.”
“I met her in university. I thought she was beautiful and bright. She seemed to have it all. We were together for a short while.” I sighed and groaned. “It was the biggest mistake of my life.”
“Why?”
“She hid the real person she was under her charming persona. She had a way of getting me to do things I didn’t really want to do. She could manipulate me—something I didn’t allow anyone else to do.” I rubbed the back of my neck as memories pricked my brain, making me uncomfortable. “I was going through a bad time. Bent was setting up his business and hardly ever around. Aiden was writing finals of two majors. He was either at school or at the library. If he was at home, he was studying or sleeping. I was feeling lost and at a crossroads. For a short time, she made me feel better.”
“What happened?”
My shoulders felt tight and my neck ached. I rolled my arms, trying to release the tension. I sat beside her, reaching for her hand. Absently, I kissed her thumb, hating the fact that it was her worry over me that caused the bitten flesh.
“You need to stop doing this to yourself.”
“Okay,” she whispered.
I kissed it again, then released her hand.
“I’ve always liked control, Dee. In my life, my work, and as I discovered, with sex. I liked the feeling of being in charge. Jill liked it too. In fact, she more than liked it. She craved it.”
“Oh.”
“She wanted more. She pushed me constantly. Taunted me to get me angry. She wanted me to be more physical with her.” I couldn’t look at Dee. “She liked to be . . . hurt.”
She stiffened.
Maddox ~ Melanie Moreland Page 14