“Convenient explanations, all of them.” His lip curled in disgust.
Her temper snapped. “What do you want, Wes?” I shouted and abruptly lowered my volume. “I’m not the villain. I had a successful and generous grandfather and a piece of shit professor. Sam had no friends. All he had were memories of his time with you.”
“Yet he spent all his time with you.”
“So. What,” I spat.
“Do you know how much that strip mall is worth?”
I flung my hands out. “I don’t give a shit.”
“Tens of millions.”
Much of my anger drained. “Bullshit. It’s a run-down, old building.”
“Look what it’s surrounded by. I quoted list price. It would’ve assessed at much more. You were going to fleece Sam for millions. Oh, I’m sorry. Twenty-nine million, nine hundred ninety-nine thousand, nine hundred, and ninety-nine dollars.”
“He wanted to help me because he knew you wouldn’t,” I hissed. “You’re too much like your mother.”
Wes shot out of his chair. “I am nothing like her.”
He glared at me and stalked around the table. I backed up and with startling clarity realized it wasn’t because I was scared, but because the real Wes was more potent than watered-down Wes.
“I’m sure Sam told you a lot in your time together.” His tone was ice.
“He did. Because that’s what friends do. Unlike you, he supported me.”
“It’s what men around you seem to do. Support you a whole lot.”
I reared back. “You’re talking about my grandfather.”
Now Wes’s hands were planted on his hips and he towered over me. “I’ll have to verify who he was to you.”
“I don’t care.”
“Regardless, your track record with a professor doesn’t shine a positive light on your relationship with Sam.”
“I was taken advantage of.” I bit out each word.
“So you decided to do the same to an old man? You’re a millionaire and it wasn’t good enough for you.”
“Are you serious? How far do you think a million will go if my mom lives ten years? Twenty years?” I choked back a sob because I doubted her mom would make it that long. “And let’s see, factor in at least two hospital stays each year, plus her medication? I’ll be lucky if that money lasts a decade.”
Wes’s attention was zeroed on me, but for once, he seemed to consider my explanation.
I swiped at my eyes. “I’m glad you met my mom because you probably wouldn’t even believe I have one.”
His right eye twitched.
“Oh my god. You didn’t believe I had a sick mom?” I blinked. I pulled my shoulders back and straightened. “And after we started dating? Has nothing I’ve done convinced you that I’m not a leech?”
Like that, the hardness snapped back into his gaze and he cocked his head. “You mean when you were willing to sleep with me hours after we met?”
“You were the same, only you were lying about who you were. Again, is it worse because I have boobs?”
His livid gaze dropped to my chest. Right eye twitch. “What I witnessed, dating you, was a woman who whined about her store being shut down, but did nothing to secure work in the entire forty-five days I gave you.”
“A month and a half to replace my sole revenue stream that took years to build?” I threw my hands up. “How generous of you, Wes. And as for going out and getting a job, do you know how much anxiety I have at the thought of being coerced by another person? I’ve been looking for women-led companies, but that doesn’t guarantee my supervisor won’t be a man. I couldn’t even partner with Chris on a new location.”
Wes had a does not compute look to him.
“Yes, Wes. A man offered to help me and I turned him down. And as for why you didn’t see me applying for jobs, it’s because you were trying to get into my bed every time we were together.”
That snapped him into a defensive posture. “There were no arguments from you. And I have no doubt that you would’ve been digging into my wallet eventually.”
With one hand on my hip, I pinched the bridge of my nose with the other. There was no getting through to him. Not after he’d dated the real me and still thought I was a shallow freeloader.
“What was all this about?” I dropped my hand to look at him. “Why surprise me with a trip to New York and not reveal your lurid findings at my place?”
His jaw worked and I wondered if he even knew the answer. “Because I had to come here for work and I wasn’t going to sit and let you plot while I was gone. You’re running out of time.”
“I’m aware.”
“Despite how even more men are willing to help you otherwise.”
“More men? Are you talking about Ephraim? Then I guess you’re right. He offered and I took him up on it. No sex involved, FYI. The city council,” I wasn’t going to shine a light on Chris though Wes could probably guess who was behind it, “well, that’s a woman, and you pissed her off all on your own. In fact, Ephraim’s not so much helping me but going after a greedy, emotionless, conscienceless corporate tycoon who doesn’t give a damn about anyone without enough zeroes behind their name.”
“None of it will work. I’m still putting you out of business and ripping down that piece of shit your store is in.”
“I’m learning not to expect much more from you.”
“Sit down and enjoy the rest of the flight, Mara. You’ll have to find your own way home.”
Wha— A pit bloomed in her stomach. “You’re leaving me in a strange city in the middle of the night?”
“I’m sure some guy will come along and be willing to rescue you. Seems to be your thing.”
He had all the power and I was
