“Explain yourself.”
“I could ask you to do the same thing,” I said and removed the hard drive from my pocket. I tossed it onto the desk. “Check that out.”
“I don’t have time for—”
“It’s everything,” I said. “All your illegal dealings from the past twenty years. Every lawsuit you had squashed, every person you paid off, every deposition. And before you ask, that’s only one of several copies that I keep on my person and in secure locations. Take a look if you don’t believe me.”
The infallible Mortimer Woods had gone the color of rotten milk. He picked up the drive with fumbling fingers. He plugged it into the computer. A moment passed, and then he met my gaze. “What do you want?”
“Hmm, that’s a loaded question,” I said.
“Just tell me.”
“There’s a list,” I replied. “Firstly, I want you to give me McCutcheon’s Café. The property you bought from Hazel’s father?”
“I wasn’t involved in that particular acquisition.”
“I don’t care. I want it. No payments. Give it to me.”
“Done,” my father said. “What else?”
“Seth isn’t going to be the new CEO,” I replied. “I don’t care who you get or what you do, but you leave Seth and Caleb out of it.”
“Fine. Anything else?”
“You stay the fuck away from my businesses and my plans. If you try to destroy me again, well, all of these documents will be leaked to the press. It’s fair to say that the other parties involved in these dealings wouldn’t be too happy about that, would they?” I asked.
“Done.”
“That’s it,” I said. “That’s all I want.”
Mortimer ground his teeth so hard they squeaked, but there was nothing he could do. It was over. He had ruined my mother’s life, and he had tried to ruin mine, Seth’s and probably Caleb’s, but he couldn’t touch us anymore.
It was the most liberated I’d been. The sense of foreboding, the fear of losing everything had lifted. I’d spent so many years worried about losing my inheritance and the status being Mortimer’s son had brought me.
Shit, I’d even been desperate enough to fake an engagement. And now, I was free.
I smirked. “You can keep that drive,” I said and walked for the door. I paused on the threshold. “Oh, and one last thing.”
My father was a deer in headlights, bracing himself for the impact that would come. He thought I wanted something else, even worse than what I’d already requested.
“You’ll rot in hell for what you did to Mom. In this life or the next.” And then I was out, my goal singular.
Hazel.
41
Hazel
I parked my car outside the house without really seeing it or anything else. Fatigue tugged at my eyelids, my arms were heavy, and all I wanted after the hell that was today was to get in a bubble bath and then go to bed.
There were very few positives to life at the moment. Try none.
I got out of the car, grabbed my purse, and headed for the steps, jangling my keys, yawning, and hoping that I’d fall asleep fast. These days, it didn’t matter how tired I was, I struggled to drop off.
I reached the first step before I noticed the polished black shoes, the pants, and the entire-ass man standing in front of my door.
“Hyaaa!” I shrieked and backpedaled.
Damien caught me under the arms. “Easy, Hazel, it’s me. It’s me.”
“Shit! What are you doing standing in the dark like that? Are you trying to give me a coronary embolism?”
“If I knew what it was, probably no,” he replied, chuckling.
That laugh sent shivers through me, despite my tiredness.
“You should leave your porch light on,” he said.
“I forgot. I’ve been busy.”
“I saw that.”
A quiet. A scattering of stars overhead, twilight, and the subtle scent of his cologne. “What are you doing here? Is it because of Kara? Look, I already tried my best to rectify everything, so—”
“I’m here for you,” Damien said, easily, those deep brown pools holding me prisoner. “I felt that my apology wasn’t good enough, last time.”
“It was fine,” I breathed.
Don’t let him in. Don’t let him in. Don’t love him.
“I love you,” he said.
My mind went still. “W–what?”
“I love you.” Damien smiled at me, easily. “But I guess I should’ve told you that the last time I came around. I didn’t have the balls then, but I do now. You’re the only woman who’s ever scared me.”
“Damien. Don’t say things you don’t—”
“Have I ever said it to you before?” he asked.
I shook my head.
“I’ve never said it to anyone,” Damien replied. “I’ve been a fool, Hazel. For years, I’ve been afraid of falling in love or feeling for anyone because the last time I cared, I lost everything.”
“The last time?” I clung to his words because I couldn’t process emotions right now. I wouldn’t let myself believe it.
“The day after we had sex, years ago, when I left and never called? That was because my mother had overdosed. My father had kicked her out of the house years earlier, and I hadn’t seen her until that same year. But she was destitute. My father had ruined her, just like he threatened to ruin me. She turned to drugs, and…” He broke off, and tugged on his collar. “Yeah. I found out the day after. I left Chicago for good. Lost myself in New York. Got arrested, had my father pull me back into the business with threats and persuasion.”
I didn’t know what to say to this. It was the first time he’d opened up to me like this. Fully.
“After that, my life became about trying to avoid feelings and focus on work. Starting something of my own.”
“The charity,” I said.
“For abuse victims,” he nodded. “Yeah.”
“Wow.”
“So, that’s why I
