Satisfied 2X

“Finally, you’re good for something, Kayla. Good for something. I knew I did good taking you in.”

“Shut up,” she shouted. “This is completely illegal what you’re doing. It’s called extortion.”

“It’s money. Money you owe me. I deserve every fucking penny they are paying me.” He reached into a silver platter for a handful of French fries. At least if he was going to order room service at the Waldorf, he could have tried the lobster or something refined, but that was never who her uncle was.

He was the man who thought everyone owed him something. His deals would go sour, but he never could see the role he played in it. There was another person to blame. Someone else to take responsibility. He even blamed his sister for dying and leaving her child behind. That’s the kind of man he was.

“No one owes you anything. My parents left me money, which you could have used to pay for a roof over my head, or food on my plate, but you gambled it. You didn’t pay for me to go to college. I earned scholarships and worked two jobs to get through school. There was the time you had to pay something when I broke my arm. But I could write you a check for five hundred dollars. No one owes you a damn thing. You are insane.”

“That’s enough. Just like your mother, trying to talk down to me.”

Kayla stood from the bed.

“Where are you going?” He eyed her.

“I have to use the restroom. Is that ok with you?” Her question dripped with sarcasm.

He waved her off. “I don’t give a shit. They’ll be here soon with my money.”

Kayla locked the door behind her. She washed her face and brushed her teeth. It revived her in some small way.

How had this happened? How had things gone so far? She blamed herself for bragging to him the other night. She never should have mouthed off about how close she was to Wyatt and Jason. If he hadn’t known, he wouldn’t have been able to use that leverage to extort more money from the brothers.

God, what had she done?

She pressed her palms onto the coolness of the marble countertops. What would she say to Wyatt? To Jason? Did this ruin things between them? Would her family ties change their opinion of her? Would they believe she was somehow mixed up in her uncle’s scheme?

There was a pit in her stomach from all the questions. All she could hope for was a chance to explain.

She jumped when she heard her uncle pound on the door. She hadn’t expected him to interrupt her time in the bathroom.

“I need some privacy,” she shouted at the door.

“I don’t care. They’re here.”

She threw open the door. “Where? Wyatt and Jason are here?”

He wiped his greasy fingers on the front of his shirt. “You go to the door. Let them in. And make sure they’ve got my money.”

Kayla ran through the suite. She couldn’t get to the front door fast enough. All she wanted was to throw herself in Wyatt’s and Jason’s arms. She wanted to tell them she never meant for this to happen. She never intended for her crooked uncle to threaten them this way. To steal from them. She was ashamed. She was embarrassed. But more than anything, she was scared she was going to lose them both. She couldn’t blame them if they broke up with her. She had put them in a terrible position.

There was a second knock on the door. She reached for the handle and as soon as she opened it, she spotted Wyatt’s deep look of concern. He pulled her into the corridor.

“Shh.” He pushed his fingers to his lips. She looked to the left and the right, and counted seven police officers.

“Oh my God,” she mouthed.

Jason held her waist and whispered in her ear. “We’ve got this.”

She nodded as Wyatt walked in first. She wanted to pull him back into the hallway with her and Jason. What if her uncle did something crazy?

But Wyatt carried a look of determination and she knew there was no talking him out of it. She turned into Jason’s chest, feeling the warmth of his embrace.

“You ok, love?” he whispered.

She nodded. “He never touched me. He just wants the money. He has lost it. I’ve never seen him like this before.”

“I know.” He brushed her hair back. “But we’ve got this. It’s going to be ok.”