Finn (Blue-Collar Billionaires 2)

Totally and completely screwed.

"How could he even know that was one of our major clients in time to pull this off?" Tara wonders.

"Oh god." The humiliations just keep on coming. I bang my forehead against the desk. "The presentation. When his lawyer asked for the quote, he also asked for references. You know, other clients so they can check up on you. That presentation gave him everything he needed to figure out our weak spots. I wouldn't be surprised if he didn't try to buy all of our other clients. That's how he does things. All or nothing."

"This is pretty sick. There has to be something we can do." Tara paces the floor and then blows out a breath. "Maybe we should go and talk to him. All three of us. We can threaten to sue or go to the media! How would he like that? I'm sure the local news would cover that story. Billionaire asshole bankrupts three local women for funzies."

I snort out a laugh. Even in the midst of a crisis Tara can always make me laugh. Then my smile fades. "I'll go talk to him. He's mad at me so it follows that I'm the one he wants to hurt the most. Maybe if I tell him what he's really done, he'll stop this. There's plenty of other ways he can hurt just me without taking away the employment of a bunch of women who need their jobs.”

"Do you really think that'll work?" Daphne looks hopeful. I don't want to crush her optimism but I'm afraid to give her anything to hold on to.

"No, I really don't think that'll work. But I'm hoping that underneath the part of him that obviously still hates me, that there's still a piece of the boy I loved. That guy was always a good person." I stand up and grab my handbag.

"Let's just hope he’s still in there somewhere.”

* * * * *

Even though I have a key, I ring the bell. Finn opens the door after a few minutes.

"Rissa? What are you doing out here? Did you lose your key?"

He opens the door wider and steps back so I can enter. After a moment of hesitation, I come in. With the exception of that day when he was hallucinating, he's never scared me. I'm just afraid of what he makes me feel.

"I already know Finn, so you can drop the act. Your plan succeeded. Congratulations."

He looks so thoroughly confused that for a moment a small ray of hope peeks through that maybe this is all a mistake.

"What plan?"

"Your revenge. Your plan to buy all my clients so that I'll be wholly and completely dependent on you."

Suddenly he looks wary. "What are you talking about?"

"Mercers. They were just bought out. By your company."

He looks shocked and then I see it. Recognition. He knew this was happening.

His eyes close briefly. "Rissa wait. I can explain."

Those words should be banned from the male vocabulary because that's the first thing men say when they've done something wrong. Andy always had an explanation too after he'd hurt me and I'm done with listening to people rationalizing away my pain.

"There's nothing that needs explanation. I'm stupid for trusting. You were honest from the very beginning. You told me that this was your way of working me out of your system and that you wanted to hurt me the way I hurt you. Well, I just thought you should know that your plan worked brilliantly."

I can feel the tears coming but I refuse to cry in front of him. That's what he wants. He wanted to break me down. To make me pay. It hurts so much to think back over the last few weeks, to find out that all those moments that I thought we were reconnecting were really just part of some grand master plan to ruin me. I've had more fun with him than I've had with anyone. Ever. How can I ever trust anybody again if this isn't real? How can I trust anything I feel?

"Rissa, listen to me. In the beginning I did want to hurt you. I told my lawyer to keep his eyes open for the opportunity to buy any of the companies listed as your clients. I admit that."

I gape at him. "You say that like it's not a big deal. Like it's not the worst violation ever."

"That's not what I meant. I know that it was wrong. And as soon as we started talking again, things started to change. All the ways I wanted to hurt you, I wanted to help you. Being around you reminded me of how I used to be. Carefree. Happy."

"Well, being around you has reminded me that I'm just as naive as ever. Because once again I've let myself get involved with someone who has an ulterior motive. Someone who wants to control me."

"I don't want to control you. My plan was to buy out all your clients just so you'd see me. I wanted you to know that I could crush you. The way you crushed me all those years ago. But I gave it up just as soon as I got to know you again. I told my lawyer to stop looking for deals. I didn't realize that he'd already finalized this one. He has power of attorney to complete deals for this company without my signature. I didn't even know he'd done it until today. I thought that I had time to fix it. I was going to tell you."

I laugh so hard it actually hurts my stomach. Finn just stands watching me like he's afraid to come any closer. Which shows he really is a smart one because if he gets too close right now I might just scratch his eyes out.

/> "That's your defense? You've been accused of lying, manipulating and just being downright diabolical and your defense is my lawyer did it?"