He smiled sadly. “You’ve always been enough. The bottom line is that I’m not.”
“Brett—”
“If I asked you not to go, not to do this, what would you say?”
I shook my head. “Don’t ask me that.”
We stared at each other.
“I want to ask you something,” I began, stopping when Chase rushed in, interrupting us.
“Brett, Maxx needs you. One of the hoists malfunctioned, and Ward is pinned. We need you. Now.”
Brett hurried past me.
I grabbed his arm. “We’re not done,” I insisted. “I’m not running.”
“Maybe I am,” he replied.
I watched his retreating figure, then sat down on the workout bench, my legs too shaky to hold me. I shut my eyes.
I hadn’t expected this reaction from him. I hadn’t planned on telling him in front of Charly either. I had so much else to say. So much to tell him. Plans I had come up with. Ideas.
All he saw was me leaving. My life revolving around travel again. I shook my head in frustration. He hadn’t let me tell him the whole story, instead simply jumping to conclusions.
I had to admit, I couldn’t blame him. My past behavior had given him reason to be skeptical. But I thought he trusted me. That he knew how much he meant to me. And I had changed. Because of him.
I sat for a while, allowing my emotions to calm. I didn’t blame him for being upset or worried. I huffed out a long sigh and pushed off the workout bench. I would wait for him in his office. I had to tell him. Clear the air so he understood. Tell him my plans.
Except as I walked out of the barn, I was shocked to see someone standing there.
Carl.
He crossed his arms and glared at me. Already angry and frustrated over Brett’s attitude, I became furious. I stalked toward him.
“What the fuck are you doing here?”
“I came to see you.” He held up a copy of Toronto Now. “Imagine how surprised I was to see your pictures, read your name in this. My little protégée all grown up and working for herself.”
I grabbed the magazine and flung it away. “No thanks to you.”
He shook his head, drawing attention to his shorn hair. He looked thin and ragged. Not at all the well-put-together, trendy man I was used to seeing. There was no doubt his drug habit was still in play.
He shrugged. “I taught you a lot. I deserve some of the credit.”
I laughed. “You took enough credit from me. I owe you nothing.”
“Ungrateful.” He sniffed. “I expected better of you, Kelly.”
“Odd. I never expected you to drug me, steal my work, and leave me stranded. I guess we both learned a lesson.” I glared at him. “I have nothing more to say to you. You can leave.”
I turned and went back into the barn, stopping just inside when I realized he was following me.
“Get out of here, Carl. You are not welcome. Trust me, if anyone sees you, I won’t be held responsible for what they do.”
“Oh, been whining to your little friends, have you?”
“I wouldn’t call it whining, and yes, they are my friends. Real ones.”
“And how is that strapping lover of yours? Perhaps he’d like to see my artwork featuring his lovely girlfriend. Maybe all your friends would.”
Carl had shown distaste for Brett since they met. I ignored his insults about him and everyone else.
“They all know already, Carl. I’m warning you—get out.”
“Not until you put back what you stole.”
I laughed. “You mean took back? Those were my photographs, Carl. Not yours. I’m done letting you walk all over me.”
He narrowed his eyes. “How would your new employer feel if they saw my photos of you, Kelly? The Burchard Group is known for their high values. I bet they wouldn’t like seeing you in all your natural beauty doing—”
“Shut up,” I hissed. “I wasn’t doing anything, and you know it. I was drugged and unconscious, thanks to you.”
“A detail I will be sure to omit when I send them to Mr. Holmes. I’m certain he will share with his boss, and once again, you can go back to taking pictures for the rinky-dink town paper. If they’ll even have you.” An evil smile crossed his face. “Or come back to work for me.”
“Never.”
“Then give me back those pictures.”
“No.”
“You think you’re better than me, you little bitch?”
I lifted my chin. “I know it.”
His glare became malevolent. “You think I didn’t figure out you removed the pictures I took of you from Dropbox?” He sneered at me. “You know I keep a backup, Kelly. I will destroy you unless you give me back those files. I need them.”
“So you can make more money off me? No.”
“You’ll be sorry.”
“I think you’ll be the sorry one,” a voice sang out from behind him.
He turned. “What the hell are you doing?”