Blackmailed by Her Bully

“You’re not moving in with me.”

“No, I’m not.”

“Why?”

“Ava—”

“Look at me, Logan. Say what you’ve got to say, but you’ve got to look at me when you do it.” She didn’t like how her heart was breaking or the sick feeling twisting her gut.

He lifted his head. “Ava, this, between us, it’s not going to work.”

“You said you’d be here for the baby,” she said.

“I will. You and I, the best way to make this work is if we only see each other when the baby is involved.”

“Is this because you know the truth? Are you ashamed of me?”

“No.” He stood up and made to move toward her, but she stepped back, needing the space. Right now, she couldn’t handle him touching her.

She held on by a very thin thread, but if he pushed too hard, it would snap and she didn’t know how much more she could hold it together.

“Then what is it?”

“I was going to destroy you. I set out to do exactly that. The video of you and Grant, it never should have made it out in the world, but I made sure it was. I fucked up.”

“So, it doesn’t have to mean anything? It doesn’t mean anything. I can forgive you, and you’re fine now. We’re fine.” She didn’t like how desperate she sounded.

“Ava, I kill people without caring. It meant nothing to me to end Luke’s life. In fact, I was pissed off because he got a swift end when he should have suffered.”

“None of us get everything out of life we ever wanted. Our lives always change. Some for the better, some for the worse. We can’t change what is happening. I can’t—you’re dumping me?”

“We were never in a relationship in the first place.”

“You’re feeling guilty for blaming me all these years. But you’re not willing to fight for us, for what we’ve got?” she asked.

“What do we have, Ava? You didn’t get to go to college because of me. I didn’t get anything out of life I wanted. You think being who I am is what I wanted to become. No, it’s not, but I’m that man. I’ve seen the way you react, and I’m telling you now, you and I, we’re not suited to each other. We’ll have a child and you’ll want for nothing, but that is as far as we go. This is it for us. You and I, we’re done.”

“Wow,” she said. “This house is mine.”

“Yes. You’ve also got an allowance.” He put the cards down on the table. “I’ve got to go. I’ve got some meetings.” Ava watched him walk toward the apartment door. “I’ve left a cell phone with my number on the kitchen counter. If you need anything, call. Whatever you want, you can have it.”

The door closed, shattering her whole world.

There had been hope inside her heart that at the very least they could try to make it together.

Removing her jacket, kicking off her shoes, she sat down on the sofa.

“I guess it’s just you and me, kiddo.”

Chapter Fourteen

One week later

“Has she picked a college yet?” Logan asked. He didn’t look up from the paperwork on his desk. He was looking over the figures John, his finance officer, had given him. Seeing as he’d led him to finally have doubts about Luke’s loyalty, he’d decided to keep the man.

Everyone had a bad couple of days or months. He’d help John through his. It was new for him, but only a select bunch of people knew of the trouble John had faced, and well, working together, he saw no reason for the downturn to continue.

“No.”

Logan looked up from his paperwork to see Hunter inside his office, but also Grant. At his request, he’d demanded that Grant return.

“What do you mean no? She has had them for more than a week.”

“Yep, and so far she’s gone to three job applications as well. One was as a waitress. The other at the library, and I think she even tried for a museum,” Hunter said, taking a seat.

Grant simply stood, waiting for instructions.

“You remember Ava, don’t you?” Logan asked.

“Of course.”

“I want you to guard her.”

“Logan,” Hunter said. “Do you think that is wise?”

“Why? Because they like to fuck one another?”

“Sir,” Grant said.

“Look, I’m not trying to be a bastard. You fucked Ava at my request but I saw your dick was hard, so I don’t imagine it was such a hardship to do it. She needs looking after,” Logan said. He looked at the paperwork. In his free time, he read pregnancy books. Right now, he didn’t want to see facts and figures; he was curious if she experienced morning sickness. It could be nasty for some women, while others didn’t feel a thing, and well, he didn’t care about other women, just the one.

“Leave us,” Hunter said.

Logan waited for the door to close. “Are you the boss now? Do my men follow your orders?”