Badly Behaved

“Our deal was to get to know each other and move forward at the end of my school year.”

“And you didn’t think falling for someone else along the way would jeopardize everything?” He angles his head. “Your mother assured me you weren’t the type, but mothers are often unaware, especially busy ones like her, so I had to be extra cautious.”

“So, you did have me followed.”

“I kept my eyes open, was all. I’m a lawyer, a great one. It’s my job to see all the signs and, sweetheart, you had many.”

“I guess neither of us are who the other thought.”

He nods. “What did your mother tell you of our arrangement, Jameson?”

I lick my lips and shrug. What point is there to lie now?

“She said she believed in you, that with you as senior partner, the firm would have a new kind of power, and power is everything to her. She wanted someone to take over who was as cutthroat as her, and she needed my help to secure it.” Or her life’s work would die with her, and that would be incredibly selfish of me to be the very cause of such a misfortune. I force myself not to swallow. “I’d say she met her match.”

Anthony buttons up his suit jacket. “All true, yes, but what she didn’t tell you is I’m the one who went to her.”

“Does that matter?”

“Since that one meeting led to you standing in front of me now, yes.” He pauses, for effect, I’m sure. “See, the DA, I found, had threatened your mother with who knows what, but she was able to pay him off in the end, which told me the man didn’t have what he needed to back her into a corner.”

“And you did.”

He nods.

I’m hit with a wave of nausea.

I knew it.

I take a deep breath, shaking my head. “How did you know about any of this?”

“I’m young, hungry, and ambitious. I knew I needed to find a way to catapult myself and it just so happened the queen of my world had spawned not one, but two princesses.”

“You stalked my family.”

“Again, all I did was pay attention. Very close attention, until what I needed fell into my lap.” He sits on the edge of the dresser, watching me closely.

“See, your mom began taking more and more cases when she made her name by doing the opposite. She never kept a full schedule, because she refused to lose. She made sure she had the time she needed to put in the work, cover every avenue to ensure she was victorious every time she stepped out of that courtroom. As we both know, she was. But then suddenly, she was all over the docket, case after case, and what do you know… still on an unbelievable winning streak.

“I flew down to Florida to find out how, and before I came back, I had a Filano of my own.” He grins, proud. “With a file that held the proof that your mom had added to her resume. She suddenly had an entirely new bankroll coming in and a good chunk went right back out, to a dirty PI. A man with known mafia ties whose job was to find and bury evidence, to make sure she won by—”

“Any means necessary,” I whisper.

Anthony smiles. “Exactly. I watched as her client list flipped from high profile, secretly dirty politicians to suddenly every notorious criminal of the last decade. It’s genius, really, the big money always comes from the ones with the most to lose, and if you can win, you get paid.” He nods. “And we both know your mother always wins.”

That she does.

“So now you see, her entire career will go up in flames if I were to share what I have. Every case she has ever worked on could be reopened and she, as well as your stepfather, would likely spend the rest of their lives in prison, maybe even have their assets frozen should someone decide the money she’s been paid was blood money.”

Anthony chuckles, and I feel sick.

“So, if you’re willing to be the reason for all that, as well as the one thing that keeps Ransom from getting some parts of his life back, then, by all means, continue as you are, but something tells me you’re smarter than that.” He walks over to me and when I try to turn away, he grips my arm, his other hand pinching my chin between his thumb and pointer finger. “A little sacrifice can go a long, long way. We can go back to the way we were before. I’ll be all you wish me to be, and you’ll be in my bed,” he whispers, lowering his head.

I jerk, and he squeezes tighter, pressing his lips to mine.

“My brother can’t do half of what I can, sweetheart,” he rasps. “All you have to do is allow me to prove it.”