Chapter Fifty-One

“Have you ever seen The Godfather?” Brock asked.

Braden shook his head. They never had cable TV growing up, and now he didn’t have time to watch TV or stream movies. He was either working or sleeping.

“Too bad,” Brock said.

“Why?”

“Because I’m about to make you an offer you can’t refuse.”

Braden didn’t respond. He simply lifted his eyebrows, waiting.

“Here’s what’s going to happen,” Brock said. “You’re going to drop the charges against my daughter and agree to never speak about what happened between the two of you again.”

“And she’ll stop stalking me?”

“She’ll attempt to stop.”

Braden shook his head. “No deal.”

“I know my daughter. She’s just throwing a tantrum. She’s not getting what she wants. It’s her way.”

“Her way? I’m supposed to put up with her little fits?”

Brock cleared his throat. “In return, I’ll finance your move to another place. She won’t be able to find you.”

“I have to leave Boston?”

“Yeah. But you can find work in construction anywhere.”

“Maybe I don’t want to leave Boston. My father and brother are here.”

“So? I’ve done some research, Mr. Black. There’s no love lost between you and your father. And your mother… Well, she’s no longer an issue, is she?”

Rage, again. Reddish-purple rage. How dare this motherfucker speak about his family? About his mother?

Braden kept his mouth glued shut, though, as difficult as it was. No way was he going to let his temper dictate what happened next. No fucking way.

“I’m not moving,” Braden finally said.

“That’s your prerogative. But Addie knows where to find you. The stalking, as you like to call it, may continue.”

“As I like to call it? What the fuck do you call it?”

“I call it simply an attempt to keep in touch.”

Braden clenched his hands into fists once more. “I can’t believe this. I don’t want to move. I won’t move.” He was adamant. Boston was his home. He didn’t want to live anywhere else.

“So you’re rejecting my offer?”

“I’m rejecting your first offer. I’d like to make a counteroffer.”

“I’m not entertaining any counteroffers, Mr. Black. This is my one and only offer.”

“And if I refuse?”

“Addie will go to the police and allege assault.”

Braden’s skin tightened around him, his heart thundering. “You won’t get away with this. The truth is on my side.”

“Maybe so, but are you willing to take that chance? I’ll have the best lawyers advising the prosecution, and you’ll go down for a crime you didn’t commit.”

Fuck. Brock knew Braden hadn’t assaulted Addie. He fucking knew. If only he had a tape recorder on him. A wire. Then he could prove that Brock had just admitted Braden hadn’t committed any crime. He opened his mouth to call Brock out on his lie—

Then something hit him like a lightning bolt.

Money.

This all came down to money. Brock had it. Braden didn’t.

“How much will that cost you?” Braden asked.

“What?”

“Those greedy lawyers who will advise the prosecution. Don’t forget the judge. You may have to buy him off. How much will it ultimately cost you to bring me down?”

“Money doesn’t matter.”

“Not to you. So how much?”

Brock narrowed his eyes. “Six figures. Possibly seven.”

“Here’s your counteroffer,” Braden said, “and you’d do well to entertain it. Keep your little darling out of the spotlight and your money out of lawyers’ hands. Give it to me instead. I’ll drop the charges, and you guarantee me that this is over. Fucking over.”

“Meaning?”

“Meaning your daughter will never make false allegations against me. I want it in writing, signed by both you and her. I’ll sign as well that I’ll never talk about the incident that put her in the emergency room. I’ll never talk to her again, if that’s what it takes.”

“Addie won’t agree to that.”

“Make her agree.”

“As you said before, Mr. Black. She’s an adult. She thinks she loves you.”

“A million. That’s what it would cost you to ruin my life. Give it to me instead, and I’ll sign whatever you want.”

Brock narrowed his gaze. He was considering it.

Good.

“A quarter million,” he finally said. “And you never call the police on Addie again.”

“No deal.”

“Half a million.”

Braden smiled. That was what he was after. Half a mill. He could get his new product off the ground with that.

“Half a million,” he said, “and Addie stops stalking me.”

“I’ve told her to stop, but I can’t control what she ultimately does.”

“Then I can’t guarantee I’ll never call the police on her again.”

Brock met Braden’s gaze, his own determined. “No wavering on that part of the deal. You cannot call the police on my daughter. Not ever. I’ll write it into the agreement if I have to. Otherwise, you’ll have my assurance that you won’t be prosecuted on any false allegations. And there will be a non-disclosure agreement.”

…

My eyes are dinner plates. “You agreed.”

Braden clears his throat. “I did.”

“And Addie…”

“Has been stalking me since.”

My heart thuds. “Your business…”

“Was seeded with Brock Ames’s money,” he says, his voice monotone. “And I signed a document stating I’d never talk about what went on between Addie and me.”

“So that’s why…”

“That’s why I couldn’t tell you, Skye. Why I shouldn’t be telling you now. Though it probably doesn’t matter. I can now buy and sell the Ames business. If I crack, what can they do to me? Sue me, but then it all comes out anyway.”

“Why wouldn’t you tell me, then? At first, I mean.”

“Because I’m a man of my word, Skye. A man is nothing without his word.”

And now he’s no longer a man of his word. He told me.

But not because I goaded him into it.

He told me because he loves me. Because he trusts me. And if we’re going to have a relationship, there can be no big secrets between us.

“I learned some valuable things from Brock Ames that day,” he continues. “First, never take the first offer, even if the other party says it’s the only offer.”

I nod.

“Second, I learned that a man is only as good as his word. Brock kept his word to me. Addie never made any false accusations, and she hasn’t spoken of any details of our time together—”

“She hasn’t? Then how does Apple know? Betsy?”

“She most likely told Betsy before the agreement. As for Apple, she’s family and was there, so she probably witnessed a lot of what went on.” Braden shoves his hands in his pockets. “Addie’s still a spoiled brat at heart. The stalking never stopped, Skye. In fact, it continues to this day.”

“So that’s how…” My mind churns.

“It’s no doubt how she knew about the nipple clamps. The anal plug. Our breakup. She’s had me watched since then. What she doesn’t know is that I’ve had her watched since I could afford to. If she steps out of line, I’ll know it, and I’ll stop it.”

“You don’t consider her knowing about an anal plug out of line?”

“My place is as secure as it gets. Yours isn’t. At least not yet. I didn’t feel it was right to have security installed in your home without telling you first.”

“Good call,” I say.

“Addie is virtually harmless. I ignore her, for the most part, but sometimes the devil on my shoulder gets the better of me. I can’t be too upset about that, though. It is, after all, how you and I met.”

I smile. “Your comment on her coffee post. Of course.”

“The woman hates coffee. She always has. Sometimes it’s something so small like that that sets me off.”

“I get it. Honestly.”

“I’m sure you do, after working for her.”

“She knows I love coffee, and do you know she never once offered to give me the drink? She always threw it out.”

“Not surprising,” Braden says. “Everything’s disposable to her.”

“Except for you.” I frown.

“Apparently. She never got over me. But it may be because of my money and status now.”

I think for a moment. Sure, Braden has money and status now, but he didn’t then. But he did have one thing.

Himself.

He was always Braden Black. Always a magnificent and amazing man.

“I don’t think so,” I tell him. “I think she’d still be after you no matter what. But we can’t live like this, Braden. I can’t live my life knowing she’s watching every move I make.”

“She might be watching you anyway,” he says. “After all, you’re in her territory now.”

“Meaning I have you?”

He chuckles. “No, Skye. I was never her territory. I’m talking about social media influencing.”

I scoff at myself. Of course, he’s right. “I’ll never be where she is.”

“Don’t sell yourself short. You have something she doesn’t.”

“You?” I giggle.

“You’re incorrigible. No. You have you. You have Skye Manning, and Skye Manning is a real person. A person everyone relates to. Your gift is you.”

Your gift is you.

With those words, I float on air.

I see myself in a new light.

Yes, I have Braden, and if Braden loves me, that must mean I’m something special.

But that’s not what truly makes me special.

I’m me. I’m #simplyskye.

And that’s something no one else has, not even Addison Ames.

Wouldn’t the world be wonderful if personal people saw themselves as gifts?

This, right here, is the greatest thing anyone has ever done for me.

“I’ll love you forever for saying that, Braden.” I wrap my arms around his neck.

“I’ll love you forever just because you’re you,” he says back.