Page 15 of Riptide
"This isn't about your past. This is about your present." Wade pulled out a chair, sat across from her. "Someone's threatening you. That makes it team business."
"It's not that simple."
"It never is." He leaned forward. "But here's what I know. You're a good person trying to build a good life. You help people. You're part of this team. And someone's trying to destroy that." His voice was quiet. Dangerous. "That's not acceptable."
"You don't know what she has on me."
"Don't need to. Not my business what you did before Haven Cove." Wade's expression was matter-of-fact. "My business is making sure threats are neutralized. That's what I'm good at."
"She's not a threat you can neutralize with tactics."
"Everyone's vulnerable. Everyone has pressure points." He nodded at her phone. "She's got a zillion followers. Probably thinks that makes her untouchable. What it does is make her sloppy."
"She's not sloppy. She's careful. Professional."
"So am I." Wade pulled out his own phone. "Give me her name. Her accounts. Everything you have. I'll find the pressure points."
"And then what? You threaten her back? That just escalates things."
"Depends on the threat." His expression was calm. Cold. The expression of someone who'd done worse than threaten. "But yeah. If that's what it takes."
"Wade—"
"Cara, I've dealt with blackmailers. Real ones. The kind who work for cartels and terrorist organizations. People who make Instagram influencers look like children." He met her eyes. "They all have the same weakness. They rely on fear. On victims staying isolated and scared. The moment you stop being scared, the moment you have backup, they lose."
"This isn't like that."
"It's exactly like that." He gestured at her phone. "She's counting on you being too afraid to ask for help. Too isolated to fight back. Too desperate to think clearly." His voice gentled slightly. "But you're not alone. You have a team. You have resources. You have people who've handled worse than some thirty-something with a smartphone and an audience."
The words hit harder than they should.
"If I fight back, she could dig deeper," Cara said quietly. "Find things about me. About the person who helped me. Destroy more than just my life."
Wade was quiet for a moment. "The person who set up your inheritance did good work. Professional grade."
Cara's head snapped up. "How do you?—"
"Reagan mentioned the inheritance seemed carefully arranged. Tom noticed the documentation was extremely thorough when he was being nosy." He shrugged. "We look after each other. That means noticing things. But not digging. There's a difference."
Wade leaned back. "Here's what actually happens if your blackmailer goes public with her little mystery. She posts about a questionable inheritance. Maybe gets some engagement. Maybe someone investigates. Takes time. Bureaucracy. Legal processes."
He crossed his arms. "Meanwhile, Tom plays around with her digital footprint. Makes her look unreliable. Finds her pressure points—and trust me, someone doing identity investigations for cash has done questionable things. Reagan uses her contacts to flag her for potential investigation. I make sure she understands that continuing this isn't worth the trouble."
"You'd do all that?"
"Of course." His expression was firm. "But only if you let us. Only if you stop trying to handle this alone."
"Why?" The word came out broken. "Why would you help me when you don't even know what I did?"
"Because I know who you are now. That's enough." Wade stood. "Meeting's at 1900 hours. Basement. We'll figure this out. Together. Don’t make me come and get you." He headed for the door.
"Wade?"
He paused.
"Thank you."
"Thank me when it's over." He left, footsteps fading down the hallway.
