Page 43 of Because I Need You
I gave a nod to his security detail. It was laughable, really. The same people he paid to keep him safe, I paid to keep tabs on him. It wasn’t only about the money, though. It was my name. My reputation. My father’s, and his fathers before him. We’d made it so that people owed us favors, sometimes that meant losing a job, or their lives, but they offered it up anyway if it meant their family would always have our protection. That was always what it came down to. Family. As I sank into the seat directly behind Will and his mother, I thought hard about that. She was kind and I really didn’t want to do this in front of her, but he’d left me no choice. I leaned forward on the side opposite of her.
“Here’s what’s going to happen.”
He jolted at the sound of my voice, jumped out of his seat, and pressed a hand to his chest. His mother turned quickly to see what was happening, eyes wide when she saw me, recognition sparking instantly. He still had his hand on his chest when he said, “Mom, wait for me outside.”
“What’s this about?” she asked.
“Emily, so nice to see you. It’s been a while,” I said, flashing a smile at her. She blushed fiercely. William looked at her, then back at me, as if he was trying to figure out how we knew each other.
“Wait for me outside,” he said, voice stern this time. He turned to look at her, but she was still looking at me, still blushing, and he’d have to be a complete fucking moron to not know. He had to know.
Emily walked out of the row.
“How the fuck did you get in here?” he asked as soon as she was no longer in sight.
“Here’s what’s going to happen,” I started again, ignoring his idiotic question, because he had to know the answer to that one as well. “You’re going to have the city approve my permits and allow construction to continue.”
“That’s what this is about?” He lowered his hand. “You couldn’t have waited until the luncheon? I saw your name on the list.”
“No, I couldn’t have waited until the luncheon,” I said, mimicking his stupid voice. “Every time I talk to you at those events, things go in one ear and out the other. I figured maybe crashing your weekly outing may get me somewhere.”
He shut his eyes. “My father has a deal with Silvio Costello.”
“Your father is a fucking judge. The fact that he’s making sweetheart deals with a criminal is juicy,” I said, “Don’t you think? The media would have a fucking field day with it.”
“And with you,” he said, eyes narrowing. “If you try that shit, I’ll go to the media with shit I know about you.”
“What exactly do you know about me? That I used to fuck your mom on Thursdays while you and your father were out playing golf with your buddies?” I raised an eyebrow. His entire face drained of color. I thought he was definitely going to throw up. Or hit me. I would’ve hit me. Hell, I wanted him to hit me. “We own the fucking construction companies. You can’t lift a finger without my say so. This entire thing is a fucking waste of time and I’ve wasted enough time.” I started walking out of the row. He still hadn’t recovered from the comment about his mom, I could tell. I stopped at the edge of the row and turned one last time. “One more thing, Mr. Mayor. Lose the girl.”
“What girl?” he asked, sounding genuinely confused.
“You know exactly who I’m talking about.”
“I’m not, I can’t just, you can’t tell me what to do in my personal life,” he said.
“I just did.” I walked away again.
“I’m not afraid of you,” he called out when I reached the door.
I smiled as I turned around. I looked at his security detail, standing there, watching me, waiting for one simple word. That was all it would take to blow his fucking head off. I wouldn’t give that order, though. It would be way too messy.
“I’m not,” he shouted again, “I’m not afraid of you or your goons.”
“Well, William, the only thing I can tell you is that you really fucking should be.”
19
ISABEL
There was something to be said about repressed memories. I hadn’t thought about the night that I’d been pinned down by two guys just feet away from a party I’d attended with Eloise. It happened so quickly; one minute I was waving goodbye to her and another friend, and the next I was on the ground, my back sliding against the wet grass beneath me as they held me down. There were countless memories I’d tried to bury, but that one was the worst. After being ambushed at my father’s house, I’d had nightmares, not of the ambush, but of that night in college. It wasn’t the last time I’d been cornered by men trying to take advantage of me, but it was the only time it had worked. After that night, I became obsessed with self-defense. I couldn’t afford the classes, but I mentioned to my father that it was something that interested me, and he paid for a few sessions. Just enough that I’d be able to stop someone in the moment. Taking classes beyond that meant I would’ve had to explain myself, so I YouTubed and practiced on my own. It hadn’t helped me the other night. I’d been completely caught off guard and off my game.
