Chapter Nine
Chase
I spent the remainder of the day trying to forget everything that had happened. The days of being a non-caring billionaire and playboy seemed to have fallen behind me. My life had become a pattern of drama and bad choices, but that pattern was something I was about to put to an end, for good.
I sank back into the sofa, the same place where Jamie and I had made love only days before. Things had moved quickly with us and also had taken a turn I’d never seen coming. She seemed like the last person that could have gotten caught up in a crazy scandal.
The headlights from a car had brightened the room and just as quickly disappeared. A few moments later, there was a knock at the door. My heart pounded. Whoever was on the other side of the door likely wasn’t bringing good news.
Reluctantly, I got up from my comfortable seat and made my way to the door, opening it to see Jamie standing in front of me.
“I’m sorry to bother you, really.” Her face blotchy, as if she had been crying. “Are you working with Grant?”
“Um, Yes?” I said, not knowing exactly what she meant.
“Dunamis. Is he working with you on that, or anything else outside of the university?”
I cocked my head to the side as I answered, “No. Why are you asking?”
“I saw him. The guy…the bald guy. And he was with Grant and then some girl showed up. Here, look.” She pulled out her phone and swiped open the picture. “That’s the guy who gave me the money to flirt with you, and Grant’s talking to him and that girl.” Jamie’s head tilted as she looked at the picture. “That’s the…”
My eyes focused on the picture as Jamie examined it more closely and realized what she was seeing. I sighed. “That’s Summer.”
“The girl from your office? That’s your ex? What didn’t you tell me? Why’s she meeting with them?” Jamie strode past me and walked into the kitchen, finding the liquor cabinet and pouring herself from the first bottle she saw.
“I don’t know why Summer would be meeting with them,” I said. “And I didn’t say anything to you because we were already in the middle of something. I didn’t want more drama between us, and I didn’t want to open that door again with her.” I walked over to Jamie, grabbing the bottle and a glass, pouring myself a drink as well and quickly taking a sip. “How long ago did you see this?”
“I…I don’t know, maybe an hour. I’ve been driving around, trying to make sense of it.”
None of it made sense to me either. I had no idea who the bald guy was, but Summer working with Grant seemed an unlikely match. Then again, if Grant was behind this, he must have planned it from the beginning.
Jamie’s phone chimed and she look down at it and cussed. “Fuck.” She took another swig of her drink and looked up at me. “And I think I saw my stepfather, Tom, walking into the same place. My mom and him are here and that just doesn’t make sense. How can this be a coincidence? They’ve never come to see me and all of a sudden they’re here. She keeps texting me, wanting to visit.”
“Okay,” I said. “One thing at a time.” I grabbed my phone and tapped through my contacts. I didn’t want to reach out to Summer, but I needed answers.
I need to see you. Tonight. Can you come over?
It only took a moment for her to respond. Yes :)
“What are we going to do?” Jamie asked. “What if he is the one blackmailing me? I have to work with him?”
“Do nothing,” I said. “Jamie, I need you to go home. Pretend like none of this happened. Text your mom. Go to work with Grant. Pretend like everything is perfectly fine. Let me see what I can find out.”
“But—”
“But nothing. Go home. Summer is on her way here. I’ll get answers.”
Jamie squinted her eyes at me as she slammed her drink down on the counter. “So you call your ex over for some one-on-one time to get answers? I’m supposed to just leave you here?”
I stepped closer, grabbing her hand, but she pulled it away. I made another attempt, this time holding onto her harder and looking deep into her eyes. “Trust me. Everything between her and me is done. I want to fix this. I want all of this to go away so we can move forward. Let me see what’s going on and I’ll call you the moment I get answers. I promise.”
She stepped closer and buried her head into my chest as she wrapped arm around me. “So, there’s a chance for us?”
“I hope so. Now go, before she gets here.” I kissed her on the forehead as she spun on her heel and headed toward the door.
“I trust you,” she said, looking back over her shoulder.
“Good.”
About thirty minutes later, Summer arrived. While it wasn’t late, I was already worn out from the day. Even the way I felt on my busiest day didn’t compare to how mentally drained I was now. I was exhausted.
As if things had never ended between Summer and me, she walked right in the front door without knocking and made her way into the kitchen as she yelled my name. I had already finished one drink and was starting on another.
I needed to dull my emotions.
“So you reconsidered my offer for a drink?” Summer smiled and then noticed the other glass already sitting on the counter filled with melting ice. “Or am I the consolation prize tonight?” She studied my face as I stood there, emotionless. “Really Chase?”
“No Summer, that’s not what this is about.” I walked over to the bar and grabbed a fresh glass, dropping a few ice cubes in it and filling it half way. I handed her the glass. “Relax. Tell me, how was your meeting today?”
“It was good. Promising,” she said as she took a sip of her drink.
“Who was it with?”
“We’ve been over this, I can’t tell you.”
“Okay, let me go about this another way. Grant Ashworth. Why were you meeting with him?”
Summer’s confident look of silence fell from her face as her mouth dropped open. “How…?”
“Did he not tell you we work together? He works for me at the university. I gave him my class. I didn’t have time to teach it with the new projects I’ve taken on, and I thought another successful, rich businessman would be a perfect fit.”
Summer laughed. “Rich and successful? Grant definitely isn’t rich, Chase. He’s working for someone that’s paying the bills.”
“Excuse me?” A feeling of shock rocked my body as I imagined what else Grant could be lying about. “And the bald guy?”
“Wait, were you spying on me?” Summer took a few steps back, the anger strong in her voice. “I wouldn’t tell you what deal I was working on, so you followed me? Better yet, I know the way you operate. You probably had me followed.” She slammed her glass on the table, right next to the same spot where Jamie had slammed hers down an hour earlier. “That’s why you called me here, to confirm what your spies have already told you?”
She shook her head and began walking out of the kitchen.
“They’re blackmailing me, and Jamie. They hired her to get information on me.”
“Darryl or Grant?”
“I don’t know. Maybe both. They gave Jamie money to get info on the company I’ve been working with. Apparently, they’ve been trying to figure out what I’m doing.”
Summer hesitated in the doorway and stared at me. “I doubt it was them, and if Carson knew any of this was going on, I wouldn’t be here.” She walked back into the kitchen and leaned on the counter. “There was another guy who arrived late. He’s the guy backing them. He’s the reason why Carson wanted to meet. He had the info on the company we’re looking to purchase, and he wanted a partner.”
“Let me guess,” I paused. “Is his name Tom?”
“Tom Wells, that’s him. How did you know?
“That’s Jamie’s stepfather.”
“Shit, Chase.” Summer plopped down on the stool at the kitchen counter. “How do you get yourself into these messes?” She reached across the counter and grabbed her glass, taking a large gulp. “None of this seems right, and it’s pretty fucked up if you ask me.”
It was. Really fucked up. But I knew exactly what I needed to do.