Page 57 of Blackmailing the Bad Girl

Nik finally seemed to become aware of Harry’s presence. “What the hell is this? A fucking party?”

“Nik!”

Harry grinned. “Your dad sent me to look for your mom. Apparently, she’s running around London in over a million worth of diamonds.” He sent Summer a sideways glance. “Perhaps I shouldn’t have mentioned that in the present company. The temptation might get too much.”

“Yeah. If you two will leave us alone for a moment, I’ll mug her and be out of here in a flash.”

Nik’s mother cast her a look of speculation at the comment, but then sniffed. “And he couldn’t come himself. He had to send you?”

“I was around and he was…busy. With your surprise party, actually.”

Nik turned to his mother. “Go home, Mom.” Then to Harry. “And you—just go.” Finally, he looked at Summer. “And you, stay here.”

“I have to leave. I have an appointment, and I need to go home first and…” She trailed off. Really, it was none of his business. Fake boyfriends, even ones you spent the night with, didn’t get to know your every move.

His mother sniffed again. “And I suppose I should go see what your father is up to…if I can’t persuade you to keep an old woman company.”

Nik rolled his eyes. “I’ll see you tonight.”

His mother gave a nod and then turned her attention to Summer with a sly smile. “Are you coming to my party tonight?”

“No.” The word fell out before she could think of a more politic way to say it. Like…she hadn’t been asked, but she wouldn’t come anyway, sort of thing.

“Please, do say you’ll come. Nik wants you to come.” She turned to her son. “Don’t you, Nik?”

“I’m sure your family doesn’t want a stranger there.”

“At the last count, there are five hundred guests,” Harry murmured in her ear. “I doubt one more will make a difference.”

She fixed a smile on her face. She didn’t want to be rude, but she also didn’t want to go to a party with a lot of rich people she didn’t know. Besides, if Nik had wanted her there, he would have already asked her. “I can’t.”

“Why not?” Nik asked.

She blew out her breath. “I don’t have anything suitable to wear.”

“We can go shopping.”

Agh!Was he crazy?

“I told you I have an appointment. I don’t have time to go shopping.”

“Cancel.”

She gritted her teeth. “I don’t want to.”

He stepped up closer, lowered his voice. “We need to talk.”

“No, we don’t. I’ll see you on Monday.”

She turned to go, but nearly collided with Harry and Nik’s mother, both standing watching the two of them, like a solid wall between her and the door.

Let me out of here.

His mother reached out a hand and rested it on Summer’s arm. “Please come, Summer. You’ll make an old woman very happy.”

Beside her, Harry snorted.

“I—”