Page 77 of Blackmailing the Bad Girl

Chapter Eighteen

Nik downed the scotch and waved his empty glass at the bartender. The man came over and poured another measure.

The alcohol burned in his belly, but did nothing to dull the sharp edge of pain.

Christ, he should be thankful. He’d almost fallen for it again. Tied himself to another mercenary woman.

Except she wasn’t.

He’d bet his last penny on that.

Though he’d been wrong before.

“Drowning your sorrows?” a voice asked from beside him.

Harry.

He glanced up as the bartender refilled his glass and placed one in front of Harry. His friend was looking smug. He’d called half an hour ago, saying he had information to share. But it was too late.

She’d be gone by now. Probably on her way to the train station. Or already on the train.

Harry sat down beside him and sipped his drink. Harry had never been much of a drinker. He was too perfect to let go like that.

“Don’t you want to hear what I found?” he asked.

“Doesn’t matter. It’s too late. She’s gone.”

“Jesus, you’re a pussy. Man up. You got a second chance. Are you just going to let it walk away?”

His eyes narrowed. “I thought you didn’t like her. She was dangerous, a liability. She’d take me for every penny, blah, blah, blah.”

“Yeah, but at least you might enjoy yourself while she was doing it.”

He stared into his glass. “I never thought I’d make the same mistakes. End up like my mother and father.”

“You also never expected anything better. Or believed you deserved any better. That’s why you married Jocelyn.”

“Crap. She pretended she had no clue who I was.”

“And you believed her? Deep down, you knew what she was like.”

Had he? He wasn’t sure. Maybe he had suspected, but that made him feel safe. He had money. It was something tangible he could give to a relationship. He was pathetic.

“Anyway,” Harry continued, “you know you’re totally wrong about your mom and dad. They love each other.”

“They do? She’s twenty-five years younger than him.”

“So?”

“She married him for his money.”

“Again—so?”

“He married her because she was pregnant.”

Harry shook his head. “You don’t get it. All of that might be true. But it doesn’t stop them from loving each other. You’ve always been too close. But they’d die for each other. Your dad would give away every penny he had to make her happy.”

“Believe me, that wouldnotmake her happy.”