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“You do have a real life,” I said softly. “It’sourchance.”
“No, don’t try to make it better.” She shook her head. “I know what I’ve done. It’s not just my past—I ruined everything because of what I did for your dad.”
She blew her nose again. “I messed up the best thing I ever had in my life. And you didn’t want to hear my excuses, and I don’t blame you. I lied to you. I hid things from you. You’ll be better off without me.”
“Jenny, that’s not true.” My voice was firm but gentle. “When you love someone, you’re never better off without them. I’m the one who’s sorry. I was so angry, I didn’t even give you a chance to explain.”
She blew her nose again. “Wait a minute—how did you even find out I was here?”
“Shirley had you followed once you landed,” I explained. “I asked her to make sure you were okay because as soon as I got on the plane, I knew I’d made a terrible mistake.”
I went closer and gently took her hands. “Can you forgive me, babe? I’m so sorry. I know my father can be difficult—actually, he’s impossible. He’s the worst.”
She sniffled. “Heispretty bad.”
I sighed. “We’re going to take care of him next. He’s on the list. But before we do that, babe…” I hung my head. “Can you please forgive me? Can you please give me another chance? Being in a relationship is new for me. I don’t know what the hell I’m doing.”
Jenny arched an eyebrow. The slightest bit of warmth returned to her face, chasing the doom and gloom. “You, the billionaire venture capitalist, the owner of the Thunder—youdon’t know what you’re doing?”
“No clue,” I admitted. “I’ve never been in love before, Jenny. And I’ve been so afraid to let my guard down. So when I saw that you’d texted Ramos and found out you were talking to my dad, I freaked out. I ran before I even thought it through. I didn’t give you a chance to explain yourself—I just reacted. I assumed the worst. I’m so sorry.”
Jenny sniffled. “You were right when you assumed the worst, though. Iwasspying for your dad. He made me listen to your conversations and send him the details. Then he made me pretend to be you and offer him a bribe.”
“I can’t say I’m surprised.” I winced. “I bet he was the one who made you leave the first time, too, and found your aunt.”
She nodded, eyes huge in her face. “Your father said he didn’t want his son with a hooker. He said he would do bad things to me, you, Audrey, and Elena. And that money I sent out, the twenty thousand? I sent it to my aunt. I was trying to keep her from telling you about me. “
I hung my head. Poor Jenny had been dealing with so much. “I’m so sorry, babe. I’m sorry you didn’t feel like you could come to me with your problems.”
“I literally couldn’t,” Jenny said. “Your dad said he’d do something bad to you if I told you the truth. I didn’t feel like I had a choice.”
“I’m so sorry,” I said. “Of course, he’s blackmailing you—that’s his signature move. He doesn’t care who he hurts. I think he wastryingto hurt me. He doesn’t want me to be happy. He doesn’t want me to be in love. He’s only been miserable since my mom died.”
“He doesn’t want you to be in love with a hooker,” Jenny corrected me. “He’d probably be psyched if you were in love with a real-estate mogul with a trust fund.”
“I’m in love withyou.” I squeezed her hands. “And I’ve never been more sure of anything in my whole life. My father will learn to accept it, or he won’t. I don’t care either way. But he needs to be dealt with.”
I brushed the curls back from her beautiful face. “But I have to ask you, first,canyou forgive me, Jenny? Can you give me another chance?”
Her lower lip wobbled. “Do you still want one?”
“Babe.” I grinned at her. “You’re the prettiest girl in the whole world, and the bestest. You have terrible taste in cupcakes, and you inexplicably love every ugly animal that crosses your path—and they love you—but you arehands downthe best thing that has ever happened to me. I didn’t start living until I met you. So what do you say? Do you want to be my girlfriend?”
“For real?” she asked.
“For real. Forever,” I said.
“O-Okay,” Jenny said and promptly burst into tears again.
I hadto get nuclear with my father, but alas, he deserved it.
After making friends with the officers who arrested Theresa, I had them put me in touch with a detective who worked in the white-collar crime division. The department had been trying to get direct evidence on Ramos for years. We immediately set up a meeting between Ramos and me, during which I wore a microphone. The detective told me exactly what to say to obtain the necessary evidence from the meeting, and I followed the script to the letter.
The operation was a success. The details were precise and ugly; my father wanted me to bribe the state agent to get his approvals. From that one brief meeting, the Boston PD had everything they needed to launch a formal investigation.
But before they did that, Jenny and I headed to my father’s club, The Bromfield.
“You have got to be fucking kidding me,” he said as Jenny and I sailed into the dining room. As usual, my father was at a table alone, surrounded by oil paintings of hunting dogs and red leather chairs, eating what appeared to be chicken liver pate.