Page 83 of Bad Girls Don't Marry Marines (Rock Canyon, Idaho 3)

No. Something had happened. Her father had finally gotten to her or something because their relationship could not have been one-sided all along.

Pulling back onto the highway, he floored it, needing to get home to see her. Let her tell him to his face that they had been a mistake.

VAL BURST INTO her father’s office and found him sitting with Kyle Jenner, who gave her a slow, oily smile.

“Get out,” she growled, and when Kyle actually hesitated, she screamed, “Get the fuck out before I turn you into a eunuch!”

Kyle glared at Val as he left the room, but her attention was reserved for her father, who was leaning back in his chair with a triumphant smile.

“Call off your dogs.”

“Excuse me?”

“I broke up with Justin. It’s over,” she snapped, her hands on his desk. “So call . . . off . . . your . . . dogs.”

“I wasn’t aware I had done anything—”

“Please, I know all about you blackmailing Fred Silverton. There’s no use feigning innocence here.”

“All right,” he said, standing up. “But I want one more thing from you.”

“Go to hell.”

“I wonder how a man of Fred’s years would do in prison. It seems like such a hard life for a man his age.”

Val took a breath and silently counted to ten to calm down, glaring at him all the while. “Fine, I’m listening.”

“The newly appointed DA is looking to settle down in Rock Canyon. I need you to take him around the area and show him a good time.”

“And after this, you’ll leave the Silvertons alone?”

“Of course.”

Val straightened back up and said, “Set up the date, but I want all of the evidence you have against Fred.”

He went to his safe and pulled out a manila envelope. “Here.”

“Your word that this is everything?”

“Yes.”

Val left her father’s office feeling dirty and knew if she headed home now, there was a good chance Justin would be there waiting for her.

Heading in the opposite direction, she decided if there was ever a night to cut loose and get rip-roaring drunk, this was it.

JUSTIN BANGED ON Val’s door and yelled at the top of his lungs: “Valerie, open this damn door now!”

The door swung open, but instead of Val, he came face-to-face with a wide-eyed Ellie.

“Justin, what the hell?”

“Is your sister here?”

“No. I thought she was with you tonight.”

His laughter had a high note to it as he ran a hand through his hair. “No, she called me an hour ago to tell me it was over, and I’ve heard nothing since.”

Ellie seemed surprised. “Well, when she gets home, I’ll be sure to call you.”