Page 151 of Morally Black Betrothal

“So? How much does this fucker want to leave Simone and her family the fuck alone? With an NDA and a restraining order too.” Simone opened her mouth again, but I shook my head. “No, baby. I don’t want this blackmailing asshole within a hundred yards of you or yours. If I’m paying him off, I’m doing it right.”

Playing nice with blackmail artists wasn’t my general modus operandi, but I was willing to do anything to wipe the fear and dread off Simone’s beautiful face. And to get her moldy sponge of a sister the fuck out of my house.

“So?” I turned to Selena. “How much?”

I could see dollar signs rising in the girl’s black-rimmed eyes.

But before she could open her mouth, Simone spoke up. “No. Selena, I told you to figure this out yourself, didn’t I? I gave you the money for the loan repayment Why is he asking for more? Why does he think you’ll give it to him?”

Selena stared at her hands and said something.

“What was that?” I snapped. “I don’t understand Mumble.”

“Brendan.” Simone gave me a look.

But I wasn’t paying attention. Her sister was the one whose answer I wanted.

“Isaid, I didn’t give all the money,” Selena spat out.

Disappointment and anger colored Simone’s sweet face. “What?Why?”

“Why do you think? Because Ineededit, you idiot!” Selena exploded.

I immediately inserted myself between them. “Yeah, that’s going to stop right now. You talk to her with respect, or you only talk to me. And I’ll tell you right now, I’m nowhere near as nice as your sister.”

Selena glared at me for several long moments before falling back into her seat. “Fine. Sorry. Whatever.”

Reluctantly, I stepped back.

“Sel. Why didn’t you give him the money?” Simone tried again.

“Because I have a four-year-old,” Selena said. “Because I have shit to do. Because there are no jobs out there, and I don’t want to work at Dunkin’. Pick one.” She shrugged. “I gave him some, and then gave him some more after I sold off some of Mom’s jewelry.”

“What?!” Simone looked horrified. “Where did you find that?”

Selena rolled her eyes. “On your nightstand before that pushy broad came to get your things. I figured I could have some too. After all, Mom would have wanted me to use them, and it’s not fair you just took them all.”

Simone blinked quickly as a sheen darkened her blue eyes. I made a mental note to figure out exactly where the jewelry went and get it back as soon as possible.

“But it doesn’t matternow,” Selena went on.

“I—yes, it does. It matters to me.” Simone looked like she wanted to cry. “God, Sel, what more could I have done?”

“Baby, it’s fine.” I reached out, but she wouldn’t let me hold her. It fuckin’ broke me. “I’ll fix it, I swear. I’ll get back your mother’s things and pay off your sister’s debt. It’ll be fine, I promise.”

“It won’t be fine!” Selena shouted in a voice roughened with a hard life and too many cigarettes. “You were too fucking stubborn to share more of this amazing life you’re living, so I ended up screwed over. And now it doesn’t matter because they took Kylie!”

“What?”

Silence bogged the room. Simone sank into the chair next to Selena like her knees had been cut out from under her. The color drained from her face. She looked like she was about to pass out.

Quickly, I crossed to her side and crouched next to her, rubbing a hand up her shaking arm. “Baby. Angel. Simone, look at me.”

The fear etched across those beautiful features made something tighten deep in my chest. “Brendan?” One of her hands flattened over her sternum, like her heart needed to be kept in place.

I continued to rub her arm, pulling her closer on the rolling chair. “It’s going to be okay, angel. I’m going to fix this, I promise.”

“Oh? You going to go out and find my daughter?”