My eyes blaze through her as she pulls her shoulders back, and I watch her put on a front, walking down the stairs, then moving past me and towards the doors.
“It’s not what you think,” I rush out, and I don’t know if it’s the panic in my voice, but something makes her pause.
“How do you know what I am thinking?” she asks, jutting out her chin.
“I need your word…” Shit. What the fuck is her name?
“Tara,” she snaps, finishing for me. “Fucking pig.”
“Tara, right. Sorry. What you heard it wasn’t what it sounded—”
“I won’t tell anyone,” she assures me, and my shoulders drop in relief at the same time her lip curls.
“But not for nothing,” she utters.
“Right, you want money.” I look her up and down and her face reddens, her fists clenched at her sides.
“You used me tonight, and now I want to fuck you where it will hurt. I want money, and that.”
She points over my shoulder, and I turn, my eyes locking on my mother’s piano. “No.”
Not a chance in hell.
“Oh, you think you have a say here? I could go to the police, you know.”
She’s brazen. I’ll give her that. Most women would be out of here running, but I’m pretty sure I have Satan’s spawn standing in front of me.
Lance told me to sort this, to make her go away quietly.
“How much? Name your price.”
I see the spark in her eye, and I curse myself.
“I will send a courier, Monday morning at nine. If the door isn’t unlocked, I will—and I mean it. I will go to the police.”
“You stupid bitch.”
She shrugs, smiling sweetly. “Stupid bitch…” She holds up one hand, then the other. “Murderer.”
“She took it? The piano?”
I clench my fists as I nod, feeling every bit of the anger I did that night.
“Who is Erin then? AndTara? It doesn’t make sense.” She turns away from me, running her hands through her hair.
“Will you come and sit down?” I ask.
She moves to stand in the space between the lounge and the dining area, her brows drawn together in question. “Where is it now?”
“In the west wing at Lowerwick.”
Her face drops, and I know that hurt her. “You never would have told me, would you? You were just going to hide it away and not tell me.”
“I didn’t want to.” My nostrils flare, not wanting to lay it all out but knowing I have to. “I thought if you knew, I thought you’d never be able to look at me again.”
She shakes her head, looking at me in shock. “His actions… that rapist! Mason, he got everything he deserved. I don’t condone using your money to play with karma.” She walks to me, and my eyes burn. “But I don’tblameyou. You didn’t do it for you.” She reaches up and palms my cheek. “Mase, you would have lost me. If Charlie didn’t tell me.” Her brows pull in as she searches my face. “Why do you try and carry it all alone?”
“I don’t want my mistakes to burden you, Nina. Despite all you have been through, you are good and pure. I don’t want to fuck that up.”
