I took a step toward Quinn, my hands clenched so tightly around the coffee cups, they leaked over the lid, dripping hot liquid down my hands. “Permission? I broke up with you and even before that, I didn’t belong to you. I’m a free person who doesn’t need permission from a spoiled brat who has never heard the wordnoin his life.”
“We were only on a break, andyoutook off for Scotland. Despite that, I still came all the way here for you.” He stepped toward me. “I’ve been patient. And this is how you treat me?”
“You’re a narcissist,” I whispered hoarsely, realizing there was no arguing with him. It was unbelievable to me that he’d made up this rhetoric about us in his mind. “You should probably see someone about that.”
“You little?—”
Quinn stepped in front of me, his tone threatening. “Take one more step toward her and I’ll bury you in concrete.”
A flush of gratitude moved through me.
“Look, you don’t understand the situation here.” Hugh spoke calmly now. “Tierney has been mentally unwell since her parents’ death.I’mlooking out for her.”
“You bastard!” I dumped the coffee on the ground and then tried to shove past Quinn to punch this prick, but he held me back. “Breaking up with you does not constitute a mental health issue, Hugh. I didn’t want to be with you anymore!”
He smirked. “No. But giving up millions of your inheritance constitutes it. So, unless you want me to petition the courts to place you under a conservatorship—which you know I’m perfectly capable of making happen—you’re coming back with me. But first, you’re going to tell me where you were last night.”
“She was with me.”
We all turned as Ramsay crossed the driveway and didn’t stop his slow, menacing stride until mere inches separated him and Hugh. My ex had to take a step back and had the good sense to look nervous.
“Hugh Inchcolm. Heir to Pioneer Motors.” Ramsay shocked me with his knowledge of who Hugh was. “Did I just hear you threaten Silver?”
“This?” Hugh spat at me. “You traded me for this?”
Ramsay’s hand flashed out so fast, none of us saw it coming. He gripped Hugh by the throat and his feet scrabbled like a cartoon character’s as Ramsay carried him across the drive to slam him against his Defender. Quinn held me back as Ramsay shoved his face in Hugh’s. My ex looked terrified, his perfect hair mussed and falling over his forehead. “I know who you are, boy. I know what secrets are in your closet. And unless you want the police reopening the investigation into Michelle Schull’s overdose … you’ll forget you know Silver.”
Michelle Schull?
The tech heiress who overdosed six years ago?
Hugh turned a sickly green. “I … I don’t know what you mean.”
“Oh, aye, you do. I’ve met many boys like you. You think you have power because of Daddy’s money?” Ramsay sneered. “But you don’t know anything about real power. With one phone call, I could make you disappear. Unlike you, I won’t leave behind evidence. And dear old daddy isn’t powerful enough to do jack squat about it.” Then he leaned in and whispered something in Hugh’s ear that made him literally tremble with fear.
What the hell was this about?
“Who are you?” Hugh asked hoarsely as Ramsay finally released him and stepped back.
“I’m the man who will hold you personally responsible ifanyharm comes to Silver. Do you understand?”
My ex shrugged his shirt and jacket into place and smoothed his hair. He shot me a look of arrogant fury. “When you realize you’ve fucked up your life and you come running back to New York, don’t dare come running back to me too.”
Iwas still vibrating with rage at his threat to put me under a conservatorship. “You’re lucky I gave up those millions, Hugh. Otherwise,I’dmake you fucking disappear for what you threatened me with.”
He scoffed. “I can’t believe I thought you were worth dragging myself to this godforsaken place. I hope you burn in hell here.”
I felt Quinn’s reassuring hand on my shoulder as Hugh began to march downhill.
“Oh, and, Inchcolm,” Ramsay’s voice carried toward him and Hugh stiffened.
He reluctantly turned and snapped, “What?”
Ramsay crossed his arms over his chest, casual, calm. Intimidating. His tone bland despite the words as he warned, “I’ve got eyes everywhere. You make any kind of move toward her and my face is the last one you’ll ever fucking see.”
Hugh’s lips pinched together, and I knew him well enough to know he wouldn’t take Ramsay’s threat seriously until he looked into him. The question is, what would he find?
As my ex disappeared down the hill, Quinn pulled out his phone. My eyes were on Ramsay, but I reluctantly tore my gaze and thoughts (and a thousand questions) from him as Quinn spoke to the person on the other end of his call.
