He tips his head, and I get out of the car, clutching the envelope in my hand, silently hissing at my nerves, telling them to take a hike.
I’m surprised Emery hasn’t contacted me, but I’m glad she understands we are over. This will be painful for her, so I’m praying she’s not at home. I know she usually has a piano recital on Wednesday nights, so she shouldn’t be here.
But luck isn’t on my side because it’s Emery who opens the front door to me. Initially, confusion splays on her face before a happy smile spreads across her lush mouth. Fucking hell. This is going to kill me as much as it’ll kill her, but there’s no room for sentiment in my life. “Zayn.” She flings her arms around me, squeezing me tight. “What a pleasant surprise!”
I savor the feel of her in my arms, enjoying it one last time as I inhale the fresh delicate scent of her perfume and the strawberry smell emanating from her hair.
Somehow, she wormed her way into my heart, and I suspect I won’t be able to evict her easily. She is everything I want and nothing I can allow myself to have. If things were different, I think we could be good together. But that’s just wishful thinking because there is no scenario where we end up as a couple. Emery is going to hate my guts when she finds out the truth, and it’s everything I deserve.
Taking her arms, I remove them from around my neck, planting a cold look on my face as I prepare to do what I came here to do. “I’m not here for you. I need to speak to your father.”
“What? What’s going on? Why do you want to speak to Daddy?” Uncertainty paints her pretty features, and I couldn’t hate myself any more if I tried.
“Princess. Who is—” Winston Copeland appears in the doorway, an instant scowl materializing on his face when he sees me. “What the hell are you doing here? Get the fuck off my property.”
“What’s going on?” Emery’s gaze flits between me and her father. “You know Zayn?”
His head whips to hers, his eyes narrowing suspiciously. “You know this degenerate?”
I snort. “That’s fucking rich coming from the prick who is covering for a rapist.”
“What?” Emery shrieks as her troubled gaze lands on mine.
“He didn’t mention your cousin Lindsay is abusing boys under her care at Wakefield or tell you how he laughed at me when I told him what she was doing to Roman?”
Her eyes pop wide, and horror washes over her face as she clamps a shaky hand to her mouth. I didn’t need convincing of her innocence, but this conclusively proves it. Pain presses onmy chest, and I hate I had to use her to get my revenge. It sucks, but life isn’t fair. I learned that lesson a long time ago.
“Liar,” Winston hisses as he grips Emery’s arm. “It’s all lies.”
My nostrils flare as familiar anger wells up inside me. I latch on to it, needing it to keep me on track. I step up, putting my face all up in Winston’s. “That’s bullshit, and we both know it. You took the word of that bitch over me because you don’t care what she does to her charges. You’ve known all along, and it’s time to pay.”
“Get the hell out of my house, or I’ll call the cops.”
I fix him with a smug grin. “Be my guest.” I thrust the envelope at his chest. “Call the cops, and I’ll release that video on the internet, the dark net, and every porn site I can find.”
He opens the envelope, and all the blood drains from his face as he stares at the photo stills from the video I recorded the night I took his daughter’s virginity. Arranging to bump into her ex and his new girlfriend worked like a charm and gave Emery the nudge she needed to give it up. Guilt tries to break free of my chest, but I lock that beast down. I can berate myself later for abusing the trust of the sweetest girl I’ve ever known.
“The recording is on the USB stick, but I assumed you’d want proof up front.”
“What the fuck have you done?” he roars, shoving the photos in Emery’s face.
It takes colossal effort not to drop my façade when her lower lip wobbles, and she plants a shaky hand to her chest. When she lifts her head, her eyes are full of tears. “You taped it?” Her expression is a mixture of horror, regret, pain, and fear.
“I had no choice,” I say in a clipped tone. “If you want someone to blame, blame your father.”
“You fucking prick,” Winston seethes, pushing me away.
“Touch me again, and you’ll be sorry. You have forty-eight hours to report the bitch to the cops. I want her charged withmultiple counts of sexual assault and rape, so make sure the evidence you give them is rock-solid. And keep my brother out of this. His name is not to be mentioned.”
“I won’t be held to ransom by some teen punk with a chip on his shoulder.”
“Adults have underestimated me in the past and regretted it. I suggest you don’t make the same mistake. I had a feeling you’d need another incentive.” Denton taught me to always play two angles. To always have insurance and a Plan B. I slant Winston with a dark look because I figured he might throw his daughter under the bus to save his ass.
Handing Lindsay to the cops will bring an investigation down on his shoulders, and that’s the last thing he’ll want. The elite chose to throw us into Wakefield for a reason. Winston is a member of the inner circle, and I only recently discovered that many elite members use his facilities to force their wayward teens to toe the line. There are various reasons why he won’t want the authorities sniffing around.
A twinge of sympathy sparks inside me for Emery. Winston Copeland is no different than Atticus Anderson. Both are willing to destroy their offspring if it means saving their own asses. I feel sorry for her, and I hate I had to use her, but there’s no point crying over it now. It’s done, and it’s time to bring this to a close.
“I have frozen your bank accounts, including your offshore accounts. I’m not completely heartless though. I left one of your current accounts open so you’re not completely destitute. I’ll unfreeze the rest when that bitch is sent to prison.”
