He whispered in her ear, “I know every. Last. Inch. Of you.”
“You don’t,” she said through lightly clenched teeth. She barely turned her head to catch his eyes. “You know nothing about me.”
His lips formed a tight smile. Jeremy chuckled and stood up. He returned to pacing the way she would have loved to do.
“I’m going to keep you in suspense just a bit longer over Key West because I don’t think you know what happened.”
He barked out a laugh as he looked up and shook his head, acting as if he were in a spotlight. He was enjoying this—crawling out of the shadows for once to brag about all he’d accomplished. Gina realized that it must have eaten Jeremy alive, a narcissist like him starving for acknowledgement.
“So, if you knew I was on my way to Key West, why send Malcolm to Newark?”
Jeremy paced back over to Malcolm.
“I didn’t send him anywhere, did I, Watchtower?” Jeremy punched Malcolm in the gut. Gina couldn’t suppress her flinch. “I knew Malcolm was going to disobey his order to kill you, but I needed him away from Watchdog to keep them scrambling. So I let him go on his wild goose chase to Newark. I knew you were coming to me in Key West.” She caught a bit of sourness in his smile. “That's where I fucked up. It didn't matter though; in the end, I used him to find you.”
“Why? Why do this to me?” She shook her head trying the clear the fog that was rolling back in.
“You were supposed to be mine, Gina. You broke my heart.”
“You don't have a heart.”
“Oh, no, you're wrong there. I didn't think I had one until I met you. But I wasn't stupid enough to think I could talk you into loving me. Not once you'd made up your mind. But, I wasn't about to watch you with Lachlan. I wanted you to see that you'd chosen a loser. I wanted to break him. So I did.”
The doping scandal.
Gina glared at Jeremy. “You framed him. And you were the one who sent him the message that I'd given up on him.”
“I did. And he did exactly as I expected. He fell apart. He's weak, Regina. You've propped him up all this time and you still choose him over me. Stupid, stupid girl. It'll just make it all the sweeter when he has to take care of you. Or, what's left of you. That'll be a few years from now though. I'm going to keep you for a while. I'm tired of my substitute."
“Your what?”Oh, God, please, no. But she already knew.
"She looks like you. The same auburn hair, the same height and build, but of course she has to wear contacts. No one has eyes like yours. And no one's as smart. But she doesn't need to be smart for what I use her for.”
“You're sick. You're disgusting.”
“I just don't let anything get in the way of what I want. And I wanted to hurt her and pretend it was you. Right up until I could tell you how much I hurt her and see your pain. It's your fault she’s suffered, Regina. So much is your fault for telling me no.”
She closed her eyes, not wanting to open them again.
Lachlan. Please. Where are you?
Keep stalling.
Gina opened her eyes. “I’ll never do what you want.”
Jeremy bent at the waist in front of her. He reached out with both hands and pushed up on her eyelids, opening her eyes wider and staring into them like he was giving her an eye exam.
“Maybe I gave you a TBI after all, because that is a stupid fucking thing to say right now.” He let go of her eyelids and her eyes watered as she blinked.
“You’re right, that was a stupid thing to say. How about this? The Repair Shop is a lie. I suspected when they didn’t do anything with the photos I took at Little Edward Cay. They didn’t follow up because Marcus Porter isfundingThe Repair Shop.”
Jeremy clapped. The sound echoed off the walls and pounded through her head like a sledgehammer. Malcolm groaned again.
Hang in there, Watchtower. And whoever else Jeremy is holding captive. Who would Lachlan send to Key West? Costello?
“You figured it out!”
“Would have been faster but one thing bothered me. Porter must have known we were coming for Jordan because The Repair Shop knew. Why did he let it happen?”
