I had planned to maybe work to release one of those projects he uploaded. It has a strong premise, and it’s been speaking to me every time I ask myself what’s next, but now I can’t work on it.
I probably can’t work on anything else again. This alone could completely ruin my reputation.
He needs to take them down before anyone else sees them.
Unknown Number: I asked for $500,000. Besides, I’ve changed my mind.
Mina: You can’t do that! Please. I literally have nothing. I sent you the money I received from my insurance. All I have is my car, and it has transmission issues and rusted paint. But you can have it! Just take those books down.
Unknown Number: I’ve named my price.
My broken breaths and tears fog up my glasses as I try to think. This could all go away if I ask Leo for help. But who’s to say this guy won’t come back and keep asking for more? What if he goes straight for Leo next?
Mina: Please. There’s no way I can get you the amount you’re asking for. I’ll give you whatever else you want.
Unknown Number: I want everyone to turn on you.
Mina: What?
My blood goes cold when he sends a picture of an email he’s drafted detailing every fucked-up thing I’ve done, with attachments to back the accusation. Over ten different journalists and news agencies around the country are listed in the recipient bar. The worst part is the title:NHL Player Leo Duval’s Shadow.
Unknown Number: You have until the end of the day to send me evidence of you pushing everyone away, or else I’ll click Send. Tell anyone about our little chat, and I’ll tell everyone about where Leo’s car was on the night your friend died.
I’m going to be sick. This has to be a joke.
No... He hacked into the app I downloaded to track Leo’s car. It was password protected, but so is everything else in my laptop, and he managed to get into it all.
But he can’t... He has to be bluffing. The tracker I put on Leo’s car was cheap and didn’t have memory storage—or so I thought. How does he even know about Thomas?
I’m not willing to risk Leo’s entire livelihood on the off chance that I was too stupid to work out how to use the app’s interface, and there’s a whole log recording his whereabouts. As far as I know, he could’ve committed far more crimes than murder.
Having information about me come out would be bad enough, butthis? Leo could go to prison for a long, long time, and it’d be all my fucking fault.
My sob carries through the apartment. Did he know that I’ve finally come to terms with my relationship with Leo, and he just wants to fuck it all up?
I’ll pay this fucking price as long as this sick fuck leaves Leo out of it. Maybe this is some twisted attempt to save Leo’s reputation from me before he uploads all my deep, dark secrets for the whole world to see. I won’t let him go down with me.
Mina: Then you won’t send it? And you’ll take those books down.
The sound of the front door opening drags my attention away from the dots appearing at the bottom of the message thread.
My heart slams against my chest, knowing who it is. Every breath hurts, and the seconds stretch into hours as I wait for my blackmailer to tell me what needs to be done.
Leo’s footsteps come closer.
There’s no telling whether this person will keep extorting me and turning me into his puppet. He may still turn around and ask for the money, or go to Leo with the evidence he has to get something out of him too.
Either way, it’s too much risk. There’s no way I could live the rest of my life knowing I might be responsible for ruining Leo’s life.
The text comes through, and my heart shatters.
Unknown Number: Pinky promise.
I pull up my camera and hit Record before dropping the phone facedown on my pillow.
“Happy release day, baby.” Leo’s voice reaches my ears before he passes the threshold into my room.
I bat my tears away, but it’s useless. “What are you doing here?” The words are barely coherent, just a sputtered, broken mess.
