“The garage is mine. I paid the last payment on it three years ago,” I tell him—damn proud of that fact. “There’s nothing you can do to it now.”
I’m trying to sound self-assured, but I’m not. The truth is, I’m scared. Riverton has money, and with money comes power. When Banger’s medical expenses were destroying us, we took out a second loan from a high rate lender. They paid off the first part of the medical bills while Banger was in remission. When the cancer came back with a vengeance and we had both loans and more medical bills piling up, I swallowed my pride and bargained with the only thing I had to keep it: the dirty truth. Riverton gave me the money in exchange for my signature on documents stating that I would never reveal the truth about my mother’s sperm donor. I paid off the second loan with the money and have been working like hell to pay off the original loan ever since. I got it done and the place is completely mine, now… I hope. Something in his eyes tells me it’s not going to be that easy.
“You know how I know there’s none of me in you, Claudia?”
“I haven’t grown horns and a pointy tail yet?”
“You didn’t even bother reading the contract that you signed.”
“I did,” I tell him, trying to keep the panic out of my voice.
“The details are always in the fine print. Specifically in this case, the one that says, if at any time I find you are no longer abiding by our terms set forth in the contract that I will demand the entire two hundred and fifty thousand dollars back or you will hand over the deed to the garage.”
His words rob me of air. There’s no way I would have signed that, right? But then again, I think back to when I was a kid who felt like she was drowning. I hated coming to Riverton and I knew that I was going to lose Banger—no matter what I did. I just wanted to make sure he was comfortable. I wanted him… not to worry.
“I… don’t believe you,” I lie. Oh, God. What have I done?
“But I think you do.”
“It doesn’t matter. I’ve not violated the terms of our agreement.”
“But you have. You’re insinuating yourself into my life and interfering with my business. You’re causing problems for my daughter—my true daughter.”
“I haven’t! I haven’t done anything to Cammie!” I growl, and I hate that I can hear desperation in my voice.
That’s when Riverton plays his trump card and I should have known he had one. He brings out a manila envelope he had under his arm. He opens it up and takes out some photos he had inside, throwing them on the coffee table between us. I lean down and pick one up. It’s a grainy photo obviously taken from a security camera which shows me entering an employee-only entrance at the country club back home. The others show me in the room. There’s even one that shows me turning the sprinklers on. Several others are pictures of Gray and Cammie. I look at them and then back up at the monster who fertilized the egg I was unlucky enough to hitch a ride on.
“I think that picture would tell all the story I need. Don’t you?”
“Get out,” I tell him, my voice quiet as the implications of what this could mean settle upon me.
“I’ll expect you to disappear from Grayson Lucas’s life before the tournament in Georgia next week,” he says calmly, gathering up the photos.
“You can’t make me do that.”
“I thought that would be your answer, so here’s your official notice. I foreclose on your garage at the end of the month, unless it’s paid in full. I hope being Lucas’s whore is worth your garage, CC, because that’s all you are. Men never pick women like you permanently. I had to explain that to your mother, too.”
“Get the fuck out of here!” I yell, grabbing wildly and throwing something from the table at him. I shouldn’t have bothered because once he has the photos, he’s gone, leaving only the foreclosure papers and likely feeling secure in the knowledge that he’s destroyed my world.
What do I do now?
“You okay, Cooper?”
“Yeah. Why do you ask?”
“Sweetheart, I don’t know if you realize this, but you’ve barely said two words.”
“I’m just eating, Gray.”
“Really? Because all your food still seems to be on your plate.”
“Okay, fine,” she sighs, pushing her plate around. “Some things came up at home today and I need to get back and try to figure them out.”
“Well, that’s clear as mud.”
“You wouldn’t understand,” she says with another sigh. I study her face. She looks so lost. I want to shake her for not letting me in.
“Try me.”
“The shop. It… appears there was a problem with the loan, and instead of having it paid off, there’s an… an outstanding balance now.”
“Let me pay it.”
“Gray!”
“What? I have it, and the garage is important to you. I can pay it. Problem solved.”
“No. Problem is not solved. I’ll deal with it. We’re going back to Kentucky tomorrow anyway.”
“Can you promise me one thing?”