How does she know about Hailey? “Why would she care if you employed a friend of mine?”
“I didn’t ask. I didn’t want to know. It’s bad enough to be on her radar. Your grandmother has more connections than the Pope. Frankly, she scares me a hell of a lot more than you do. If I were you, I’d apologize to your grandmother, because you won’t find many willing to go up against her if she blackballs you, too.”
Beyond speechless with anger, Spencer hung up. Delinda blocked Hailey from getting a job. Why? He turned on his heel and strode toward the door.
“Where are you going?” Jordan asked in a worried tone as he rushed after Spencer.
Only one reason made sense to Spencer. “If Delinda is trying to get my attention, she has it now.”
Jordan was at his side as Spencer stormed down the hallway. “None of this makes sense. What is she hoping to gain?”
Spencer stopped, asked himself the same question, and the answer had come like a punch. “She needs to win. It’s all a game to her. She hates that I didn’t accept her apology. She can’t handle not being in control. She tried having Brett plead her case. She went as far as to become chummy with my mother. Why? We never had a good relationship. I’m not even fucking related to her. It’s past time to tell her to stay the hell out of my life.”
“Give yourself some time to cool off first,” Jordan cautioned in the parking lot as Spencer reached his car.
Spencer ripped his car door open. “You don’t understand. She didn’t just fuck with me this time; she went after Hailey. No way. No fucking way.”
“Don’t do anything stupid.”
Too furious to care that Jordan looked like he might be sick, Spencer peeled out of his parking spot and sped toward the mansion by the sea he’d sworn he’d never step foot in again.
Chapter Fifteen
Hailey was in the guesthouse, checking in on Skye’s lesson, when she heard a squeal of tires in the driveway and rushed to the window. Her heart leapt to her throat when she realized it was Spencer’s car. He parked in front of the main house and took the steps two at a time. Even from a distance she could tell he was furious.
“Please keep Skye here,” Hailey said in a hurry.
“What’s the matter, Auntie Hailey?” Skye asked.
Hailey forced a smile. “Nothing, sweetie, I just remembered that Delinda asked me to be there for some business she’s conducting. It’s all really boring adult stuff. Mrs. Holihen, if she finishes her lessons early, maybe you could take her to the park?”
“That sounds like a wonderful plan,” Mrs. Holihen said before tapping the table to bring Skye’s attention back to the paper they were working on.
Hailey walked as casually as she could to their door and down the steps. As soon as she knew she was out of view of the guesthouse, she sprinted the rest of the way. Spencer was already inside. Hailey wasn’t surprised that Michael didn’t open the door. He would be in the wings making sure Delinda was okay.
Does he know? Is that why he’s here?
Hailey sped to the door of the solarium, but didn’t enter. Spencer’s visit might have nothing to do with her. If that were the case, then waiting to tell him later when they were alone might still be the best option.
“You’ve gone too far this time,” Spencer’s voice thundered.
“Would you like some tea, Spencer? It calms the nerves,” Delinda answered, not sounding at all intimidated by his anger.
“No, I don’t want any fucking tea.”
“Watch your language.”
“What a hypocrite you are. You think I’m poorly behaved? What would you call being petty enough to block an innocent woman from getting a job? That’s a new low for you, Delinda.”
Delinda blocked me from working at SmartKart? Oh, Delinda.
“If you calm yourself, perhaps we could discuss it like two civilized people,” Delinda said in her haughty defensive tone.
“There is nothing to discuss. I don’t care what you thought you would gain by using Hailey as a pawn, but she is off-limits to you. If I hear you so much as say her name to anyone else—”
“What? What will do you, Spencer? This entire conversation is ridiculous. Instead of coming in and threatening me, perhaps you should ask me why—”
“I know why, Delinda. You can’t lose, and you don’t care who you have to hurt to win. What is it you feel like you lost when I walked away? Was it your pride that took a hit? Did your old cronies suggest you should have been able to bring me back under your control? It’ll never happen. The only reason I was ever nice to you was because it was important to my mother. I don’t give a shit about you or—”
“Stop,” Hailey said, stepping into the room. “Both of you—stop.”
In a few long strides, Spencer was at Hailey’s side. “What are you doing here?”
Oh, God. “I work for your grandmother.”
He shook his head as if warding off a blow. “What do you mean you work for her?”
When she put her hand on his forearm, Hailey felt the tension raging through him. I wanted to do this in a much better way. “She’s the employer I told you about, the one who has been so good to Skye and me.”
He blinked a few times slowly. “You’re living here? With Delinda?”
“Yes.”
He spun and stood protectively in front of Hailey. “Get your stuff, Hailey. Get Skye. We’re leaving.”
Hailey looked from Delinda’s carefully composed face to Spencer’s tight and flushed one. “No,” she said softly.
“Yes,” Spencer countered. “I’ll explain it to you when we’re alone, but you’re going to have to trust me on this. You can’t stay here.”
“I’m not leaving,” Hailey said in a firmer voice. “I won’t uproot Skye before I understand what’s going on.” She looked across at Delinda. “Delinda has been good to us.”
Spencer put his arm around her waist. “She wants you to think that, Hailey. She is a manipulative liar. She wants you to believe she cares about you. She doesn’t. She’s been using you to get to me. It makes me sick to see how far you’re willing to go, Delinda. She has a child, for God’s sake.”
All color left Delinda’s face. “I would never do anything to harm Skye.”
“You’ll never be given the chance to prove that. We’re leaving. All of us,” Spencer said.
Hailey planted her feet when Spencer urged her to walk off with him. “Spencer, she loves you. Give her a chance to speak.”
He frowned down at her. “Why are you defending her?”
Hailey glanced over at Delinda. She was trying to hide it, but she was hurting. “Because I’ve gotten to know her, and she would never—”
“You don’t know what she’s capable of.” His frown darkened. “Why didn’t you tell me you were working for her? What is this all about?”
She hated the doubt in his eyes. “I was going to explain it all to you tonight.”
He stepped back from her. “Explain away. I thought I’d had my fill of lies, but I’m honestly curious. What were you going to tell me?”
“I’ve never lied to you.”