Wont back down bro code.., p.16
Won't Back Down (Bro Code Book 3), page 16
“I don’t know. I mean, text is toneless, but I’m going on my gut here, and something’s wrong.” Kris sighed. “Hang on a minute.”
When his sister went silent, he continued to pace, racking his brain about where she could possibly be.
“Okay.” Kris’s voice came back over the line. “I think she’s still at you guys’ work.”
He stilled, brows snapping together. “At the office? Why? How can you tell?”
“Because we’ve both been location sharing on an app since we were in college, and just haven’t turned it off. It’s a BFF thing, I guess. I try not to abuse it and stalk her, but because you’ve got me worried, I checked in on her now.”
“Okay, that’s all kinds of creepy. But I’m also so damn grateful you have it. Thanks, Kris.”
He ended the call, grabbed his keys, and went down to the garage to get in his car.
Why in the hell was she still at the office at past nine on a Friday night? It was likely to find attorneys burning the midnight oil, but not the HR staff.
The entire drive there, his nerves grew.
Why hadn’t she answered his texts? She’d skipped their weekend away together to stay at work? Why? And why didn’t she want to tell him?
The unease in his gut grew as he pulled into the building’s garage.
Sure enough, there was her car.
“What are you doing, Tori?” he muttered. He parked next to her and then made his way to the elevator.
Most of the lights on their floor were off, with just a couple on where some of the lawyers had stayed to work late.
He made his way back to where the Human Resources office was and spotted the light on. The glass door was closed, but he could see the top of her head over her computer.
What could she possibly be working on?
James took a deep breath, grabbed the door handle, and pulled it open.
“Tori?”
Her head jerked up, and her stricken gaze met his.
“James? What are you doing here?” She shook her head. “How did you even know where I was?”
“Kris could see where you were on some app or something.”
“Crap. I forgot about that.” She glanced beyond him to the other offices on the floor. Almost as if she were looking for someone. “You shouldn’t be here.”
He didn’t miss the slight trembling in her hand or the distress in her eyes.
Whoa.
Something was definitely up.
James’s gut twisted, and the instinct to comfort her kicked in. He stepped fully into the office and closed the door again behind him.
“Tori, you can talk to me.” He crossed the room and crouched down beside her. “What’s going on?”
“I can’t.” Her eyes squinted closed.
“I promise you can.” He took her hand in his and brushed his lips across her knuckles. “Talk to me.”
Her eyes opened again and met his. Her lips parted as if she were going to say something.
Instead, she burst into tears.
Shock ripped through him, leaving him momentarily frozen. Never had he seen her cry. Never even a hint of tears.
He pulled her from the chair and onto his lap on the floor, holding her close. The desk hid them from sight if anyone who was still on the floor were to walk by.
“Come on, Tori. What’s going on?”
“He’s trying to blackmail me.” She sobbed. “And I can’t figure out how to stop him—”
“Who’s blackmailing you?” Shock had his blood thundering through his veins.
“Ryan.” She let loose a bitter laugh. “Apparently, he doesn’t like being rejected and turns to blackmailing women into bed.”
James’s vision went red with rage. His cousin was trying to extort sex from Tori?
The man was as good as dead.
He instinctively rose, ready to hunt Ryan down, but Tori clung to his neck like a terrified child and pulled him back to the floor.
“James, no. Violence won’t solve this.”
He hadn’t even said it aloud, but she’d known.
“I’d like to say I can’t believe he’d do something like this, but I can,” he bit out, still blinded by fury. “What does he have on you, Tori? You can tell me.”
She scrubbed her hand down her face, and her body shook as she drew in an uneven breath.
“I was going to tell you. I just hadn’t figured out when. And how.”
“I’m listening.”
No matter how bad it was, he didn’t care. Tori had become a part of his world.
“When I was in college, I needed money. I had the scholarships and stuff that paid for books and classes, but it wasn’t enough. Not with rent and food and everything else being so high.”
None of this was a shock so far, but she clearly wasn’t to the scandalous part yet.
“Go on.”
“You’re going to be so disappointed in me,” she muttered.
Dismayed at her assumption, he caught her chin and made her look at him.
“Over the last couple of months, I’ve learned so much about you, and how hard things were. I have nothing but respect for you, Tori.” He gave her a small smile. “So, unless you were whacking people for money, I’m not going to judge you.”
Tori gave a watery laugh and her lashes fluttered down. “That was it. I was totally offing assholes.”
“No, you weren’t.”
“No, I wasn’t.” She touched his chest before lifting her head to meet his gaze. “I was making decent money with a GamerGirlFans account.”
The words meant nothing to him.
“Okay. Can you tell me more about what that is?”
“It’s a subscription fan site. Any legal adult can join and post stuff. Generally, it’s stuff that’s too hot for the usual social media networks. People subscribe and pay a monthly fee that the content creator sets.”
Her words ran around in his head, kind of making sense, but still kind of not.
“I’m not sure I understand.”
She took a deep breath. “It’s a site where people pay to watch girls playing video games. And so people subscribed to watch me play video games . . .”
“Okay.”
“In a tank top and underwear.”
Chapter Twenty
Tori waited for him to stiffen or shove her away in disgust, but he was surprisingly calm.
She lifted her head so she could search his gaze. “Are you freaking out? It’s okay if you are.”
“No. I’m just processing it.” He shook his head, his eyes full of wonder. “This is a thing? People actually pay for that? Watching you play video games in your underwear?”
“Oh, they sure do. It’s not really about sex to these subscribers. You can find all that stuff free online anyway. They want the fantasy. The girlfriend experience, so to speak.”
He gave a slow nod. “Yeah, I can see how that would work.”
She had to come completely clean since she’d made it this far. “I went completely topless one time in the three years I did it. There was a huge buildup to the moment, and I made a hell of a lot of money. But I promise that’s as far as I ever took it.”
“If people can flash their boobs in New Orleans for beads, you might as well bring in some cash on it. The more power to you.” He paused and lifted a brow. “How much money are we talking here?”
“I wasn’t one of the big moneymakers on the site, but I did okay. It was enough to pay my rent, car insurance, other bills, food, and all that jazz. And tuck a good chunk away in my savings.”
“Holy shit.” James’s jaw went slack. “You know, I’m pretty good at some of these video games and have a bit of ab definition—”
“Stop. Besides, you’re a dude. This is a site that girls run and work on.” She laughed and caressed those very abs he’d just brought up. “You’re not weirded out? Disappointed?”
“Nah, if anything, I’m feeling a little smug. I mean, I’ve watched you play video games in your underwear several times and didn’t have to pay a dime.”
“You didn’t even realize how good you had it,” she teased.
“Oh, I knew.” He brushed his lips against hers, and she melted a little.
Just having this off her chest was such a huge relief.
“You clearly don’t do that anymore now.” He touched her cheek. “Unless there’s a hidden camera in your place and we’re both being recorded playing games half-naked. And in that case, I’m going to have to demand half the profit.”
Tori burst out laughing. “There’s no camera. I gave it up once I graduated college. I was more than ready to start interviewing for a job in HR.”
“Makes sense.”
“Do you have any questions for me? About what I did? Why?” She tried to read him and only saw a somber curiosity. “I’m an open book at this point.”
“My biggest concern is how you felt about it then and now? Did you feel pressured into doing it? Trouble sleeping at night or anything?”
“I slept great, knowing that my bills were paid.”
“That was my only concern. That this isn’t something that tears you up inside now.”
“It’s really not. It’s something I’ve discussed with my therapist, and she thinks I’m in a good place with it.”
“You clearly seem to be.” James’s gaze darkened. “So let me guess . . . Ryan found out about it and is holding it over your head to get you to sleep with him?”
“Yup. Nailed it. I have no idea how he found me. I blurred my face, used an alias, and said I was located in Fresno.” Her stomach twisted. “But somehow he figured it out.”
“I’m assuming you paid taxes and stuff?”
“Yes, but—”
“He probably knows someone. Did some digging to find dirt on you. But he’s an idiot. He can’t blackmail you over this. Tori, you’re only required to inform the firm about any past legal trouble. What you did was perfectly legal. He just didn’t think you’d figure that out or tell me.”
Her mouth rounded in shock. “You don’t think they’d care?”
“It might raise a few eyebrows, but they sure wouldn’t fire you over it.”
“That’s a relief.” But it didn’t completely solve the Ryan problem. “I have to ask you a question, and I need you to be honest.”
“Anything.”
God, she hated that she even had to ask. “Did you cheat on the bar in April?”
His mouth parted, and anger blazed in his narrowing eyes. “Of course not.”
“I didn’t think so, but it’s another thing Ryan is holding over my head. Just in case protecting my reputation isn’t enough, he’s now threatening yours. He said he has a witness willing to testify that you cheated.”
“What?” The color leached from James’s face, and he shook his head.
“He’s giving me until Monday before he goes public with my dirty laundry and your fake dirty laundry.”
He started to rise again. “I’m going to kill him.”
“No.” She pushed him back down to the floor and peered around her desk to see if anyone was still in the office.
The last couple of lights had gone out. It seemed to be just her now.
She squeezed his arm. “You’re going to help me prove he’s done this before.”
Realization dawned in his eyes. “Yeah, I am. Because I’m sure you’re not the first woman he’s pulled this on.”
“Exactly. And that’s why I’m here. Why I skipped our amazing-sounding weekend away. I wanted to find the dirt, and I didn’t want you to be any part of it, in case I get in trouble digging around.”
He cupped the back of her head and pressed a kiss to her forehead. “We’re in this together, Tori. Before Monday hits, only one person’s career will be in the toilet, and it won’t be ours.”
“I hope so. I just don’t have any idea where to start and how to figure this out.”
“Do you know how much research and paperwork a lawyer does? Especially when you’re first starting out?” James gave a grim smile. “This is my jam.”
“I’m so relieved to hear that.”
“First thing we need to do is find any women who’ve been let go, fired, or quit Wright and Williams in the last ten years.” He hesitated. “Tori, I’m sorry. We should’ve been on Whidbey having an amazingly romantic evening.”
“Another time. Right now, the most amazing thing I can think of is taking down your cousin.”
He pressed another quick kiss to her lips and then rose.
“Then let’s do it. You’re about to get a crash course in legal research.”
*
James stared at the TV, trying to lose himself in the movie that was on.
Tori was tucked up under his arm and they were sharing a big bowl of homemade popcorn cooked in coconut oil, one of their favorite treats lately.
It was damn hard to concentrate, though. Memories of this morning kept rising up.
They’d done it. They’d walked into HR and filed a formal complaint, also handing over a file with the names and dates of women that Ryan had extorted—or tried to—in the past.
Three women. And those were just the ones who’d agreed to come forward. There were others who hadn’t even returned his call.
Ryan had been brought in and been given the chance to defend himself. James wasn’t totally clear on all the details of what had happened, but his cousin must’ve taken a look at the evidence and resigned.
“This really is the perfect choice, you know.” Tori gestured toward the screen where Captain America—the Chris Evans version—was kicking some butt. “Since we missed out on all the fireworks this weekend.”
“Oh, absolutely. The Cap was born on the Fourth of July.”
“Well, according to the MCU.” She nudged him in the ribs.
“Which, who am I to argue with?” He offered a small smile.
They fell into silence again, staring at the screen. Was she pretending to watch, just like him? Were her thoughts all twisted up over what had happened today?
“You’re not really into this tonight, are you?” she asked softly.
He shook his head. “I can’t stop thinking about today.”
“I know. It’s looping in my brain, too, like a bad song.” She hit pause on the remote and shifted to face him. “Are you feeling guilty?”
“Not guilt so much.” He thought about it a little. “More just disillusioned and angry that he turned out to be such a sleaze. That it had to come to this.”
The utter shock on Ryan’s face wasn’t something James would easily forget as they’d passed each other in the hall. The look of betrayal.
Why? As far as the family tree went, Ryan was a bad apple, and James wanted no part of him in his personal- or work life anymore.
“I started noticing the signs in the last few months.” He didn’t add it had ramped up when Tori had started at the firm. “I just never thought he’d take it this far.”
“Me neither.”
They were quiet for a moment before she touched the buttons on his shirt.
“Look, maybe we should stop talking about him and do something else to distract ourselves.”
His breath hitched. “Yeah?”
“Yeah.” She finished unbuttoning his shirt and placed a kiss on his chest. “It’s been a hell of a three days and we’ve been too exhausted to have any fun. So, maybe now?”
“Definitely now.” He lifted her to straddle his lap, then quickly unbuttoned his shirt that she loved to wear.
Her breasts were freed to his waiting hands. He loved the heavy weight of them in his palms.
“Kiss me, James.”
An overwhelming feeling of tenderness for her spread through him. He lowered his head and took her mouth in a slow kiss.
This woman had claimed a part of his heart he hadn’t realized he was ready to give away. She was so much a part of his life, he could barely remember what his world had been like before her.
A sharp knock came from his apartment door, and they drew apart, staring at each other.
“Are you expecting someone?” she asked, eyes narrowed.
“No.”
The knock came again. Louder and harder this time.
Shit.
He didn’t even need a guess to know who was outside.
Neither did Tori, it seemed. Her gaze turned uneasy. “He’ll go away, right?”
“Open the door, you fucking coward!”
Anger snuffed out the passion. He lifted Tori off him and rose.
“Please go to my bedroom, Tori.”
She quickly buttoned the shirt up again. “Maybe you should just wait him out?”
The pounding started again and didn’t stop. His neighbors would be poking their heads out of their apartments by now.
“Tori?” He gave her a pleading look.
“Fine.” She nodded, but didn’t look pleased. “Please be careful. I’ve been around enough drunk guys to recognize the sound of one.”
Once she had closed herself in the bedroom, James went to crack open the front door.
“What can I help you with, Ryan?”
His cousin’s eyes were bloodshot, his shirt partially unbuttoned, and his tie askew. In his hands, he clutched a nearly empty fifth of vodka.
“You ruined my life. My whole fucking career.” Ryan tried to push his way inside, but James held the door firmly at just a few inches.
“Actually, you did that yourself when you tried to blackmail my girlfriend into sex.”
Ryan gave a sharp laugh. “It’s incentive, James. I explained this all to you. It’s how the world runs.”
“No, it’s not, and you’ll be lucky if those women don’t file a lawsuit against you. They should.”
Ryan slammed his fist into the door. “We’re family. You’re my flesh and blood. And you go and do this to me?”
Fury seared through his blood. “You were ready to lie about me cheating on the bar. Are you forgetting that part when you bring up this whole family thing?”
“Damn it, that was a bluff. I never figured she’d come clean about her past with you. I thought that throwing that bit in there would’ve been enough to convince her—”
“We’re done here.”
“Wait! James, hang on.” Ryan’s shoulders slumped forward, the fight visibly fleeing him as he dragged in a breath. “You’re right, man. I’m sorry. I fucked up.”
