the motion. “Yes, keep your little lap dog quiet, why don’t you.”
I open my mouth, but Liam shakes his head at me. I’m beginning to realize what he had to put up with all these years.
“You want her knowing how your father put his hands on you? You want her knowing how much you liked it?”
My heart races when Liam explodes off the couch and goes after Dirk. But before he can touch him, a large man appears in the doorway and loudly clears his throat.
“Right,” Liam says, stopping. “Because you hire people to do your dirty work. Is he the one who broke into my apartment?”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
Dirk looks at me like he expected some kind of reaction. I don’t give him one, and I can tell it pisses him off. I cock my head and raise my brows wanting so badly to say, “Thought you could hurt him, did you?”
Liam retreats to the couch. “Sell the company, Dirk, or I promise I’ll end you. By the way, several other people know about the video. If anything happens to me, they’ll be sure to publicize it.”
He finishes off his drink. “You can’t blackmail me.”
“You mean I can’t blackmail a blackmailer?”
Dirk motions to the guy in the doorway. “Mike will escort you out. Then he’ll change the gate code. You won’t be returning.”
“As if I’d ever want to.”
Dirk looks purposeful as he crosses the room to his desk. “His body was found right here, you know. It was pathetic really. He wasn’t even man enough to live. Took the coward’s way out.”
Liam lunges for Dirk, and Mike intercepts him. “This way,” he says.
I turn back to Dirk. “How can you live with yourself?”
He laughs. “Quite nicely, as you can see.”
Back in the car, Liam’s head meets the steering wheel.
“That was intense,” I say.
“Every meeting with him is intense.”
“I’m sorry it went so badly.”
“It went exactly how I expected it to go. I delivered the message. It’s up to him what to do next.”
“Do you think he’ll sell the company?”
“Hell no, he won’t. Especially after I told him to do it.”
“Then why ask him to?”
“It’s the only thing I could ever get from him that would benefit me. I’m releasing the video no matter what. I thought if there was any chance to get him out of IRL in the process, I had to take it.”
“Can what’s on the video really hurt him?”
“If adults have knowledge of the abuse of minors and don’t say anything, it’s a crime. My mom was guilty of it too. They both knew and didn’t go to the police. I don’t blame her for keeping quiet—Dirk didn’t give her a choice—but everything he did, everything he’s always done was to further his career and earn more money. Even if the video doesn’t result in him being arrested, it’ll ruin his chances at being elected governor or staying on as mayor.”
“Why not go after your dad, uh, Don? He could still be charged for what he did.”
“I have no idea where he is. He fell off the planet. If I had to guess, Dirk had something to do with that too. Besides, the bastard lives in my nightmares. I don’t need to go dredging that shit up in real life. If I never see him again, it’ll be a day too soon.”
As we drive away from the palatial estate, I look back, and it seems smaller somehow. Not so grand. “You live one complicated life, Liam Campbell.”
He takes his eyes off the road for a second to lock gazes with me. “Does that scare you?”
I smile. “Not even a little.”
Chapter Forty-one
Liam
Bria knocks on my door. “Hurry up. We don’t want to be late for our first rehearsal at IRL.” She pokes her head in to find me still in bed. “Liam, get up.”
“Is this how it’s going to be? You ordering us around?”
“Someone has to crack the whip.”
“Who gives a shit if we’re late anyway?”
“Ronni, for one. She texted this morning. She wants to meet with us first thing.”
“Screw Ronni.”
“I feel the same way, but we need to stay on her good side to keep the studio.”
“We can afford to rent space now.” I regret the words as soon as they’re out of my mouth. The truth is, I don’t want to spend a penny I don’t have to.
She comes in and opens my curtains. “Why rent one when we can have one for free?”