believe you when I’m finished with you, you bitch.”
“Go ahead, but I have the pictures. If a picture speaks a thousand words, I won’t need to say anything. I only printed a few, but I have an entire book full of pictures of all the damage you’ve ever done to me. Push me and I’ll print the whole damn thing. Sue me and I’ll bring them to court.”
“You can’t do this.”
Jenna patted Jack’s hand, and he released her and took his seat again. “I already have. I’ve asked you . . . No, I begged you to leave me alone. You continued to hunt me down. I spent year after year hiding, fearing the day you’d show up to hurt and punish me. No more. You won’t ever lay a hand on me again.”
“I’ll kill you for this, you stupid bitch!”
“Be careful what you say, David. Sam here is an FBI agent. You wouldn’t want to go to jail for threatening my life.”
“Jenna, what do you want?” Charles asked, trying to defuse the situation and turn the conversation back to civil. “How can we make this right for you? Do you want David arrested?”
“Having David arrested wouldn’t make up for what he’s done, but it would be a start. If only I could have him arrested and prosecuted for what he’s done.”
“You’d never win,” David said, a sneer on his face.
“I should have stepped in during the divorce proceedings,” Charles interjected before David could wind up again. “I turned a blind eye, allowed David to handle the situation. It was a bad decision, and one you’ve paid for dearly. I’m sorry, I wish I could make this right.”
“Charles, I appreciate the sentiment. But you can’t make this right. David spent a great deal of time making sure records disappeared. He’d only pay people off to get his way in court. He’d tie us up in court for years. Frankly, at this point, I don’t have the time or inclination. David had a chance to do the right thing and leave me alone. He chose not to, and now I’m taking everything he holds dear away from him.”
“So what?” David thundered. “The paper will come out today. There’ll be press for a few days maybe a week and the next story will come along and everyone will forget. You won’t have accomplished very much,” he said arrogantly.
“You’re wrong. It will be hard for people to forget those pictures, and you know it. You’ll find your name isn’t on so many dinner invitations. You’ll still be rich, of course, but let’s face it, the way you live, even that won’t last. That pretty new wife of yours might decide being married to you is too great a risk to her health. Or has she already found out what it’s like to be David Merrick’s wife? Tell me, do you allow her to speak with her friends and family? Do you slap her after a dinner party because she’s spoken to another man? Maybe you throw her down the stairs because you think she’s having an affair with a man she doesn’t even know!” Jenna screamed at him.
Marion wept openly and Nathan sat stone silent glaring at his son. Charles simply shook his head in dismay. David was furious, but wise enough to remain seated this time.
“Is that how you treat her? If she leaves you, will you hunt her like you’ve hunted me all these years? Will you take a belt and beat her because she refuses to come back to you? Maybe you’ll take her from her home and into the woods where you’ll stab her and leave her alone to die. Is that how you’ll treat your new wife? Will you tell her you love her, and you can’t live without her, and then slap her with your next breath?”
“Shut up! Just shut up!”
“No. You’ll listen to what I have to say. After today everyone will know what you are, David. They’ll all know the kind of monster you are.” Her voice cracked, but she’d gotten her point across. Each word she spoke put another nail in David’s coffin.
“You can’t do this. I’ll sue you for everything you have. I’ll make you pay.”
She had no doubt, given half a chance, he’d kill her the first chance he got. This time he’d make it slow and painful to the bitter end.
“You and I both know you can, but you won’t win. It’ll just be a huge waste of money. If my