Behind the Mask

Chapter 22

Jackson's POV

"What did you do?" Chloe asked as I sat with an icepack on my swollen hand. She closed the door and sat across the desk from me. "She was furious, and left with the damn Blackbourne men again."

I ran my good hand down my face then slammed the desk, "Fuck! Everything was going according to the timeline until they showed the fuck up. Is she dating one of them or something?" I growled.

Chloe shrugged, "I don't know, but they seem to be hovering. Dalton said one of them interrupted their lunch, then whisked her off and she hasn't been home since. Maybe they aren't all gay."

"I think you need to call him," I said begrudgingly. "We need his help to finish. After this," I showed her my mangled hand, "I don't think she's going to come to the house for playtime anymore."

She cringed and shook her head, "I told you not to push her, especially with her folks in town. She always gets edgy." I snorted. I can't blame her, especially knowing that it was her own father who was helping us trap her. Hell, he'd been only too happy to offer her up in exchange for our silence about the affair. Chloe and I had tried to blackmail him months ago with video and photos, but instead, he made a counteroffer - half ownership in the company in exchange for trapping her in marriage and knocking her up. Of course, he wanted to have some fun with Chloe as well, but if she's game, who am I to say no? Old man Ryland was over the moon when he found out he'd gotten her pregnant. Now, the child is part of the agreement as well.

The line rang twice before he picked up, "Phelps?" I could already hear the irritation in his voice. This was not going to be a fun conversation.

"Mr. Ryland, sir, we have a complication," I said hesitantly. "Marissa is with the Blackbournes and well, she hit me. I can't say for sure, but I think she might be dating one or more of them."

Chloe and I both cringed when we heard things shattering and breaking in the background as he swore loudly, then everything went silent. His temper was a thing of legend. To be honest, I'd always wondered if he had a hand in Winston's accident all those years ago. He despised the man. When Ryland spoke again, his voice was eerily calm, "Chloe dear, have you kept her water spiked?"

"Yes sir, she's been getting doses for three months now and all the bottles in her personal fridge have the fertility drugs in them," she said quickly.

"Very good. Jackson, I think we may have to get a bit more forceful, but now isn't the time. Her mother and I will be returning to Houston tomorrow. Let her calm down and think I'm gone," he said, pausing for a few moments. "I'll be in touch soon. Make sure you keep the water dosed. Perhaps try and dose items at home as well. I'll handle the rest." The line disconnected as we both stared at the phone in complete confusion.

"Okay that went better than I expected," Chloe said with a sigh. "So how do we handle things here in the office?"

"I'll keep my distance," I said. "You should try and convince her you're just as disgusted and frustrated with my behavior as she is. That way when Dalton needs you to get close, she's less wary." I flipped through my calendar and tapped the page, "I'll go see our clients in Reno. Set up the flight and hotel for this weekend. I'll stay for a week to give her space."

Chloe nodded and left my office as I leaned my head back against the chair. Hopefully whatever her father was planning would work, because my attempts had gone up in flames. I mean all it will take is one time. She's got enough fertility drugs in her system to practically guarantee that, and her father had a doctor remove her birth control without her knowing about it during an emergency room visit last spring. I rubbed my temples trying to stave off the migraine I felt building, then began gathering my papers for the trip.  

Author's Notes: Just gonna leave the villain dialogue here...

@diamondamaryllis - see, great minds think alike - very dark, but alike!