“You have no proof of blackmail.” Lila’s eyes spat fire.
Jada held up a manicured index finger. “Oh, but I do. You know how you kept calling and leaving messages? Silly me, I thought you were asking me to do interviews. Which you were, I guess, technically. I finally got around to listening to the voice mails.”
She wrinkled her nose. “Wow. Really creative vocabulary you have there, Lila. That last voice mail was quite a doozy. I wasn’t expecting the threats about how you were going to destroy me, how you were going to leak damaging rumors about me, how you’d been behind a lot of the hate I received online with bot accounts.” Jada grimaced. “Ugly stuff. You sounded drunk or high when you admitted that, so you might not remember saying all that, but you did.”
Jada kept her gaze trained squarely on Lila. She ignored John’s gasp.
Lila’s already pale skin turned ghastly white. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Jada sniffed. “Oh, I think you do. Really, I’d hate for those messages to fall into the wrong hands.”
Lila sneered, her veneer finally cracking. “You wouldn’t dare. You’re a spoiled, rich girl. You don’t have the balls.”
The courage of her convictions swept through Jada. “Keep telling yourself that.”
Jada turned to the other member of the blackmailing crew. “As for you, John, I’m sure people would love to know their perfect Mr. America has slid into the DMs of no less than three contestants from My One and Only with a woe-is-me story, trying to get back together with them, all at the same time.” Jada snapped her fingers. “Did I forget to mention I ended my social media hiatus to check my DMs? I do so love it when women have each other’s backs.”
Jada gave the cowards a moment to respond. When none came, she offered up the kill shot. “If none of that reasoning convinces you, and I can’t imagine why it wouldn’t, please remember this spoiled, rich girl has a billionaire grandmother who loves her very, very much. If I tell her what you both attempted to do to me, she will ruin both your lives, barely lifting a finger. Contrary to what you believe, Lila, I don’t make idle threats. I suggest you both slink away and forget you ever knew my name.”
Lila and John exchanged a glance and jumped up at the same time. John yanked open the door and stumbled back. Nicholas and August filled the doorway, both wearing expressions of impending malice. John swallowed, then pushed past them with Lila hot on his heels.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Donovan shut the door on his best friends’ beaming faces and turned to the most important person in his life. “We did it, baby! You were so badass.”
He wrapped his arms around her waist, picked her up, and spun in a circle.
Laughing, she smacked him on the shoulders. “Put me down.”
“Not before I do this.” She was at the perfect height for him to kiss and he took immediate advantage. Kissing her was a new, better experience every time. He lost himself in the taste and scent of her. He kept the embrace soft and languid, wanting to savor the moment. Savor her. Connect with her.
He loved her. And he was going to tell her. Now.
Donovan ended the kiss, his chest heaving, the blood roaring in his veins. He reluctantly set her on her feet, hating to lose the connection.
Jada took a step back—away from him—her hands twisting together at her waist. “We need to talk.”
Donovan’s brow furrowed as he wrestled to bring his rioting senses under control. “Talk about what?”
Her throat worked up and down. “About us.”
Donovan fought to keep calm. “What about us?”
“We need to … end things.”
Donovan stumbled back. “What? What the hell are you talking about? We just told Lila and John we’re a real couple because we are!”
“I know, but we can’t … shouldn’t continue.”
“Why the hell not?”
He took no solace in the fact that she looked miserable. Panic was ripping his insides to shreds, obliterating his ability to think straight. The woman he loved, the only woman he’d ever loved, was telling him that not only did she not feel the same way, she didn’t even want there to be a “them” at all. “Is this because I was thinking about myself when you first told me about Lila?”
Jada vigorously shook her head. “No, no, no. This is all about me.”
He didn’t believe her. He’d been so worried about himself that he hadn’t taken the time to immediately check on her. And he was doing it again. He knew her. He knew he hadn’t been in this alone. Knew the kiss they’d just shared was more than mutual lust.