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  David came to her room shortly after Adam had left, informing her that she shouldn’t have anything to be worried about. Jared had been paid and he should leave her alone. Sam thanked him and apologised. David only waved. None of the men came to her bed that night. Maybe they wanted to give her some space after the commotion. Or perhaps nobody was in the mood for sex after the ruckus Jared had caused. As much as she wanted to, Sam couldn’t shed away the embarrassment. She wanted to hide under a rock and die.

  In the morning, she asked Adam if she could go to town to buy some feminine toiletries. Because of the stress, her period had started a week early and she’d forgotten to pack tampons. To her surprise, Adam gave her the keys to his Mercedes. She was thinking she would hitch a ride with Morgan, the cook, when he went to get groceries. On top of that, Adam pulled out a wad of cash from his wallet and told her to have fun. Sam tried to refuse, but the look on Adam’s face dispelled her attempt. After what he’d said last night, she didn’t want to make another stupid mistake. Or make Adam angry.

  She drove to a local Walgreens, picking up a few items, determined not to spend any money Adam had given her. She had some cash in her wallet, about a hundred bucks, and that was enough to pay for her purchases. Adam had already spoilt her enough. The gowns, shoes and jewellery. She planned on not taking the gifts they had given her when it was time for her to leave. She didn’t think it would be appropriate to take them. And her pride would prevent her from doing so. They might be paying her for spreading her legs in bed, but she wasn’t a whore. At least, she wanted to think she wasn’t. She enjoyed their company. And more. She kinda loved them. Who wouldn’t?

  Her heart stirred at the thought of leaving the mansion. Would they miss her? She would certainly miss them. Adam, David, and Calvin were the best lovers she’d ever had. They treated her like she was somebody. Like she was worth something. A princess, in fact. Unlike Jared with his sneers and condescending comments.

  She paid for her purchases and walked to the parking lot. She was deep in her own thoughts.

  “Samantha!”

  She jerked, turning to the person who’d grabbed her arm.

  Jared.

  “The fuck you’re doing? Let me go.” She swatted away his grip.

  Her ex-husband threw her a malicious grin. “Babe. You’re so tense.” His eyes flickered from the keys in her hand to Adam’s Mercedes. “You surely livin’ the life, aren’t you, babe? Big mansion. Fancy car. Sugar daddies who buy you stuff. So which one do you fuck? That fancy-pants David? Or that fast-taking lawyer? Or did you fuck them all?”

  Sam slapped him. Jared had gone too far.

  He grinned. His eyes glinted. “You like playing it rough too these days, huh?”

  “Stop following me around or I’ll call the cops.”

  “Go ahead, honey. Then I’ll go see your momma and tell her what her daughter’s been doing. Sam ain’t workin’ in no factory no more. She’s gone and got herself rich men. Bet your daddy would be rollin’ in his grave if he ever knew his little girl loves spreadin’ her legs for some fancy-pants sons of bitches.”

  She froze. Cold anger raged through her system. “Don’t you dare call my mom. What I do here is my own business.”

  “Then we talk, sugar honey. I can forget this business callin’ your momma with, let say, two hundred Ks.”

  “What?”

  “Two hundred thousand, baby. And I can forget the whole thing.”

  “Are you blackmailing me?” Her voice raised an octave.

  “It ain’t much for those rich sons of bitches. I was surprised to see them coughing up seventy-five grand as if it was loose change. Two hundred K ain’t much for them. You just need to sweet talk them and lift your skirt.”

  “Fuck off, Jared. I’ll report you to the cops for this.”

  Jared roared. “You’ll tattle to the cops on me?” He shook his head. “Naah. I don’t think so. Considering you’re sleeping with those men for money. That’s prostitution, baby cake. Do you know what they do to whores like you? They put ‘em in the slammer.”

  She tightened her lips. He couldn’t treat her like this. She didn’t want to hear Jared’s crap any longer. Not after the years she’d had to put up with his shit. She unlocked the car door with the remote. Jared slipped in front of her, blocking her way.

  “Get lost. I’ll swear I’ll call the cops.”

  Jared blew her a mocking kiss. “One more thing, sugar pop. Remember the fun video we made when we spent the weekend on the Waterstone’s cabin?”

  Sam blinked.

  “Our honeymoon video?” Jared reminded her. “I’ll load it up on the internet before I call your momma. That is if you can’t come up with the two hundred K.”

  “You can’t do this to me.” She felt numb. What Jared threatened to do was unspeakable. Her mother had a weak heart and was a devout Christian—she would have a heart attack.

  “Oh yes, I totally can, Sam. You got three days. Cash only this time. No cheque.”

  “Why are you doing this? You got your money!”

  “For a measly seventy-five K? Why should I get only seventy-five thousand when you get to live in the big house with a fucking butler and ride in a stinking Mercedes? It ain’t fair, Sam. I think two hundred thousand should cover my expenses nicely. I deserve the money, Sam.”

  Sam couldn’t believe what she was hearing. Jared had always been an asshole, but this time he had hit an all-time low. She had to hold on to the hood of the car to steady herself. It was too much.

  “Three days, Sam. I’ll call you where to meet me with the money.” Jared bared his cigarette-stained teeth and stalked off. He wandered to the end of the parking lot and climbed into the truck that she had paid off with her salary. He waved at her as he drove off.

  Her hand trembled as she settled behind the wheel. The shopping bag lay near her feet.

  Why?

  Why is he doing this to me?

  Tears leaked down her cheeks. Her chest felt constricted. She covered her face with her hands and cried. She wanted to be strong—she had always been strong—but this time, she couldn’t help it. She couldn’t go to Adam or David. That was unimaginable. But she couldn’t bear the thought of Jared going to her mother and telling her what she had been doing.

  And that video…

  Oh God. They’d made the video when they had been in love. It was their honeymoon, after all. She’d thought it was cute, taping their intimate moments together. It was years ago. She was surprised they still had it. God. How could she have forgotten about the video? When she’d packed Jared’s things and thrown him out of the house, she hadn’t thought about the tape. And now, that jackass was going to use the video against her.

  She would send her mother to an early grave for this.

  Someone knocked on her window.

  Sam startled, rubbing her eyes with the back of her hand.

  A man who had parked his car next to the Mercedes mouthed, “Are you okay?”

  She nodded furiously and mouthed back, “I’m okay, I’m okay.”

  Somehow, the man didn’t look convinced.

  She put the Walgreens plastic bag on the passenger seat and quickly shoved the key in the ignition. As she drove out of the parking lot, she slowly gathered her wits. She couldn’t let Jared ruin her.

  She had to put an end to his bullshit.

  Permanently.

  * * * *

  Sam went back to the mansion before noon and headed straight to her bedroom. She locked the door and jumped into the shower. She turned it on. She needed to think. And fast. She always took a shower whenever she needed refuge. The bathroom had been her sanctuary when she’d still been married to Jared. That bastard rarely bugged her when she was in there. It was a place where she could have some genuine ‘me time’.

  The cold water gradually turned hot. Sam pulled her wet hair over her back and inhaled a deep breath between the cascading splatters. She slowly calmed. Her rage was under control. She could think wi
thout being overwhelmed by the urge to bury a knife in Jared’s back, though that jackass totally deserved it.

  What should I do?

  She could tell them about the blackmail. Besides, Calvin was a lawyer. He would know what to do. Would they believe her? Or would they think this whole thing was nothing but Jared’s and her machinations? Rich people like them must have to deal with con artists who wanted to scam them for their money. If she went to them with this problem, Sam was afraid they would become suspicious and think she wanted to extort them.

  If she didn’t come up with the money, Jared would go to her mother and upload the tape to the internet. She wouldn’t put it past him. He would do it. She knew Jared too well. If he didn’t get what he wanted, he’d throw tantrums and do something horrible just to make his point. Her ex was a spoilt child. His mother and his grandmother were ‘he’s a sweet a boy and he can do nothing wrong’ types. The two women disapproved of her relationship with Jared and had been quite furious when she’d married him. Jared had been a sweet man at the beginning, but his mother and grandmother kept whispering poison to him that eventually turned him into a lazy jackass who turned her life into a living nightmare.

  If she did nothing, she’d become a laughing stock for the whole town. Jared would brag about what he’d done in the local bar and before noon time, everybody would know what she was doing. Her friends. Cousins. Neighbours. How was she supposed to live like that? She couldn’t pack her bag and move. She didn’t want to sell the house. She had to live in that town.

  Her father had been a reverend and everybody in town kind of looked up to them. Her mother’s health hadn’t been good since her father had passed away.

  Sam swallowed hard. Her nerves wound tight. There was only one thing to do. She must recover that tape from Jared. She could deny everything if Jared tattled to her mother, but graphic evidence like a sex tape would destroy everything.

  She turned the shower off. Shaking, she shed her clothes and shoes. Her mind spun. She must find out where Jared was staying in Colorado and ransack his place for the tape. If he didn’t have it here, then she could go back to Indiana to Jared’s apartment.

  Sam towelled and changed into dry clothes. She went looking for her purse and fumbled with the address book. Jared had a best friend, his cousin, who he partied and hung out with almost every day. Mike would know where Jared was going.

  She took her cell phone and dialled Mike’s number. A sleepy voice answered her on the third ring.

  “Yo.”

  “Sam here. Mike, do you know where Jared is?”

  Mike sounded surprised. “Hey, Sammy. What’s shakin’?”

  “Do you know where Jared is? My lawyer needs him to sign some papers.”

  “What papers?”

  “The settlement papers. If he wants his money, he has to sign it fast,” Sam lied. Jared and Mike were close. If Jared was about to be blessed with a boatload of cash, Mike would like to know. The two were crackheads and barely had a brain to split between them.

  “Oh.” Mike sounded excited. “He went to Colorado, man. Couple days ago.”

  “What for?” Sam played along.

  “I dunno. He didn’t say.”

  “Do you know where he’s staying?”

  A pause. “I think he said something about Willwood or something. I ain’t sure. He just got some dough from his grandma and he said he wanted to splurge. Why don’t you call his cell?”

  Dough from his grandma, my ass. “I did. But he didn’t answer.”

  “Tough luck, man. Were the papers important?”

  “Duh. I wouldn’t call you if it wasn’t important.”

  “Is it about the money?”

  “Yes, it’s about the money.”

  “Then, maybe,” Mike paused “I could sign it and hold onto the money since Jared’s busy?”

  Sam snorted. Everybody in Jared’s family was like a vulture when it came to money. “You’re not the one who’s getting divorced from me, Mike. Sober up.” She disconnected.

  So, Jared was staying in Willwood. Sam searched on Google maps for a location of a Willwood hotel. It turned out to be Willwood Lodge. She wrote the address on a piece of paper.

  Her heart beat fast. She’d made up her mind. Tonight, she would sneak into his room for the tape. She knew her ex’s habits. Jared wouldn’t come to his room until at least twelve o’clock. He had to have his beers between dinner time and midnight. That meant he would be in a bar somewhere. Probably spending the seventy-five-thousand dollar cheque David had written for him.

  That fucking bastard.

  She could go to Willwood after dinner. She had told Adam she had her period. She assumed the men wouldn’t want to sleep with her until it was over. She could tell Adam she’d forgotten to pick up a couple of items from Walgreens. Adam might let her drive the Mercedes again. But first, she needed to give the keys back to him.

  Sam inspected her clothes in the mirror. She was decent. No makeup. She didn’t feel like putting it on right now. She slipped into her canvas shoes and went looking for Adam.

  She glided downstairs to the kitchen. Nigel told her Adam was in his office. She trotted back upstairs to the end of the hall.

  She knocked. Nobody answered. The room was unlocked. Sam decided to put the key on his desk. She pushed the door and stepped in.

  What she saw made her want to scream. She dropped the keys to the floor with a loud clank.

  A big panther lounged on Adam’s leather sofa. The beast was sleeping, but it woke up and zeroed its eyes on her. Sam couldn’t breathe. Panic slammed in like a hurricane.

  Run. Run now…

  Before she could break the spell that the beast had cast on her, someone put a hand on her shoulder. Sam jumped, turning to flee. But her knees weakened. Adam caught her before she collapsed on the floor.

  “Adam…” Sam gulped hard. Her gaze darted to the panther again. The beast had risen and was sitting on the sofa with its full attention on her. “There’s a…” She couldn’t finish her sentence.

  “We need to talk, Sam.”

  David emerged through the door. He saw the panther. His expression changed. “Oh, shit.”

  Chapter Six

  He was tired and he’d needed a nap. A long nap. He had been prowling through the bushes and hills all night looking for small animals to hunt. He had caught a hare and had a midnight snack. It wasn’t bad. Wasn’t great, either. His human didn’t like raw meat—his human preferred his meat cooked by the fire. Well, too bad. When He took over, He was in charge. So, Calvin could shut up and be a good boy.

  His human awakened. Usually, Calvin would want to take over as soon as he woke. This time, he didn’t. He eyed the female in the room with interest.

  Lush, Calvin said.

  He agreed. The woman had a healthy figure like a female should. Perfect to mount and bear many cubs. He knew Calvin had mated with the female and couldn’t get enough of her. He also sensed Calvin was in distress about her. Something involving Him and it scared the female. She didn’t know Calvin shared the body with Him. Sometimes, He liked to be free and roam the streets. Sometimes, He needed to hunt and kill, even it if was only small animals. He and Calvin didn’t hunt big animals like they used to. But He was okay with that. As long as Calvin let Him have occasional pleasure.

  David urged the female to sit, while Adam got her something to drink. She kept watching Him. She was scared of Him, but she was also curious. She listened attentively as David talked. David’s tiger was docile. And so was Adam’s lion. They were fond of the female and didn’t want to do anything to scare her.

  He didn’t want to scare the female either. But He was too curious. There was so much to discover about her. He could smell blood on her, one of those times that human females couldn’t perform a mating. Her skin and hair smelt refreshing, like fruit. Her clothes were damp and smelt like fruit too. He studied her with interest. He wanted to scent her. From up close. Intimately. But Adam sensed his intention and tol
d him to sit.

  Adam and David talked some more to the female. She looked disbelieving. Her gaze went back and forth between David and Him. Her hand trembled. A strong sense of distress permeated from her every pore. He wanted to go and lick her to dispel the stress. Calvin didn’t like the idea. His human wanted to console the female in person.

  Move, Calvin demanded. He shoved Him around to gain control.

  He growled. He wanted to lick the female.

  Calvin shoved harder. He had no choice but to concede. It was Calvin’s time to take back control anyway. He had had His fun all night.

  His bones creaked. His flesh twisted and rearranged. His black glossy fur vanished, replaced by human skin. He became mellow as Calvin took complete possession.

  The female’s eyes bulged as she watched the transformation. Her mouth formed a frozen O.

  He retreated to His corner.

  Calvin emerged from the shell. “Hello, Sam.”

  * * * *

  Samantha lay in her bed, eyes wide and her heart racing faster than a Japanese bullet train. The revelation had completely blown her mind. The truth about her parents. And the truth about Adam, David and Calvin. Sweet God. If she hadn’t witnessed Calvin shift with her own eyes, she wouldn’t have believed them. But it had happened.

  Shape-shifters existed.

  She ran her hands through her hair. Unbelievable. They weren’t completely human. Her employers were feline shifters. Adam said his beast was a lion. David was a tiger. And Calvin had revealed himself as a panther. The very panther she thought she’d seen a few days earlier.