Her expression is unreadable as she steps closer. “I know everything, Miss Elliott.”
“But did you know her?” My voice wobbles and tears threaten. “Was she your friend?”
“Not her, no,” she admits, her blue eyes sharp as they assess me. “I knew Barb personally, though.”
I frown at her. “Who’s Barb?”
We continue to stare at one another—her searching my gaze for something, and me just trying to figure out what she’s talking about.
“Hmm,” she mutters, picking a piece of lint off my shirt. “You weren’t close to your grandmother?”
Oh . . . that Barb. Barbara Huffington. My mom’s mother.
“Never met her. She passed away when I was little.”
“I see.” She pauses as though she wants to say more but bites her tongue in the end. “Well, it’s a small world, isn’t it? Let’s get you dropped off.”
“We forgot to pay,” I remind her, gesturing back to the spa.
“Don’t be silly.” She ushers me into the car. I settle on the seat and try not to fidget as she scrutinizes me. The driver takes off without warning, making my stomach dip. As soon as I recognize the area we’re in, I tap on the glass partition.
“Yes, miss?” the driver asks.
“Can we stop at the candy shop on the next block?”
“Of course.”
I turn back around to discover Caroline’s lips pressed together in a grim line. Ignoring her evident annoyance, I hop out of the car as soon as it stops, promising to be right back. Once inside, I get more red gummy bears for Winston since he’s grown so fond of them. I grab a few more things and am checking out when my phone rings.
“Hello?”
“Ash Elliott. Lovely hearing your voice again.”
The blood drains out of my face. “Leo.”
“Did you miss me?”
The cashier gives me my change back, and I rush away from her to one corner of the store, my bags looped on my arm.
“What do you want?” I hiss into the phone.
“Same thing as last time. More information.”
“Which I don’t have.”
“You spent the day with Caroline Constantine. Don’t fucking lie to me.”
My skin crawls at the thought of him watching me right now. Knowing exactly what I’m doing and who I’m with. Fucking stalker.
“We’re not exactly chummy,” I snap. “This is ridiculous, you know. I don’t have what you want, and I can’t get it.”
He chuckles. “You’ll get it or else everyone in this damn town will learn how tarnished the great Winston Constantine is. A dirty bastard in the bedroom who gets off on defiling little girls.”
“I’m not a little girl.”
“What happened in Paris?”
Jesus. This fucking guy.
“I don’t know,” I growl, losing patience. “I don’t know anything!”
“Find out. I need to know what Winston is up to.”
“Or else?”
“I’ll ruin him and the entire family. I’ll take down yours while I’m at it. Remember, click and click. That’s all it’ll take before the entire world will see the great Winston Constantine tearing your pretty asshole to shreds.”
Bile rises in my throat at the image of that video on every television across the globe.
“Your threats are getting old.” My false bravado is apparent when my voice quavers.
“They’re promises, sweetheart, and I always make good on those. Get me more information.”
He hangs up on me.
Bastard.
I’m rattled and stressed out by the time I make it back to the car. As soon as I’m seated, I fish out a bag of red gummy bears and hand them to Caroline.
“What’s this?” Her lip curls up as though she’s insulted.
“Win loves them. He’s all out so I grabbed him some more. I took a chance that you might like them as well.” I shrug and smile. “It’s a thank you for today.”
She blinks hard several times before tucking the bag away in her purse. “Hmm.”
I can’t help but giggle because, again, she reminds me of Winston when she does that.
Her blue eyes soften, and amusement briefly dances in them before she looks out the window, her wicked witch mask back in place. “You may be able to tempt my son with sweets, but you must realize he’ll never marry you, never have you as anything more than a toy he plays with when he gets bored.”
I swallow hard. That escalated quickly.
“I love my son, but I’m telling you this not only for his sake, but for yours.” She pins me with a narrow stare. “Any designs you have on him, drop them. Do it now before you get even deeper. You’re already in over your head.” With that, she turns toward the window, her face in beautiful profile as I try to keep my emotions in check. All the lightness I thought I’d created is gone, and I realize Caroline has many layers—some warm, many cold, and all a mystery.
We ride in silence, and I text Winston to let him know I survived. I also need to feel his strength after dealing with Leo.