“And this,” I gestured back and forth between us. “Is done. Do you understand?”
She shrugged.
“I’m serious, Poppy. I need to hear you say it.”
“Say what precisely?”
“That my family and friends are safe. And our fake relationship is finished.”
“Because of this? Really?” She shook her head. “I swear, soon you’ll be thanking me for taking care of the Locatellis. I did it for you.”
How on earth had she done it for me? “Are we in agreement?”
“I’ll consider it,” she said with a wink, which made me think she wasn’t really processing anything that I was saying. “By the way, I’m loving this new you. I knew you would be good at the financial side of the business, but now that you’ve shown you’rewilling to blackmail the love of your life? We’re going to be unstoppable.”
Brooklyn is the love of my life, not you.I swallowed hard.I mean Kennedy.Either way, Poppy was most certainly not the love of my life. She was an insane person. “If I go to the police, Gigi will grow up without a mother. Think of her.”
She laughed. “I’m a Cannavaro. I’d never step foot in prison. Could you imagine? I don’t even think they have a masseuse on location.” She shook her head.
“And you’re underestimating my family’s resources.”
“Oh, I don’t think Daddy Caldwell would like you pulling his business back in with Uncle Richard’s. Do you? Don’t want to sully his name all over again.”
As if on cue, my phone started ringing. It was my mom.Shit.She’d probably heard about the tabloid. She didn’t read them, but people talked. Of course the news would have gotten back to her. I’d only just told her about Kennedy. She was probably equal parts confused and horrified. I ended the call, but my mom immediately started calling again.
“We’ll both take some time to think it over, yes?” Poppy said and handed me the paper back.
“I don’t need time to think it over.”
“Now that I know my future hubby is capable of blackmail, I’ll need a few days at least to get the wording of our marriage amendment just right.”
“Poppy…”
“And remember, 4 karats.” She pointed to her ring finger and then walked back into her family’s mansion.
Well…that didn’t go as planned. Crazy ran in her family. I knew that for a fact. But I still hadn’t expected any of this. Blackmail was one thing. Although it was extra crazy blackmail since it involved possibly kidnapping Scarlett. But now murder? And a fake engagement? Or was it a real engagement to her? She seemed to be really turned on by my blackmail.
Poppy had been fairly normal just a few days ago during our fake dates. It was almost like something had set her off. Just like it had set Kennedy off. What the hell was going on?
Homecoming - Chapter 14
Monday
Brooklyn
It took me all of two hours to break my promise of not going back to Central Park. But I’d do anything for Jacob when he looked up at me with his big brown eyes. Miller’s eyes. And Kennedy had told Jacob about the Central Park Zoo last night. Of course I couldn’t say no.
It was easy to avoid spots that triggered memories on this side of Central Park though. I’d never really explored over here very much.
“Are we there yet?” Jacob asked.
I laughed and picked him up.
“Por favor,” he said.
“Sweet boy, you’re picking up Spanish very quickly.”
“Sí. Are we there yet?”
