"One month... No, two weeks. You have two weeks, that''s it," Jane snapped. "If Reese is still at ckOak after that, I''ll tell everyone what you did. All of it."
As soon as she hung up, Jane''s face was a mess of frustration and humiliation. In all these years, no one had ever dared yell at her like that. But the threat had rattled her. She was genuinely scared Leslie might actually spill her secrets. She dropped the garden hose, clenched her jaw, and headed back inside to figure out her next move.
Dusk was just settling over ckOak when Reese slid behind the wheel and headed out, on her way to meet Hank for dinner.
She barely made it out of the parking lot before a ck G-Wagon swerved in front of her, blocking her way. The window rolled down and Zach''s sharply cut, stone- cold profile appeared.
He''d told himself he''d let it go if Reese just reached out if she called, swallowed her pride, apologized to Tara, made things right. He''d even lift the cklist on Ramos Corporation. Simple.
But she hadn''t called. Not even a word.
When he couldn''t stand it anymore, he came straight to ckOak.
Reese spotted him and froze, her hand halfway to the door handle, ready to get out and argue. Instead, she locked the doors, shifted to reverse, and tried to swing around his car.
Zach wasn''t about to let her get away. He opened his door, stepped out, and walked right up to her window.
"Stop."
Reese nced in the rearview and saw a ck sedan blocking her from behind. She sighed, rolled her window down just enough to talk. "What do you want?"
"What do I want?" Zach let out a coldugh. Just seeing her refuse to even look at him made his anger burn hotter. "Tara''s still in the hospital. She lost the baby. They''re not sure she''ll ever have kids again. And you want to know what I want?
"Don''t you think you owe me an exnation?"
"You already cklisted Ramos Corporation, didn''t you?" Reese shot back, her voice ice-cold. "You''ve already out for me. What else do you want?"
For a second, Zach looked caught off guard. He hadn''t expected her to stand her ground like this. His face tightened, and his voice softened just a bit. "Reese, I never meant to push you this far This is serious. Just apologize to Tara. If you do that, I''ll lift the cklist. If you need money, I''ll give you anything."
Reese rolled her eyes, a bitterugh escaping her. "First, I don''t need your money. Second, I didn''t push her. She fell by herself.
"If you don''t believe me, fine. I''ll find proof and clear my own name."
Zach''s patience snapped. “There were so many people at the event, all watching. You''re really going to stand there and say you didn''t do it?"
"I''m giving you onest chance. Come with me to the hospital, apologize to Tara, make things right. If you do, I''ll let the whole thing go."
"Zach, who do you think you are? I didn''t do it, and I''m not going to admit to something I didn''t do."
She checked the time, started the engine, her tone dropping to ice. "Move. I don''t have time for this."
Zach stepped in front of her car, right in front of the hood. "I''ll say it
one more time Either youe
with
me now and apologize, or you''re not leaving tonight."
Annoyance flickered across Reese''s face. She mmed the car in reverse and
rammed into the sedan behind her.
Zach''s assistant jumped out, just as she figured.
Reese let out a cold snort,
determination shing in her eyes. She shifted gears and hit the gas, driving straight at Zach. He leapt out of the way at the fast second as her white SUV crunched into the side of his Wagon and finally stopped.
She grabbed her purse, got out, and barely nced at Zach, who just stood there
by his battered car, frozen.
"I''m not apologizing. Don''t waste any more of your time on me," she said, voice cold.
Without another look back, she walked away, leaving Zach staring after her, fists clenched tight and eyes full of tangled emotions.
When did Reese get this tough?