How many times had he taken a fist to the jaw on her behalf? Or worse . . .
Besides her mother, he’d been the only one who’d ever been truly loyal to her. The only one to always be there no matter what. She inhaled a deep breath and laid her hand in his open palm. “Fine. I’ll do it.”
Both Marcus and Daniel seemed to sag in their chairs with relief. Daniel laced his fingers with hers. “Thank you, Evan. This means everything to me.”
She sighed. “Just tell me what I need to say and do.”
“We’re not going to make you do the talking. I don’t want to make you lie blatantly on camera. We’re going to send you to a hotel for a few days until the initial flash of interest burns out.” Marcus flipped over the picture, which was still lying face up on the desk. He tapped it. “And you need to let Jace Austin know that his affiliation with this company—and with you—is over, effective immediately.”
She pulled her hand from Daniel’s, her full attention switching to Marcus. “What?”
He frowned. “We can’t very well have him associated with the book or show in case he’s identified as the guy you were sleeping with. And you certainly can’t continue any contact with him. The press will be watching you like a hawk.”
The room suddenly felt twenty degrees colder and like all the air had been sucked out of it. No more Jace? Ever? And his business . . . “You can’t pull the affiliation. Jace’s store is depending on it.”
“He should’ve thought of that before he fucked my fiancée,” Daniel snapped.
She smacked her hand flat against the desk. “You gave us fucking permission, Daniel! He’s a member of The Ranch.” She wet her lips. “And . . .”
Daniel’s eyes narrowed. “And what, Evan?”
“And we have a past.”
“What are you talking about?” Daniel leaned forward, elbows on the table.
“He was the one, Daniel. The one I loved. The one I ran from. . . .”
Awareness dawned over Daniel’s face. “The guy who got you pregnant?”
She nodded. “He doesn’t know about that part though.”
“Christ,” Marcus groaned. “This could really blow up if the press finds out who he is and digs that far into either of your pasts.”
Fear curled over her spine. No . . .
“The name change should protect you for now. And your foster care records are confidential. If we can smooth all this over quickly, no one will have any reason to delve deeper.” Daniel rolled his chair back from his desk and stood in a huff. “Go pack a bag. And get rid of Jace, Evan. Tonight.”
“But his business is going to suffer, and if they figure out who he is, he’ll look like a homewrecker,” she protested. “He doesn’t deserve either of those.”
“Karma’s a bitch,” Daniel said on his way out the door. “Maybe he deserves to hurt a little after what he put you through back then.”
She looked back to Marcus, hoping for a different answer, but his expression was resigned. “It’s the only way, sweetie. You were going to have to say good-bye soon anyway.” He stood and patted her shoulder. “What’s the difference if it’s a few weeks early?”
She shook her head. No difference.
She’d always known she’d have to walk away from Jace and Andre. But she never anticipated leaving destruction in her wake. And she never expected it to feel quite like this.
Like her stable existence was breaking apart beneath her feet.
Like she didn’t want to face a tomorrow that didn’t have Jace and Andre in it.
Fuck.
Panic, sharp and bitter, flooded her, turning her skin clammy and damp. No, she wasn’t this person anymore. And she wasn’t like her father. She didn’t have those kinds of destructive thoughts. She squeezed her eyes shut and wrapped her arms around herself, rocking as the panic charged through her system. Her nails dug deep into her arms, the pain a last-ditch effort to center herself.
She would not get this way. Not again.
She was stronger than this.