"Yeah and who's fault was that?" Chris laughed, fighting back the urge to ask how many friends Alison has.
“I need some cash. Please Alison I'm desperate," he said, pleading on the door step, and Alison knew he hated doing that as much as Alison did herself.
"You were always good at making money." Alison said.
"Alright then." Chris said slightly angry and out of options. "You abandon me, come to shack up with your sister and her billionaire; now you acting like I’m not still your father?"
"Ok ok. Calm down!" Chris wiped his face and his breath was uneven as he breathed out slowly.
"Come in. You don't... We're not going to. Ok? Just come in and calm down.”
They walked into the living room and Alison urged Chris to sit.
“Why ya get kicked out? I thought that..”
“Yeah well you thought wrong.” Chris wiped his face, knowing what Alison was going to say. She was going to comment on how she thought Chris couldn't get kicked out. How he’d made a career of not being thrown out of places. Chris stood up and walked round the room. “I need cash Alison.”
“Ok. Chris it's fine. I can give you enough for a B&B or…”
“No Alison. I didn’t want to do it like this but.. I mean serious cash.”
“God Chris what you do this time.” Chris shook his head, it was clear he was panicked and angry.
“Lets just say got involved with the wrong people and now I’m in it big time. So… I need your help, please Alison.”
Alison shook her head but she could see Chris was in some big trouble. “I can give ya a few hundred.” Chris almost laughed as he walked around the room wiping his face. “I need more than that Alison.”
“What? A few thousand? More? Chris look around you. I'm staying in my little sisters house with her boyfriend…I…I can't Chris I’m sorry…”
“What? Ya gonna… Alison I need your help!”
“Chris.” Alison said in as calm as voice as she could as Chris stopped still and put his hand in his pocket to pull out a rolled up letter.
“Give me the money or I’ll tell everyone every last one of your secrets.”
“What?”
“I mean it.” Chris said holding up the envelope which Alison recognized.
“…Why…how…” Alison was speechless and Chris laughed slightly as he rubbed his sniffing nose.
“50 grand Alison. Or little sis finds out all your dirty little secrets and believe me I’ve got a lot more proof than this.”
“You can’t do this.”
“Can't I?” Chris said as he walked to the door. “You’ve got my number. I’m guessing I can’t stay here but I’ve got enough for that B&B across the road.”
Alison kicked a chair as Chris walked out and growled in anger. She’d almost got things back on track with Samara. Almost. And now Chris might ruin her whole life.
Chapter 10
“I need your help,” Alison began as soon as Bjorn stepped in the penthouse. He stopped just inside the door, staring at her.
“My father is in town-“ she began.
“I know. I met him. He tried to extort me.”
“What? When?” Alison asked completely distracted.
“This morning. So I take it you were his next target? Are you supposed to ask me for money or…?”
“No. I’m supposed to get money for him, or he’s threatening to tell Alison about some things I did that she might not like.”
Bjorn laughed, “Your sister adores you. There’s nothing you can say or do to change that.”
Alison stared at him with wide eyes, “How do you know?”
Bjorn’s mouth twisted, “Because I have a big sister too.”
There was a small silence.
“You don’t even know what I did,” Alison said in a small voice.
“And I don’t have to. I know you. I see what a little tiger mom you are with her. You remind me a lot of my own sister.”
Alison looked down, “I’ll take that as a compliment.”
“Take it any way you want.”
“But it still doesn’t help me with my problem.”
“Which is what exactly?”
“Fifty large.”
“Pocket change,” Bjorn said with a shrug.
“For you maybe,” Alison snorted.
Bjorn lifted his brow, “I thought…don’t you want me to pay him?”