“And he hasn’t bothered me in—”
“I don’t give a shit. That fucker will pay for what he did to you. Giving him chronic anxiety is how I attempt to do that—in a nonviolent matter. I would have just paid men to jump him, but out of respect for your daughter, I didn’t.”
“Vincent, if you want my daughter to like you, this isn’t the way to accomplish that.”
I wanted her respect, but I had to put Scarlet first. “You need to tell her what really happened. She has the right to know.”
She quickly looked away. “I can’t do that, Vincent.”
“Yes, you can. You’re letting her believe a lie.”
“I don’t want her to hate her father.”
“She should hate her father and forgive him in her own time. He has to face the consequences of his actions. This isn’t about getting her to like me. This is the right thing to do. Have you ever been worried what he might do to her?”
She shook her head. “He would never hurt her. He’s only like that with women he ‘loves.’”
“She needs to know, Scarlet. You can tell her, or he can tell her.”
“Colin will be the last person to mention it.”
I narrowed my eyes. “He’s a puppet on the string, and I’m the master. If you want him to tell her, I can make it happen. That little bitch is under my thumb now.”
“I don’t know…”
“It would be better coming from him,” I said. “She’ll know it’s the truth, and she might be more likely to forgive him since he brought it up to her on his own terms. He waited ten years to do it…but at least he’s doing it.”
She dragged her hands down her face. “Maybe I shouldn’t have told you…”
I could admit I’d done something irrational, but when it came to Scarlet, I was fiercely protective and aggressive. She’d become one of the most important people in my life, and I had to make sure she was safe. “You did the right thing, Scarlet. If we don’t address this now, there’s no reason why he won’t bother you again.”
“If he did, I’d break his ribs again with a bat,” she threatened.
“And I’d rather you not deal with that all. Your daughter is living a lie, and it’s very important to me that she likes me…or at least accepts me. If she’s still upset because she thinks you gave up on your marriage too easily, I’ll never stand a chance. I know my sons like you, and I want her to like me.”
She stared at me solemnly. “I want her to like you too.”
“And you know that’s very unlikely.”
She gave a nod.
“So how do you want to do this? Do you want him to tell her? Or do you want to do it?”
She considered it for a long time. “I think we should do it together—as a family.”
My eyes narrowed. “I don’t want him anywhere near you.”
“I understand that. But this is a family matter. She’s our daughter, and I want to work through it. She’ll be upset with him, but I want her to know that I want her to forgive him.”
I was stunned by her response. No other woman would feel that way about her ex-husband. The fact that she wanted to preserve their relationship was a testament to her commitment to motherhood. She didn’t care about herself, only her daughter.
It reminded me of Isabella.
“Have you forgiven him?” I asked.
“He’s never apologized.”
“But you want her to forgive him.”
“I don’t have any connection to him. He’s her father…it’s completely different.”
I might not agree with all of that, but I had to respect it. If I’d ever raised a hand to Isabella, I’d have expected all of my sons to defend her and turn their backs on me. I’d have expected them to make me pay for what I did. But we had different philosophies. “How do you want to do this, then?”
“I’ll call him.”
“No, I want to be there. If I’m present, it’ll make this process a lot smoother.”
Scarlet must have known that was the best compromise she would find, because she agreed. “Alright.”
We walked into the bar and headed to the counter. Scarlet walked with her hand held in mind, not the least bit afraid coming face-to-face with her former attacker. She knew I was there to protect her, but she also knew she could break his ribs again if she needed to.
Colin spotted me immediately and tensed behind the counter with obvious fear.
That’s right, bitch.
I got to the counter and stared him down.
He didn’t even notice his ex-wife until then. He took his time wiping down the mug he was holding before he finally walked over to us. Both hands rested against the counter, and he stared at us timidly.
I never took my eyes off him.
“Colin.” Scarlet walked up to him, a woman far too classy to be inside this dirty bar.
He stayed silent.
“I think it’s time we told Lizzie what really happened between us.”
He heaved a deep sigh, full of anger and aggression that he couldn’t act on. “And I have to cooperate, otherwise, I’ll get stuffed in a dumpster?”
“Not quite,” she said. “I can tell her on my own, or we can tell her together. You have a choice.”
He bowed his head, his left hand still gripping the rag. “Scar, I—”
“Her name is Scarlet.” He lost any privilege to call her by a nickname.
He didn’t look at me. “We haven’t spoken in…eight years. That’s a long time.”
“Yes,” she said. “And it’s been nice.”
The corner of my mouth rose in a smile.
“I have a girlfriend now,” he said. “We share an apartment together here in Brooklyn. I really like her and want to ask her to marry me.”
“I don’t see what that has to do with this,” she said gently.
“I mention it because…I’ve thought a lot over the past eight years.” His eyes moved to the surface of the bar. “The way I acted…the way I treated you…it was wrong. I hate myself for what I did. I’m a lot different than I used to be. With Mary, I’m different. I wish I could have been that way to you, and I’m sorry I wasn’t. I didn’t know how to control my anger, and…there’s no excuse. I shouldn’t even bother trying to justify my behavior.”
Scarlet was clearly speechless.
“I was in the hospital for a few days because of my broken ribs.” He spoke quietly so the other patrons in the bar couldn’t hear him. “That gave me a lot of time to think. I couldn’t believe I broke in to your apartment and I was waiting for you. I wasn’t even sure what I was trying to do. It was a reality check for me. It made me realize I didn’t want to be that guy… I never want to be that guy again.”
“I appreciate your saying that,” Scarlet whispered.
“Lizzie is my whole world,” he continued. “I don’t want her to hate me for what I did, especially since I’m not that guy anymore. If we tell her…she’ll never forgive me.”
“That’s too damn bad,” I snapped.
Scarlet turned to me and placed her hand on my forearm. “Vincent, please.”
I sighed and shut my mouth.
She turned back to Colin. “She’ll forgive you. She’ll need a few months to let it go, but I know she will. That’s why we should tell her together. I want her to forgive you, and I’ll tell her that myself. I love the relationship you two have. I don’t want you to lose it either.”
He bowed his head and sighed, gripping the counter at the same time. “God, I’m dreading this…”
“I am too,” Scarlet said. “But she thinks I’m the reason we aren’t together. I want her to meet Vincent and give him a chance. Anytime I introduced her to a man I was seeing, she wouldn’t give him the time of day. And I know it’s because of you.”
He nodded.
“And I’m going to spend the rest of my life with Vincent. I need her to like him.”
All the anger I felt immediately disappeared from my body. I turned to her, feeling my heart swe
ll to twice its size. My fingertips felt warm, and my entire body flushed with the comfortable heat. I stared at the side of her face, touched by her words.
“You’re engaged?” Colin whispered.
“No,” Scarlet said. “I don’t know if we’ll ever get married, but he’s the man I love. I want our daughter to love him too. He’s not going anywhere, and I’m certainly not going anywhere either.”
My hand moved to the small of her back, and I rested it there, reacting to her statement in silence.
“So, how do you want to do this?” Scarlet asked. “You want me to tell her?”
“No,” Colin said quietly. “Let’s do it together…and hope for the best.”
Chapter Eighteen
Thorn
A week went by, and all Autumn and I did was work and fuck.
But not at the same time.
My mind was cluttered with endless thoughts and feelings. During the wedding, I felt my feelings only deepen for Autumn. I pictured my own wedding, something I’d never done before. I imagined where we would live together. I imagined what our children would look like. I’d always wanted my own family, and now I pictured what that would be like with Autumn.
Maybe Diesel and Tatum were both right.
A part of me argued I was just being logical about the relationship. I needed to marry someone, and Autumn fit all of my requirements. I was just excited about starting a family, and I needed a uterus to do that.
But I also knew that was bullshit.
If Autumn ended up with someone else, I wouldn’t be so logical about it.
I would be devastated.
Toward the end of the afternoon, Autumn arrived in my office. Sexy in tall heels and a tight skirt, she rocked the room like a model on the runway. She made being a geek the next biggest trend. She smiled when she walked inside, her bag over her shoulder. “Hey.”
My response was nothing but a stare.
She sauntered to the desk and stopped in front of me. “I have some stuff we need to go over. We’re behind on preorders, and if I don’t order new equipment and hire more employees, I’m not going to fulfill them. I don’t know if we need to get approval from Tatum or if we can just move forward.”
I interlocked my fingers behind my head.
She cocked her head to the side. “Are you going to say anything?”
I nodded to the double doors. “If those weren’t made of glass, you’d be bent over this desk right now.”
She kept a straight face but couldn’t hide the blush that entered her cheeks. “You just fucked me good this morning.”
“And I want to fuck you again.” I wanted to do exactly what Tatum and Diesel were doing. I wanted to fuck her a million times until she was finally pregnant and round. “It’s been almost eight hours.”
“Maybe we can revisit this conversation once we’re done with work for the day…”
“Whatever you say, baby.” I finally rose from my desk, my hard-on obvious in my slacks.
Her eyes glanced down, seeing the obvious bulge.
“Show-off…”
“You’re the only one I’m showing off for.”
We left the building together, hand in hand. “You want to get some dinner?”
“I think we should keep a low profile. I’ve been bombarded by reporters left and right.”
“I don’t give a damn. There’s a deli right on the corner. Want to go there?”
She moved closer into my side and walked with me. “You don’t care about all the people taking pictures of us?”
“Why would I? I’m being photographed with the sexiest woman on the planet. It’s not like it makes me look bad.”
We arrived at the deli and ordered our food at the counter. We took a seat in the booth and ate our sandwiches and shared a bag of chips. There was hardly anyone in there despite the hour. We ate in comfortable silence, and I stared at her as I considered how I would fuck her when we got back to my place.
She seemed to be thinking the same thing because a slight smile was on her lips.
A few minutes later, the bell rang overhead as someone stepped inside. The sound of a little girl laughing filled the restaurant. My back was to them, so I couldn’t see who they were.
But Autumn obviously recognized them. She stopped eating and stared at them, her face immediately turning as white as snow.
I turned around to glance at them, and all I saw was a handsome man, a pretty wife, and a cute kid. I turned back to her.
Her head was down, and all of her playfulness had evaporated.
“What’s wrong?”
“Nothing.” She rolled up her sandwich even though she hadn’t eaten much. She ignored the bag of chips too. “I had a big lunch. Want to get out of here?”
She never appeared frantic. She was always confident even in the most hostile situations. “What is it?”
She glanced at the people again, who were still standing at the counter. “That’s Max.” She kept her voice low so they wouldn’t overhear us. “Pretty awkward that we’re the only two people in here…”
“Oh…” Now I’d lost my appetite too, thinking about the man who broke Autumn’s heart.
She slid out of the booth first, ready to leave before they turned around. She didn’t even take her sandwich.
I stood up to follow her. I was about to walk with her to the door, but I turned to look at him instead. A handsome guy with short brown hair, he was my height with a nice smile. His arm was around his wife while she held their daughter.
They seemed happy.
Autumn stopped at the door and looked at me, her eyes narrowed.
I didn’t know what I was doing. I wasn’t thinking at all. I walked up to Max and tapped him on the shoulder.
“Thorn,” Autumn hissed under her breath.
Max turned around, immediately defensive because he had no idea who I was.
I extended my hand. “I’m Thorn Cutler. You’re Max, right?”
He hesitated before he shook my hand. “Yeah…do we know each other?”
“No.” I nodded to Autumn by the door, who looked thoroughly embarrassed. “But you remember Autumn.”
Max glanced at her, and when he turned back to me, he was even more confused.
“I just wanted to thank you for leaving her for someone else. If you hadn’t done that…I wouldn’t have found the love of my life. She’s the most amazing woman in the world, and I can’t believe she’s mine. I love her more than you ever did…and I would never trade her in for someone else.” I gave him a cold look before I turned away, leaving my words behind so they could sink into his flesh. Autumn deserved to walk away from that relationship with dignity. I wanted him to know that he’d made a mistake, that Autumn was loved by someone else more than he could ever love his wife.
I walked out, Autumn trailing behind me. “I’m sorry… I know you must be pissed at me.” I paused before I turned around and faced her wrath.
She wasn’t mad at all. In fact, her eyes were wet with tears. “I can’t believe you said that.”
“I wasn’t thinking… It just makes me mad that guy hurt you so much.”
“So…did you mean any of that?”
“Of course, I did.” I’d walked up to him, and words just started pouring out of my mouth. I switched into instinct mode, talking without forethought. I wanted that guy to feel guilty for what he did, but I also didn’t want him to pity Autumn anymore. She was over him, and she had a much better man now.
“Then you love me?”
I didn’t even realize I’d said it until that moment. I was running my mouth and talking with my heart instead of my brain. But if I said it without thinking, then it really must be true. That wasn’t how I wanted to tell my woman I loved her—not for the first time. But the damage had been done. “Yeah…I do.”
“Thorn…” She moved into my chest and wrapped her arms around my neck. “I love you too.”
Seeing her heartfelt reaction chased away any doubt I had. I’d nev
er wanted my life to change, but then I met a woman I wanted to change everything for. She didn’t love me for my wealth or my power, not when she had her own. She loved me for me…and you couldn’t put a price on that. “I know you do.”
“You know?” she whispered, her eyes still wet.
“I heard you tell your mother last week.”
She tensed in my arms, her eyes turning rigid. “You heard that…?”
“I was trying to find the bathroom, and I overheard.”
“Oh…”
“But it didn’t scare me. Made me really happy, actually. That’s when I started to realize how I felt about you.”
“Yeah?”
“And Diesel and Tatum said a few things to me too. I guess I was scared to tell you… And then it came tumbling out when I told Max off. Sorry…that isn’t how I wanted to tell you.”
“Don’t apologize…I loved it.” She cupped my face and rose on her tiptoes to kiss me. She moved closer into my body, her tits pressed right against my chest. Her lips trembled against mine, but her passion was unmistakable.
I squeezed the steep curve of her back, positioning her as tightly as possible against my body. My mouth moved against hers, and the sensation felt right. I never wanted to kiss anyone else. I only wanted this woman—this perfect woman. People stopped to take pictures of us, but I didn’t care what anyone thought.
Because I was happy.
Chapter Nineteen
Tatum
The last six months of my life had been pretty crazy.
I lost the love of my life.
Got him back.
I was shot.
And I got married.
A lot of stuff to happen in such a short amount of time.
But all my struggles had been completely worth it in the end. There were times when I wanted to give up, to retire and live out my life away from the public eye. There were times when I wanted to give up on love and settle for convenience. There were times when I wanted to give up on humanity altogether.
But I was glad I didn’t.
Now I had everything I could ever want.
I sat on the floor and leaned against the wall in the bathroom with the pregnancy test stick in my grasp. The previous two weeks had been spent locked away in a tropical paradise as we enjoyed the beautiful beaches by day and each other at night. We rarely slept, but all the good sex made it worth it.
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