by Rachel Cade
“That’s not an answer.”
He stared around her bedroom. His body appeared relaxed but there was tension coming off him.
“You followed me here.” It wasn’t a question.
“So you’re buying the theater?” he asked, sitting up to rest his hands on his thighs. Then his brows raised. “With what money, Lyndie?”
Lyndie’s damp palm covered her mouth. “Your wedding reception is going on downtown and you’re here asking me this.” She tightened her robe.
“That’s not an answer.” His head tilted as he repeated her words.
Lyndie’s mouth was dry as she licked it. “I don’t owe you one.”
“You don’t?”
“No,” she answered, managing to not grit her teeth. “I don’t.”
He needed to get out.
She’d had enough of all this.
“Are you having another independent woman streak?”
“It’s more entertaining for you to ridicule me than be with your wife?”
Will’s sigh was long.
“I still haven’t gotten an answer about the theater. I know exactly what Mitch pays you, and it’s not enough to cover a mortgage and a property lease. Not to mention a new Mustang,” he added.
Anxiety crept over her shoulders. But she kept a calm exterior.
“A few months ago, you were scraping for cash. It’s a mighty big shift.”
Lyndie’s mouth was tight as she glanced at the sunlight streaming through her window. “You don’t think it’s going to be strange if someone finds you here? What’s your new father-in-law going to think when he hears about it?”
Will sent his eyes to the ceiling. “He’s not going to be my father-in-law forever.” Then he shut his eyes. “For so long I haven’t been able to figure out what to do about you, Lyndie.” Then he chuckled, shaking his head. “You’ve been playing games with me for a while now.”
“You’ve been playing games with me since the moment we met.” Lyndie stepped forward. “You need to leave, Will. Go back downtown. Go to back to your new wife and the town loving you just like you need.”
He pointed toward himself. “I need to leave?”
“Yes.” Her voice practically overlapped his.
“Who’s welcome here then?”
Not you. Her mouth opened to say it.
“Noa Callas?” he questioned.
Her soles weighed against the carpet.
“Go ahead and lie, Lyndie.”
A prickle ran over her skin.
He knew.
Her eyes landed on her dresser.
The rose.
Will moved the rose.
He’d been in her room.
“You came here… before,” she said under the breath she could barely form.
“I did. The night when I tried to call you and you wouldn’t pick up.”
Lyndie shut her eyes.
“Just say it, Lyndie. Say what you did.”
Her abdomen tightened.
In her silence, Will stood up and stormed over to her closet.
“No. No.” She clawed at his back as he tore through her clothes. “Stop it, Will!”
He whirled around holding her wedding dress in his fists.
Lyndie wanted to snatch it from him, but his dark eyes pierced hers.
“You married him,” he said through his teeth.
He knew.
He knew all this time.
And she thought she’d been playing games with him.
“How many times did you refuse to let Ashley see Max? But you’ve had this man around my son?” He hovered over her. “Huh? You married a criminal and brought him around my kid? Why? To get back at me for leaving you?”
Lyndie reached for her dress, wanting to get it out of his hands while he tried to crush it.
His grip tightened before he tossed it away.
Lyndie heard him tear it before he threw it and she rushed forward as it hit the ground.
Picking up the fabric, she stared at him as her chest rose. “Get out, Will. Just get the fuck out and leave us alone! I don’t care what you think about me. I swear to God I don’t!”
With heavy steps, Will walked over to her dresser.
He picked up the rose and crushed it. A small smile touched his lips before he threw it toward her face.
With her still on the ground, he walked into her bathroom and she watched him stare over her sink. When he returned, he squatted in front of her.
He held her engagement ring.
“What was your game, Lyndie?” he asked. “Were you trying to have your cake and eat it too? I know some women can be like that.”
Lyndie failed to grasp the ring when he yanked his hand back.
“Did you like seeing a vulnerable side to me?” He squinted down at her. “You just wanted to see if you could get me to leave Ashley for you? Was that the game?”
Lyndie wanted her ring. Her nails dug into the carpet.
Instead of reaching for it again, she answered him. Her old plan game back to haunt her. He still thought she was jealous of Ashley. But she was alone with him now and needed to use anything to divert his anger. “Obviously it didn’t work. You married her anyway.”
A muffled noise pierced the air, and it took half a breath to realize it was Max.
Her fingers clenched against the dress.
“What’s that?” Will grimaced.
“My baby.” She moved against the floor. “I need to go to him.”
Standing, she moved quickly past Will, careful not to touch him to get to Max.
In the doorway of her son’s room, a hand snatched her collar.
She was whirled around by Will.
Lyndie’s hands shot up defensively as she cried out.
And her body was shoved against the door frame.
Max’s crying grew a little. In her peripheral, he twisted in his crib.
“Relax your hands,” Will spoke hard, glancing down at them.
Lyndie almost bit her tongue in her anger, her knuckles bent as she lowered her hands.
“Everyone else likes to get confused about who runs things around here but not you…” his eyes roamed over her shoulder. “Never you.”
The baby’s wails filled the room as Lyndie was forced to stare up at his father.
He tightened his hold on the back of her robe. “The only way you keep him is divorcing Callas. You’re going to file the paperwork in the morning.”
Will leaned in closer. “If you don’t, Ashley will be the one running to him when he cries.”
At his words, her chest constricted.
“No more playing mommy.”
His hand was on her robe, touching her ribcage beneath her breast.
Lyndie’s right hand swung, cracking against his cheek.
Will’s body shifted and he stepped back to catch himself.
She punched him, just like she’d wanted to in the diner parking lot. His face was like granite, but she barely felt it. He stumbled back into the door frame, leaning forward from the hit. Her hand came down again, as hard as it could, with a year of rage behind it.
Will groaned from the pain.
It was good to cause him some pain for once!
Lyndie rushed to pick up Max, whirling around to keep her sight on him.
The sound at the back of her throat that wanted to drown the house was only kept at bay for her son. It would scare him too much.
“Shh.” With a shaky breath, she kissed the top of his head.
As he held a hand to the side of his face, he stared at her from the door.
His teeth flashed as he grimaced, lowering his hand from covering the red mark forming against his cheek.
“Women.” Will’s humorless laugh followed. “The one that can have kids is a god damn liar, and so is the one who can’t.”
Lyndie’s brows lowered as she continued to soothe Max and try to keep herself in check.
“Ashley,” he answered. “My new wife - has fertility p
roblems. You feel a little better now?”
“No,” Lyndie answered quickly. “Why would I feel better about that?”
“Because you gave me something she can’t.”
His jaw wound a bit and he stepped into the room. Lyndie’s back hit the crib.
“You’re getting rid of everything he gave you.” He pointed hard in her direction. “The car, the money, all of it. Everything’s going back to the way it was before he came here.”
“If I divorce him,” she spoke over Max’s slowing cry, “you’re still going to take him from me.”
“Got those wheels turning in your head, don’t you?” he said. “Well, after today your soon-to-be ex-husband’s going to be rotting in prison. If you were dumb enough to have some happily ever after playing out for the two of you.” He sucked his teeth. “With a man like that…”
“He’s a million times more of a man than you.”
Will’s eyes bore coldly into hers, but she didn’t look away. Then he laughed.
“When I couldn’t buy diapers for my baby at the gas station, he gave me the money.” There was a sting in her eyes at the memory. “He didn’t even know me - he just helped.”
Will went back into her room. When he returned, he had the money she saved in his hand. The seventy-five hundred dollars Noa had given her.
“And what did you do for this? Whore yourself?”
Max crunched against her and his cries started all over.
“Stop it!” Lyndie screamed for her baby and herself.
Will threw the money so it scattered over the floor.
Holding Max’s head, her stomach twisted as she held back her own tears.
As long as he was breathing, this man would never let her know peace.
“You want to be a whore, Lyndie? Fine. You can be mine.”
*
Noa scanned the mingling crowd for Lyndie.
She should have been easy to spot among the older crowd, but he lost sight of her after Langley’s surprise announcement.
So that was how she found out about their stash.
It occurred to him if he found her, people would be fucking watching.
He gnashed his teeth, seeing the cops sprinkled in with the town folk.
They were going to have to move quick. The department was likely to try to move it all.
But still, he needed to find her.
Something felt off.
“Dad.”
The blushing bride flew by him to get to Langley, who was having a drink near the speakers by the stage.
“Why would you announce Lyndie buying the theater?”
“I wanted to keep the good spirits flowing.” Langley might have been a little tipsy.
“Good spirits?” Ashley hissed. “She’s a waitress. She can’t afford that place. We need to hold out for a company, someone who can run it properly.”
“Ms. Hargood deserves a shot.”
Ashley’s hand made a fist. “Daddy-”
“Don’t start with that. I gave away my little girl today. You’re a wife now. So where’s your husband?”
That was a good fucking question, Noa thought as he looked around.
The groom was a ghost.
Noa pulled his phone out and called Lyndie.
“Babygirl, call me back,” he said into the voicemail.
Vic walked up on him. He was glad to see her.
“Have you seen-” Noa started.
“She left. Max got a little upset and I think she went home. I saw her go to her car.”
Peggy was out of breath as she ran up to them. “Will’s gone too. He’s not at the station.” Her hand grasped his arms tightly as her words spilled out. “I don’t know if she told you or not, but he hurt her a few months back.” Peggy’s eyes shook as she looked up at him. “I’m scared he might do it again.”
“Mom!”
That’s when everything twisted.
All voices faded to the background as Noa cut through the crowd like a knife.
Noa was on auto pilot as he cranked up his bike.
All he heard was hurt her.
*
Whisper watched the crowd, occasionally glancing up at the buildings.
He wasn’t lying; this was a strange little town.
But perhaps it was a good place for him to stay off the grid while he was in America.
He didn’t see Noa anywhere in the crowd.
Whisper made no sudden movements, but he reached back for his phone.
His hand stopped when a familiar head beneath a hat became clearer in the crowd.
It was Eduardo.
Aztecs were here.
Chapter Nineteen:
The Reception
The money was everywhere on the floor.
Max’s face was warm and wet against her chest as she held him to her.
Will’s eyes shot daggers across the room at her. She didn’t know what she would do if he took another step.
“Mine,” he repeated with a vein popping the side of his neck.
Max’s cries caused him to tremble against her and the tears she tried to hold fell.
“Shh, sweetie. It’s okay.” she spoke the lie with a shaky voice.
A muffled ring sounded.
Will’s phone.
“It’s probably your wife.”
He grimaced, watching her for a moment before reaching into his pocket for the phone.
It continued to sound in his hand, but he didn’t answer it.
Taking a deep breath, he appeared to try to calm himself.
“You really thought you and that fucking demon spawn were going to ride off into the sunset together?” He reached over to one of Max’s bears and knocked it over. The bruise on his cheek continued to redden.
“You were trying to get information out of me. That’s where your whole about face came from.” He shook his head. “Here I am thinking you’re a simple little small town girl. I just couldn’t see it.”
Lyndie was aware of him but she knew she needed to calm Max, while he spoke she grasped at his pacifier from the crib and placed it in his open mouth.
He took it, sucking hard on it as his small head fell against her chest. She could feel his breathing was still hard.
Her son was scared and she knew it as she softly patted his back.
“A sneaky little thing you are.” Will placed his hands on his hips. “But this moment is all that shit blowing up in your face. After today I’ll be rid of Callas and Langley, and then I’m going to deal with you.”
A hard rumble sounded, growing louder as it approached.
Lyndie’s eyes widened realizing what it was.
Will did too and his eyes narrowed. He left the room with heavy steps, moving swiftly to her front door.
*
Noa put Deathstalker on hard brakes in front of Lyndie’s place.
Out on the porch Will stepped, still in his tux, outstretching his hands.
All of his muscles tightened.
Hurt her just kept playing over in his head.
“Babygirl?” he called out.
Will’s brows lowered. “Babygirl?”
“I’m here,” she called back from the house somewhere. “I’m here,” she repeated. “We’re okay.”
Her voice was muffled and it sounded like she’d been crying.
Noa didn’t shut his bike off.
All he knew was that his feet barely touched the porch steps before he crashed into Will, knocking him on his back in the doorway.
“You motherf-” Noa cut off his own voice as his fist cracked across Will’s jaw.
As they struggled against the floor, Noa used his body weight to keep him down. Since day one, he knew it would come to this. But if he had known this man had hurt Lyndie, he would have taken care of him no question. And no one, not Tin, not a single person could have stopped him.
Will yanked his arm hard as they scrambled, sending a right punch that landed near Noa’s ear.
The force of the bl
ow caused Noa’s head to bang the wall.
Hands were on his shoulders as Will tried to knock him back into the wall again.
With a stinging ear Noa reached for Will’s neck, wrapping his thumbs over his throat.
A hard gasp echoed the hallway as the bastard tried to take in air.
Noa lifted Will by the collar and shoved down, bouncing the back of his skull off the floor.
Will’s face turned red as vicious adrenaline pumped through Noa. All he knew was Will had to stop breathing.
Veiny hands covered his and their bodies twisted; now they were both on their sides.
A knee was sharp in his ribs, almost stealing his breath.
Noa’s hands still tightened around Will’s neck.
Will used all his force to yank out of the grip, trying to stand as he stumbled toward the living room, slipping past the couch.
Noa stood too, seeing Lyndie in the hall to his right, holding Max.
Her face was twisted in fear and pain and he could see she was about to open her mouth.
For her, he managed to soften his voice. “It’s okay,” he breathed, holding his hand up.
“Babygirl… what’s that, some kind of pet name?” Will ground out as he straightened, holding a hand near his throat. Still taunting as he struggled for breath.
“She’s my wife.” The three words overwhelmed the room.
Truth and declaration.
A smile cut Will’s face. “Not for long. I’m going to see to that.”
Noa stepped forward, his knuckles cracking at his sides.
“Take Max out of here, Lyndie.”
“You fucking mongrel.” Will’s voice bounced off the walls. “You’ve been infecting this town since they day you stepped foot here. I should have taken better care of you.”
“I should have taken care of you too. The night at the antique shop with Mitch. I had a gun aimed right at the back of your head.”
Will’s teeth flashed and he glanced at Lyndie.
“He put his hands on you?” Noa didn’t look at Lyndie as he asked. He couldn’t.
“I tr-”
“Lyndie and Max belong to me. I’ll do whatever the fuck I want.”
“I didn’t let him do it again.” The strain in her voice hit his ear. “I didn’t.”
Noa jumped the couch that separated them.
*
“Noa!”
