by Hazel Grace
I snort through my nose. “So if I told you to quit your job, you would?”
Alexander shifts in his chair. “It’d take more than me walking into the office and tell everyone that but…yes.”
“I don’t believe you.” I lean back in my chair with a thump. “You’re selfish and—“
“Keep going. Give me something else.”
“Time. I need time.”
He bobs his head. “Okay, sure, time. I get it.” He lowers his voice, gripping the coffee cup that he orders, and holds my stare. “Emmy, I love you, I swear. I fucked up.”
“If you’re scared I’m going to go to the pigs now, Alexander, you needn’t—“
“No.” He lowers his chin into his chest and rubs the back of his neck. He says that because he can pay them off. “I want a clean slate.”
“And what makes you think I should give you one?”
“Because I’ll give you anything you want. Because I made one mistake, a grave one yes, but I was stressed out and…Emmy, I’m so sorry. I swear to fucking God, I think about it every day.”
I want to flip the table over and pin him to the floor with it.
I want to jump on it a few times for extra measure too.
I want to plow my fist into his face and watch blood leave it while I think of the last month of my hiding like a fugitive.
How I’ve had zero time with my kids.
How I have no relationship with them.
How I haven’t even been able to bring them home yet.
“I still don’t believe you,” I leer, my blood boiling in my veins. I’ve never hated someone so much in my life as I do him. “You’ve shown your true colors. I’m not going to be with—“ That must set Alexander off the deep end of guilty because he’s on his feet and round my table, exposing Bishop doing the same, waiting for Alexander to make a stupid move.
I form a quick motion downward with my fingers for Bishop to sit down when Alexander towers over me at my side.
“Come with me,” he says desperately. “Somewhere that—“
“Why so you can stab me again?” I peer up at him and hold my placid expression. “Or did you upgrade to a gun with a silencer on it?”
His brows furrow. “No, I want to talk about—“
“Sit down and I’ll tell you my terms.” I pull my focus from him and look dead ahead at my husband who is still staring at me.
I’ve loved you since before we got married.
When I tell you that I replayed that sentence in my head about eighty times, I’m not over exaggerating.
To be frank, I asked him to repeat it again the next morning because I thought I had imagined it.
And he repeated it, over and over again until I came and then he told me again.
Alexander complies with what I ask him to do, and I focus on the tedious mission at hand. He needs to believe that there might be a clue of us working out. That I might forgive him and live happily ever after with him at my side.
“I want you to revise your will,” I assert, folding my hands together on the table. “I want the twins to be set up financially in case you try to hurt me again.” His hand suddenly shoots out and grabs mine, squeezing it tightly as if to promise me that he won’t and startling me in the process.
It only tells me that I’m not immune fully to this man. That a twinge of fear bunks with me.
“Emmy, I want to marry you. I can never take back what I did but you have to believe me…”
“I need to go.” I attempt to yank my hand but he only holds on tighter. It only prods at the flashback of him repeatedly stabbing me. The terror I felt that he’d hit one of the babies in my womb.
“Please.” Alexander becomes another blur and a real sob begins to form in my throat. “I’ve been devastated. I can’t forgive myself—I’ll never forgive myself for hurting you.”
I stare at the sugar shaker on the table. “You did more than hurt me. You almost killed our kids.”
“They’re mine?” He stretches my arm to get closer to him. “Emmy…those babies…”
“Unfortunately,” I ground out flatly. “Let go of my hand.”
“Holy shit, I can’t believe—babe, this is it. This is how we can start over. Fuck, I’d do anything for you and the kids.”
“Not until I’m ready.” I compel myself to face him again. My fucking God, it takes everything in me to stare back at him and not want to stab him with the closest thing possible. To not shake uncontrollably because, yes, I’m scared of him. “I don’t trust you.”
He nods repeatedly. “I know, I know. We’ll take this slow. Anything you need. We’ll do everything your way.” I feel as though I’m going to throw up, which gives him another opportunity to speak. “When can I see you again?”
“In a public place.” I pull my hand and he releases me, leaving behind a warm and eerie feeling running through my flesh. “Let me know when the will is revised. I want a copy.”
“Of course. I’ll bring it next time we meet.”
I know you will, asshole, because I’m hacked into all your shit.
I feel the heaviness of his gaze and I peer up to find him gaping at me like I’m still not here. My surprise did more than I wanted it to do.
“I’ll call yo—“
“Text me,” I retort then avert my gaze. “You have a lot of ass-kissing to do, Alexander.”
“I know.” He rises and opens his mouth but thinks better of it. Then slowly backs away and towards the door, giving me one last look before leaving the coffee shop.
My husband is in his chair within a minute of his departure, scowling and clearly pissed off.
“How many times were you going to let him touch you, wife?” I trail my narrowed eyes to Bishop, possessiveness and disdain dripping off his features. I’d love to frolic in it, but I’m shook as fuck right now.
Now that Bishop has proclaimed those famous three words I’ve been waiting years to hear, he’s more territorial than normal and a girl can get a big head from such shit when she doesn’t have to face her attempted killer.
“As many times as it took for him to do what I ask,” I reply, keeping my neutral face on. “Don’t worry, I’ll save a few punches for you before I kill him.”
“Did he buy it?” I nod and Bishop moves chairs to the one closest to me. “You okay?”
“I just need to keep moving.” I meet his blues that are now calmer. “I want my kids safe.”
“And they will be. I’ll make certain nothing happens to them, baby.” I give him a weak smile, and his palm falls on my knee underneath the table. “I have to meet up with Hardy and Scarlett. I’m going to be staying down there for two days.”
“Make sure you get a picture with you and Mickey Mouse.”
“I want you to come with me.”
I lift a brow. “Me? I can’t, I have this thing to do, and I owe Kai a favor.”
“Who?”
Oh, geezus, Christ.
“The guy who saved Mills in the woods when you…”
His face turns deadly. “The fucker who shot my dog?”
“I’ll deal with that. I promise.” I rise from my chair, thinking that Bishop will follow me, but when I round him and the table, he grabs my wrist and turns me around.
“What’s this favor?”
I shrug. “I don’t know.” That gets his expression to darken further. “He’s kinda like us, I guess. He takes out people and—”
“So you want me to allow you to go on some bullshit adventure with a dude I don’t even know can keep you safe? How about no?”
“It’s Kai, Bish.”
“I don’t fucking know Kai.”
“I’m not going to cheat on—“ Bishop rises but keeps his fingers wrapped possessively around my wrist.
“I wanna get out of here.” The sudden change of subject throws me off for a second, but I bob my head.
“Okay.”
Bishop laces his fingers with mine as we leave the coffee shop. He drives my Jeep hom
e and fucks me into the wall as soon as we get in.
He said he doesn’t want me around Kai.
That he wants me to come with him to Disney World of all places.
I tell him I need a few hours to pay back a debt. That I’ll meet him there.
He agrees.
Or so I thought.
Kai has his arm wrapped possessively around my waist to keep other men away from me. Since walking in this dingy, motorcycle-looking bar, I’ve managed to turn down two men that looked fresh out of prison. This young kid appeared that he snuck out of his house when his parents were still sleeping. Then I was flattered when a woman in her twenties that resembled Kerry Washington asked me for my number.
Kai could’ve stayed out of that one.
I just want to get this over with.
To even help Kai, I got Bishop to agree he could come with me to Miami but had to stay in the hotel suite. I booked him a five-star room with every amenity you could think of when deep down, it was a total waste of money because he doesn’t care about that shit. All the man wants to do is stare at ESPN and watch the History Channel.
My eyes scan the establishment one more time while Money for Nothing by Dire Straits blares off the walls and old neon signs struggle to keep their glow.
Except for the one with an outline of a voluptuous woman. The bar owner either just bought it or keeps special maintenance on it.
I’m not sure what kind of mission Kai has to do tonight. All I’m aware of is that he needed me as eye candy.
And I can’t seem to stop thinking about how I should be with Bishop and making certain everything is set for when I take down Alexander.
Kai leans into me as I sit on my barstool and swirl my sweet and sour lazily. “I need you to do the bare minimum with talking. And I’m going to get a little more handsy with you, Ems, sorry.”
I nod and smile like he’s telling me something dirty for whoever might be looking.
The old bartender serving us allows his gaze to fall over in our direction every once in a while, and I don’t like how long it stays.
“Jamison,” a male voice extolls loudly. “You son of a bitch, I didn’t know you were going to be here.”
Kai must be knocked into because he bumps me before straightening his spine and turning to our new greeter. “Simon, good to see you.”
He moves so that I can view the burly middle-aged man with a bald head and grease-stained shirt. His chunky fingers wrap around the bottle of his beer when he asks, “And who’s this?”
His question is directed at Kai, but his brown eyes soak in my emerald green dress that hugs every one of my curves and shows off my right thigh from the long slit running up the side.
“My business,” Kai deadpans. “Did you bring it?”
Simon glances around the crowded bar like Kai announced it over a megaphone. “I did…but you’ll need to talk with me about this somewhere else.”
“I don’t like dark rooms.”
“And I don’t like you bringing uninvited guests to my party.” He returns his attention to me. “Especially if you don’t even share their name.”
“Because I don’t want you to get attached,” Kai retorts. “She’s only for tonight.” Kai leans in again and his lips graze my cheek. “Aren’t you, sweetheart?”
I bob my head and hold on to the gaze of the man that clearly looks like and isn’t afraid of trouble. Whatever he has twisting in his screwy little head of his, he better think twice about it.
“I’ll have it delivered to your office in the morning,” Simon advises, checking the amount of beer he has left. “There’s no shady shit allowed here. This is a meeting place and it’s been contaminated with undercover cops lately.”
I could almost snort at that. Try undercover government assassins.
“I’ll keep my eyes open for it.” Kai has turned his head from me, ignoring Simon, who is watching us intently. “What are the terms of a refund?”
“Forty-eight hours. Full refund.”
Kai’s hand comes up and presses into my stomach, but he’s gentle while he peppers kisses down from my cheek to my jawline. “Where do I return it?”
“Call me if you have a problem,” Simon insists instead, his eyes turning dark as he follows Kai’s movements.
He’s playing into Kai’s public display of affection and I have a creepy-crawly feeling that he’s getting off by it.
“Your number changes every other day,” Kai complains, then whispers for me only, “Make it look like you’re enjoying this. I need him occupied for another minute.”
“Here’s my business card.” He shoves his hand into the pocket of his slacks then winces. My nose scrunches at the immediate thought coursing through my head—his dick is hard and he touched it.
I turn my head to nestle my face into his neck. “Make this quick,” I mutter to my date. “Because I’m going to beat this dude’s ass.”
“Take it,” Kai bellows out loud, abruptly releasing me to slide off my stool and be his bitch.
This will be the last favor I owe this guy.
Not only because he told me nothing walking in here, but I have the kids now. I can’t be doing this mission shit. It’s too dangerous.
Which means B723…
My stomach drops as I step forward and pluck the white business card out of Simon’s hand.
I might have to quit my job.
I’ll still get to see them but I won’t be able to work or be around them 24/7 like I am now.
Ledger and I never discussed my role now that I have the twins. We spent it with him pissed off and me sitting in his office listening to it. He put me on a verbal warning for my irresponsible decision-making, and I might not need that now.
I wasn’t supposed to get pregnant. It wasn’t part of my plan yet. But now that it’s the path I’m on, things will need to change.
A warm hand wraps around my wrist, bringing me back to the reality at hand, and find Simon holding onto me.
“You sure are pretty,” he compliments with a sly grin. “What’s your name?”
Pretty.
Yeah, apparently, that gets you nowhere but a man who wants to use and abuse you. It doesn’t matter how you look, it happens everywhere, but it doesn’t buy me a free pass.
And I don’t want to be touched right now by Kai, this asshole, or anyone else.
My future, the one I’ve been ignoring until I end this serenade with Alexander, is barreling into me full-force, and I’m about to fall on my ass.
I have to leave B723.
I can’t help anyone like this anymore because if I don’t come home, who are the twins going to go to, my mother?
Hell fucking no.
She will turn or attempt to flip my kids into entitled little pricks.
“You forget?” His tone is playful and since Kai took too long to play bodyguard, ‘ole girl is gonna have to break this guy’s hand.
“It’s ‘get the hell off me’,” I emit but I don’t bother yanking myself from his grasps. I’m giving him an option to do this the easy or hard way.
Something that no one on B723 does except me. Hence why I suck at my job and landed myself here.
A soon-to-be single mother who has to explain to her children one day that she murdered their father who tried to kill us.
You can’t make this shit up.
Fuck my life.
“Feisty,” Simon coos the moment Kai finally comes up to my side.
“Let her go,” he orders. “I don’t like people touching my shit.”
Kai’s informant or whatever the hell he is only tightens his hold. “You walked into my establishment. And I wanna dance with the little doll you brought in here. I love brunettes.”
Lucky me.
“Last chance,” Kai warns. “Or I’m gonna let the lady give it to you.”
Simon lifts a curious brow, obviously not bought on my stature or position. “I’m nothing but intrigued now.”
Kai sighs. “Go ahead.”
/> Rounding my arm in a wide circle, I slide out of Simon’s grip and seize his wrist to get a firm hold on him.
Hauling him forward, I bring my knee up in my heels to slam it into his balls.
Before I can heave my elbow into the side of his head, he’s snatched from me and stumbling backward.
I see a mass of white and muscle when Kai draws me back to keep me from getting hurt. The rattling of chairs falling and people shouting rings in my ears, and that’s when I discover my husband throwing a right hand into Simon’s stomach.
My heart seizes at the sight of him then drops when a man literally jumps on Bishop’s back. Simon takes the opportunity, once he gets up with the help of stools, to rush him, but I’m already stepping out of my white Louboutin’s and chucking one at him.
I gain his attention and with the loss of four inches, I feel like Jerry the mouse when Tom towered over him. He cocks his whole arm back and swings it to hit me, but I duck, and Kai’s on his ass now.
Snapping my neck to the side, Bishop is fighting two guys at once. His arms perfectly synced to throw blows, and I scoop up a random beer bottle off the bar to nail the woman from earlier who hit on me. She was about to dig or hop on him with her pretty fingernails curled like a cat.
Out of the corner of my eye, I see someone running for me and I step back, holding out my leg to trip him and use my left knee to hurl him in the gut.
Then I’m scooped up, familiar hands palming my ass as I look straight into Bishop’s blues. He sets me on the countertop of the bar and clutches the fabric of my dress to pull me closer to him.
I expect him to yell at me real quick, but all he does is allow our lips to slowly meet before his tongue demands entrance in my mouth.
He kisses me in slow and torturous movements, sending a swell of lust right between my legs that are now pried open to fit Bishop there.
Lazily, he savors me for just a few seconds longer before abandoning me and the need to get fucked on this countertop right now.
Backing away, he remains silent, blues still latched onto me when his attention is caught and he readies himself for another guy with tattoos and a bandana.
I sit here like a damsel in distress, waiting for my man to be done when I can clearly be out there kicking ass on my own.
