Page 80 of Recklessly Rogue

“Yeah, it looks like you bought a boat,” I say. “Not a great idea, Christopher. That took everything you had.”

“Youasshole! I’m calling the cops.”

I keep my voice calm as I say, “You won’t be able to prove anything.” I hit a few more buttons on my phone, then say, “Check your account again.”

“You are a son of a bitch! I will find a way to prove this! I have this call! This will be on my call records!”

“Even if it did show up, which it won’t, that won’t prove anything. I called you to tell you to leave April and Elliot the fuck alone. You called me back to yell at me further after I hung up. What’s that got to do with you buying a boat, Chris?”

“You are a?—”

“Look at your account again,” I say firmly, my voice low and menacing now.

There is silence on his end for a few seconds, then he says, “You put it back.”

“Yes. I’m not going to take your money and ruin your credit unless I have to. I’m also not going to do any of the dozen or so other things I can do from the comfort of my bed, with just my phone, to make you miserable. And then there are the dozens of things I can do to youin personif I must. Don’t make me do those things, Christopher. Leave April and Elliot the fuck alone. I mean it.”

He's quiet again for several long seconds. Then he says, “I want her back.”

“Too bad.”

“I can do better.”

“No.”

“I just?—”

“You had your chance. For some reason, that sweet, wonderful woman fell for you. Or thought she did. You had a chance to be a good guy, a good husband. You blew it. Let her go.”

“I love her.”

“Then let her go, Christopher. No matter how much you love her, you don’t get to decide what makes her happy. She decides that. You just get to hope and pray that you’re a part of it. You just try every fucking day, with everything you’ve got, to deserveher. And you already fucked that up. So, leave her alone now. April decides what she wants and needs, not you.”

He's quiet for a second. Then he says, “My grandpa basically told me the same thing.”

I nod. “Hopefully, he added that he’d kick your ass if you didn’t back the fuck off.”

“He said he’d write me out of his will if I embarrassed him in front of old friends of his again,” Christopher says. “Then he said he’d tell my grandma. She’d kick my ass.”

“Good,” I say bluntly.

And I really do understand how his family was more effective in getting him to back off tonight than I was last night. I would do anything to keep King Diarmuid, or Ellie and Leo Landry, or… any of the O’Gradys or Landrys happy and proud to call me one of theirs.

“Don’t make me see you,” I say to Christopher.

“When can I see Elliot?” he asks. “He’s my kid. I have rights.”

“You’re going to let the judge figure all of that out and you’re going to do whatever she or he tells you.”

“Fine.” He sounds miserable.

I’m glad.

“Good answer.” Then I hang up on him.

I head into the house, put all the dirty dishes in the sink for the morning, shut off the lights, and head upstairs.

Mariah’s bedroom door is still shut. I don’t hear Ruby’s voice on the other side, but maybe she decided to sleep in there.

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