Page 38 of Almost Paradise

“Well, Nia and Carter happen to be my family. Carter ismyson. Nia is his mother. We’re a family too.” Had I known, I never would have left her side. We would be an actual family, living under one roof right now.

“Nia is not your family. Carter is barely your family. You think—” That causes me to stand up so fast, my chair glides all the way to the other side of the room.

“Carterismy family. He’smyson, and all your posturing doesn’t change that. Now, I’m only going to say this one more time. Get the hell out of my office and take your hateful, spiteful words with you.” He stares into my eyes before he shoves my chest. Anyone else would have either fallen or taken a few steps back. I don’t flinch. I don’t so much as blink. “That’s the last time you will put your hands on me. Push me again, and I’m going to push back.”

“Go to hell,” he says.

“I’m already there. I’ll be happy to take you and your daughter with me,” I threaten.

“Don’t threaten my daughter.”

“Or what? What can you do to me?” I let out a humorless laugh. He tries to come around the desk to get to me, and I meet him halfway. He shoves me again, and I’m ready to push back, but Wyatt intercedes and steps between us.

“Trust me, you don’t want to do that, Mr. Nash. Let’s go.” Wyatt grabs his arm and pulls him out of my office. While they’re gone, I shove all the contents on top of my desk to the floor.

“Goddamn it!” I yell. My phone buzzes and when I pick it up, it’s a text from Scarlett.

Scar: Let’s get married as soon as I get back. I’m not asking for too much. You owe me this.

I delete the text and throw the phone against the wall in my office. I throw it with so much force, it shatters just as Wyatt comes back in. I grab my suit jacket and put it on.

“I’ve had enough of this. These people won’t give me an inch, and I’ve finally been pushed too far. I warned her that if she didn’t give me access, I’d take it. It’s time.”

Chapter 24

Drake

Three days after the confrontation with Nia’s father, I still haven’t calmed down. In fact, I’m just as angry now as I was then. Not even Wyatt and his good-guy shtick could stop me from consulting a team of family attorneys.

The next morning, I fly to Utah to check on a project and for a series of endless meetings. I remain on autopilot the entire time, but my mind is on her and Carter. More so on her as I wonder if she sent her father to confront me and warn me off.

Even now as I sit in the back of my car, I scoff at that. She should know that no one intimidates me. No one. My phone buzzes, and for a moment, I’m hopeful it’s her. I should have known better. She’s never called or messaged me since we got back into each other’s lives. She even has a new number now, and I wonder if she did that because of me. Back then, we called and texted constantly. Hardly an hour would go by without some form of communication.

I check my phone and sigh in disappointment. It’s Wyatt. I hit ignore.

All his advice has been shit. I did everything he said and where did that get me? It got me begging for permission to see my child and accosted in my office by Nia’s deranged father.

It’s a frigid March night. It’s barely eight o’clock, and I know Carter likely won’t go to bed for another hour. She probably will take issue with me just showing up, but maybe she should have answered her phone. I’ve called three times today and she’s ignored each call.

“I’ll be about an hour,” I say to my driver as I step out. The lights in the house are on, so I know someone’s home. It takes a full three minutes for the door to swing open after I ring the bell.

My breath hitches in my throat when I see her. I’ve seen her made up like this before. The last time I saw her like this was a night when I went to her place to pick her up. We had plans and she was waiting for me in a skintight navy-blue dress and silver stiletto open-toe shoes. She pulled me inside her apartment, and I remember taking her hand, lifting her arm, and spinning her around. She had crisscross spaghetti straps, and all I wanted then was to take the dress off her and take her to bed. I didn’t do that, though. We went out dancing, just like she wanted. We were practically glued to each other the entire night. Everyone looked at us. Or maybe they just looked at her because she’s always the most beautiful woman wherever she is.

She’s not in a dress tonight, but she’s dressed to go out. She’s in tight black leather pants and ankle boots. Her top is also black but it’s shimmery and sticks to her body like a second skin. The heels are so high, they make her look tall. Her makeup is flawless, and she’s sporting the same dark eyes she always wore for me, but it’s her mouth that almost brings me to my knees. She’s in the same pink shade of lipstick she would wear back then.

“You can’t just show up here whenever you want.” She blocks the entrance with her body. Despite her sexy eye makeup, there’s no warmth in them when she looks at me.

“I’m here to see my son,” I say, getting right to the point.

“He’s not here.” I stare down at her, waiting for an explanation, but none is forthcoming.

“Where is he?” I finally ask.

“He’s with my parents. They take the boys one weekend a month.” She finally moves from the door, but it’s not to let me in. It’s so she can close it in my face, but I push my way inside. I watch her tight little body walk to the other side of the house. I follow her all the way to her bedroom. I recognize the furniture. It’s the same as she had in her old apartment. We spent countless nights on that bed, and I wonder if she thinks of me each time she climbs in it. “I didn’t invite you in, so you can see your way out.” She picks up a makeup brush and runs it along her face. Then she grabs a pair of tweezers and plucks a few stray hairs in her brows.

“Where the hell are you going?” I don’t know why I ask that. It’s none of my business, and I know it, but there’s an anger brewing inside of me that I don’t know what to do with. It’s been a clusterfuck of a week. Everything that could have gone wrong has. The only bright spot has been Carter, but despite that, I’ve had to deal with Nia’s hostility just to be near my son. Whatever’s brewing is about to explode, and I might do something I won’t be able to take back.

“Don’t you have a fiancée? Go home and question her. As for me, I’m a grown ass woman, and I don’t answer to you. I go wherever the hell I please.” The bell rings again. She picks up a long wool coat that was on her bed. She’s in all black, and that’s not her. She loves bright colors.

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