Page 46 of Almost Paradise

“Or what? What else can you do to me?” she taunts. “I should have seen this coming.” She swipes more tears. “Do you realize you haven’t touched me since we went to the arcade? It’s always because of her. I lost you the first time because you met her, then I lost you the second time because she came back. Who am I kidding? I never had you. God, I hate that bitch.”

“I’m sorry it happened like this, Scarlett, but we never would have worked. I’m not going to say it again. Do not call my wife names.”

“Oh, to hell with you both,” she hisses while she stabs her index finger into my chest. “Actually, fuck all three of you. You never loved me, did you?” I look away, refusing to confirm her question. She’s right, but I won’t utter the words. “But you love her?”

I don’t answer that either. My feelings for Nia are between me and Nia. Besides, she’s made it clear how she feels about me. “I’m doing this to be near my son.”

“Fuck you and your son,” she says again. “I hate you! I hate everything you stand for. You, your whore, and your little bastard son can all burn in hell.” She attacks me, raining punches on my chest. I let her exert her energy until she tires herself out then she rests her head on my chest and weeps. I don’t put my arms around her to offer her comfort. I step away, still fuming from the angry words she just spewed.

“You can stay here for a few days until you figure out where you want to go.” I planned to let her stay here for as long as she wanted. She doesn’t need it, but I was going to offer to buy her a home. Not anymore. Some of the guilt I’ve been carrying has abated.

“So, that’s it? We’re over? Just like that?”

“I never should have proposed. You’re right. My heart was never in it, and I don’t know why I did it. I’m sorry for that. I’m sorry for wasting your time.”

“No, you’re not. You’re a selfish asshole, and I hope your little whore ends up hurting you like you’ve hurt me. I don’t accept your apology. I’m leaving. I’ll send for my things in a few days.” She tries to brush past me, but I grab her forearm and hold her in place. She tries to pull away, but she can’t. I hold her in place until she realizes she’s no match for me.

“I warned you about calling my wife names,” I whisper. Her breath hitches in her throat and she looks up at me. There’s anger in her green eyes, but now there’s fear too. “Don’t you ever utter those words, do you hear me? If you do, and I hear about it, you won’t like the consequences. Your issues are with me, not her. You will not disrespect her or my son.” I stare down at her. She gasps, but she doesn’t say a word. I let her go, and she stumbles back two steps. She rushes past me, bumping into me in her haste to get away.

I assume she’s going to run out the front door, but I’m wrong. She grabs a small statue. It’s a hideous piece of art she insisted on when we went to a charity event. She hurls it across the room and it hits a mirror, shattering it.

She gets a frantic look in her eyes. She lifts the coffee table and tosses it. She goes for the flats screen television on the wall, doing her best to pull it off. She manages to dislodge it, but I get to her before she can toss it to the floor.

I pull her back into my chest, but she moves away and goes to the front door. I hear her loud weeping all the way out. I have no desire to go after her. The only thing I feel now that she’s gone is relief.

Chapter 27

Nia

That bastard. The no-good bastard. I should have stuck that knife in his cold, black heart and twisted it. I haven’t packed a thing, and I don’t intend to. Blackmailing me into a marriage I don’t want isn’t enough for him. Not even close. He had the nerve to call Carter last night and tell him we would all be living together like we’re this happy little family. Of course, that’s all my son’s been talking about all day because he has no idea what that means.

“I’m going to put a bullet in his head the minute he steps through those doors,” my dad says. “Ray, go dig a trench for that miserable A-hole.”

I broke down and told my entire family everything last night. It was after the kids had eaten their dinner and had gone off to play. My parents and brother all stared at me with their mouths hanging open. At least they did until my dad started cursing and vowing vengeance on Drake and his entire family for the next one hundred years.

“You will do no such thing,” my mom says. “It’s because of your macho attitude that he was able to blackmail Nia.”

My dad paces around in the living room with both hands on his hips. He’s a tall man. He might be sixty-two, but he works out five days per week. If he had gotten into a real fight with Drake, both would have ended up hurt. Dad is incredibly strong, but Drake is also fit and almost thirty years younger.

“Mom, maybe you and Dad should go home,” I suggest. Dad whips his head around and the angry look in his eyes makes me take a small step back.

“Like hell we will,” Mom says, now just as angry as my father. “I’m going to smack the shit out of him when he gets here,” she whispers. She looks around to make sure that the kids don’t hear. Mom would never hit anyone. She doesn’t even like the idea of her grandkids hearing her talk about committing assault. That’s just not how our family is.

I hear a door in the back of the house open and little feet come running into the kitchen.

“Is he here yet?” Carter runs into his grandfather’s arms, and Kyle comes running behind him.

“Not yet, baby,” my mother says. She takes him from my dad and holds him tight.

“Can I go too?” Kyle asks. The front door opens before I can answer Kyle, and I hear the telltale sounds of Audrey’s stilettos against the hardwood.

“I have a plan,” she shouts while holding a baseball bat. She comes to a stop when she sees the kids.

“Yes!” Mason says when he sees the bat. “Thanks for getting it for me, Audrey.” He takes it from her and starts to swing it.

“Why don’t you boys go play in Mason’s room?” I suggest.

“I want to wait for my daddy,” Carter says.

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