Page 56 of Exposing Adonis

“Take the fucking ring off!” I yelled, my arms vibrating with the need to hit something. But I couldn’t hit them. I couldn’t shove Chloe away, and I couldn’t slap Pippa. I was scared to touch either of them because I didn’t feel in control of anything. Especially not my own body.

I wanted to grab Pippa’s hand and yank it off of her finger. But she wasn’t Lea. I couldn’t rage and bellow, and physically throttle her. She’d crumble, and cry. I don’t know what I had been thinking when I agreed to this merger, because we did not suit each other at all.

With trembling hands, she pulled off the ring. She offered it to me with an extended hand.

“For fuck’s sake!” I looked at it with disgust. “I don’t want it. Sell it. Throw it into the river.” Had she gone mad? Why would I want that thing? Especially when I had had Geordie run out to the nearest jewelry to create a ring that I needed. The one for the woman I couldn’t live without. “I bought that ring because it was the biggest one and I knew you wouldn’t turn your nose up at it.” I crossed my arms in front of me, shaking my head with extreme regret. “It means nothing to me.”

“I’ll take it,” said Hugo, raising his hand with one finger up as if he was volunteering.

Alastair elbowed him in the ribs.

“What?” Hugo asked, unashamed. “I’m poor.”

“You wouldn’t be so poor if you weren’t a fucking stalker,” Alastair said with a roll of his eyes.

“Hand it to Alex, and let him use the money for Kemet.” I suggested, looking over to Alex who was having those twitches that he had when he was a kid, when he couldn’t control his surroundings or the people around him. The strange little quirks of his fingers that happened every time he was bullied and belittled.

Just like when we were kids, I wanted to step in front of him and protect him from the hostile environment around him.

Pippa looked to Alex, holding the ring as far away from her as she could. Instead of a ring worth hundreds of thousands, it was like she was holding out a dirty diaper.

“God knows, he could use the infusion of cash,” Geordie grumbled under his breath.

Pippa and I both shot him a dirty look.

Alex put his hand out, and she dropped it in his palm.

“We still have time to fix our mistakes.” I sighed. “Maybe some good could even come of it.”

“What are you talking about?” A tear slid down Chloe’s cheek. “How can you give up like this? Don’t you want to be a family?”

She was a child again. A child looking to the two of us to be the family she didn’t have. The poor little orphan discarded by her only blood relative.

“We never loved each other, Cabbage.” My head lifted when Pippa spoke. “We were … merging, so to speak. It wasn’t ever going to be a family.”

“But …” Chloe whined, her voice dying in the air.

“The only thing we ever had in common, Chloe,” I carefully tried to explain, “Was you.”

I turned on my heel, leaving this ridiculous scene behind me. Marching past my room, I went to Lea’s room. I turned the handle, and it gave way, unlocked.

With a knock, for the sake of politeness, I opened the door with a whispered her name.

I stepped inside, ready to have it out with the woman. But the room was empty. I looked into the open door of the bathroom, and she wasn’t there either. The room was empty, save for her perfume that clung to the air. Where had my little woman gone?

Chapter 26

Lea

“Iwon’tbeableto attend yourwedding. Congratulations, though. The ring is beautiful,LadyFox.” God, I’m an asshole.

The look in his eyes was both feral and hurt. His fingers flexed and I knew that he wanted to grab me. I was questioning himagainin front of everyone.I bet he wants to put me over his knee right now…With Herculean effort, I managed to keep a smile from crossing my lips. I could practically see the steam coming out of his ears.

Joe and I needed the distraction. Everyone was coming out to watch the fight. The drama was too juicy for them to ignore.

If everyone was in the foyer, then that means Alex’s office was unattended. That was perfect for me and Joe.

I turned away from the group, finally letting the smile fall on my mouth as I stomped like a child toward my room.

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