Page 56 of The Sculptor

“I need to call you back, sweetheart,” I say, eyeing the red-faced man in the doorway. “Try not to paint anything pretty on that body until I can blow it dry.”

“Duke!” Ignoring her pleas to know what’s going on, I hang up.

She’ll have to forgive me or punish me later. I’m down for either.

Now, to deal with this asshole. “I’m sorry—”

“I’m sorry. Dr. Duke is in a meeting.” Remington appears in front of my office door, cutting me off. “You’ll have to see his assistant and schedule an appointment.”

Langston balks. “I see him right there.” He points at me, which doesn’t faze Remington whatsoever.

He simply lights up a cigarette and takes a long drag. “I don’t see anyone here except you.”

Langston’s face reddens, and I swear he’s seconds from grabbing Remington, who, if I’m honest, looks like he wants him to.

“Dr. Potter,” Langston addresses me over Remington’s head, “I respect your stature in this community, and because of that, I’m giving you a chance to make this right.”

He clears his throat, still blocked from coming into my office by the unruly teenager. “All you need to say is my fiancée is an intoxicated, gold-digging whore who fed you a lie and tricked you into marrying her.”

Remington’s brows rise. “A whoreanda greedy bitch?” He casts me an amused smile. “Does she have a younger sister?”

I fight the urge to laugh. Instead, I focus on Langston being just like Congressman Ford when he found Ramsey and me that winter. It’s always about their reputation. Women are props to them. They use them as sacrificial pawns to keep from tarnishing their name.

Standing, I walk around and lean against the front of my desk. “I’m afraid I can’t do that, Congressman. While I loathe your offer, I’d rather face the consequences of my actions than lie and saymy wifeis anything but the incredible woman she is.”

I look down at my hands, where the titanium band rests on my finger, a symbol that has no beginning or end. It’s infinite, just like my love for Ray. “I married your ex-fiancée because she’smine. I sent you that threat because killing you for bruising her wouldn’t give us the necessary information. My wife did not trick me into anything, sir. If anything, she saved your life. You’re only as valuable as the time it takes me to find the answers I need.”

Remington’s eyes grow wide. “You like it rough, huh?” He moves in closer, chest to chest with Langston. “Funny, so do I.”

I reach for the idiot and put my hand on his shoulder, feeling the vibration in his body. The last thing I need is us both causing more trouble for Vance. “My apologies for how things played out, Congressman. Ramsey and I wish you all the best. But the clock is ticking. I will follow up with my threat—and I think we both know media attention won’t bode well for you.”

Langston fumes, his body vibrating with fury, as spittle flies out of his mouth when he barks out, “If you think you can embarrass me by having my fiancée stand me up on my wedding day then you are sadly mistaken, Dr. Potter. Your threats don’t scare me. I’ll make sure you Potters never—”

“Hey, Hal!” Remington shouts over Langston’s head like: A.) we aren’t in a physician’s office, and B.) Langston wasn’t just threatening us from a foot away. “You wanna grab lunch?”

I can’t hear what Halle says, but she must agree since Remington grins and refocuses on the man before us.

“Langford,” he inhales, blowing the smoke back into our guest’s face, “if you’ll excuse us, we don’t actually give a fuck what you do. But if it makes you feel better, I’ll make a note for Dr. Duke to cry tonight while he’s fucking your ex-fiancée.”

He taps his cigarette, scattering ashes on Langston’s suit. “Have a good day, and thank you for visiting Potter’s Plastics. The ladies out front will stamp your parking ticket.”

“Remington!”

Vance’s voice booms down the hall, and Remington’s smile rises. “He missed me.”

This time, I can’t stop the chuckle from escaping when Vance approaches us, his eyes scanning the threat in front of him. “Can I help you?”

“You sure can,” Langston replies. “You can warn your brother that going to war with me will not end well foranyof you.”

“Oh, geez. Well, that fucking changeseverything,” Remington says sarcastically. “Give him back his fiancée, Duke. You can’t play with her anymore. Otherwise, it’ll end badly forallof us.”

He shivers dramatically, which earns an eye roll from Vance. But then he realizes what Remington said and snaps to me. “What fiancée?”

Remington’s brows arch, his gaze volleying between Vance and me comically.

“Congressman Albrecht is referring to his previous fiancée,” I tell Vance truthfully, “otherwise now known as my wife.”

There was no easing Vance into the idea. He has his reservations about Ray, and that’s fine. I know the lies he was fed, and one day, when this is all over, I’ll set the record straight with him.

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