Page 226 of Misrule
She sniffled.
He should just tell her the motherfucker she was trying to protect was already fucked. The news would only upset her more. In the interest of her health and peace-of-mind, Christopher dropped the subject and decided he’d follow her lead.
He didn’t want anybody stressing her out—himself included.
Chapter Fifty-Five
Sitting in the same restaurant she’d met Kendall at so many weeks ago, Emily waved her hand when she saw the redhead walk in and stop at the hostess stand. Kendall nodded at Emily, then spoke to the hostess and pointed to the table. A moment later, she was gliding in Emily’s direction. She was confident and stunning. Though she was separated from Johnnie, she still had his devotion. And, maybe, even his love.
Emily loathed her.
Kendall slid into the opposite side of the booth. “Receiving a call from you was quite the surprise. I’m on my way to a fitting for a wedding I’m in, so I left a little earlier to give you the courtesy of hearing you out.”
Emily offered a thin smile. “When I heard from you, you could’ve knocked me over with a feather. You’re the last person I ever thought would want to talk to me.”
“What can I do for you today, Emily? You said you had important news for me, and you refused to tell me over the telephone.”
At first, Emily’s important news was going to be Outlaw’s plans for Kendall. She decided against that. He was ghosting her, not answering her calls. She’d had Knox Harrington deliver a final check to her with a note that said her services were no longer needed. Between Johnnie backing away from her and Outlaw dismissing her, Emily’s fury ran deep. She couldn’t let their slights go unanswered. It would be easy to tell Kendall Outlaw’s secret. Then, she’d go to Johnnie, and the two bikers would kill each other over the betrayal. However, if by some chance Johnnie survived, it would only bring him and Kendall back together. In essence, Kendall would still come out the winner.
That was the last thing Emily wanted to happen. She came up with a new plan. She didn’t need to go after the men. Their women would serve her purposes just as well. Two, in particular.
Bowing her head, Emily pulled out her phone, opened the messages it seemed as if Johnnie sent, and handed them to Kendall.
She frowned. “I’m not interested in seeing your phone, Emily.”
The cool tone and superior expression irked Emily. “These are from Johnnie.”
Surprise slid across Kendall’s face. “Johnnie?”
“Yes, hon,” Emily answered with false regret. “John Donovan. Your husband. See his phone number at the top?”
Kendall gasped, stared at the phone, then snatched it. The shock transformed into anger and, finally, despair.
Stifling laughter, Emily flipped her hair, imagining Kendall reading the text that said Johnnie didn’t care that Emily had been Kendall’s childhood nemesis because her pussy was so good. Better than Kendall’s.
Tears rushed to Kendall’s eyes and her face flushed.
Maybe, Kendall had gotten to the message that said she was ten times the woman Kendall could ever hope to be.
She sniffled. “He’s started divorce proceedings?”
“You didn’t know?” Emily tsked. “He won’t break his marriage vows and sleep with me before you can go your separate ways legally. He’s such an honorable man. I’m so lucky to have found him.”
Throwing the phone down, Kendall got to her feet, tears streaking her face.
Emily sipped from her glass of water and smiled at Kendall. “Seems I’m the better woman after all.”
Kendall sucked in a breath, released a sob, and then fled the restaurant.
Proud of her accomplishment, Emily lifted the water in salute to herself, and laughed with delight. She was starving, so she’d order food before putting the next part of her plan in motion.
Kendall had always been so easy to manipulate. With her life in shambles, she wouldn’t believe she had a reason to live. Megan Caldwell, on the other hand, would be handled differently.
Kendall would take care of herself, but Emily intended to personally deal with Outlaw’s wife.
Sitting under a tree, near the creek she and Johnnie had talked by a few weeks ago, Meggie skimmed a rock across the water.
She wouldn’t be able to hide from Christopher how far along she was in her pregnancy for much longer. She’d awakened this morning, looking swollen.Moreswollen than she had been the past couple of days. Between blurry vision and a severe headache, she’d wanted to stay in bed today. Then, she remembered she needed to get to the Whittlestones’ shop for a fitting. Christopher was still working on a deal with a man named Amfinger. Knowing it was the stress of her deception getting to her, Meggie decided to keep how bad she felt to herself and go on about her day.
