Page 41 of Soaring Free
“You’re an asshole.”
“I know. But I didn’t even share with you yet what I’m considering doing with them.”
“What do you mean?”
“Oh, I would submit them as evidence in the divorce proceedings as I file for joint or maybe even sole custody of our girls. I mean, I have to do what’s best for our girls, and if their own mother doesn’t have the integrity and morales to raise our girls like we always intended, then as a God-fearing man, I’ll be forced to take action.” I audibly gulp at his claim. He is blatantly threatening me right now but so long as he has those photos, no one can stop him. “Or … if the judge thought they were too boring, I do wonder what your fellow members of the PTA would think of them.”
“Shane, please don’t do this. Please don’t do this to our girls.” My plea is barely a whisper and I can feel the tears running down my face. I’m not ashamed of those photos, but for him to insinuate that he would put them out there for anyone else to see is a violation of trust I did not see coming—not from him.
“Then sign the fucking settlement and close the chapter on the bullshit, Savannah. It’s up to you.” He checks his watch and grumbles something I can’t decipher. “Tell your attorney you accept the settlement, and I would recommend you do that soon, darling.” He then tilts his head before he has the audacity to wipe my tears from my face. “You always were so pretty, even when you cried.” He leans in to kiss my cheek, pulls back, and hums before turning and walking away like he didn’t threaten my entire world.
Bile is creeping up my throat. I can’t let him do this. I can’t let him threaten me like this and get away with it. There is no way in hell I’m letting him win, and there is no fucking way he is taking my girls away from me.
I tried calling Theo as soon as I got in my car and locked the doors, but he must still be in court so I sent him and Pippa a group text explaining what happened and I’m sure I will hear back from one of them soon. I text The Cavalry as soon as I get home.
Me
I already messaged Pippa, but you all need to be aware that Shane cornered and threatened to publicly embarrass me with private photos and file for sole custody of my girls. I don’t know if any of you have been holding back on any of your anger with him leaving me, but I’m open to any and all suggestions.
Vivian
He did WHAT?! That’s blackmail!
Jack
Did you let Pippa know about this? Where was the confrontation? Could there be video footage of it?
Me
Doubtful, he pulled me to the side of Thom’s Hardware when I walked by.
Finn
So does this mean I finally get to punch him in the face?
Me
Honestly, I’m good with it.
Ryan
No punching him in the face… yet.
Jack
Ryan’s right. We need Sav to have the legal stuff settled first.
Moments later my screen lights up with an incoming call. “Hi,” I barely squeak out the greeting to Liam but I’m so exhausted from the coffeehouse bullshit, then being threatened, physically accosted, and even the creepy kiss on my cheek has drained me emotionally. I have two hours until I need to pick up the girls and I plan to spend most of that time in my current position of curled up on the couch in a ball.
“Hi, Sav. I’m going to ask you a question, and I need you to be honest with me and not tiptoe around it because I’m your brother, okay?” Shit. He’s going to ask about the damnphotos.
“Uh-huh.”
“What are the photos of and where are the copies of the photos he’s using to threaten you?” Liam’s voice doesn’t falter so he is apparently better at having awkward conversations today than I am.
“They are photos from a tasteful but … revealing photo shoot I had done for one of our anniversaries. There is only the physical copy of them in an album that he said is in the safe at his office. He threatened to have them entered as evidence in our divorce.”
Liam growls at that. “Are there any digital copies?”
