37. Jones
37
JONES
“Be right back.” I kiss Capri, leaving her on the dance floor so I can use the restroom.
The night turned around for the better, Capri’s spirit brightening, and the best part—holding her as mine. God, just knowing she’s mine to hold and kiss whenever I damn well please is exhilarating.
I make my way to the men’s room, hoping there isn’t a line so I can grab us a drink before the bride and groom call for a toast.
“She’ll never be able to give you more than this. You know that, right?”
I stop, recognizing that voice instantly. There’s fucker, standing outside the bathroom with a smug look on his face.
“Excuse me?” I turn quickly, feeling a protective buzz run through me.
He stands straighter. “I said…Capri will never be able to give you more than this. You and her—that’ll be it.”
His smirk looks like he holds years of secrets. Little does he know, I know the root of his evil—him.
“That’s enough for me. Not that it concerns you anyway,” I respond.
Choosing to ignore him, I move to retreat before his sour words stop me. “You got dreams to start a family? Yeah…not with her.”
Fucker say what? “What the fuck did you just say?”
Here I am, trying to keep my cool and be mature about this, but he’s making it really fucking difficult not to bulldoze him through the wall.
“Kids.” He smirks with an evil grin. “She just can’t grow ’em, man. We all have our faults, but I mean, come on. Who wants to be with a woman who can’t give you that? Consider it a courtesy.” The venom in his tone sends a flair of rage through my body.
I have too much to lose, but not at the cost of Capri. I won’t allow anyone to make a mockery of her or Stevie.
He’s his father, for Christ’s sake.
I don’t think, just act. He turns to leave, but not before my hand is at his throat, pinning his worthless body against the wall. “You wanna retract that statement, motherfucker?”
Fury consumes me. Rage. It’s about to be a fucking slaughterhouse if this prick doesn’t take Capri’s name out of his sick mouth.
“Nope,” he says calmly, but I see the restraint in his eyes.
If I’m judging correctly, he’s got about twenty seconds before it lights out.
“My turn to give you a little courtesy . That’s the last time you’ll ever speak her name again. You see her, you walk away. You don’t talk to her, don’t ask about her, don’t even fucking think about her. And so help me God, if I hear you disrespect her worth one more goddamn time, I’ll fuck you up myself. We clear?”
He nods like the little pussy I knew he was and I let go, reveling in his struggle for air.
I adjust my suit, forgetting about the restroom entirely. I need to find my girl and just fucking hold her. How she managed to marry this belligerent douche, I’ll never know.
I don’t make it far because there’s my golden girl, and it seems she just saw our little feud play out.
“Capri,” I whisper.
I don’t know what I expected from her but she looks dazed, striding in our direction, lethal in her heels with a look of determination on her face.
A dark chuckle resounds from beside me, and I take a glance at the dirtbag now attempting to stand straighter.
Pathetic.
I don’t stop Capri’s stride but stand back and take her in, full of power. She has the ability to command a room and, in this case, make a grown man scurry.
She’s a woman on a mission. A woman who now stands in front of her ex-husband, the one who cheated, demonized her, and made her feel inadequate as a woman, and she slaps him.
Slaps him across the face with a force so damn fierce, his head flies in the other direction and a groan of pain breaks free. Long gone is the graceful woman I’ve fallen for these past few months. In front of me is the side of Capri that’s been scorned and refused to tolerate the disrespect any longer.
The full fucking package.
With her finger in his face, she spits out at him, “That is for disrespecting Stevie.” Another slap. “And that is for wasting the last five years of my life on someone so undeserving.”
Head held high, she turns toward me and locks her arm with mine.
“Atta girl,” I whisper, kissing the side of her head and leading her out of harm’s way.
I’m a proud man.