Chapter 18
EIGHTEEN
DEREK
Standing here in the middle of my living room, facing the woman who is soon to be my ex-wife has disgust rolling through me.
Joanne looks nothing like her daughter. Her scraggly brown hair looks like a bird's nest atop her head, her dull brown eyes are void of life and wonder. She is far too skinny and her bones protrude, that’s what happens when you abuse drugs.
I sneer at her best friend Scarlet, who is practically a carbon copy of Maddison’s mother.
How this woman was able to give life to the most perfect creature I have ever laid eyes on is a mystery to me.
“So, where is the disappointment?” Joanne rasps out, her voice croaky and sounds like a pack a day smoker .
“The only disappointment here is you,” Cameron snaps from beside me.
Joanne flicks her gaze to my son and smiles, showcasing her missing front teeth. “Is that any way to speak to your mother?” she volleys back.
Now I growl, drawing her attention back to me. “You are nothing to my son,” I force out through clenched teeth.
She waves me off. “You promised me money if I came here and saw her. Now where is the money?” This fucking woman is one of a kind.
“Do you even care that you’ve hurt your daughter?” Cam snarls, not giving her a chance to answer before pushing on. “Maddison is fucking incredible. She’s smart and funny. She is beautiful and has the most amazing personality and the biggest heart.”
“And your point is?’ she fires back with an edge to her tone.
“His point is that your daughter is fucking perfect, yet she has a mother who cares for no one but herself,” I spit out.
“She was a mistake I should have swallowed.” Anger surges through me at her reply.
I open my mouth ready to rip her a new one but clamp it closed when Royce suddenly appears at my other side.
I watch as my dirty little sinner comes around him and stands in front of the three of us, facing off against her mother and the bitch that sold her out.
“Mother,” Maddison snarls that one word with so much hatred.
Joanne and Scarlet both scowl at my girl and it hits me then, they hate Maddy because they are jealous of her.
“Say what it is you wanted to say so I can get my money and leave.” Maddy stiffens at her mother’s words.
I place my hand against her lower back, offering her my silent support.
Cam steps up to her side and interlocks his fingers with hers, at his touch she relaxes.
Joanne glares at their joined hand. “Oh, that is fucking rich. You judge me, yet here you are whoring yourself out to your brother.” Scarlet and her laugh but Maddy doesn’t cower.
“Least I know the name of the guy sliding his cock inside me.” At her retort I bite down on my lip to keep from laughing, the humor isn’t lost on Royce who shakes with silent laughter.
“Hurry up, girl, I don’t have time for your drama. I got things to do,” Scarlet hisses, earning a glare from me and the guys.
Maddy scoffs. “I didn’t call you here.”
Joanne frowns at her, then darts her gaze to me. “What the fuck is this, Derek?” she barks.
“This is the part where I tell you that your endless stream of money has run out,” I answer.
Her face pales and she places her hand over her heart, like I just ripped the fucking thing out.
I can feel Maddy, Cam and Royce all looking at me, but I keep my focus on the bitch.
“You won’t receive another dime from me.
I paid you to leave her the fuck alone but you didn’t listen, did you? ”
“What the fuck, Dad?” Cam's question is ignored when Joanne answers.
“I never went near the bitch?—”
I cut her off. “You didn't, but your side piece did and you used her name and address to get her arrested. I won’t let her go to jail for you.”
“You can’t do shit, Derek!” she screams.
I smile cruelly as I meet her deranged gaze. “I already have.” Joanne stumbles back a step. When her eyes harden and I see nothing but deep hatred in her soulless eyes, I know she is going to blow my world apart and tell them my deepest, darkest secret.
“You rat me out and I’ll tell them that you paid me for her,” she sneers. Maddison, Royce and Cam all spin around to face me. I ignore my brother and son as I focus on Maddison, her eyes wide and filled with confusion as she stares up at me.
“What is she talking about?” she breathes out .
“When I first met her she came here to meet someone. She had planned to sell you to him.” Maddison’s face pales as her eyes widen in shock at my declaration. “When I found out what she was doing, I offered her another solution.”
“You paid for me?” Her eyes are filled with devastation and her tone is laced with anguish.
I shake my head. “No. She told me the only way to stop the deal was for me to marry her. I had to pay her monthly and make sure the money never stopped or she would… use you against me.”
“Why the hell would you care about someone you didn’t even know?” she bites out.
I take a deep breath and force myself to admit the truth.
“The truth is that night none of us had seen Joanne, only you. You captured my son’s attention instantly when he saw you getting off the ferris wheel.
Then Royce spotted you at the cotton candy stand and couldn’t keep his eyes off you, but then you walked right past me and stole the breath from my lungs.
” Tears fill her eyes at my revelation. “I followed you. When I saw you talking to Joanne I decided to approach her and ask about you and that’s when she told me about her plan.
I should have walked away and kept my nose out of it, but when Royce and Cameron told me they spotted this girl and we all realized we were transfixed on the same person, I couldn’t turn away. ”
“You married her for… me?” she whispers brokenly.
I nod. “I paid her more money to leave and never come back after a couple of months. She was all too happy to accept the cash and vanish. When you left, I reached out to her and told her as long as she stayed away from you the money would keep coming, but she broke the deal and now, she will be left with nothing.”
“You can’t fucking do that. I’ll go to the cops,” Joanne screams. “I’ll tell them how you used my daughter against me?—”
“Shut the fuck up, you washed up whore. No one would shed a tear if you dropped dead right now,” Royce snarls.
“No need to call the cops, they are waiting outside for you.” Joanne’s eyes pop wide. Scarlet darts across the room to peer out the window and curses.
“The pigs are right there, Jo,” Scarlet hisses.
“What the fuck have you done?” Joanne roars.
I tear my gaze from Maddison to look at her mother.
“I made sure you finally pay for your crimes. The sheriff is a buddy of mine and I made sure to show him my bank records of all the payments I made to you as proof. He also has Maddison’s statements from her previous arrests as proof that you set her up.
The only reason they couldn’t drop the charges is because you were never found.
But now, they have no choice but to take her statements seriously because you’re here and I hope you fucking rot in prison for the rest of your miserable life, you bitch. ”