Chapter 36 Tear – Rhodes
TEAR
RHODES
I never wanted to sit in that garden again. Memories of our conversation washed over me. Rory’s face, which had become dear to me, was twisted. She was angry, and I understood.
I was angry, too.
Not at her—at myself. I should have asked her about making her mother an offer. It had been wrong of me to hide it. When Tammy Harris had shown up at the North Gate, hollering, it was my karma.
So now what was I going to do?
On the surface, everything was still intact. Rory and I would be married the day after next. The board had voiced its support for me. Tammy Harris had been handled for the moment. Miranda was having Rory investigated, but nothing had come of that. Yet.
But I was all too aware that below the surface, things were cracking. Rory had never said she was going to back out of the deal. But she had absolutely retreated from me. She could barely look at me when we’d left the garden. We were a couple in the contract’s name only right now, and I knew it.
Was it just last night that we’d held each other? That I’d had her body so close to mine? I’d been dreaming of our wedding night, of taking her, of consummating our marriage and making it real.
That was what I’d wanted. And now? Everything was ruined.
We would walk down the aisle. We would say our vows. Genevieve the wedding planner had a whole litany of wedding things we had to do, to say.
I would satisfy my father’s trust requirements. I would get the company, and I would get custody of Luke.
But I feared I’d already lost the thing I wanted most.
“Rhodes.” Miranda’s icy voice cut through my thoughts. She came into my office uninvited and shut the door behind her.
“I’m in the middle of something.”
She didn’t appear to care as she sat down across from me. “We have a situation.”
After Tammy Harris exploded on the scene earlier, I couldn’t imagine what this was about. “What’s going on?”
“Gigi’s here. She’s making a scene. She was yelling at the nanny.”
“Fuck.” I jumped to my feet. “Did you invite her? Haruki said you’d been talking to her.”
Miranda held up her hands. “I didn’t invite her—she invited herself. She heard about the wedding. Somehow she found out Luke was the ring bearer, and she is up in arms about the fact that she didn’t get an invitation.”
Miranda shrugged, smirking a little. “She’s on the warpath. You’re next, Rhodes.”
“I bet you’re loving this,” I snorted.
“You know, you’ve never once given me the benefit of the doubt.” She frowned. “So no, I am not rooting for you. You have never once extended me any courtesy or compassion. So yes, I am loving it.
“I am going to watch your downfall. You have no right to your father’s company, and you have no business getting custody of that little boy. I haven’t seen you once with that child.”
“I’ve been busy trying to fight you off—”
“You’ve been busy coaching that girl, and pretending to be ready to lead.
” Miranda rose to her feet. “I know she’s a fraud.
I’m going to prove it. And once I do, it won’t matter that you’ve never accepted me as part of the family: because it will be my family, my company, not yours.
Good luck with Gigi. You’re going to need it! ”
She stormed out.
Fuck. I headed out into the hallway, almost colliding with Philips. “Sir, I’m afraid we have another situation.”
“I heard.”
He kept pace with me as I barreled down the hall. “Where are they?”
“The playground. I’m afraid Miss Gigi is making a scene. The little boy is crying. Maria tried to take him to his room, but Miss Gigi threw a veritable fit.”
“Great,” I snapped. Who was the actual child? Gigi was the one throwing temper tantrums…
I found them at the playground. Gigi was screaming, and both Maria and Luke’s faces were streaked with tears.
“How dare you tell me how to parent!” Gigi shrieked at the poor nanny. “You have no right to keep my son away from me! Who gave you permission, huh?”
“I’m not the one in charge,” Maria said, shaking her head. “Please lower your voice, he’s so upset—”
“SHUT UP!” Gigi grabbed Luke and shoved him behind her. “That’s my son! Don’t you dare act like he’s yours!”
“I’m not.” Maria’s eyes were filled with tears. “Please just calm down.”
Gigi took a step toward her, just as I reached the scene. “Back off, Gigi. That’s enough.”
I stood between them.
“Maria, I’m so sorry. You can go.”
“Mr. Barrington,” she said, sounding relieved. “It’s okay, it’s not your fault.” She looked at Luke as if she didn’t dare leave her charge. He stared up at her, beseeching, his whole face red. The little boy was terrified.
Gigi Barrington had a hell of a lot to answer for.
“What’s going on? I heard yelling.” Rory jogged over. Her face was red, with a light sheen of sweat, and she was dressed like she’d been out for a run. “You okay, Maria?”
The nanny nodded imperceptibly as Gigi scowled at Rory. “What the hell do you want?”
Rory ignored her. “Luke, you okay, buddy?”
Luke shook his head no. He’d stuck his hand into his mouth and was either sucking on it or chewing it, I couldn’t tell which.
“Hey, come on.” Rory held her hand out for him. “Let’s go get a popsicle, okay? Then the adults can finish whatever this is.”
“Don’t you touch my son!” Gigi pushed Rory’s hand away. “Get away from him. He doesn’t even know you.”
“Uh, first of all—do not touch me.” Rory straightened her shoulders. “Second, Luke and I are buddies. He’s upset. I’m not trying to start trouble with you, I’m just trying to help him.”
“He doesn’t need your help,” Gigi sniped.
I took a step forward. “Watch it.”
“You watch it.” Gigi whirled toward me, her long hair billowing over her shoulders in a fresh blowout. Her dangly earrings, dark eye makeup, and platform sandals were woefully out of place on the playground. She’d probably never set foot on one before.
She stared me down. “You should’ve invited me to the wedding, Rhodes. I’m family.”
“Forgive me that you slipped my mind.” My voice was ice. “I assumed you had other plans—like usual.”
“Nothing is more important to me than my son!” But Luke tried to squirm away, and she grabbed his wrist again, tightening her grip.
“Mommy, that hurts.” He started bawling.
She looked down at him in annoyance. “Shut up.”
“Okay, that’s enough. Let him go.” Rory’s face was red.
Gigi didn’t release her grip. “I am not taking orders from you. Miranda told me all about you, you’re nothing but a two-bit hook—”
“That’s enough, Gigi!” I roared. Luke started crying harder. “Let the boy go with Rory. I’m sure you need more money—I can help with that. But only if you let go now.”
Gigi released Luke, and he ran to Rory.
Rory hugged him. Over his shoulder, she gave both Gigi and me a withering stare.
I held her gaze for a moment, but all I saw in return was her judgment.
“Let’s go, buddy,” she said softly to Luke, holding him tight.
She shot me another disgusted look before she turned away.
I felt as if she’d slapped me. But what was I supposed to do? Gigi was making a terrible scene. It wasn’t good for Luke.
It wasn’t good for me, either.
I knew what she was thinking—I was buying someone else, buying us another way out, shutting up the horrible Gigi with cash instead of actually solving a problem. It was a band-aid of dollar bills slapped onto a gaping wound, and it wouldn’t help Luke. Not in the long run.
Rory and Maria held his hands, forming a chain of protection, and hustled him off, far away from his awful mother.
Far away from me.