Chapter 10 #2
“Brandt is torn up over having to put you out. Yeah, y’all came to blows.
Yeah, you pushed him too far. He’s your Alpha.
You cannot treat him the way you did and expect him to pretend it didn’t happen.
You swore your allegiance, then you blame him and everybody else for the mess you’ve made out of your life.
You’re lucky it wasn’t Kaid you were dealing with.
You’d be out period. Brandt is still hoping you find your way back. ”
“I’m hurting,” Remi whispered angrily.
“I know you are. But this ain't the way to handle it.”
The front door opened and Olivia flounced out.
She’d obviously been inside furiously preparing herself with makeup and the perfect outfit to present herself to the hunk of man that was apparently Remi’s father.
She clipped down the front walk toward where they talked at the street in a pair of three inch heels, her shortest shorts and a crop top that left nothing at all to the imagination.
Her hair was piled high on her head, and her makeup was perfection.
It really was, the girl could manipulate some makeup.
“Hi,” she said, smiling flirtatiously. “I’m Olivia.
I can’t believe you’re Remi’s dad! You look like you could be his older brother!
” she said, then gave a little giggle, as she twirled a strand of hair around her bright pink and purple nails.
Daniel looked at her, then turned his face to Remi. “Do you see this shit?”
“Yeah,” Remi said, his voice barely audible.
“You got some thinking to do. And you have some decisions to make. Your mother and I have asked Brandt not to buy your house and land back from you. We’re pretty sure this one,” Daniel said, stabbing his finger toward Olivia, “would burn right through that money, too, if given half a chance.”
Remi swung his irritated gaze toward his father.
“You deserve better, Remi. Please. Please! Consider making some changes before it’s too late.”
Remi just barely inclined his head.
“What does he mean I’d burn through your money? Are you going to let him talk to me like that?! I demand that I be respected as your fiancée!”
“Shut up, Olivia. Get in the house,” Remi said, over the sound of his father’s bike roaring to life.
“Remington!” Daniel yelled.
Remi looked back at his father.
“Call your mother. She worries.”
Remi nodded.
“We both love you. Don’t make me come kick your ass.”
Remi nodded again, then stood there, watching his father drive away. He waited only until he couldn’t hear his father’s bike anymore, then he sighed deeply and walked into Olivia’s house.
“You owe me an apology!” she screeched the moment he stepped inside.
“Where’s all my money, Olivia?
“How would I know?” she asked.
“I gave you a debit card to pay your bills and get an outfit, and to use in case of an emergency.”
“And that’s all I did.”
“How do you go through the balances in my checking account and my savings account?”
“I only used the one card and whatever account you had it tied to. And it couldn’t have been that much because I only paid my bills and I bought a couple of outfits before it didn’t work anymore.”
“There was fifteen thousand dollars in the savings account alone!” he yelled angrily.
“You said I could use it when I needed to!” she screamed, tears starting to flow.
“Besides! It’s a mistake! Somebody else must have had access! I didn’t spend that much. And if I did, then you better find a way to replenish it, because I’m pretty sure which ring I want, and if I’m going to wear a ring forever, it’s not going to be one I’m ashamed to be seen with!”
“And a 24 karat gold flake covered cake. And real crystal champagne glasses, and a gold dress, and gold shoes…” Remi said.
“Exactly! I deserve the best, and I’m going to have it one way or another!”
“Does that include hitting on my father, Olivia?”
“What? I would never!”
“You’re telling me you didn’t come out there all made up dressed like a whore, trying to get my father’s attention?”
“I was just trying to show him that his son has a lot to be proud of!”
“And if you didn’t agree that I deserve those things, all the best of everything, you wouldn’t have asked me to marry you, you wouldn’t have agreed to pay all my expenses, and you wouldn’t have taken me shopping for the perfect cake.
You said I could have it. You said I could have the golden wedding.
You said you would pay all my bills, so everything, all of it, is your responsibility now! ”
“I said you could pay your past due bills. I said I’d buy you an outfit and to keep the card in case of emergency. I didn’t say take everything I had. I didn’t say you could spend every penny I had.”
“I didn’t know it was every penny. And maybe you should find a job that pays more. Because obviously my lifestyle is more demanding than you’re used to.”
Remi rubbed his forehead a couple of times as he looked around the living room. So many things were going through his mind that he didn’t know what to do and how to proceed. But he knew one thing without a doubt. “The engagement’s off.”
“You can’t do that!” she shrieked, running toward him and throwing herself against him as she dissolved into sobs. “You love me!” she shouted between sobs and hysterical tears.
“It’s over. It’s not happening.” Remi walked out of her house and left the door wide open as he left.
“Wait! Remi, don’t do this! You need me!” she screamed after him as he walked down her front walk and took a left, leaving, on foot, determined to at least get away from her. It wouldn’t fix everything, but it was a start. It would at least stop the bleeding of his finances.
He was eight blocks away and walking past the grocery store before he realized he’d left his phone, his wallet, everything at Olivia’s house.
Dad? he sent telepathically to Daniel.
What? Daniel answered right away.
I left Olivia’s, but I left everything there. Can you ask Brandt to shut off service to my phone? I’m pretty sure the cards in my wallet are useless by now anyway, so I’m not worried about them.
Just head home. I got it, Daniel answered.
He hadn’t made it home yet, and simply made a U-turn and headed back the way he’d come.
He kept his eyes open on the way, but didn’t see Remi, so he just continued on to Olivia’s house.
When he arrived, she must have heard him and opened the door to drape herself against the door jamb as he approached.
“I knew you’d be back! Your son has no clue what he’s just lost. I do not allow anyone to disrespect me the way he did. I’m sure a man of your caliber already knows that,” Olivia said.
“Where’s Remi’s things?”
She straightened up immediately, her angry eyes glaring at him. “I don’t have any of Remi’s stuff!”
“Really? So he didn’t leave his wallet, his phone, or anything else here?”
“He did not,” she said haughtily.
“Fine. We’ll just add it to the list of items we provide to the police when we press charges for grand theft.” Daniel turned his back on her and started back to his bike.
“Hold on! I’m not a thief! You can’t accuse me of stealing when he gave his card willingly.”
“Sure I can. Everybody saw him drunk and out of his right mind. You took advantage of him and emptied his bank account. I have no doubt every single charge can be traced back to you, while he was incapacitated.”
Her eyes widened in fear and she ran back into her house to grab Remi’s phone and wallet, even his boots before running outside. “Wait! I just remembered he left these things!” she yelled as she chased Daniel toward his bike.
Daniel turned to see what she was offering him.
She thrust the items toward him. “See? I don’t steal!”
“Where’s the debit card he gave you?”
“I already gave it back to him.”
“Bullshit. Where is it?”
“It’s in his wallet,” she snapped.
Daniel opened Remi’s wallet and rifled through it. “No, it’s not.”
Olivia huffed out an irritated breath, then turned and marched back into her house.
She grabbed her purse — a designer purse — and marched right back out.
She came to a stop in front of him and opened her matching designer wallet, took out the debit card, two hundred dollars in cash that was tucked into the front portion of her wallet, and handed them both to Daniel. “There! That’s all I have left!”
“That I believe. Better appreciate that purse and wallet while you can. It’ll be evidence shortly,” Daniel said.
He stuffed the cash and debit card in Remi’s wallet, and dropped it along with Remi’s phone and boots into his saddle bags before cranking his bike and riding away.
“You’ll regret threatening me!” she screamed after him. “You can’t do this to me! I’m a good person!” She screamed, punched the air and literally pulled on her own hair as she stormed back into her house. “I hate you!” she shrieked as she slammed the door.
All the way back through town Daniel kept his eyes open for Remi, but didn’t see him. Remi? He asked telepathically.
I need some time, Remi thought back at him.
Fair enough. I have your things. We’ll be waiting.