Chapter 35
THIRTY-FIVE
T here was no way he could leave after seeing the ravaged expression on Sage’s face. When he barged in further, she instinctively took a step back. He closed the door behind him, then crossed his arms over his chest.
“We are going to talk—”
Kent broke off at seeing Sage’s nieces running down the hallway, coming within earshot.
“Kent, we missed you!” the children squealed at him.
Unashamedly picking up Tinsley when her arms came up to be held, he felt a compunction of guilt until he saw the loathing Sage was directing toward him.
“How are my girls?”
Both girls giggled at him.
Not wanting Colby to feel left out, he picked her up, too.
“Why am I not surprised you’re not playing fair?” Giving him a snide look, Sage tried to take Tinsley from his arms.
He dodged her hands and moved around her, heading toward her living room.
“What time are you taking the girls back home?” Abruptly, he stopped, seeing a woman sitting on the couch. “I’m sorry. I didn’t realize Sage had company.”
“Glory isn’t company. My sister and the girls live here with me.”
Giving her a surprised look, Kent put the girls back on their feet before walking toward her sister.
“Hello.” He extended his hand. “I’m sorry to have interrupted your evening, but I really need to talk to Sage.”
Glory briefly shook his hand, looking back and forth between them before settling on him as she released his hand. “I don’t think my sister wants to talk to you.”
“I admit Sage is right to be upset with me.” Kent felt a surge of sympathy for the frail woman sitting next to an oxygen machine.
There was no way to know if the girls resembled her or not; her face was a mask of burned scars.
The pain she must have gone through had to have been horrendous.
“I tried to call, but she didn’t answer. ”
“I turned my phone off when I got home. I didn’t see your call, and I wouldn’t have answered if I had.”
“I think you should go,” Glory said.
Kent could hear the wheeze in her voice, despite her being on oxygen.
He wasn’t a medical professional, but even he could see how seriously ill Sage’s sister was.
If he hadn’t felt bad enough already, Glory added another level of guilt to his conscience.
He couldn’t have the discussion with Sage he wanted to have with her sister within hearing distance.
Kent didn’t want to make the sick woman upset by discussing this afternoon in front of her.
“I’ll leave.” Turning to Sage, he nodded his head toward the doorway. He still wanted a private word with her before he left.
Glaring at him, she started down the hallway.
He narrowed his eyes on her and asked, “Why are you limping?”
“None of your business.” Sage reached out to open the door. “Leave.”
His eyes were on the hand she was holding the door open with. “Come outside to the hallway for a second.”
“No.”
“Either you can explain why you’re limping and why your palm is raw, or you’ll have to call the cops to get me out of here,” he said in a hard tone.
“I’ll get my phone, then.”
“Do you really want the girls to see the police throw me out?”
“Fine,” she snapped, conceding.
“I’ll be back, Glory!” she called out.
Kent made Sage go through the door first, not chancing she would lock him out if he preceded her.
Shutting the door, she turned to him angrily. “I can’t believe your audacity to have the nerve to come here.”
He shrugged. “I’m a lawyer; that’s a professional requirement.”
Sage stared at him humorlessly. “You’ve never shown up at my door unexpectedly before. How did you figure out I found out about Livvy and you?”
“Mrs. Boward asked if you had brought me lunch. She was surprised you hadn’t. I’m sorry about what you must have heard. I didn’t mean to hurt you. I was going to tell you after—”
“You just can’t stop lying, can you?” Hatred filled her face.
“You could have told me last night when I asked you about Livvy. You didn’t.
Instead, I had to hear both of you talking about me.
Listen to you”—Sage leaned sideways on the wall, turning her face away from him—“have sex with her,” she said brokenly.
“I told you I was in love with you; all you had to do was be honest with me and tell me you were only using me to keep whatever you want to call you have going on with Livvy a secret from Garrett.”
“Sage, please …”
She held a hand up to stop him. “Don’t worry; if you came for damage control, I won’t say a word to Garrett or Gail about you two. They have three children; if they separate, it won’t be because of anything I said or did.”
When she touched the doorknob, he put a hand over hers. “How were you hurt?”
“I was nearly hit by a car when I was on a crosswalk. I had to jump out of the way.”
“Did you go to the hospital to have yourself checked out? Did they stop and check to make sure you were okay?”
“No to both questions. The car took off. It probably scared them as much as me that they nearly hit me. I don’t need to go to the hospital.
I’m sore. I’m going to take Tylenol before I go to bed.
Now, if you don’t mind, I need to finish dinner.
” Shaking his hand off, she tried again to open the door.
He braced his hand on the doorjamb to prevent her from going inside. “Why didn’t you tell me Glory and the girls live with you?”
Grief lines etched her face. “Because the time I spent with you was special. It was the only time I could pretend my sister isn’t dying, and when I lose her, I’ll lose the girls, too.”
“Why would you lose the girls?” He frowned. “You don’t get along with their father?”
“Their father is dead.”
“Then …”
“Their father’s … their grandparents want custody of them. Glory has had two court hearings with them. When she’s … gone, they’ll win custody. I don’t have the money they do. I’ll lose.”
“That’s why you have to work so much? To pay the lawyer fees?”
“Among other bills.”
“I can help you …”
“You want to help me?” she burst out angrily. “Go away and never, ever, ever talk or try to see me again. Go live with Livvy and enjoy Garrett’s money. You two deserve each other.”
He let his hand fall away from the doorjamb, and he didn’t try to stop her from going inside this time. Hearing the lock click in place, he left.
In his car, he took out his cell and went to contacts. Pressing Ice’s number, he put the phone to his ear.
“I’m having dinner; what do you want?”
Kent didn’t bother to keep the fury out of his voice.
“You were supposed to give me the information I needed in exchange for Mica’s deal to go through without him getting his ass killed.
I fulfilled my end of the bargain,” he snarled into the phone.
“The information Jackal sent me wasn’t complete.
By the time I get up in the morning, I fucking better have everything on Sage Douglas from birth, including her sister Glory’s information, or so help me God, don’t call me when any of the Predators get their asses in trouble or need me to supervise one of your transactions! ”
“You need to check yourself,” Ice replied grimly. “Jackal doesn’t make mistakes. What makes you think Jackal’s information wasn’t complete?”
“Oh … I don’t know …” Furiously, he slammed his hand on the dashboard, wishing it were Jackal’s face, not giving a fuck if Ice got angry at him for the way he was speaking to him.
“Maybe it would have been helpful to know her sister and nieces live with her, or the fact”—Kent’s voice rose until he was yelling—“that someone is trying to fucking kill her!”