Chapter Forty
Ria
I look back at the woman in the mirror in the hotel bathroom as I touch up my lipstick. I feel giddy. I can’t wait to spend the night with Jack. He booked us a suite, and if I’m being honest, I just want to ditch the rest of the wedding and ride him likes my own personal show pony, but I can’t. I need to get through the next couple of hours, and then he’s all mine.
With a quick powder of my nose and ruffle of my hair, I exit the bathroom and make my way down the hallway back to the man ballroom. My phone vibrates and I reach in my purse. I smile seeing Jack”s name.
Jack
Change of plan, get your fine ass up to suite 410
I change direction and head towards the elevators and hit the button to take me up to the suites.
I exit the elevator and walk down the lit corridor, taking in the detailing of the cream walls and the gold and gray carpet. I”ve never stayed anywhere so fancy before. I follow the signs to the suite when an all too familiar voice fills the hallway.
“I fucking knew it was him.”
I freeze. The hairs on the back of my neck stand on end and it feels like a lead ball has dropped in my stomach. I turn slowly to see Alex leaning against the wall.
“What are you doing here?” I ask, shaking my head and blinking. Is he really here? How?
“I’m on a date,” he answers. “I think you know her… Tara. Right little fire cracker.” He has a smug look on his face.
“So, you are here with another woman, but you are going to give me shit for being here with someone else?” My blood is boiling. How dare he?
“Wow, someone’s got fucking brave, haven’t they? Remember your tone with me. We are still legally married, Maria Kennedy.”
I grit my teeth. “Don’t full name me, you prick. You”ve got days left to call me that. I haven”t been your wife in a very long time now, so I suggest you build a bridge and get over I. I’ve moved on, you clearly have too, so why are you still making my life hell?” My nostrils flare.
He pushes away from the wall and stalks towards me. I turn, making quick steps to head to Jack, but Alex reaches for me, tugging my arm and pulling us down another corridor and pressing me to the wall. He”s trying to intimidate me again, but it’s not going to work.
“You will be my wife for as long as I say. I’ve applied for an extension on our divorce papers. I’ll drag this fucking thing out for as long as possible. You could have just marched your perky little ass back home but no, you had to go and think you could do better than me and fall into bed with the first man to pay you a little attention,” he sneers.
“Fuck you, you had me, and you lost me. I tried to make our marriage work, be the wife you needed, the wife you wanted, but you didn”t try, you didn”t try at all so don”t you dare be mad at me now I’m giving someone everything I wanted to give to you.” My voice is laced with anger.
“And Jack’s the one you want to give it to? He’s your brother”s fucking friend. How twisted is that? He might be your new little fuck toy, but he will never play daddy to my girls. I’m going for custody.”
The laugh that erupts from me comes from deep within as if I have kept it buried for so long. “That’s a good one. There isn’t a judge in the land that would give you custody of those girls. You couldn’t even tell me Lexi’s favorite color or Elle’s favorite toy, but Jack… he could tell me all of it. He’s a better dad than you will ever be.” Pure venom is spilling from me. I’m done being scared, done keeping quiet.
“You fucking bitch, I’m gonna…” Before he can finish, a door creaks open and footsteps round the corner and there stands Jack. Suit jacket and tie off, looking angrier than I’ve ever seen him. Flared nostrils and a reddening face, he looks like a bull ready to charge.
“Get your fucking hands off her,” he barks.
Alex releases me and lunges towards Jack. “Think you can play happy families with my wife and kids? You piece of shit.” He lifts his fist to punch Jack but before he can, Jack grabs his hand, twists Alex’s arm behind his back and slams him into the wall, face first.
“Now, Alex,” Jack grits, “we can be gentlemen about this, or I won’t hesitate to make you cry for your mommy and regret the day you were born. I’ve had the training to do so, it’s up to you, but if I ever see you touch my girl or speak to the mother of your children like that again, you won’t be given the choice. Do I make myself clear?”
“Fuck you, you prick. You can”t tell me what to do with my wife or my girls. I’m their dad, so you can get fucked. This is between me and her,” Alex mumbles against the wall.
“Maybe I’m not making myself clear. Ria is no longer your wife, and you may be the girls” father according to DNA, but you are a pathetic excuse for a dad. Where were you when Elle got sick? Where were you when Lexi started Pre-K? Where were you when Elle took her first steps? All those times Ria called you and you did nothing, no word, no answer, so don’t you dare play the dad card because you also lost that privilege.”
I watch as Alex struggles under Jack”s hold, but Jack is barely breaking a sweat.
“I know you must be kicking yourself daily because losing a woman who is as beautiful and amazing as Ria must be a killer, but luckily for me, I plan to never find out because I will treat her with the respect she deserves. So, hear me when I say I will spend the rest of my days proving to her how a man should treat a woman. Now, I’ll ask you again, are you going to walk away and leave Ria the hell alone or am I going to have to remove you myself and make you regret it.”
“I’ll leave,” Alex spits.
“Good choice,” Jack says, releasing him with a shove. Alex staggers, keeping himself upright. He walks past me, but before he leaves for the stairwell, he looks at me with cold eyes, causing a shudder to run through me.
“This isn”t over. You”ll be hearing from me.” He disappears, and I let out a breath. My heart beats so fast I fear it”s going to burst through my chest.
Jack doesn”t say a word. Just takes my hand and pulls me into our suite. The door closes behind us and I feel the adrenaline rush hit me and I begin to shake.
Jack is on me, his muscular arms enveloping me, making me feel safe.
“Fuck, I wanted to kill that prick for touching you again. Are you okay, sweetheart?” I lean away from his embrace and stare up into his beautiful blue eyes and run my hands across his five o”clock shadow and smile.
“I’m fine,” and I mean it. Because in Jack”s arms, how could I not?