13. NOBODY
CHLOE
Not looking at Felicia Jones all night proved a true test of will.
There was something about her—her blue, blue eyes, long, dark hair, and sparkling complexion were hard to look away from.
The smattering of freckles across her nose, so unexpected, mesmerized.
I could understand, at least from a distance, why Bryce had been taken with her.
When she shot daggers at me with her eyes, I sighed. I could also see why he was happy he never married her!
Bryce caught the nasty expression on Felicia’s face as she glanced our way from the bar. He sighed. “Don’t let her get to you. She’s just upset that you kicked her ass.”
Bryce chuckled, then wrapped his arms around me. “Let’s just stand here and look happy, okay? That’s the good press I need to start my first week as CEO off right.”
“I’m so excited for you.” With all the drama going on, I’d almost forgotten that this was Bryce’s first real week as CEO. “What’s happening? What’s your agenda like?”
“You mean, besides trying to keep our shares from tanking, our stockholders from staging a mutiny, and my father’s arrest from eclipsing everything we’ve worked to build as a company? You know, not much.” He laughed.
“Babe, I’m sorry you’re dealing with so much.” I wrapped my arms around his waist, staring up at him. “You’ve been so good to me, taking me away for the weekend and making sure that Noah was settled back at the house.”
“You mean kidnapping you and dragging you out of the country against your will.” He arched an eyebrow.
“You say ‘kidnapping,’ I say ‘taking.’ I mean, I guess I was the one who originally said kidnapping because that’s what happened. But it all worked out for the best.” I grinned up at him. “The point is, I’m back. We’re back. And I really want to support you right now.”
“I appreciate that.” He brushed the hair back from my face. “I might want you to come to Boston with me later in the week. I should make an appearance at headquarters. It would be good if you could be seen with me in the city. We can stay at my building; you’ll love it.”
“Building?”
He raised an eyebrow. “I own a townhouse in Beacon Hill. Didn’t you know that?”
I raised my eyebrow. “No. I stayed at the Stratum, remember?”
“Ah yes, I remember,” he growled, pulling me closer. “You’ll like my townhouse better—one of the suites has a huge shower with a bench that’d be just perfect to bend you over.” He playfully smacked my ass.
“Bryce.” I shook my head. “We’re supposed to be appropriate, remember? Demure.”
“I don’t know what ‘demure’ means, but if it has something to do with that dress, I’m all for it.” He grinned down at me. “I intend to rip that off you later.”
I shivered. “It’s a date.”
“Oh boy.” Bryce took a step back. “Here comes trouble.”
Jake ambled over to us, bourbon in hand. He still looked upset.
“What’s up, little brother?” Bryce asked. “I thought the talk we gave Colby earlier was good, but you don’t look happy.”
“Why is it that he always gets away with murder? Dad would be up my ass if I violated Olivia’s direct orders, but Colby’s just having a good old time, as usual.
” He pointed across the party, where Colby and Tate were drinking, dancing, and laughing.
They seemed to be in their own world. “I know Dad’s aware of the situation. Has he even said anything?”
“He’s probably too busy securing the top bunk and bribing as many prisoners as possible, so they protect him,” Bryce said. “Plus, Dad never seems to worry about Colby much. They have a different relationship.”
I longed to tell them that Gene was interested in Tate’s relationship with his youngest son. But again, I said nothing. I felt crappy about it and like I was being dishonest because I was hiding something.
Because I was being dishonest. I was hiding something. I hated lying; I hated the position Gene had put me in.
“It’s not just that.” Jake sighed. “I’m feeling really stressed about getting more involved in the business. I’m not sure how to handle the team in Malaysia. I haven’t worked with them before.”
Bryce and Jake started talking about their global operations, and I took the opportunity to head to the ladies’ room.
I made sure that Felicia was occupied first. She was engrossed in conversation with Kenji and another man I didn’t recognize thank goodness.
The last time I’d run into her in the bathroom, she’d been nasty, calling me a decoy and just generally being a total bitch. I should’ve fought her then!
Thinking about fighting Felicia, I cracked my knuckles as I headed to the Nguyen’s “bathroom.” It was a converted barn bigger than my apartment back in East Boston and about fifty times as pleasant.
It seemed empty until one of the bathroom doors opened, and a visibly drunk Mimi Jones staggered out.
I did not have the best of luck in this bathroom.
“Hi, Mimi.” I pretended to fix my hair so that I didn’t look at her, didn’t notice the stumble-step she took toward the sinks.
“Hello.” Drunk as she was, she still managed to stick her nose up in the air.
Mimi Jones was a beautiful woman, tanned, tall, and lean, with long legs, silky-smooth hair, and not a wrinkle in sight.
They said money couldn’t buy happiness, but it could definitely buy a good plastic surgeon!
Still, for all her beauty and wealth, Mimi had sour energy.
It hadn’t helped that since she’d found out about her husband and Daphne, she’d doused herself in vodka.
She chose the sink next to me, causing me to take a step back. “I didn’t think you’d be here,” she sniffed.
“I didn’t want to be here,” I admitted. “But Kelli and Kenji are good friends of the family, and I wanted to support them.”
“Ha! You sound so proper . That’s a joke.” She slurred her words slightly, so it came out Thass a hoke .
I started backing away—I didn’t need to pee that bad. “I’ll just leave you to it, have a good night—”
“Oh no, you don’t.” She whirled on me and almost fell over, but a true pro, Mimi recovered quickly. “You owe me, young lady. You’re going to pay for what you did to my Felicia.”
I sighed. “I’m sorry I went after her at the wedding. In my defense, she was messaging Bryce non-stop after we got married. It was inappropriate. She crossed a line, Mrs. Jones.”
“ She crossed a line? How about your mother-in-law , huh? Having sex with my husband, trying to steal him away from his family, getting pregnant on purpose, and then demanding an outrageous amount of money for child support?” Mimi’s pretty face was pulled so tight she couldn’t really scowl, but I sensed she was trying.
“I think it’s about time the Windsors got what they deserve. ”
“Gene’s in prison,” I reminded her. “And your husband’s with you, not Daphne.”
She snorted. “Lucky me!”
I headed for the exit, but she grabbed my wrist, yanking me back. “Ow!”
“Like I said, no, you don’t ,” she hissed. “I’m not done with you.”
I stood still. For all her proper clothes and immaculate blowout, Mimi Jones was pretty scary. She was also surprisingly strong.
“I know you you are, Chloe Burke.” She gave me a triumphant, if hammered, smile. “I know where you came from and all about your little arrangement. That’s what money can do, dear. It opens all sorts of doors. Nothing can hide from real wealth.”
I felt as though she’d smacked me. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I mumbled.
“Just stop—I know everything.” Her eyes glittered with a mixture of vodka and triumph. “So you better be very careful about what you do. Come near my daughter again, I’ll expose you for the whore you are. And if my Felicia wants Bryce back, she can have him.”
I gaped at her. “He’s my husband —”
“Like I said, quit your whining!” Mimi took a step toward me, and I promptly took a step back.
“Right now she’s lusting over that silly Finn, but she’ll come to her senses.
She and Bryce were meant to be. They stand to inherit Windsor Enterprises and all of Gene’s money—including my husband’s payout to Daphne.
It’s all going to come back to me in the end.
” She tried to wink at me, but it came off as more of a blink.
“So you stay away from my daughter. Stay out of her way and remember—you’re a nobody.
I can ruin you in an instant, and I won’t think twice about it. ”
She strode past me. Even though she wobbled a bit, she seemed damn sure of herself.
Heart thudding in my chest, I watched her go.
I turned back to my reflection in the mirror; I looked pale with shock. Mimi Jones knows about me. She knew I worked for the escort agency. She knew that my marriage was fake, at least in the beginning.
My whole life—Bryce’s entire life—could be blown up in an instant.
I was surrounded by enemies, people who hated me, and people who viewed me as a nuisance. I was nothing more than a prop, something they could use to get what they wanted.
Mimi’s words rang in my ear. You’re a nobody.
I felt sick inside, but I couldn’t even shed a tear.
Nobodies didn’t cry.