Chapter 24
Brooke
“Ihate that guy.” Maren slams the items on her cart around as she digs through the pile for the things she brought me. “I should have brought him his coffee and thrown it right in his face.”
“Those are some big feelings you’re having.” I’m not trying to therapize my friend—even if she might need it.
I just don’t know that hating Trevor is going to get her anywhere. Actually, I sort of think he might thrive on being hated.
“Ugh. You sound like my sister’s preschool teacher.” Maren hands over the ream of paper I need. “I hate that chick too.”
Maybe I’m misreading Maren’s feelings. Because I know what it’s like to hate someone, and it’s not an emotion I dish out like candy.
It’s actually reserved for a select few.
“Well, you’re going to have to figure out how to deal with him if you want to work here once your contract’s up.” I give her an apologetic look. “Because I don’t think he’s going anywhere.”
“At least if I get hired I’ll have health insurance.” Maren grips the sides of her cart, turning for the door. “I can put up with a lot of shit for health insurance.”
I watch as my friend leaves, wishing I could hire her on sooner. Unfortunately, breaking a contract with the temp agency comes with a pretty steep price tag, and would set a precedent the brothers don’t want to start. I get it.
I just don’t like it, and will absolutely be hiring Maren the second I can. I will also be paying her as much as I can. God knows she’s gonna earn it since she’ll likely start right as Titus goes out, and I’m pretty sure most of Titus’s responsibilities are going to fall on me.
Which I actually don’t mind. I love a challenge, and keeping everything up and running will most certainly qualify as a challenge. Plus, I know Titus is only a phone call away, and as long as I don’t abuse that luxury, I’ll have it as a safety net.
I’m about to go in search of one of our team leads, when my phone rings. Circling around my desk, I pick it up. It’s one of the guards from the front desk calling to let me know someone is here to see me.
After telling him I’ll be there in just a minute, I hang up.
Then drop to my seat and put my head between my knees.
I feel like I’m going to pass out. There aren’t many people who would be here to see me—especially people who don’t have permission to simply enter the building like Mariah or Deidra. So whoever’s here is probably not someone I want to see.
But I can do this. I am more than what happened to me, and I am capable of doing hard things.
I keep repeating the mantra my therapist taught me as I stride out of my office, pausing to look at the man in black stationed outside. Deciding taking him along doesn’t make me any less brave, I ask him to accompany me to the front desk.
It’s shocking how much better I feel with someone capable of things I probably can’t even imagine beside me. And I even manage to get all the way to the front of the building without stopping to throw up a single time.
I scan the area as soon as we step in, but don’t see anyone familiar. Swallowing hard, I walk to the front, choosing to stand behind the desk because it makes me feel better to have a barrier around me. The security guard greets me before motioning to a man a few feet away.
I look the guy over, wracking my brain for any sort of familiarity, but I’ve never seen him before in my life.
His tone is polite and professional as he greets me with a small smile. “Are you Brooke Carrington?”
I don’t smile back, because unease is creeping down my spine. Something is off about this. “Have we met?”
I’m surrounded by armed men. Not just the guy from Alaskan Security standing next to me, but also the trio of security guards behind the desk. I am as safe as I can probably be, but the desire to turn and run is starting to become unbearable.
“No.” He holds out an envelope. “I’m here to serve you.”
Serve me. Serve me what?
I take the envelope, barely noticing as he waves goodbye and leaves because I’m busy opening the flap and pulling out the stack of papers inside.
Matt’s name at the top has my throat closing up, making it hard to breathe as I skim over words marking him as a plaintiff.
And me as a defendant.
The man from Alaskan Security turns away, voice low as he murmurs something I can’t make out. I’m not sure I would hear any better if he shouted right at me, because my ears are ringing as I read more and more.
Matt is suing me for the cost of our wedding and reception. He wants me to pay him a million dollars, plus damages.
And interest.
I don’t have a million dollars. I barely have a thousand dollars, and that’s only because I’m driving Tobias’s car and living in Tobias’s house. Where in the world does Matt think I’m going to come up with this kind of—
The realization settles around me, cold and heavy.
He doesn’t. He knows I don’t have this kind of money. He’s punishing me. Has found yet another way to make me suffer.
I guess it’s better than him following through with his threat to kill me. Yay for that.
“What the fuck is going on?”
The sharpness in Tobias’s voice has me spinning around, but not from reactionary fear or as a trauma response. It’s because I feel alone, and I’m scared, and I don’t know what I’m going to do. And I need him.
“Matt is suing me.” I barely get the words out because I’m starting to shake. The papers are bouncing around when Tobias gently takes them from my hands, gripping them tight as one arm wraps around me, pulling me to his chest.
I bury my face in his shirt. He smells like the shop.
It’s not anything I would have ever expected to like, but I do.
It’s familiar and safe and makes me feel like everything is going to be okay.
I take a deep breath, closing my eyes as the scent of oil and whatever else he’s worked with soothes me.
“This motherfucker.” Tobias turns to the man from Alaskan Security. “When did she get this?”
“Wasn’t even two minutes ago. I called it in the second it happened so someone could come get you.”
Tobias focuses on the security guards. “If something like this happens again, you don’t call her, you call me. Got it?”
“It’s not their fault.” I hook my arms around his back, holding on tighter. “They didn’t know.”
I don’t want him to be mad at the security guards. They didn’t do anything wrong. It’s not like I’ve gone around announcing that I left my abusive, millionaire ex-fiancé at the altar and it probably really pissed him off.
Obviously really pissed him off.
I knew he would do something. That there was no way Matt would just let me go. I didn’t know what it would be, but I definitely didn’t anticipate a lawsuit.
“Can he even do this?” Tobias is back to reading the papers, knuckles turning white from how hard he’s gripping them even though the hand running up and down my back is gentle. “Where’s Trevor? I need him to call our attorney.”
“I’m so sorry.” I try to step out of Tobias’s embrace. “I didn’t mean to make a scene like this.”
Tobias’s hand comes to cradle my face as he leans down, bringing us eye-to-eye. “Don’t apologize for this. There’s only one person who needs to apologize for this, and he better hope like hell we are never in the same room.”
“What the hell is going on?” Trevor cuts across the lobby, arms out as he takes in the scene. “Is she okay?”
I’m going to have to remember to tell Maren Trevor’s first concern was my well-being. Maybe it will soften her stance toward him a little.
Probably not, but it’s worth a try.
Tobias thrusts the papers at his brother. “Look at this shit.”
Trevor takes the now wrinkled documents, brows pinching tighter and tighter together as he reads. “Who the fuck is this Matt guy?” He lifts his eyes to Tobias. “Is that the same guy Mom had a wine thing with?”
I knew eventually everyone would find out what happened, I just hoped it would be information passed quietly from one person to the next. Instead, thanks to court documents, it’s being announced in the middle of my workplace.
Tobias’s hold on me tightens as he begins to move. “Let’s talk about this somewhere else.”
I try to move with him, but my heel catches on the base of one of the guard’s chairs and I stumble, yelping, as this day goes from bad to worse.
But, like he always does, Tobias catches me before I hit rock bottom, easily scooping me up and tucking me to his chest before striding in the direction of my office.
“Goddammit, Toby.” Trevor doesn’t immediately follow us. Instead he stretches both arms wide, the papers he’s holding flapping around at the movement. “I just got them to forget when Titus did this shit.”
I drop my head to Tobias’s shoulder, closing my eyes as he carries me through the building. It’s funny how I was once worried what everyone would think if they found out there was something going on between us. Right now, I don’t give a single solitary shit.
They can think what they want. I’m too tired to care.
I didn’t even know the exhaustion was there, waiting in the wings to claim me. It lurked, nearly unseen, until the circumstances were just right to take me out again.
The reminder of just how strong of a hold Matt still has on me is crushing. Seeing the way he can still flip my whole life upside down makes me wonder if it will ever stop.
If I will ever be the owner of myself again.
Tobias goes straight into my office, but instead of setting me in my chair, he drops into it himself, keeping me tucked against him.
Trevor stomps in after us. “I’m gonna kick your ass for that.” He shuts the door a little harder than necessary. “How in the hell am I supposed to have any sort of authority here when everyone looks at me like I’m one wrong decision away from sweeping a woman off her feet?”
“You’ll have to excuse me for not giving a flying fuck about you right now.” Tobias’s eyes come to my face, looking me over. His voice is soft when he asks me, “You okay?”
“I hate him.” It’s the same words Maren used earlier, but the meaning behind them is entirely different. I don’t just dislike Matt. He doesn’t simply annoy me.
I hate him.
I hate him for what he did to me. I hate him for what he’s trying to continue doing to me. I hate him for the way he’s ruined any chance I might have had of forming some semblance of a relationship with my parents. I hate him for the way he made me use Deidre.
And I hate him for tainting my future with Tobias.
“I know you do.” Tobias smooths back my hair, being careful—just like he always does—not to mess up my waves. “He deserves to be hated.”
“He’s trying to sue you for the cost of the wedding?
” Trevor is flipping through the pages, reading what’s outlined within them.
He snorts, but the sound isn’t amused. “The dumbass thinks he can sue you for the cost of your engagement ring too.” His face pinches in confused disbelief.
“How did he even find an attorney willing to draft this thing up?”
“There are lots of people who will do anything for the right price.” And Matt knows all of them. He surrounds himself with people who can be bought. People who will give him what he wants as long as he fattens their bank accounts.
People like my parents.
“If you’re agreeable, I’ll send this to our company attorney. I know it’s not his area of expertise, but I’m sure he knows enough to give us some idea of how we can handle it.” Trevor focuses on me, lifting his brows. “Is that okay?”
My throat tightens a little as I nod my head. I know Tobias is on my side. He’s shown me that over and over again. The same with Deidre. Not only did she help me escape the wedding, but she also ended her affiliation with Matt and his business.
But I never expected Trevor would jump right into my mess, ready to fight alongside me.
He stands, shaking the papers a little. “If it’s okay with you, I’m going to make a copy of this, and then I’ll bring back the originals.”
Again I nod, but this time I also manage to get a handful of words out. “It’s okay with me.”
He turns for the door, still reading through the documents. “I’ll be back.”
He closes the door behind him, which I appreciate. I know there are a bunch of nosy people here—Maren can easily identify all of them since they’re where she gets her information—and I don’t necessarily want them peering at me when I’m at my worst.
And sitting on one of the owner’s lap.
My head drops back to Tobias's shoulder and I close my eyes. “That’s really nice of Trevor to send it to the attorney.”
“He has his moments.” There’s a slight smile in Tobias’s voice. “And you’re part of the family.”
“I don’t think that’s as common of an explanation as you think it is.” I tip my head so I can look at his face. “From experience, I can tell you most families don’t give a shit about helping each other.”
My parents care about me helping them. They won’t hesitate to point out that it’s their blood running through my veins. But when things go the other way, and I’m the one who needs help, suddenly familial ties don’t mean anything.
“Then I guess you’re going to have to figure out a way to get used to it.” Tobias smiles. “Because I’m pretty sure you're stuck as part of the family whether you plan to keep me or not.”