Chapter 20
CHAPTER 20
JULIA
J ulia stormed up the stairs, the list she’d found crumpled in her fist as anger fueled her steps back to her suite. She knew Kyle could be reactive, but for Grant to go along with him shocked her.
She puffed out a breath as she slammed the door to her office behind her. She whipped her phone from her pocket, her thumbs scrambling across her virtual keyboard to send a text to Kyle. How could you conspire to go after Luke like that? I’m so disappointed in you.
She tossed the phone onto her desk. Her jaw ached from clenching it so tightly. She collapsed in her desk chair, her eyes falling on the wedding picture.
She stared at the supposedly happy moment. But it was fake.
She married a man she didn’t even know. And then she’d created an image of him that wasn’t real. An image she had fallen in love with. But that wasn’t the real man.
He was tough, hard-headed, and…
Her mind refused to add the last word. She sucked in a shaky breath, realizing whether she wanted to acknowledge it or not, his behavior toward Luke was border-lining cruel.
She unfurled the note in her hand and re-read the suggestions on it. Though they were in Kyle’s handwriting, he hadn’t denied considering them.
Her heart broke for Luke. He’d taken a step outside of his comfort zone, albeit in a misguided attempt at winning her back, but still…to have his work ripped away from him because of some sort of jealous rage infuriated her.
Luke had nothing to do with DG Industries or the war against Grant. Why would he even give the man a second thought?
Perhaps because in some sort of warped reality, she had become part of what he considered his. Their marriage was fake, but maybe in the two years they’d spent together, the lines had blurred and he considered her part of what he claimed.
Even still, the reaction was extreme. She was disappointed in both him and Kyle, but more in him.
Kyle’s behavior was bad on a good day. That didn’t excuse it, but the fact that her feelings for her stepson didn’t go beyond tenderness toward a friend made it so much easier to live with.
Tears stung her eyes as she wondered the extent to which she’d misjudged her husband. Maybe the end of their marriage in a matter of days was the best thing that could happen.
Her finger traced the outline of the silver frame around the wedding photo before she slapped it down against the desk. She couldn’t look at it anymore.
She couldn’t think about what a lie her life had become. And she’d done that to herself. She had willingly entered into this madness. And then she’d created an entire reality around herself to support it.
She’d left her sister behind to return to this. Her eyes fell on the phone she’d dumped on the desk earlier.
She snatched it and dialed her sister’s number, desperately trying to steady her voice. She cleared her throat twice as she blinked her tears away before her sister’s voice sounded on the other end.
“Juju, hi,” she said, sounding pleased that her sister had called.
“Hey, Ally,” she answered, a heaviness in her voice that she had hoped to avoid.
“What’s wrong?” her sister said immediately. “What happened?”
The words brought a string of events over the last few days to her mind and emotions welled inside her.
“Juju, I’m getting nervous that you’re not answering. Do I need to be getting on a plane? And do I need my gun?”
The words brought a much-needed chuckle from Julia. “No,” she said as she massaged her forehead. “It’s just…been a rough couple of days.”
“Tell me. And don’t leave anything out because I’ll just find out anyway. I keep tabs on you now, you know?”
She sucked in a breath. “Well, in the interest of full disclosure, I was in a little accident recently.”
“What? How bad? What happened?” Her sister’s panic could be felt through the phone. After her nearly deadly car accident months ago, she couldn’t blame her for being upset.
“Not terrible. Scary, but I’m fine. I just had a little cut on my head and sore ribs from the seat belt.”
The audible breath on the other end of the line suggested relief. “Okay, so what happened?”
“There was a deer in the road. And swerving landed us in the river.”
“What?! Julia, oh my goodness.”
“I told you, I’m fine. But in case you’re trolling news sites and see it, I didn’t want you to be upset.”
“I can’t believe this stuff happens to you so often.”
“Yeah, I know. I just…that’s not the reason I called though. There’s something else though.”
“What else happened? Plane crash? Alien abduction? Survived a volcano erupting? No, wait, don’t tell me. Grant is actually a two-hundred-year-old vampire and that’s why he’s so moody.”
“Very funny, Ally. None of those.”
“Hmm, I was pretty sure about the vampire one.”
She pressed her lips together as she recalled their tense exchange less than an hour ago before she pushed it from her mind. “Luke showed up here. Do you know anything about that?”
“Luke’s in New Orleans?” Alicia asked.
Julia let her head sink into her palm. “Yep. He showed up last night at dinner with Grant’s ex-wife.”
“Luke is dating Lydia? No, I don’t see that. Are you sure it was Luke?”
“It was Luke all right. New suit, new haircut, new ten-million-dollar business, same Luke.”
“What?” Alicia snapped. “Whoa, wait. Why do I not know about this?”
“I don’t know. I’m surprised you don’t. This is a big change.”
“Yeah, it is. The last I heard, he was working with someone on a business idea. I had no idea it had gone this far. And I still don’t buy that he’s dating Lydia.”
“He’s not. They’re business partners. He made it very clear he’s here for me.”
Silence stretched between them before Alicia blew out a whistle. “Wow. He was upset when you left, but he is really taking this seriously. He said he was going to win you back.”
Julia heaved a sigh, still uncertain she wanted to be won back. “Yeah, he said as much last night when we spoke. Right before he kissed me…in Grant’s house. And Grant saw it.”
A wicked laugh escaped her sister. “Oh, I bet that went over well. Was there a fistfight? Did Luke win? I feel like Luke has been through enough bar fights to have had the edge.”
“No, there was not a fistfight, but you’re right, it also didn’t go over well.”
Alicia clicked her tongue. “Oh, come on, Juju. He doesn’t have any right to be upset. You’re not even married for real. And aren’t you literally on top of your divorce?”
Julia massaged her temple. “We agreed to no extramarital affairs during this.”
“Yeah, well, soon, you’re a free woman. Ohhh, please tell me you’re getting back together with Luke and coming home. How was the kiss? Was it good? Did it reignite the spark?”
Julia let her head fall against the chair as she tried to assess the questions. “I don’t know, Ally. I…am so busy trying to wrap up this mess with the people after Grant I haven’t thought about it.”
“Well, you’d better think about it. You’re almost free of this. Oh, no, unless…you’re not going to let him talk you into staying again?”
Julia didn’t answer. She doubted it would come up, especially with Lydia on the move.
“Oh my goodness, you are. Julia–”
“No, no, that’s not what I was thinking. I just…I don’t know what to think. Luke showing up really threw me. Especially with the new business, and the new image. Anyway, I’m really glad you didn’t know. I would have been mad if you didn’t tell me.”
“Uh-uh. I’m not the sister who hides stuff.”
Julia’s heart sank.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean it as bad as it sounded.”
“It’s okay,” she answered. “And I’m still sorry about that. Hey, how are things with Ethan?”
“Mmm, up one day, down the next. That’s probably why I didn’t know about Luke. I’ve been so wrapped up in my own misery that I missed him becoming a millionaire. I can’t wait to congratulate him. And I hope when I do, you’re next to him with a big smile and a big ring. Oh, well, not as big as that massive thing Grant gave you. It’s ugly anyway. Who needs a ring that big?”
Julia stared down at the massive rock on her finger. She hadn’t cared about the ring either, but she still remembered the moment he’d slipped it on her finger. She shook her head at herself for being a sentimental fool who had built an entire image around a man only to have it come crumbling down around her. With a sigh, she answered, “I don’t know. Anyway, I need to get going. I’ve got a charity gala this evening, and I want to get some work done before it.”
“Oh, right. Have fun. And just remember…you’re better off without him. He’s a pushy jerk.”
In every instance in the past when her sister had mentioned her dislike for Grant, she’d defended him in her mind, but this time she couldn’t find the words. “I’ll keep it in mind. Thanks, Ally. We’ll talk soon.”
They said their goodbyes, and Julia ended the call, finding her screen filled with missed calls and texts.
Her eyebrows scrunched as she scrolled through them, finding each message becoming more desperate than the last. Before she could formulate a response, her office door burst open.
Kyle raced in, puffing for breath, his features etched with concern.
She tugged her chin back to her chest in surprise. “Kyle?”
“What the hell, Julia? You can’t drop a message like that, and then completely ignore me.”
She frowned at him. “First of all, yes, I can, and second, I was on the phone with my sister.”
“Okay, well, now you’re not, so let’s talk.” He dragged a chair closer to her.
“Aren’t you on shift at the hospital?”
“I told them there was an emergency at home, and I had to leave.”
She shook her head at him. “It’s not an emergency.”
“Yes, it is. Your text was awful.”
“Well, so is what you are trying to do to Luke.”
Kyle’s jaw clenched. “Did my father blame this all on me? Because if he did, that’s not true. He started it. He said last night he wanted to destroy Luke.”
“So, you came up with a nice list of things you could try?” Julia said as she grabbed the list and held it in the air.
“Yes. But–”
“But nothing, Kyle. You can’t just go around destroying people who get in your way.”
Kyle shook his head. “Dad ruled all of those options out, so technically–”
The glare she gave him stopped his words.
“I’m sorry, Julia, okay? But Luke is a problem.”
“He is not a problem.”
Kyle shrugged. “He is for me.”
“I thought we were past this. I thought you had moved beyond all the anger that drives you to want to lash out at people.”
“That was before Luke Hawthorne walked in here last night in his spiffy new suit and kept giving you those romantic glances over the mushroom risotto.”
Julia clenched her teeth as she spoke. “That doesn’t mean you get to bankrupt him or…” She glanced down at the paper. “Sink all his tour boats.”
“Dad said that was a stupid idea anyway.”
Julia shook her head at him. “I cannot believe the two of you did this.”
“You can’t be mad,” Kyle said.
She offered him an incredulous, wide-eyed glance.
“Seriously, Julia. You can’t. We were all doing fine until Captain Luke strolled back into the mix and threw everything into turmoil.”
“He doesn’t deserve what you and Grant were about to do to him. No matter what you think of him. I’m going to tell you the same thing I told Grant. Leave Luke alone.”
Kyle chewed his lower lip. “Did he agree to that or…”
She glared at him.
“Right, you’re right. Okay. Unless Luke does something he shouldn’t, I will leave him alone.”
“No,” Julia said with a shake of her head, struggling to keep her voice steady, “you will leave him alone period.”
“But, Julia–”
“Kyle,” she said, her voice a tense warning, “this is not a debate.”
“It’s not fair.” He tossed himself against the chair back with his arms crossed.
“Are you serious? Are you five years old?”
“No. But Luke gets to come back here and do whatever he wants. He waltzes in here, demands he speak to you alone, does something that made my father uncomfortable enough to team up with me, and nothing happens to him. You’re not texting him about how disappointed you are. He can mess around with our family, and he gets a free pass. But we have to be held to a higher standard.”
Julia furrowed her brow at his words. Luke had been a part of the plan that ripped her away from Grant, a plan that had included lying about a restraining order, and ensured they had no way of contacting each other to find out what was happening. She’d placed the blame on Alicia, but had Luke been as big a part of that as her sister had been?
“We have a stake here, Julia. All of us. You can’t say he gets to fight for you, and we don’t.”
“I am not going to let Luke hurt anyone in this family.”
“He already is. If he takes you away from us…” Kyle didn’t finish the statement. “Look, Julia, you know how I feel. And no matter how you feel, I don’t want to lose you.”
Julia sucked in a breath. “Okay, fine. You might have a point.”
“Thank you,” Kyle said with a nod. “I’m glad you think so.”
“I still don’t want you going after Luke. He doesn’t deserve it.”
“Really? He’s hardly innocent in this. He came back for you, right?”
Julia sucked in a breath as she shifted in her seat. “He did.”
“Well, then, he isn’t innocent.”
“Okay, fine, He isn’t innocent. But I do not want the three of you tearing each other apart over this.”
“Over you.”
The words stung her. Was she at the center of this turmoil? At least it would end in the next few days. “Just let it go, Kyle. We have other things to focus on.”
“I will if Luke does.”
She leapt from her seat and paced the floor. “I am not a toy for you to fight over.”
“Of course not,” Kyle said as he rose and took her hand in his. “You are an incredible woman who is worth fighting for. I don’t understand how you can’t see this or know how special you are. Obviously, Luke came back for you.”
“I don’t want anyone fighting over me or for me. I am an adult who can make her own choices. And I don’t want anyone getting hurt over this. Not you, or Grant, or Luke, okay? Please, let’s just focus on Lydia, okay?”
He didn’t agree, and she could tell by the tension in his jaw. “You’re choosing Luke, aren’t you?”
“I didn’t say that,” she answered.
“You didn’t have to.”
She heaved a sigh as she shook her head. “I am choosing to focus on Lydia and stopping her from hurting anyone in this family. I am not thinking about anything else. And that’s exactly what you and Grant should be doing.”
“And Luke?”
“Luke has no idea what is going on, and I’m not going to tell him, either. He’s here with his own agenda, yes. But I am not concentrating on that, okay? No one is going to steal me away before we’ve settled everything else.”
“Do you promise?”
She nodded. “Yes. Now, please, let’s concentrate on whatever this threat is with Lydia. We have the gala tonight. I’d like to get some work done before that so I can concentrate on keeping an eye on Lydia while we’re there. You haven’t heard anything else from her, have you?”
Kyle heaved a sigh and shook his head. “Nothing. I can ask her–” He reached for his phone.
“No, don’t. Leave it. I don’t want you tipping her off in any way.”
He shoved the device back into his pocket with a nod. “Okay.” He paused, flicking his gaze to her. “Are we good?”
She nodded at him. “Yes, we are.”
He pulled her into a hug. “Good. Okay, I’m going back to the hospital. I’ll see you later, okay?”
“Yep,” she said as she pulled away from him.
She slumped into her chair as he left the room, his words still ringing in her ears. Sadly, he had a point about Luke’s behavior. Did she allow him more leeway because she thought he was more genuine than the others? Was that fair?
Was it fair that Luke had walked into another man’s home and tried to make a play for his wife, fake or otherwise?
Perhaps she’d been too harsh. She picked up the toppled wedding photo and stared at it. After a second, she set it back in its place, her gaze lingering on their smiling faces. A pang of sorrow mixed with betrayal gripped her heart. Turbulent emotions still brewed below the surface as she wondered if she had been unfair earlier or if she had woven a dream around Grant that was now unraveling thread by thread.
She flicked her eyes to her screen, refusing to entertain the thoughts any longer. Kyle’s explanation had probably applied to Grant, too, but she felt a little too emotional to deal with him right now. Kyle’s conversation had been enough.
Instead, she settled into her fictional world, pounding the keys to make some progress on her book before the time came to dress for the gala.
She found herself staring at her reflection in the burgundy evening gown. Her mind whirled as she considered the events of the day. Kyle’s question about who she was choosing twisted her heart into a knot.
A sense of unease nestled into her mind, not just about her own love life, but about what lay ahead of them. Lydia’s unpredictability was a looming dark cloud. What was she planning? The thought sent a shiver down her spine.
Before she could search for answers, her phone chimed. She stalked across the room, her dress swishing as she went. A text message awaited her on her lock screen. Hey, kid, the pictures are Gonzo Gates. They have been dispatched into nothingness. Go forth and tell the former ball and chain where she can shove things.
Julia chuckled at the message as her stomach fluttered. Could it be true? Were they actually free of the leverage Lydia had?
Her thumb hovered over the call button before she pressed it. It rang twice before Alex answered. “Sunshine, I assume you got my message.”
“I did, thank you. I’m…thrilled. That was quick.”
“I told you I wouldn’t need long,” he answered.
“I hate to ask this but…”
“How sure am I?” he filled in for her.
“Right. I just…don’t want to incense Lydia and end up with Sierra’s reputation ruined.”
“Kid, is the sky blue? Are baby cats cute? Does Grant’s sequel look like G-Force himself?”
“Got it, you’re sure.”
“I am one thousand percent sure, kid. I wouldn’t have texted you until I tried to break my own work. But I have sent little hackling bots out across the internet in search of anything that even looks like these photos, and it’s coming back clean. I deleted them from multiple places and cleaned the back end to be sure she couldn’t restore them from anywhere. They’re gone, kid, they’re gone.”
“Oh, Alex, I don’t know how I can repay you.”
“I’m sure I can think of something,” he said. “Actually, I already have a thought but it’s nothing imperative. We’ll catch up after you’ve taken the Ex-Factor down to Chinatown.”
“Sounds good. And yes, anything I can do to help you, I will.”
“Careful what you agree to, kid.”
“You bailed us out big time. I owe you. I’ll be in touch.”
“Sounds good.”
“Give my love to Ava.”
“I will. Oh, and uh, Julia?”
“Yeah?” Julia asked.
“Let me know who wins our fair queen in the chess match, will you?”
His comments brought her heartache back to the forefront of her mind.
“Don’t take it so hard, Sunshine. People love you. It’s obvious why. Just…go with your heart.”
“Thanks, Alex. For everything,” she said before she ended the call.
She bit her lower lip, a smile spreading across her features. They could go into this gala with some hope. She tugged on her shoes, stuffed her phone in her purse, and slipped it under her arm before she left her room behind.
She hurried through the halls to Grant’s room, hoping to catch him before he went downstairs. She wrapped on the door, shifting her weight back and forth as she waited impatiently.
A second later, the door popped open. Grant still fiddled with his cuff links, still sans his tuxedo jacket. He paused as he stared at her. She wondered if he was still angry about their argument this morning.
“Julia,” he said, sounding surprised.
“Hi, sorry to interrupt you, but I have some news.”
“Come in,” he said as he stepped back from the door.
She lifted her skirt and swished her way past him, barely able to contain her grin. “I talked to Alex. The pictures are gone. Totally. Lydia lost her leverage.”
“He’s sure?” Grant asked.
She nodded. “He’s one hundred percent sure. Alex would not make a mistake like this. He’s sure. We did it.”
She grinned at him, her excitement brimming.
But his response seemed a complex mix of relief and contemplation. His tone lacked the expected jubilation, and his eyes seemed distant. “That’s…great news. We needed a win.”
She bobbed her head again, but before she could answer, he spoke again. And the words send a shiver down her spine. “We also need to talk.”
The grin faded from her features as she stared up at him. What was serious enough to have ruined this moment?