Chapter 41
SURPRISE VISIT
Alana gathered her things, put her laptop in her bag and was taking off early to get some work done at home. There was hardly anyone in the office today anyway.
Kelsey was off dealing with wedding details with Van. Less than a month away at this point.
Brennan was in Boston until tomorrow meeting with clients. He hadn’t wanted to go, but got it over with.
He got on the ferry this morning, and since he had to be there for two days, was staying the night in a hotel, then would be home around six on Friday.
She offered to pick Becca up from daycare and have dinner ready for him.
He’d joked it was nice to come home to his girls.
That was what she considered herself now.
One of Brennan’s girls.
She knew he put Becca first and always would, but she felt confident enough in their relationship that she was right up there too.
“Alana?”
It felt as if the legs of tiny spiders were racing down her back. She’d recognize that voice anywhere, but the question was why it was on Amore Island.
“What the heck are you doing here?”
“I came to see you,” Jonathan said. “You’re not answering my texts and we need to talk.”
“What? Why?”
The wind was blowing in the parking lot. He parked next to her car, and she was annoyed that she hadn’t noticed it when she came out. Before he opened the door and called out to her.
“Because I’m pissed off and we need to talk. You can’t keep ignoring me.”
She could and she would.
They had nothing to say to each other.
At least in her mind.
The last time he tried to contact her, prior to the texts she’d gotten on the island, right before she moved here, she’d told him to never contact her again. That was it. Almost a year of nothing!
She thought he listened.
Guess she was wrong.
“I don’t know what you’re pissed about or what I’ve got to do with it, but that’s your problem.”
Not that Jonathan looked all that ticked off.
He wasn’t one to get angry for fear of it reflecting poorly on his job. Mostly it was words with little weight behind them.
His career was more important to him than his relationships.
“I need you to fix what you did.”
It was the whining, pleading voice he always used when he wanted her to go somewhere they might run into any Bond family member. So much for being angry.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Alana opened her car door and put her bag in there. She wouldn’t stand out in the cold and talk to him about anything. Especially not knowing what he was doing here. Nor did she care.
“My company is being sold.”
“Why or how do you think that has anything to do with me? I never worked directly for Bond Enterprises, and even if I did, I don’t have any control or say or knowledge of businesses being bought or sold.”
“But your father does. You can talk to him for me.” His bottom lip almost came out in a pout like Becca had when she was told it was nap time.
He was delusional. “I’ve got more important things to talk about with my father than his job or what he might be doing.”
“It’s not just that,” Jonathan whined. “The company is being sold to someone in Alabama and relocating all personnel and services there.”
“There you go,” she said. “Sounds like you still have a job.”
She struggled to contain her laughter.
Jonathan was uppity. He considered most Southern states full of rednecks. Alabama had always been a big target of jokes in his circle of friends.
“I have no intention of transferring. Just like many other people. What I’m really upset about is that you got me blacklisted. I thought you told me you wouldn’t do this. That the minor mistake I made wouldn’t affect my job. One had nothing to do with the other.”
“Minor mistake?” she snarled. “You used me to further your career. You cheated on me— for eight freaking months! While we were engaged! That’s not little.”
“I told you. I was confused.”
“And I straightened you out. Confusion over,” she said, slapping her hands together as if dusting them off. “I’ve got somewhere to be.”
“Wait,” Jonathan said. “Several have already found other jobs within Bond Enterprises and their holdings, but not me. I can’t even get a call back for an interview.”
“I repeat—it has nothing to do with me.”
“Don’t lie.” Jonathan looked close to tears. Nothing but his job ever upset him. Ever made him fight.
Not her. Not their relationship.
Definitely not their sex life.
All she’d wanted was to feel desired.
To be cherished now and again or be put first for a few hours.
“I don’t lie,” she said. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
But based on what he was saying, she was pretty sure her father or Mitchell had something to do with this.
Again, not her problem, issue, concern, or anything she could control.
“Just fix this with your father,” Jonathan said. “That’s all I want. I’ll leave you alone after. I promise.”
“There is nothing to fix. I did nothing. But if you think calling my father right now and telling him you’ve been harassing me with texts and then showed up here for this conversation is going to help you, you’re nuts.”
“Don’t be a bitch, Alana. You can spin it another way and know it.”
“I’m leaving,” she said. “Have a pleasant life and figure out how to fix your own problems. Or better yet, take responsibility for your actions.”
She climbed in her car and slammed the door, started the engine and peeled out of the parking lot.
When she looked in the rearview mirror, Jonathan was still standing there staring at her as she drove away.
Pathetic.
That is exactly what he was.
She called her father from her car and he answered right away.
“What’s going on, Alana?”
“Did you have Jonathan blacklisted from getting another job at any Bond-related businesses?” There was silence on the other end. “Dad?”
“I don’t have that much control.”
“Oh, please,” she snapped. “You do. If you didn’t do it yourself, then Mitchell did. Am I right?”
“Why are you asking me this?” her father asked.
“Because I just had a surprise visit from Jonathan. He’s been texting me and I’ve ignored him. I didn’t want to talk to him and never replied. Jonathan showed up to tell me his company was sold. As if I care.”
“That was a business decision. Do you think Mitchell would sell a company to get revenge on what he did?”
“Not at all,” she said. “But Jonathan seems to think that everyone else can find a job elsewhere and no one is returning his calls. He’s got a great degree, has worked his way up fast, and we know he is an ass kisser. Even I can read between the lines what is going on.”
She hated to admit it, but it probably happened. Again, not by her direction.
“Calm down,” her father said. “You’re getting worked up.”
“Because once again something I didn’t do or have knowledge of is biting me in the ass.”
“I’ll take care of it.”
“Like you have already?” she asked. “I told you to stay out of it. I just wanted to move on and have.”
“Alana. If Jonathan isn’t getting calls back for resumes he’s put out, there are many explanations.
He was good about boasting he was marrying into the Bond family.
You were together long enough. Half his promotions probably came because his superiors felt pressure that was never pushed on them.
That could also mean when they found out what he did to you, they took it upon themselves to say negative things that could affect his career. I don’t know, but it wasn’t me.”
“What about Mitchell or Ethan?”
“You’d have to ask them,” her father said.
Which he knew she wouldn’t do. “Whatever. I told him if he thought he was blacklisted before, his little jaunt to the island today only made it worse.”
Her father sighed. “Do you or don’t you want me to take care of this? Because I feel as if I’m in a no-win situation.”
“I don’t think it matters what I want anymore to anyone,” she said. “Do what you want.” She hung up after that, too frustrated to continue with this conversation.
The light ahead of her was red, so she hit the brakes to slow down, but then it turned green, so she sped up.
She should have looked to her left first to make sure someone wasn’t going to try to beat the light, and they hit her in the driver’s door. Everything going black when the airbag went off.