Chapter Twenty-Seven
Warren
It’s been two fucking days and I’ve barely spoken to my wife.
She reassures me she’s handling her parents and Hayes, but I’m worried they’re trying to wear her down.
The moment Bodie told me Maisie stopped in before she left, I’ve been spiraling.
I got her text, but she didn’t reply to me for hours.
She said she’d call later to explain everything and when she did, I nearly lost it.
Especially the part where her mother slapped her.
And then to find out that motherfucker sent out their Save the Dates in hopes she’d be forced to change her mind.
Over my dead fucking body.
She reassures me his tactics aren’t going to work and that her parents are trying to figure out how to cancel it without a lot of press attention.
Since they’re uppity rich fucks, everyone in the area knows their name.
Her parents care more about their image than their own daughter’s desires and that makes me want to go scoop her up and haul her ass back here where she belongs.
I texted her three hours ago and she still hasn’t replied. Assuming the worst makes my blood pressure spike .
It doesn’t help that Lilith had a setback. She got an infection and the antibiotics aren’t working. Dr. Warner put her on a different medication, so now we wait and see if it helps or not.
Adding to that, I can’t stop thinking about Hayes sleeping in the same house as her.
Eating at the same table.
Getting her attention and within touching distance of my wife .
Fuck it.
I can’t do this anymore.
“Where’re you goin’?” Bodie asks when he sees me stalking toward the exit.
“To get my wife back.”
My tires spin out and spit gravel when I press the gas pedal to the floorboard. I need to change out of my work clothes and grab a couple things before I drive to her parents’. Hopefully my heart will slow down before I get there because right now I’m exploding with anger.
It’s only a twenty-minute drive, but I make it in fifteen.
When I ring the bell and their butler or whoever the hell he is answers, I walk right past him without waiting for permission.
“Sir! You can’t?—”
Ignoring him, I keep walking until I hear voices coming from the dining room.
“Warren?” Maisie gasps, quickly standing from her chair and almost knocking it over. “What’re you doin’ here?”
“I came to ask you the same thing. It’s been two days, Maze. I want you home.”
“We aren’t finished,” the man sitting across from her says.
“Hayes, quiet,” Maisie snaps, coming closer .
I cup her face, needing to touch her. “You haven’t been respondin’ to my messages. I got worried,” I say softer this time.
“I’m sorry. We’re in the middle of…negotiatin’.”
My brows furrow. “Negotiatin’ what?”
Her shoulders slump and she sighs. “When I moved in with him, he added my name to the lease, so he wants me to pay my half until it’s over.”
“Okay.” That doesn’t sound too bad. “What else?”
She blows out an uneasy breath and I already know I’m not going to like it. “He wants to get compensated for pain and sufferin’.”
“Come again?” I shift my gaze to the pitiful man at the table. “For what exactly?”
Hayes decides that’s his cue to stand and enter the conversation. “For not being forthcoming about already being married while we dated for over three years. For leadin’ me on to think we had a future. For the backlash I’m gonna get from having to announce the wedding is canceled.”
“Backlash from what?”
“My career,” he snips. “I made it known I was engaged and now I face the humiliation of it ending.”
I roll my eyes. He acts like he’s the goddamn king.
Pretty bold for a guy who looks like Posey could fight one-handed.
“If I don’t agree to it, he’ll go to the press to purposely humiliate me, which will have huge repercussions for my career.”
“And this family’s reputation,” Mrs. Callaway adds.
Oh, God forbid …
“And you call yourself a man? Fuckin’ pathetic,” I spit out, then turn toward her parents. “Y’all are so worried, you dish out the money. You have enough of it.”
“He wants my trust fund,” Maisie blurts, and my neck nearly snaps when I look from her to Hayes. “It’s worth one point two million.”
My fists tighten at my sides. “He’s not entitled to that!”
“In return for his silence and havin’ to deal with the potential backlash,” she explains with annoyance. “But my parents are tryin’ to negotiate a lower amount, which is why it’s takin’ so long.”
My jaw threatens to break at how hard I’m clenching it. God, I hate this. And for what? Because he got his feelings hurt?
Join the fucking club, asshole. I lived without her for seven years and would’ve never thought about touching her money.
Wait a minute …
“She can’t sign off on her trust fund without my permission,” I say and her father sits taller as if he’s finally tuned into the conversation. “We’re married, so half of that trust fund is legally mine. And I ain’t agreein’ to shit.”
Everyone’s eyes widen at the realization.
That’s right. They can all fuck off.
I cross my arms, widening my stance. “You can bargain with me now, Hayes . ’Cause without me, you ain’t gettin’ a cent.”
“You’d risk her name gettin’ dragged?” Hayes asks.
I casually lift a shoulder, but I’d never let that happen if I can help it. “You’re not the only one with connections on how to cover up a scandal. I’d rather spend her entire trust fund on hirin’ someone to drag you through the mud than let you get a piece of it.”
“Warren, he knows a lot of people in the industry and media.” Maisie’s tone sounds defeated as if she’s already given up on fighting about it.
“Good…they’re about to call him a homewrecker who tried to blackmail you in return for hush money.
I’m no attorney, but I’m pretty certain extortion is illegal, and if found guilty, a serious felony charge.
Imagine how that’ll look to his fans and agent.
” I frown, feigning concern. “Now, I’m not well-versed in the publishin’ industry, but I’m gonna assume that’d be considered bad press, yeah?
And doesn’t that risk his career more than yours? ”
I shrug again as if I’m too dumb to understand.
“Bellamy, she’s my youngest sister—” I eagerly explain to Hayes as if he cares.
“She handles the marketin’ for the resort and is really excellent at her job.
Hell, she has us booked out a year in advance.
Anyway, she has a lot of connections too in gettin’ news and press releases out to the public.
Probably won’t even take long. Once it circulates locally, it’ll get picked up by a national outlet… ”
He doesn’t need to know I’m bluffing my ass off, but I’ll do whatever it takes to protect my wife.
I pull out my phone as if I’m about to text her when Hayes speaks up. “Wait.”
Raising a brow, I pause.
His gaze ping-pongs between mine and Maisie’s before clearing his throat. “She covers her half of the lease for the next six months and gives me back her engagement ring.”
My gaze shifts to Maisie and she gives me a subtle nod.
Reaching over, I squeeze his shoulder until my fingers dig through his skin. “Now, was that so hard?”
His jaw tenses as narrowed eyes glare at me .
The bastard had no clue who he was up against until I showed up. Hell, I should’ve come two days ago and put him in his place, then I could’ve had her home with me already.
“I’ll have our lawyers draw up the papers immediately,” Mr. Callaway says, and for the first time in probably ever, he smiles at me.
Who knew this was all it took to finally get some respect from my in-laws? Not that I need it because fuck them.
“Speakin’ of her engagement ring…” I release my hold on him and dig into my pocket. “Found it on the floor. Fucked it right off her finger when I had her bent over on my bed.”
Gasps echo throughout the room and then Hayes’s fist meets my jaw in a forceful punch. It knocks me off my axis, and I stumble back into the wall, knocking into one of their framed art pieces.
“Hayes! The hell is wrong with you?” Maisie screeches, standing between us. “Warren, are you okay?”
I rub a hand over my chin, stretching it out to ease the pain. When I move to hit him back, Hayes holds up his hand to block me and then swings but ends up nailing Maisie in the face instead.
“Oh shit!” Before his knees can hit the floor, I pull him by his shirt and slam him into the same wall.
“Are you tryin’ to meet God?” I pull him back just to push him into the wall again. “I hope you have life insurance, motherfucker!”
“It was an accident!” He tries to get out of my grip, but I don’t let him.
Maisie’s groan catches my attention and I drop the asshole to the floor to tend to her.
“Baby?”
One of the housekeepers approaches with an ice pack. I quickly thank her, then lift Maisie into my arms and carry her out of there.