Chapter 44
NICK
“Yes, I’m looking for my wife, Michelle.”
His words hit me like a slap to the face.
I could barely process it. The audacity.
My blood was boiling. I was standing on my property, watching this man—a nightmare from Melanie’s past—stare me down like he had some right to be here.
I wanted to pull my gun from my hiding spot and shoot him. The rage was that intense.
Something flickered in his eyes as I glared at him—doubt, maybe.
He thought Michelle was here with me, and he had no clue who I was.
That made it worse. Melanie had kept him in the dark for so long.
I didn’t blame her, but damn, I was pissed.
“Your wife doesn’t want to see you, and neither does mine,” I snapped, letting the weight of my words sink in.
The expression on his face—pure shock—was priceless.
But it shifted quickly, morphing from disbelief to fury in the span of a heartbeat.
It was almost laughable, the way he tried to process this
“Are you…are you telling me your M—” he started, but I didn’t let him finish.
“Yup,” I cut him off, my tone as cold as ice. I extended my hand with a twisted grin. “Nick. Consele and Melanie Consele is my wife.”
He stared at my hand like it might burn him, then locked eyes with me, his glare sharp enough to pierce through steel. I smiled wider, enjoying his discomfort.
“Over my dead body,” he growled, making a move to barge past me. I stepped in his way, my chest heaving with anger.
“Not a good idea, pal,” I hissed, the venom in each syllable vibrating through me.
“I demand to see my daughter and wife,” he spat, his voice thick with entitlement.
“She’s not your daughter anymore,” I said flatly, shrugging. “And your wife? She wants nothing to do with you, you piece of shit.” I could feel my jaw clenching so tightly, it almost hurt.
“Nick,” came her voice, soft but sharp enough to cut through the tension. I spun around, startled.“Melanie, go back upstairs,” I said quickly, my protective instincts kicking in. “I’m handling this.”
“No, Nick, it’s fine,” she replied, her eyes steady and calm.
“No, it’s not fine,” I snapped, my voice rising despite my best efforts.
“This man has hurt you.” I was trembling, a volcanic rage just beneath the surface, ready to explode. I could feel it in my veins. But then, she pinned me with a look—strong, determined. She needed this. She needed to do it for herself, and she could handle it.
When she turned to face her father, he tried again, his voice desperate.
“Sweetie, do you really hate me that much to spread these awful lies about me to your mother?”
“I don’t hate you,” she said quietly, but her words carried a weight I could feel all the way to my bones.
“They aren’t lies,” came Michelle’s voice from behind us, cold and tired. We turned, watching as she slowly rose to her feet, looking like she’d been through hell and back.
“Michelle, baby,” Richard tried to step forward, but I blocked his path, my hand firm against his chest
.“Look here, you fucking circus piece of trash.”
My eyebrows knitted together, disgust rising in my throat. Was he referring to my tattoos? I barely contained the laugh that tried to break free. Was this guy serious?
“I may look like trash on the outside, but you’re the real piece of garbage. I’ve never wanted to make killing someone worth my while until I met you.”
“Nick,” Michelle said, stepping in front of me, her voice calm but commanding. “I appreciate you being a bodyguard, but you need to go tend to your wife.”
Our eyes locked for a moment. I saw something I hadn’t seen before: the fire in her eyes, the fighter inside her that was ready to stand her ground.
This wasn’t my battle anymore. It was hers.
And for the first time, I let go, backing up with Melanie pressed against my chest, letting Michelle and Richard have the words they needed to exchange.
“What are you even doing here?” Michelle asked, standing firm in the doorway, blocking him.
“Really, Michelle?” Richard’s voice cracked with anger. “You’re my wife. When my wife tells me she’s divorcing me over some made-up lies, of course, I’m on the next plane out to fix this.”
“There’s nothing to fix. My decision is final.”
“Are you serious? I know she’s your daughter, but come on, she’s been lying since she turned 13. She’s an exceptional actress.”
I could feel Melanie stiffen in my arms, her pain palpable. And it broke me, watching her endure this.
“How about we go for a walk?” I suggested just to get Melanie away from here. From that toxic man who claims to love her. But she didn’t respond. She just stared straight ahead, her fists clenched at her sides.
“I believe her, Richard. She’s not lying,” Michelle said, her voice low and steady.
“Really? How about when she told us she wasn’t on drugs but we found a ton of them in her room? Or when she stole my car to go to a party and blamed it on some friend? Or when she pretended to go to class, but was really skipping to get high with some guys?”
“Enough!” Michelle raised a hand, her face straining with the effort to stay calm.
“Please, baby, just listen to me. I want to fix this. Whatever you think she needs…”
Michelle rubbed at her temples, looking tired. “I don’t know, Richard. I don’t know what to believe anymore.”
“I’m willing to do whatever you think is best. Send her back to college. Bring her home.”
“This is her home,” I growled, tightening my hold on Melanie. Richard glared at me, his voice venomous.
“Send her to the best rehab facilities in L.A., where we know she’s being taken care of. Not here, in some non-profit lakehouse run by her friend who has just as many issues.”Melanie lurched forward, but I held her back, my grip firm but gentle.“Please, sweetie. I love you guys. I’ll do anything.”
Melanie scoffed, turning away, and I didn’t blame her. The guy was relentless, and it was clear he wouldn’t stop until he got what he wanted. I just prayed Michelle made the right choice—for Melanie’s sake.
“Jesus, Michelle. It’s me, your husband. I’ve been there for you and Melanie since she was nine. I will do anything you want.”
His voice is thick with desperation, but all I hear is the poison laced within it. I watch Michelle, waiting, hoping—praying—that she’ll tell this bastard to get the hell off my property before I put a bullet in his skull. But she doesn’t speak. She just stands there, silent.
Richard takes a step closer, his eyes pleading. Pathetic. “Can we please just talk?” His voice cracks like he actually gives a damn.
Michelle crosses her arms over her chest, her face unreadable. “Okay. Talk.”
I feel Melanie shift against me before she suddenly pulls free, shaking her head as she storms off.
Every instinct in me screams to follow her, to make sure she’s okay, but I don’t.
Not yet. My focus stays locked on Richard, making damn sure he knows that no matter what bullshit spills from his mouth, Melanie is never going back with him.
I step onto the porch beside Michelle, standing tall, every muscle in my body coiled tight with rage.
“The only reason you’re still breathing,” I say slowly, venom dripping from every word, “is because I won’t shoot an unarmed man.
But if you show up here again, I will make sure it looks like you came after me and my wife.
” I tilt my head slightly, letting my lips curl into a smirk.
“And just so we’re clear—no matter what you and Michelle discuss, don’t you ever think for a second that Melanie is going back with you. She’s happy here.”
Richard chuckles darkly, shaking his head.
“Really? You expect me to believe that your marriage—” he lifts his fingers, mocking quotation marks in the air “—is legitimate? Please. There is no way my daughter would willingly marry someone like you.” His gaze sweeps over the house, his lips curling in disgust. “This house, if you can even call it that, is a shack compared to what she’s used to.
So forgive me if I don’t buy into this little fantasy.
Because when she realizes she can’t keep up this act, she’ll come home.
And you? You’ll be nothing. Just dirt under her shoes. ”
My vision goes red.
“You think that makes you better than me because you have money?” My voice shakes, fury pouring from me like a storm about to break. “You’re not. Men don’t fuck little girls, you low-life piece of shit!”
His laughter is like nails on a chalkboard, grating against my skin. He’s laughing.
“You think that’s funny?” I growl.
“I do.” He smirks. “Because Melanie has you fooled too, doesn’t she?”
Michelle stiffens beside me for the first time, her eyes darting between us, uncertainty flickering in their depths. And for a brief second, doubt hits me like a sucker punch to the gut.
Was Melanie lying? Was this all an act?
Richard sees the hesitation, the fraction of a second where my walls crack, and he pounces.
“You see, Nick, before Melanie went bonkers, she was on track to become one of the highest-paid child actresses in Hollywood. If she had stayed on course, she’d be sitting on a fortune by eighteen.
But then the drugs killed her spirit. At fourteen, she started drinking, doing drugs, and spiraling.
We spent thousands cleaning her up, putting her through rehab after rehab.
And in the end? The doctors all said the same thing—” he pauses, tilting his head with an almost sympathetic smile, “—pathological liar.”
I grit my teeth so hard my jaw aches.
“But,” he continues, stepping forward, his voice lowering to a taunting whisper, “she may have met her match. I’ll give her that.”
Then his smirk turns razor-sharp. “Tell me, Mr. Consele—does my daughter know why you really tricked her into marrying you? Or are you still pretending it was about love?”
The ground beneath me feels like it tilts. My breath catches.
How the fuck does he know?
My head jerks toward the spot where Melanie stood moments ago, but she’s gone. My stomach tightens. I didn’t want her to find out this way. Not like this. Not when things were finally starting to feel real between us.
Richard grins, satisfaction gleaming in his cold, dead eyes.
“Oh, I know all about you, Nick. That’s the beauty of having money—it’s power.
And I will always have power over you. And my daughter?
She knows what money can do. Sooner or later, she’ll come to her senses.
And you?” He chuckles. “You’ll be nothing more than a mistake she’d rather forget. ”
The rage in me explodes.“She’s not your fucking daughter.” My voice is raw, broken with fury. My fists clench so hard I feel my nails bite into my palms, the only thing stopping me from lunging at him and beating him into the ground.
Beside me, Michelle’s breath hitches. “What are you talking about, Richard?” Her voice wavers, confusion knitting her brows together. But Richard just grins wider, his teeth bared like a predator who knows he’s already won.
“You think you scare me, flaunting my past in my face?” My voice is low, deadly. “It’s nothing compared to what’s coming for you.”
Richard dips his head to the side, studying me with a knowing smirk. Then he leans in slightly, his voice barely above a whisper.“Yeah? Well, we’ll see about that.” And just like that, he turns on his heel and walks away, leaving nothing but destruction in his wake.