35. Beau #3
Chad nods and lets out a maniacal laugh.
“The old men hated that a girl won. She was going to ruin their image. They had me change the names on the scorecards. No one was the wiser. And that did the trick. You won the tournament you rightfully deserved, and she ran away crying, never to be seen or heard from again. Two birds. One stone.”
I’m actually, literally, going to need a stiff drink after this. “Chad…that was…all of that? All to have me for yourself?”
“Exactly. I did it before, now I’ll do it again,” he says, walking over to me, nothing but hope in his eyes. “It’s going to be simple. Pay her off. Send her money to divorce you, and in return, she’ll disappear from your life.”
“You’d do that for me?”
Chad nods, and I realize the man is definitely not stable. “I’d do anything for you, Beau. No one has ever had your back like I do. I’ve always wanted what’s best for you. Let me help you. I’ll ruin her. For you.”
I’m baffled, and not quite sure what to say. Luckily, I don’t have to say anything. Because my unhinged wife chooses this moment to burst from the closet.
And yup…she’s pissed.
“You motherfucker!” she screams, jumping on Chad’s back, which sends him sprawling on the floor. “You’re fucking insane!”
I should try and stop this. But I don’t.
Chad tries to roll over, but that only makes it easier for Shelby to grab his shirt and bash him back against the floor. He’s able to cover his face, but I don’t know how much good it’s doing because Shelby’s fists are flying everywhere.
Honestly? It’s pretty fucking hot.
“You ruined my life! For what? Because you’re obsessed with my husband? Because you failed sharing in kindergarten and Beau can only have one friend? You realize how ridiculous that sounds?”
Chad tries to talk, and I think he’s trying to say something like “you ruined things” and “I hate you,” but I can’t tell for sure. Every time he tries to speak, Shelby tightens the elbow she has against his neck.
Finally she leans back a little, one hand planted in the middle of his chest as she points a finger in his face. “You tried to sabotage my career. Multiple times. You are fucking with the lives of people who were already at rock bottom. So yeah…I might be a crazy bitch, but I’m not fucking scum.”
“Beau! Get her off me!”
“Sorry man,” I say, standing back against the entertainment stand, arms crossed in amusement. “You know Belle. She can’t be tamed.”
The sound of the door being thrown open pulls my focus from the punches Shelby starts throwing, and I watch Ethan and Grayson come sprinting into the room.
“You’re just going to sit there and watch?” Ethan shouts, grabbing Shelby across her middle and picking her up, her limbs still flying. I’d ask where he came from, but I know Shelby had to have texted him.
“Honestly? Yeah,” I say, stepping off my rest and leaning down into Chad’s face.
“You? Me? We’re done. Everything you just admitted to is on video.
We know about your extortion and your blackmail.
You’ll never be able to show your face in professional golf, or sports, again.
You won’t be able to come back to Nashville, because everyone is going to know who you are.
I don’t care where you end up. I don’t care about anything you do.
I just care that I’m never going to see you again. ”
I pull him up, holding him by his T-shirt as I bring him right to my face. “Oh, and if you ever call my wife any of those names again? I’ll kill you. That’s a fucking promise.”
“I think that’s about enough,” Grayson says, taking Chad out of my hold and making sure his hands are secured behind his back. “I think it’s time we go visit the head of the tour. I’m sure he’d like to know about someone who’s closely associated with his golfers doing very shady business dealings.”
Grayson drags Chad out of the room, but not before Shelby gets in one more dig. “Yeah! And you’re a fucking prick!”
“You tell him, Belle,” I say, pulling her against me and kissing the top of her head.
Ethan turns to look at us, clearly pissed. “No heads up? Didn’t think to run this one past me?”
“In my defense, I wanted to tell you,” I admit.
“Throw me under the bus, why don’t you?” Shelby says, slapping my chest. “But, I think the important thing is that I did message at one point, told you all about Chad’s shadiness in short form, and I didn’t commit homicide.”
Ethan takes four very long, very deep, and very pained breaths before looking back at us. “Do you two really have everything on video?”
“Yeah,” I motion to a plant in the corner. “Shelby’s phone is in there.”
Ethan walks over to the fake plant and grabs it, hitting a few buttons before putting it in his pocket. “Is this over now? Am I done putting out fires where you two are involved?”
“Yes,” I say. “From now on, all good headlines and us acting like the perfect clients.”
“Fucking golfers…” Ethan groans as he walks out of our room.
Shelby puts her hand up, probably to remind him he still has her phone in his pocket, then lowers it and leans back into me. Because the only thing that matters right now is that this is over.
Finally.