Piper gasped and put her hand to her throat. “You’re dating Steve LaPray!” Only the most prestigious food critic in San Antonio. Piper had read his articles online for years. He was in the pantheon in Texas like Paula Deen was to Georgia—but he was gorgeous, dark-haired and silken-voiced and in his mid-thirties. His cuisine was the kind of thing people lined up all day for, although he mostly did TV now, since he’d had that accident. “Seriously? Steve LaPray?” Piper buzzed with the news, but Mitzi didn’t.
“I know.” Mitzi looked dejected. “It’s what sank our restaurant’s chances. I’m so sorry.”
“Uh, how?”
“Some underling at the magazine saw a picture of me on his desk, a selfie we took together on a gondola on the river last week, and then when the review came in, she saw my picture as owner and raised the stink-alarm at the magazine. The owners couldn’t exactly brush it under the rug, even though Ignatius explained everything, how he’d kept his identity a total secret from me. At that point it didn’t matter. The damage was done, and the only course of action was to strip Du Jour of its Star.” Mitzi was crying again. “It’s all my fault. I’m so sorry.”
Piper couldn’t leave it at that. “It’s not your fault. You had no idea.”
“I should have guessed.”
“He made it sound like he was a government operative. How could you guess?”
Mitzi cried on Piper’s shoulder for a minute or two, and Piper let the terrible news sink in. No Texas Star.
“I liked him. A lot. I mean, I might have been falling for him,” Mitzi said, sucking in a shuddering breath, and a tear glistened in her eye. This was serious. “Now I not only messed up our Texas Star chances, I might have ruined his reputation at work. I feel terrible.”
None of these complications were Mitzi’s fault. Piper could see that clearly. If Steve LaPray liked her enough to go through all those machinations, Mitzi had little to fear.
“It’s going to be fine, I promise.” Piper willed her own self not to cry. “We didn’t wake up this morning with a Texas Star, and we won’t have one tomorrow. In essence, nothing has changed.”
A nod of Mitzi’s chin dug into Piper’s shoulder. “You’re right.”
“Things will work out between you and…Ignatius.”
“It’s Steve, I know, but I might always think of him as Ignatius.” She gave a hollow laugh. “Even if I never see him again.”
Regret had to be shoved aside, and the sooner the better, especially with the stress of today and tomorrow. Piper had to look forward.
“To answer your earlier question, I’m putting together pulled pork sandwiches.”
“Mmm.”
“I’m glad you think so because—” Piper cleared her throat “—I’m going to ask you to be in charge of assembling them. I’m leaving.”
Mitzi gasped. “They’re sending you away! Already? I thought you had until Friday at least.”
“Friday’s tomorrow, but no, I have to go with Birdie.”
“Is she sick?”
“No, she got VIP passes to see Neil Diamond in concert and needs someone to go with her. I promised.”
“Oh. I can totally see that.”
Piper wished Zach could see it as clearly as Mitzi had. Heck, she wished she herself could see it that clearly. Nevertheless, “I’m heading out at ten, so I’ll get everything ready. Can you just put the plates together?”
It would be good preparation for when I get deported. After last night’s dismal performance at the newlywed quiz, Piper saw the writing on the wall: the two of them couldn’t even pass a believability test when it was a game; there was no way in heaven or earth that they’d convince a judge at trial tomorrow that their marriage was a sincere and valid relationship.
They were toast.
Maybe Piper should just keep traveling north once she hit Seattle with Birdie, escape into the wilds of the Alaskan tundra and try to reinvent herself as a cook at one of those mining or fishing camps. Maybe there no one would ask too many questions, and she could lie low until ICE quit looking for her. How long would that be, five, ten years?
“Absolutely. Anything for Birdie. Tell her to blow Neil a kiss for me.”
“I didn’t know you were a fan.”
“From birth, baby.” She started singing the bah-bah-bah parts of “Sweet Caroline,” and they worked together to prep the rest of lunch, while a feeling of sinking dread filled Piper’s stomach to overflowing.
It’ll be fine. I’m being irrational. She put that mantra on a loop, but she believed it less with every repetition.
“One more thing,” she said as she slung her carry-on over her shoulder. “Could you set aside a plate for Zach, just in case he comes in?”
Mitzi’s eye twinkled. “You’ve got it bad for him.”
Yeah, she did.
A loud banging erupted in the front of the restaurant.
“I demand my rights. Let me in.” It was muffled and coming from outside. Piper glanced at the clock—nine-fifteen. They didn’t open for another hour-plus, so there were no rights, and no pulled pork sandwiches with Cole slaw yet to be demanded. Garrett could deal with it.
But now the banging came at the back door of the kitchen.
“I’m here straight from the airport. Get this door open.”
“Who is that?” Mitzi went to the door. “He’s going to break the glass.” She stood on tiptoe and looked out. Then she turned to Piper with wide eyes.
“What?”
Mitzi shook her head violently. “Don’t. Don’t open the door. It’s not safe.”
“What’s not safe?” Piper laughed and picked up a cast iron skillet from beside the sink. “Have skillet. It’s both weapon and shield, and I know how to use it.”
Mitzi wasn’t amused. “You’d better shoot out the front door if you’re planning to make it to your flight on time. Scoot down the road fast.” Then, with a wild look in her eye she stage-whispered, “It’s Chad.”
Chad. Piper set down the skillet and shut off the flame on the stove, stepping back and gripping the prep island’s countertop. A million thoughts darkened the sun of her brain like a swarm of locusts.
She’d known this moment would come. From the second she agreed to Zach’s scheme to save her from deportation, she’d known: Chad would come, and Piper would have to explain.
However, somehow, with his being in an unknown jungle somewhere with his buddies Wolfgang and Trager, she always pressed the inevitability into the distant future.
Everybody has to pay sometime. Piper had to pay now.
“Let him in.”
Mitzi shook her head in a violent no.
Chad pounded fists against the wooden doorframe, hollering, “She’s in there. I am going to see her. You can tell her that her Chad is back for his Chaldean Sea Bass. I’m ready to make things serious now that I’ve achieved the pinnacle. She can finally be my woman. I’m serious. Dead serious.”
He might be serious, but his insistence wasn’t making much sense.
Piper nodded for Mitzi to step aside, and she smirked before shuffling out to the dining room.
With a hammering heart, Piper opened the door. Before her stood a hulking version of the Chad she started dating. He’d grown like one of those bathtub toys she’d had as a kid that expand when dropped in water.
“Hey. You’re here.” She aimed for nonchalance as she let him in. “It’s been…forever.”
Chad pressed the fabric of his sleeveless t-shirt across his toned chest.
“Yeah, I’m here, babe. I told you I’d be here. You saw me tell the whole world I’d be here when I was on TV after my tournament win. You saw that, right?”
She’d seen him kiss one girl and then another in succession, too. Who were those women, props? Women he even knew? Despite his declaration of so-called love of Piper, he wasn’t coming in for any affection—yet. Piper tried to keep back from him.
“Jungle food has too many bananas and not enough protein.” Chad folded h
is arms across his chest intimidation style as he walked back and forth in the small kitchen. “They even eat banana-potatoes there. They call them plant-stains. Or at least I did. Hah-hah-hah.” His laugh contained part growl. “Don’t you think that’s funny? I made a food joke. Just for you. Plantain equals plant stain? Come on, that was for you, babe. You. All I ever think about is you.”
Huh. Okay. Piper stood back as he paced the room like a caged tiger. Something wasn’t right with him.
“They called you Floyd the ’Roid.” Piper had heard it somewhere before the video. That was right—Birdie had referred to Chad that way. Piper had thought it was just a derisive nickname—not an official one. Was it just for show, or was he really on steroids? “Is that your fighting name?”
Steroid use could alter personalities, she’d heard.
Chad stopped. “Do you like it? The bookies in Vegas made it up. It’s not like I’m involved in steroid use. Not me. But it’s part of the persona—for the publicity.” He came toward her, but she put up a hand.
“You did seem to put on a lot of muscle quickly.”
He narrowed his eyes. His temples pulsed, and through gritted teeth he spoke, low and menacing.
“What are you saying? Are you saying things aren’t on the up and up over at Maxx Impact? Because I defend my gym to the last drop of blood. That’s how things are done at Maxx Impact and why we’re called Maxx Impact.”
“Okay.” She held the long a. This was not the same Chad she’d started dating seven months ago, the kind accountant who liked to hang out and watch sports on TV, go work out occasionally, grab a good meal, and respected her standards.
“Let’s not talk about rumors, Piper. I’m here. And I’m ready to make things happen.” He stepped toward her, a wild look in his eye, all alpha-male, all amped up. “You, Piper Quinn are my woman. You have been waiting for me long enough. Come.” He snapped his fingers.
She dropped her jaw and planted her heels. “I’m sorry?” It was all she could think to say to respond.
“You heard me. You are my woman. I’m done waiting for what you promised me. You’re done waiting for me, too.”
Well, the second half of his statement instantly became the truth. She’d dated him several months, waiting patiently for him to up the ante or advance the emotional relationship, but it never happened. Maybe her wait had been too patient. Maybe because—she realized now—she hadn’t wanted to push it forward. When he left with Wolfgang and Trager that night from the airport, she knew now she hadn’t missed him; had hardly noticed, in fact.
Had married another man within hours, in even bigger point of fact.
“I only snap once.” Chad frowned. She hadn’t made the strides across the room toward him, and he didn’t look happy about it.
“What’s your hesitation, Piper? Is it that I didn’t come to lunch with you that one day? I didn’t have the days confused. I didn’t forget. I was testing you. I wanted to see how you’d react. And you did just as I calculated. I showed up with flowers, and you forgave me, you kissed me with more passion than I’d even bargained for. You even asked me to get more committed to you—that very day.” He grabbed her hands. “That’s how I knew you were mine, and you’d never leave me.”
Holy bagumba. What other hallucinogens was he on besides the ego-altering steroids that made the veins protrude on his neck?
“I think you might be mistaken, Chad.”
“Call me Floyd.”
“How about if I don’t call you anything?” She peeled her hands out of his. But the stone of her wedding ring snagged on the band of his fitness-tracker bracelet.
He grabbed her fingers, pinching hard, and yanked them up to his face to inspect her hand.
“What’s this?” Each word hissed. “I didn’t give you this ring.”
Mitzi stepped in through the back door. “Hey, Piper, everything going okay? Chad. You’re…back.”
“Shut up, Mitzi. My woman and I are having a discussion.” He turned back to Piper, his eye menacing. “A woman called me up last night before I left the jungle and all the after-parties from the tournament.”
Wait, he could receive calls? Chad had told Piper he would be out of communication.
“She called herself Valentine, said I should come to you straight off the plane and ask you what your eyes and body have been begging me to ask you for months.” He leaned closer, his breath smelling of too much Listerine. “She said I shouldn’t ask you about being my wife on video—even though I knew you’d be watching and waiting for me with bated breath—but that I should come and see you in person.” He pinched her fingers harder.
Piper’s knuckles ached under his grip, but she didn’t cry out.
“So here I am. Telling you I’m ready to take us to the next level, but I’m not getting the response I expected, Piper. Am I?” He leaned closer. “Am I?”
“I don’t know what you expected.” Her voice came out hard, as if it had been dough baked in the oven too long. She didn’t recognize this person standing before her at all. This wasn’t Chad Floyd. This was the Jekyll and Hyde Mr. Hyde version.
“I didn’t expect that woman, Valentine, to be right.” He frowned deeper. “I swore she wasn’t right when she insisted I come and ask you in person. When she said I’d get a no from you. When she said you’d tell me you weren’t free.” He seethed, spittle coming from between his teeth. “You’re not planning on proving her right, are you?”
Fury lit his eye. Piper refused to acknowledge it. She would not flinch.
“Now, look at this. Look at this.” He jerked her hand up and shoved it a millimeter from her eye. “What is this?”
Still, she didn’t answer. Behind Piper, she heard the swinging door to the kitchen whoosh, and Mitzi’s voice with Garrett’s whispering. Meanwhile, Piper engaged Chad in a staredown she refused to lose.
“I came here with noble intentions, Piper. The noblest. I defended you to Valentine. I told her you were true. Faithful. I told her you promised me faithfulness.” This arrow flew straight toward its mark, striking deep. “I told Valentine Piper Quinn keeps her promises.”
A hiccup rose from the pit of Piper’s stomach, lurching in her throat.
“Chad, I—”
Nevertheless, she couldn’t tell him she’d been true to the premise of her promise to him, or that the marriage was valid but not consummated. Chad was in contact with Agent Valentine. Piper hadn’t forgotten that Valentine herself told Zach that if the marriage hadn’t been validated by consummation, the court would carry out its plans against her. So Chad couldn’t know, even though he stood vibrating with anger, crushing the bones in her hand, looking as if fury and hurt were what washed his eyes with that unexpected well of tears.
“Chad, I—” She started her excuse again. Telling him the truth, all of it, wouldn’t matter. Piper wasn’t in love with Chad now. In fact, if she was honest, she hadn’t been in love with him before. She’d thought maybe she had been, but only maybe. The promise she’d made before he left had been a fool’s promise, made in haste, made in ignorance, made for a reason she couldn’t rely on now.
Chad didn’t matter. He couldn’t matter, not in her life, even if he weren’t this raging bull version of Chad scaring her with his threats and anger.
“Spill it, Piper.” His voice rose. “Spit it out. The truth.” His emotion crescendoed into a yell.
“I’m not in love with you.” Piper’s words came out a mouse’s squeak. “I’m not. I wasn’t then, I’m not now, and I won’t be in the future.”
A primal roar rose up from the depths of Chad’s gut, rumbling up through his chest, almost visible in vibration as it ascended his throat and out his mouth.
“Piper!” It rang in her ears. “I waited for you!” It rang and rang though the air, hanging there like a bell’s echo.
This she regretted. Intensely.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered.
The whisper must have defused the intensity of his emotion becaus
e he expelled a slow, a cooling breath through clenched teeth.
“You have crossed me. I would have defended you to the death, just like we do at Maxx Impact. But now?” His eyes turned to slits. “You will feel my wrath.”
He lifted a hand, as if he was about to strike her. Piper braced herself for the impact, never having been struck before in her life.
Suddenly, in through the swinging door from the dining room banged Zach, a gun drawn. “Stand down, Floyd.”
Chad’s eyes shot to the gleam of the pistol’s metal. “You wouldn’t shoot me.”
“In defense of my wife I would. This is Texas. I won’t be jailed, they’ll have a parade for me. Now, get out.”
“Your wife. Ha! She was mine first.”
“She was no one’s first. She’s—”
Piper shot him a quick shake of the head no, and Zach stopped before spilling the beans that Piper’s maidenhood remained intact. Valentine did not need to get wind of that, and it would only make Chad gloat.
“Just go, Chad. I am sorry. I wish I hadn’t hurt you.”
“Me, hurt? I’m Floyd the ’Roid. Pain is my breakfast. Pain is my lunch. Pain is my everything. And I’m happy to share all my meals, believe me. You’ll know it soon enough.”
He stalked out the back door, slamming it with force behind him, a concussion of wind hitting Piper’s chest and the bang as loud as Zach’s brandished gunshot would have been.
Only then did Zach lower his gun.
“You carry a loaded gun?”
“I didn’t say it was loaded.” Zach came and took Piper in his arms. Garrett and Mitzi poked their heads in through the door again from the dining room, whence they must have escaped when violence threatened. “Nice ex-boyfriend.”
“He never looked or acted like that before. I swear it.” Piper found she was trembling against Zach’s chest, and it was a good thing his arms supported her because her knees had turned to water. “If he had, I would have dumped him or called the police, or at least told the world on social media what a colossal jerk he is.”
Legally in Love Boxed Set 1 Page 71