One Woman
Page 14
“I was weak with York,” Emma confesses. “He expected me to be weak now.”
I catch her waist and turn her to face me. “You trusted the man you were supposed to marry,” I say. “That’s not weak.”
“We could debate that, but instead,” she says, “I’m going inside to call my brother and tell him everything. And then I’m going to call Monroe. And then I’m going to drink some of that coffee your father loved, and do some of my work because York doesn’t get to take any more of this day or my life.” She presses her hand to my chest. “Or you. You were right. He doesn’t get to be our end.”
I cover her hand with mine. “Damn straight, baby. He doesn’t get to be the end of us.”
She pushes to her toes, kisses me and says, “Thank you, Jax North,” before she walks to the door and adds, “and you, too, Savage.” With that, she enters the house.
My lips curve, and this time, my smile is about pride. Emma deserves that and a hell of a lot of respect for what she just did. Even Savage smiles. “She’s a keeper, man,” he says. “What do you want me to do?”
“Make sure we have him by the balls ten different ways and then we’ll talk.”
“That goes unsaid,” he replies. “And if given the right opportunity, rest assured, I’d chop his off and deliver them to you to feed to the fish.”
“I have a feeling there’s a long list of people who’d like to see that happen,” I say. “I think it’s safe to assume the list of people Emma’s father was investigating all have sex scandals that York created for him.”
“And that you can now relieve them of,” Savage says. “I’ll connect some dots and confirm. We have this place secured. You two staying here?”
“Yeah. We need to be here, away from the castle.”
Savage gives me a mock salute and heads down the stairs, while I head inside to help Emma end this once and for all. Or at least the part that can end right now. I’m not done with York, and unfortunately, Emma isn’t either. He’ll be in her nightmares, but she won’t live them alone. I’m here to stay.
CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
Emma…
I’m not shaking. I’m not crying. I’m standing tall.
I walk into Jax’s kitchen, the same stunning kitchen that he’s declared as our future kitchen, should I so choose, and I actually feel free enough to open my mind to that possibility and more. Standing up to York, owning him instead of him owning me was empowering. For the first time in years, if not ever, I’m owning my life, not York or my father or even my own insecurities. I walk to the coffee pot, fill a cup, sweeten it up, and then sip. I like it. I like this place. I like the idea of a life outside an apartment I rent from my father’s empire. I like Jax. Maybe I’m falling in love, too, but the like part matters. It matters so very much.
Setting my cup down, I dial my brother, and he answers on the first ring. “Talk to me, Emma.”
I pause, because this is the part where he pushes me for all the things I just said in front of Jax and Savage, but I remind myself that I’m empowered. I don’t need to do anything I don’t want to do. “York is a bad person, Chance,” I say simply. “He does bad things. He did bad things to me.”
“What bad things, Emma? I need details. That way I can decide how badly he hurts before I kill that fucker.”
Warmth spreads through me at the reminder that he’s my big brother, that he loves me, but the reason I need that reminder is present, too. Jax and I might have York out in the open, but Hunter is still dead. We can’t bring him back. We can’t turn back time. “I’m going to spare you the details,” I say, “and the need to hurt York. He’s handled, and for the record, thank Jax for that. He made a difference in ways you can’t understand.” On that, I choke up and swallow hard, delicately clearing my throat. “Make the call. Tell Monroe about dad and Marion.”
“What does ‘handled’ mean, Bird Dog? Because I heard that crack in your voice.”
I ignore the comment about my voice. That’s the overflow of years of baggage. “It means,” I say, “that while he was gloating about certain nefarious details of our past, I recorded him with witnesses present, as back up. And he knows it. I have him by the balls. He’s not a problem.”
“What witnesses?”
“He’s handled. He’s not a problem. But Monroe might be. Maybe you should let me call. I’ve spent more time with him than you. He’s going to associate cheating with our brand, and let’s just face it, you with dad, otherwise known as the cheater.”
“Yeah, I was thinking about that after we hung up. You’re right. We have to tell him. The man has as much right as mom for some sort of justice. But you need to tell him.”
“It’s going to hurt him, Chance. Is that justice? Do we want to do that to him?”
“On some level, he knows. Mom said she did, and she hurt all the time. Now she’s hiding in Europe. Is that what we want?”
“Of course not. And you’re right. He has to know, at least on some level. I’ll call him. Text me the number.”
“Emma—”
“I’m fine,” I say. “I’m better than I’ve been in a long time, actually.”
“And Jax helped make that happen?”
“Yeah. He did. He’s a good guy. I know the Hunter stuff is a challenge, but I’m—I need you to step back from that. Please.”
He’s silent a beat. “Are you ever going to tell me what happened?”
Disappointment stabs at me that he hasn’t agreed to try with Jax, but I let it go. “No,” I say frankly. “I’m not.”
“I’m going to assume the worst.”
“Okay,” I say, because his worst isn’t going to be my worst. Not even Jax and Savage get how bad it was.
“That’s it?” he challenges.
“Yes,” I say, feeling no desire to explain myself, which, thinking back, has been part of my place in this family. I’m the one who explains myself away. No more. “Yes. That’s it. Text me the number.”
He hesitates. “I love you, Emma.”
“I love you, too.” We disconnect, and I consider the idea that he’s behind Hunter’s death or at least complicit, but I reject that immediately. Chance can come off as a jerk, but it’s only when he’s in damage control mode. When he’s protecting what he loves: the brand. I don’t see how Hunter could have ever threatened our brand. And Chance wouldn’t kill him anyway.
But my father might.
I think.
The journals made it seem as if he might. My phone buzzes with the text from Chance, and I stare at Monroe’s number in the message. I have to do this. I’m going to hurt him, but Monroe, like everyone, deserves someone who treats him better. I dial his number.
“Emma,” he greets, somehow recognizing my number. “To what do I owe this call?”
“I need to have a personal conversation with you about Marion. Something you don’t want to hear unless you’re alone. Can we set up a time?”
“Now,” he says, his voice hard. “Tell me now.”
I breathe out and hesitate, before I admit. “I hate doing this to you. I hate—”
“She’s cheating on me.”
“Was,” I say. “We have reasons, very definite reasons, to believe that Marion and my father—”
“Were fucking,” he supplies.
My throat constricts. “It seems they were.”
“Can you give me that proof?”
“Are you sure you want to see it? It could be painful.”
“Send it.”
“Yes, yes, I will.”
“Emma, did it occur to you that I could pull away from your brand over this?”
“My brother and I talked about that, and also the pain it would cause you, but something my mother said to my brother swayed us. She said that on some level, she knew, and it hurt her. Now, she’s hiding in Europe to lick her wounds. I think the fact that she can’t confront him or ask why affects how she’s coping. Now, you can.”
“Let me just discreetly say, that before you choose to stay in business with him, hire a private investigator and check him out.”
“How diplomatic of you.”
“Yes, well, I had two choices here. Me spewing hate and warnings, which is unlike me but appropriate, or diplomacy. I assumed you to be an astute enough businessman to see the hate in the diplomacy.”
“Indeed. I have the impression I owe you more than I know just yet.”
“You owe me nothing. It’s called doing the right thing. I need no favor in return. I’d like to keep your business, but Chance and I both went into this knowing we’d be at risk.”
“Why didn’t Chance call me?”
“He’s the one everyone sees as an extension of my father. Neither of us thought you needed that right now.”
“Smart. Appropriate. And brave of you both. You have my business. And I do believe I’ll call your mother.”
“I think she might enjoy a kindred spirit on this.”
“Both of us would. Thank you, Emma.”
We disconnect, and I breathe out, emotionally exhausted. I text Chance: It’s done. He’s with us. More later. I need a timeout.
He replies with: You’re sure he’s with us?
I answer: Absolutely.
He replies with: Bowing to my badass sister.
I pick up my coffee and lean on the island, thinking about everything, a smile inside that is pride. I did it. I faced York, and I won. There’s a flash in my mind of me on my knees with God knows who behind me that zaps me pretty hard with a dose of reality. My stomach knots, and I set the cup down. That’s when Jax walks into the room, and suddenly, he’s standing in front of me: tall, gorgeous, his jaw so damn perfectly chiseled. He studies me, his blue eyes fixed on my face, probing, seeing too much and somehow seeing just right.
Proving this to be true, he leans on the island, his big arms caging me, and yet somehow sheltering me. “Do we need to talk about what just happened?”
The question hangs in the air, and while I want to say no, no, we don’t, there are words on my tongue. Words I can’t seem to fight. They’re going to explode from me, and I don’t know where that leads us.
CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
Emma…
Do we need to talk about what just happened?
No. We need to talk about what he might think and not say and the things in my head that he might be thinking are too much. My capacity for diplomacy seems to be gone, used up with Monroe and so just like that I blurt out, “They wore condoms. It was a rule on the boat. No one fucked without a condom. When I told you I was safe, I am safe. I went and got checked. I’ve had blood work done a couple of times just to be safe. I—”
Jax cups my head and his mouth settles on mine, warm and wonderful, like the spice of his cologne, his tongue swiping deep. “Stop making me want to fall in love with you because I won’t come back from that, baby, and then you’ll be stuck with me.”
My skin heats, emotions welling in my chest. “Jax,” I whisper, overwhelmed in a good way by his response, but there’s more here between us, more bothering me. I pull back to look at him. “I need to know this doesn’t change us. I need to know—”
He leans in and kisses me again, and this time his hand cups my backside and he molds me close, his erection pressing to my belly. “All you do is make me want you more, baby.”
“You barely wanted to spank me as it is. I need to know you won’t be afraid. I need to know you won’t hold back.”
He squeezes my backside. “Did you like it when I spanked you?”
My cheeks heat. “Yes. You know I liked it.”
“Then why the hell wouldn’t I do it again? We do what works for us. I’m not holding back, Emma. I’m charging forward and I hope like hell you are, too.”
“I’m more ready to charge forward with you now than ever Jax North.”
“Good. Then let’s do what needs to be done today, and spend the evening exploring the castle. Yes?”
“Yes,” I agree. “I’d like that.”
“Good.” He kisses me and reaches for my cup, sipping it and then fitting it to my hands, with a wink. “Savage says we’re good to go to stay here, and now that he has his team in place, we’re safe to move around as we please.”
“Safe?” I ask, that word getting my attention. “We think there’s real danger?”
He leans on the counter across from me. “That envelope left for you on the heels of my brother’s death concerns us all.”
“You hired security over York though. Do we really need security over an envelope?”
“York just had the world pulled out from under him,” he says. “That alone is a reason to be cautious. Another good reason to go to Germany,” he adds. “It’s space and time for him to go away. And by the way, that list your father had of my clients, York had it as well.”
My eyes go wide. “They were working together?” Realization hits me. “Oh God. My father was using him to get goods on your clients.”
“And keep them away,” he adds. “Which means he wanted the castle in a big way.”
“Why? What could it be about this castle he wanted to a degree that drove him to such extremes?”
“That’s what we need to find out.”
“My brother knows,” I say. “I know he knows. Before Germany, I need to talk to him. I need to force answers.”
“Then we’ll go talk to him. Right now, I’m going to call the clients your father held captive and assure them York is no longer a problem.”
“I need to work, too. I have some plans for the Germany property I have to deal with today.”
“Do you need your things from the castle to get that done or can it wait until I make these calls?”
“I’m good,” I say. “I think I should call my mother. I told Monroe. He’s going to call her.”
He arches a brow. “How’d he take it?”
“I think he knew but didn’t have confirmation. He seems to appreciate that we told him.”
“Did he bring up York?”
“Yes. He didn’t say it, but I expect him to exit that business.”
“And that’s a reason to keep our security. As Savage said, when someone has nothing to lose, they can become dangerous.” He pushes off the counter and kisses me. “Call your mom. I’ll be here in the kitchen when you’re done.”
“I’m going to go to the front porch. I want to actually admire the view that I’ve been in too much hell to enjoy.”
“Good.” His eyes warm. “Enjoy it. I want you to like it here.” He starts to turn away.
I catch his arm. “I already do. You know that, right?”
“You aren’t sold yet, but I’m not afraid to work for it.” He winks and fills his coffee cup.
I leave the room with my own cup and a smile on my lips. A smile, after what I just went through with York. That’s the power of Jax North and it’s so different from that of York.
I step outside onto the sprawling porch, into chilly air, my jacket missed, but I don’t go back inside to hunt it down. I step to the railing and let the cool ocean air wash over me. It’s beautiful here, the ocean right here with us, not far in the distance. I wouldn’t lose that ocean view I have in San Francisco, and here, I’m with Jax. It’s crazy to be going down this path so soon, but I’ve taken few real risks in my life. Jax feels like a reason to take one now.
I eye the swing and sit down, tapping my mother’s auto-dial. She surprises me by answering on the first ring. “You talked to your brother.”
“I did,” I say, “but I knew.”
“You knew?”
“Yes. Not until he was gone. I’ve learned a lot about dad since he died. Why’d you stay?”
“I loved him.” Her voice cracks. “I always thought I was the real love of his life. He needed his distractions. He’s a man and all.”
“Being a man isn’t an excuse to be an asshole, mom.”
“One day, you’ll understand.”
“I hope not,” I say, feeling prickly. “And I’d like to think that you don’t wish that for me either.”
“See this is why I can’t talk to you about matters of the heart. You’re too fairy tale princess. That’s not real life. I don’t know how you started down that rabbit hole. It certainly wasn’t because I led you there.”
A million little pieces of my childhood and my mother’s lessons on a woman’s place in life come back to me and not in a good way. If I tell Chance about my rape, she’d blame me for burdening him. I skip right past her statement and take this conversation back to her. “How are you?”
“I’m struggling.” Her voice cracks again.
“Then come back,” I argue.
“You’re leaving anyway.”
Which she must know through Chance. She sure hasn’t been talking to me. “Come to Germany with me,” I urge. “Or, are you there now? I don’t even know where you are.”
“Italy. I told you I was in Italy.”
“No,” I say tightly. “No, you didn’t.”
“I need to stay here right now. I have a friend here who’s really helping.”
“Maybe I’ll come to you,” I suggest.
“Take care of the business,” she orders. “Your brother is alone now without you. You need to do what he needs you to do.”
A knife slices through me with these words. She’s worried about Chance. She wants me to do my duty and serve him as I did my father. “Right,” I say reading between the lines even further. She wants me to stay away.
“I have dinner reservations, honey. I need to go.”
“Wait,” I say, and I go in. “Why did dad want the North Castle?”
To my shock, she bites out. “What the hell are you doing, Emma?”