by Nicole Dykes
I fucking hate this, but I promised her that she could call the shots.
Not something I’m used to.
The phone on my desk rings and I see on the caller ID that it’s Charlotte. I pick up the receiver, “Hey, you okay?”
“Yes. I just miss your voice. Can you talk?”
I look outside of my open door. No one is there or walking by, “Yeah, what’s up?”
“My lawyer contacted Nicholas’s and they told him they don’t have an answer yet. If he’s not going to contest, why wouldn’t he just sign it?”
“He wants to make you sweat. It’s going to be okay.”
She laughs nervously, “I know I sound crazy, but I just know what he’s capable of. He’s so used to getting his way.”
“Well it’s not going to happen this time. He can’t trap you any longer, Charlotte. How about I come over tonight?”
She makes a sexy, feminine groan that makes my cock yearn for her, “Oh that sounds amazing.”
“Great. I’ll be there.”
“Jackson…”
Damn. “Charlotte.”
“Just a little longer, please.”
“Okay, if you change your mind I’ll be here all day.”
“Don’t tempt me, Jackson Garrett.”
I grin and we hang up.
And then Dylan chooses to walk into my office, with an expression I can’t read.
Fuck did he hear us on the phone?
He sits down, across from me, casually, “You know when Brooke and I were sneaking around, we tried to avoid the phone as much as possible. If we did talk to each other, we made damn sure we were alone.”
Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.
“Dylan…”
He holds his hands up, “Whatever bullshit lie you have in there, don’t use it on me. I’ve used them all up when I was with Brooke.”
He doesn’t seem as pissed off as I thought he would be, “It just happened. And I never lied.”
Sort of.
“Right, just didn’t tell the whole truth and shit. I used all that too.”
“Alright, so you get it?”
He nods, “I knew you were going to fuck her before you did, man. Does her husband know?”
“I don’t think so, but she filed the papers. She’s done with that asshole.”
“He’s still going to care that you’re fucking her.”
“Yeah, probably.”
This is the last thing he needs right now and the stress is written all over his face. “Well, there’s nothing we can do about it now. We just have to keep our eyes wide open and watch out for the backlash.”
“There won’t be any. He’s a fucking pussy. There’s no way he will actually mess with us.”
“Come on man. Physically, yeah. Any fucking day of the week we can take him. But that man didn’t get where he is today by just sitting back. He has powerful friends all over this state. He was one of our first clients here and over half of our clientele can be traced back to him. It’s gonna hurt, but we’ll deal with it.”
Fuck. I know he’s right, but I don’t want to believe it. “I won’t let it. Besides Charlotte has him by the fucking balls right now.”
“How’s that?”
“She told him very clearly that if he doesn’t sign the divorce papers uncontested she’ll ruin his career. And that’s all that motherfucker cares about.”
“Right, and she’s a part of that work persona. His perfect image he created. I don’t think he’s going to let her go without a damn good fight.”
“Are you saying you want me to end this with her?”
Please say no. “Do you love her?”
I look at him directly and he doesn’t back down or look away. Dammit. “Yeah, I think so.”
He grins and rolls his eyes. “You do, shithead. Just say it out loud. Tell her. You’ll feel better.”
It’s kinda hard to tell her when I can’t be near her. “Yeah, yeah.”
He stands up, “No matter what happens, I’ve got your back.”
And I know he does, but this situation effects his entire family. My family.
I clench my fists at my sides, just thinking about this asshole coming after the business we built. After Charlotte.
I have to play this smart and not let my rage get the best of me.
Chapter 38
Charlotte
I miss Jackson, now more than ever. It’s now Friday and I still haven’t heard from Nicholas’s attorney. I’m tense and my nerves are shot. My body misses Jackson’s touch.
It’s been a week and a half since I’ve seen him last. The short phone calls to his office aren’t enough and I can tell he growing more and more frustrated by the day.
Regardless if I hear about my divorce today or not, I’m planning to surprise him at his place tonight.
I hear my cellphone going off in my bedroom, so I sprint out of my bathroom where I was getting ready to answer it.
I hit the accept button without looking at the caller ID, “Hello.”
“Charlotte.”
“Mother?”
I sit on my bed, uneasy. I haven’t talked to her for a few months. My father and her were traveling and I know not to bother them on their trips. “Yes. What on earth is going on up there, Charlotte?”
“What do you mean?”
“Nicholas called your father last night. He stated that you left him for some mechanic and that you have went so far as to file for divorce. Please tell me that none of this is true.”
He told my parents on me? How juvenile can you get? “Mother, let me explain.”
“Oh for heaven’s sake, Charlotte. It’s true? An affair with a lowly mechanic is completely beneath you.”
I take a deep breath, feeling disgusted, “Did Nicholas happen to mention his many affairs?”
“Oh Charlotte, you know how men are. They are allowed to sleep with whoever they want to, but I raised you better than that. I mean my God you might as well be sleeping with the help.”
She did not just say, the help. How am I related to this woman? “So it’s fine that dad has been sleeping with the maid and his secretary all of these years?”
“Charlotte, you know I don’t mettle in his affairs. And this is not about your father and I. You made a vow, for better or worse.”
“That does not mean I have to put up with his mental and physical abuse. I deserve better than that.”
She laughs with pure disdain, “Better? A mechanic is better than a senator?”
In every way. I don’t bother to correct her when she calls Jackson a mechanic for the third time. “I am divorcing Nicholas. And I do hope that you both can accept it.”
“Charlotte, you cannot do this. You will leave a stain on our family name.”
“I’m sorry you feel that way.”
“It’s not how I feel, it’s the truth. You have been a problem right from the start. I don’t understand you.”
That’s for damn sure. She never tried. “I have to go.”
“Charlotte Ann! Do not hang up this phone. You need to call Nicholas and beg him to take you back.”
I roll my eyes at that. It’s not going to happen. “Goodbye.”
I hang up the phone without waiting for her to say goodbye.
I should have known that he would sink that low, he knows that I’ve tried to please them my entire life. I’ve learned from Jackson though, that I don’t have to please people that don’t try to do the same for me.
I finish applying light make-up with a shaky hand. I know that Jackson is worth all of this and more, but I also think this is just the beginning.
The fact that Nicholas hasn’t just signed the papers right away lets me believe he is going to try to fight this in some way.
Whatever he does to me is not my concern.
I worry for Jackson and the Monroes.
Early in the afternoon my mind is still running over the phone call with my mother when I hear a knock at the door.
Normally I would be pr
aying its Jackson, but today I’m praying it’s not.
Not in broad daylight where someone could easily see.
I see it’s Nicholas and I open the door, furious at him, “What are you doing here? I don’t see your lawyer anywhere.”
He adjusts his tie with his right hand, “Please Charlotte. I don’t need a lawyer to speak for me. Let me in, we need to talk.”
He’s done with his fake sweetness I see and back to the man I know well. “No. We can discuss this in my lawyer’s office.”
I notice he’s holding a manila folder in his left hand. Could those be the papers? “What’s the problem, Charlotte? Is he here right now?”
“That’s none of your business.”
His lips quirk up in a nasty smirk, “No he hasn’t been around for a little over a week. And I happen to know he’s at his little garage at the moment.”
I feel like the wind has been knocked out of me, “You’re having him followed?”
He waves that off, “Oh sweet, naïve, Charlotte. Let me inside. Like I said we need to talk.”
“I don’t have anything to say.”
“Well I do. And I think you’ll want to hear it since it concerns your friend, Jackson.”
Oh no. I slowly move out of the doorway, letting him come inside my home that hadn’t yet been tainted by his presence.
I lead him to the dining room table and I take a seat.
He sits in the chair across from me, putting the folder on the table in front of him.
“Did you get a call from your parents today.”
His smug attitude is wearing thin, “It won’t work, Nicholas. No matter what you say or do, I’m not going back to you.”
“Oh Charlotte, we both know that’s not true. Telling your parents about your little stunts these last couple of weeks is only the beginning.”
Don’t show fear. It’s what he wants. “What do you want to talk about?”
“First of all, where is your cell phone?”
“What?”
“Your phone. Where is it?”
“That’s none of your business.”
He tilts his head, “I want to make sure that this conversation stays between us. Or I’ll leave everything up for a grand surprise for you and Mr. Garrett.”
I take my cellphone out. I wasn’t recording, but that’s what he wants to check. I hold it up showing him that there is no current application running. Nothing is being recorded, but I place it back in my pocket, not letting him have it. “Go ahead.”
He grins and pushes the folder to me, “I believe these photos will interest you. And don’t worry you can keep them, I have plenty of copies in safe places.”
My heart is pounding as I open the folder. There are several black and white photos of Jackson and I. Jackson entering my condo, Jackson leaving. All time stamped. But it gets worse; there are pictures from even before I asked for a divorce. Pictures of me at Jackson’s home. Of us swimming together while I was staying there. He lives in a gated community for crying out loud, how did they get in?
There are even pictures of Jackson and I before I asked for a separation. Of the night we first kissed. There is no actual photo of a kiss, but it can still be misconstrued as damning evidence and we both know it.
My voice is barely above a whisper when I ask, “How long have you been having me followed?”
“I can’t afford a scandal Charlotte. You know that.”
I don’t like that answer at all, “How long?”
He shrugs his shoulders casually, as if it’s no big deal at all, “Off and on throughout our marriage, but I had him really keep an eye on you when I told you it was time to have a child. You were acting quite peculiar and the only time you seemed happy was when you had a “meeting” with him.”
I clutch my throat, feeling revulsion. How did I ever love this man? “You bastard.”
He shakes his head, disapprovingly, “Charlotte, what a filthy mouth you’ve acquired from him. Let’s hope that’s all you’ve caught from him.”
“Get out.”
He tilts his head, belittling me, “There’s still so much to discuss.”
“Like what?”
“Well I know that it may seem like these photos only hurt you and you don’t really seem to care about your reputation. I mean Jackson isn’t the married one, he hasn’t committed adultery. However, I happen to know a lot of Mr. Garrett’s clients. We need to trust these men when we hire them. Now how would it look if I show them these pictures; proof that he had an affair with my wife?”
“You wouldn’t dare.”
“I would. Without a doubt. And then they tell their friends and it’s a slippery slope. No one will be able to trust them if they are capable of sleeping with a client’s wife, God knows what else they are capable of. We all spend a lot of money there, Charlotte, we must be careful.”
“They have a solid client base and a stellar reputation.”
“For now. Half their client base can be traced back to me and we’ve already discussed their reputation.”
Don’t let him see you cry. Keep it together. “They will bounce back.”
He grins, “Oh Charlotte, did he tell you that? That it will all be okay? That’s a fantasy world. And even if all of their clients don’t flee and they manage to scrape by, I do happen to have quite a few important friends that would love to take a peek around there.”
“Like who?”
“I don’t want to bore you with all of the details, Charlotte, but being a senator certainly has its perks.”
“So what do you want?”
“Well you of course. I want you to withdraw the divorce papers, leave this place and come home. And of course end your affair with Jackson.”
My body is trembling. I drop my head downward, staring at the table, “You don’t even love me.”
“It’s never been about that. Besides I can’t believe you can trust him so fully. I mean he’s practically a murderer.”
I snap my head up to look at him, “What are you talking about?”
“Well surely he told you all about it, Charlotte. Since you two seem to be so in love.”
I repeat it again. “What are you talking about?”
“Well it’s a matter of public record, Charlotte. His girlfriend in high school, Emma Richmond. She was killed in a drunk driving accident. He was there. They arrested him on an intoxication charge that was later upgraded to manslaughter.”
“What?”
He feigns concern, “Oh he didn’t tell you all of this?”
“Get out.”
He smiles, confidently. “I’ll expect you back by Monday.”
He leaves and I’m frozen at the table.
I thought I had the upper hand, but that was all a lie. He’ll ruin everything Jackson has worked so hard at.
Jackson scraped his way through hell only to meet me, the woman who will take everything from him.
Chapter 39
Jax
Saying I’m in a shitty mood doesn’t even begin to describe my current frame of mind. It’s fucking Friday and I haven’t seen Charlotte since last Wednesday.
Dylan walks cautiously into my office. Like I said I haven’t been pleasant and everyone has taken notice, “Still hasn’t signed the papers?”
“Nope.”
“Well I’m sure he will man.”
I run my fingers through my hair that could use a cut soon, “Charlotte won’t see me until he does.”
“She’s probably right.”
“Don’t you think I fucking know that?” I bark. And I quickly apologize, “Sorry. I’m on edge.”
“Don’t blame you, man.”
Both of our heads turn when our receptionist Carolyn clears her throat standing in the doorway, “I’m sorry to interrupt you guys.”
Dylan asks, “What’s up?”
“There are two men in suits up front, looking for you both.”
Fuck. What now? Dylan thanks her and we both walk to the entrance begrudgingl
y. The two men introduce themselves as agents from the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, also known as the EEOC.
Dylan looks wearily over at me and then asks, “What can we do for you gentlemen?”
The older of the two looks directly at me, “Well we’ve received a complaint that you are discriminating when hiring.”
I scoff at that. Clearly the senator isn’t going to just roll over and sign the fucking papers. “I’ll bet you did.”
Dylan nudges me, silently telling me to shut the fuck up and the younger asshole looks me dead in the eye, “We have to investigate every complaint. We take them very seriously.”
Dylan speaks, “What do you need from us? We will cooperate in any way we can.”
“We are going to interview your employees and both of you. And take it from there.”
I look over at the older agent, “And can you tell us the name of the person that filed the complaint.”
“Absolutely not, all of that is confidential to protect the complainant.”
“That’s convenient.”
“Jax.” Dylan says with meaning, getting pissed off at me.
I’m quiet, while they go through their bullshit investigation. When they have interviewed every employee, Dylan and myself they hand us both their cards and tell us they will be in touch.
I watch them walk out before storming into my office, punching the wall next to my desk, leaving a good size hole.
“Fuck, Jax. You have to keep your cool.”
I turn to face Dylan, “My cool? That fucking asshole files a false “complaint” to his buddies and has us formally investigated and I’m supposed to keep my fucking cool?”
“Yes. We all know it’s bullshit. We run a clean business. Let them investigate, we have nothing to hide.”
I plop down in my chair, “I’m sorry man. This is the last thing you need.”
“Oh and it’s the first thing you need? Come on man, we will be fine. He’s fucking with you.”
“Yeah and it’s working.”
He shakes his head and sits down, “Don’t let it. I’ve known you for a decade man; I’ve never once heard you admit to being in love. You can’t let anything ruin that or it will destroy you, trust me.”
I’m not letting Charlotte go without a fight, but I have to figure out a way that it won’t take down our business. “Maybe you should buy me out. At least from the KC garage.”