High Stakes

by Cheryl Douglas

  Liam stood up so fast he nearly upended the wrought iron chair. “He what?” He stood facing her, his hands on his hips.

  Even with the prevailing nightfall, she could still see the scowl on his handsome face. “I didn’t tell you about it because it didn’t mean anything. He remembered that tomorrow was my birthday, and when he stopped by the store earlier in the week, one of the sales girls must have mentioned the fact that I was going away for the weekend. I guess he just wanted to catch me before I left.”

  He started pacing back and forth over the painted white deck. “What the hell is it gonna take to get through to this guy?”

  “I told him I couldn’t accept the earrings.”

  “You better have told him that.”

  She knew he was angry and taking his frustration and feelings of helplessness out on her, so she took a deep breath and forced herself to remain calm. “I told him it was over… again.”

  “And what did he say to that?” He stopped pacing long enough to wait for her reply.

  She knew Nick’s words would only stoke Liam’s fire, but she didn’t want to be accused of keeping secrets from him. “He said I’d get tired of being an afterthought with you and eventually come back to him.”

  “That son of a bitch,” Liam whispered.

  “He said your business and daughter would always come before me.” It had been hard to hear because, in the back of her mind, she’d spent the last two weeks questioning whether it may be true. She didn’t know if she would ever come first with her husband, and she wasn’t sure that she even had the right to expect to. “He said I deserved better and eventually I’d realize that.”

  Liam’s face drained of color as he stared at her. She could tell the impact of Nick’s words was settling over him as he questioned whether they were true.

  Without another word, she watched him walk into the house, and she knew her ex’s assessment had been closer to the truth than either one of them wanted to admit.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Liam sat on the edge of his bed, trying to force air into his lungs to ease the familiar tightening in his chest. Was that arrogant jerk right? Would Alisa eventually tire of competing with all of the other issues and people in his life demanding a piece of him and go back to her ex or find someone else who could give her the time and attention she deserved?

  She stood just outside his bedroom door. “Can I come in?”

  “Of course you can,” he said quietly. He gestured to her suitcase. “This is your room now, too.”

  She sighed as she claimed the spot beside him on the bed. “Liam, I don’t know that I’ll ever be comfortable sharing your assets. I know how hard you’ve worked to amass this wealth.” She lifted her hands. “This is all yours; it’s not like I’ve done anything to help you get where you are.”

  He felt her slipping away and it only intensified the ache in his chest. “I want to share everything with you, baby.” He wanted to, but he didn’t know if that was even feasible. Even if they lived in the same house, his business took him away more than he was home. And when he was in town, he was rarely home before it was time to call it a night.

  She threaded her hand through his. “I know you do, and I appreciate that, but…”

  That word scared him more than any other because it told him she had doubts about them. Not that he could blame her. If he were in her position, he would have felt the same way. “I hate this,” he whispered, releasing her hand and bending at the waist as the physical pain ricocheted through his body.

  “Are you okay?” she asked, resting a hand on his back.

  “Yeah.” He took a few deep breaths. “I’ve just been…” He shook his head. He’d already burdened her enough without giving her cause to worry about his health. “Tired, stressed.” He forced a smile. “That’s what happens when you work nonstop for twenty years, right? Something’s gotta give.”

  “That’s what worries me,” she said, stroking his back. “When is it going to be enough for you?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “You’ve already earned more money than your great-grandchildren will ever be able to spend,” she said quietly. “Your hotels are recognized as some of the finest in the world, yet you still don’t seem satisfied with everything you’ve accomplished.”

  Her assessment felt like a slap in the face. He’d never been one to settle for the status quo. In his mind, good was never going to be good enough and he thought she understood that about him. “What are you suggesting, I retire and spend my time recalling the good old days when my life counted for something?”

  “Of course not,” she said, gently. “I would never ask you to give up your business, but maybe you could think about cutting back, taking a break for a while.” She twisted the tie on her wrap dress around her finger over and over again. “I was talking to your brother tonight and…”

  “And what?” He didn’t mean to snarl at her, but he couldn’t help himself. He couldn’t imagine where she was going with this.

  “I didn’t realize how important he is to your business.”

  “Of course, he’s the CFO, but what the hell does that have to do with anything? It’s my company, Alisa. Mine. No one is going to work as hard as I do to manage the growth, and no one is going to feel as responsible for those employees. They’re my concern. When we hired them, they trusted me to put food on the table for their families. Do you even understand what that’s like?” He could tell by the rigid set of her body that she was getting defensive, but he was past the point of caring. How could she call into question the company he’d spent his lifetime building, as though walking away was even an option for him?

  “Obviously, I don’t know exactly what that’s like, but I have hired people to work in my shop and…”

  He rolled his eyes. “Please, don’t compare your business to mine. You haven’t got a clue.”

  She reared back as though he’d struck her as tears surfaced in her eyes. “I may not know what it feels like to be in your position, but I do know what it feels like to work hard.”

  He knew this was the time to apologize for belittling her and her business, but he couldn’t force the words past the lump of panic in his throat as he watched her get up and start throwing clothes haphazardly into her suitcase.

  “Nick was right!” she shouted over her shoulder as she walked into the bathroom.

  He felt her words like a dropkick to the gut. Was she really leaving him to go back to her ex? Could he stop her? Did he even have the strength to try, if that’s what she wanted?

  Alisa re-entered the room carrying a cosmetics bag and tossed it into her suitcase on top of her clothes. “He said I’d never come before your business and he was right, wasn’t he?”

  Liam felt nauseous as he watched her pull the diamond engagement ring and wedding band off her finger and set it on the dresser. “Well, guess what? I deserve a man who can put me first, and that’s never gonna happen with you.” She brushed away the tears sliding down her cheeks. “Thank God I found out now, before I wasted years of my life waiting for you to call or come home. Waiting for you to notice I was even there.”

  He wanted to stay something, but the words wouldn’t come.

  “Don’t worry, I don’t want anything from you. I’ll have my lawyer make this as quick and painless as possible, for both of us.”

  Painless? Was she serious? The thought of losing her was already debilitating. He should be on his feet, begging her to stay, promising to change. Instead, he sat there, staring at her, speechless, feeling lightheaded and confused, when it was obvious that the best thing that had ever happened to him was walking out of his life forever.

  He heard the echo of the front door slamming, but still he couldn’t force himself to move. It was as though he was having an out of body experience, watching himself, completely immobile for the first time in his life. He was used to taking action, making things happen, but when he should be acting to save his marriage, he felt powerless.
<
br />   Abby appeared at the bedroom door. “Is everything okay?” she asked quietly. When he didn’t respond, she glanced at Alisa’s wedding rings sitting on the dresser. “I guess not, huh?” She walked over to the bed and sat down beside him, leaning her head on his shoulder. “I’m sorry, Daddy.”

  The tears burned the back of his throat, but he refused to allow his daughter to see him ravaged.

  “If she wasn’t the one, better you find out now, right?”

  Alisa was the one, the only one for him, but he couldn’t make her stay when he knew she was right. She would always feel as though she was competing with his business and that wasn’t fair to her. He’d been wrong to marry her in the first place. He had no right to believe he could have it all. He already had a successful company, a daughter who meant the world to him, friends, and family. That was so much more than most people had, so he didn’t have the right to hope for the love of a woman to complete the picture. That was too much to ask for, too much to expect.

  “I had to let her go,” he said. He didn’t know if he was trying to convince Abby or himself. “It was the right thing to do. She deserves better.”

  Abby rubbed his back, her head still resting on his shoulder. “Better than you? Impossible.”

  He tried to smile, but couldn’t. “Thanks for saying that, kiddo. But your old man is seriously messed up. I let this company take over my life, and now it’s all I have, aside from you.” He put his arm around her. “And pretty soon I won’t even have you anymore.”

  “You’ll always have me. But doesn’t it scare you… the thought of being alone for the rest of your life?”

  It hadn’t bothered him until he met Alisa. Now that she’d given him a taste of what his life could be like with someone to love, he knew it would be impossible to forget her. “She’s divorcing me,” he whispered. It was difficult to even form the words, but his daughter deserved to know the truth.

  “Maybe she’s just upset? She could change her mind.”

  “I don’t think so, honey. Can you do me a favor?”

  “Sure.”

  “Ask your uncle to call the airport. She won’t be able to get a flight out at this time of night. Tell them to prepare my plane for her.”

  “Are you sure you really want to let her go?”

  “No.” He forced himself to draw a deep breath. “I don’t want to let her go, but I don’t have a choice. I love her, so I have to let her go.”

  Alisa was safely stowed away in Liam’s private plane, hovering 30,000 feet above paradise, before she finally gave in to the tears. How had their fantasy turned into a nightmare so quickly? She mentioned the prospect of him taking some time off work because she was concerned about his wellbeing, not because she was trying to demean the importance of his business. But instead of welcoming her concern, he’d turned on her. He let her know that not only did he not appreciate her interference, he wouldn’t tolerate it.

  At least he’d had the decency to give her a one-way ticket out of his life in style.

  The flight attendant hovered near the rear of the small seating area, obviously hesitant to invade Alisa’s privacy. “I’m sorry, Mrs. Bryson, I didn’t mean to intrude. I was just wondering if I could offer you a drink?”

  The thought of a stiff drink to wash away the bitter taste of failure was enticing, but Alisa knew it wouldn’t solve her problems. “I’m fine, thanks.” She sniffled, trying to pull herself together. “Would it be okay if I use the phone now?”

  “Of course, ma’am. Just let me know if you need anything.”

  “Thanks, I will.” Alisa’s hand trembled as she pressed the buttons to connect her call. Only one person would be able to help her through this. “Hey, Lena.”

  “I wasn’t expecting to hear from you. How’s Barbados?”

  “It was beautiful, but, um…” Her voice broke. “I’m on my way home now.”

  “Oh no, what happened?”

  How could she explain it to her friend when she couldn’t even make sense of it herself? “It started when I told him that Nick stopped by this week.”

  “I knew he’d cause trouble for you guys.” She sighed. “But Liam can’t blame you for that. You told Nick flat-out that you don’t want anything more to do with him.”

  “I know, but I guess some of the things Nick said made Liam think twice about us.” She’d never forget that vacant look in his eye when she realized he’d given up on them. “We started talking about his business and…” She squeezed her eyes shut to curb the flow of tears. “He basically told me I didn’t know what the hell I was talking about and I needed to stay out of it.”

  “Ouch. He really said that?”

  “Not in so many words, but I got the message loud and clear.”

  “So, what are you gonna do?”

  “The only thing I can do… file for divorce.”

  “Oh no,” Lena whispered. “Are you sure you don’t want to give it some time before you make a decision you might regret? He loves you, Ali. After seeing you two together, I have no doubt about that.”

  It wasn’t just the things he said to hurt her, she could get past that, but she’d come to realize being third on his priority list wasn’t enough for her. “It’s better this way, before either one of us gets in too deep.” She sniffled. “It would’ve been harder months or years from now, when we’d invested more time.” Or kids were involved. It pained her to think that hours ago they’d been talking about starting a family and now they were contemplating divorce.

  “You don’t believe that any more than I do. Breaking up with someone you love sucks. It doesn’t matter whether it’s weeks, months, or years into the relationship.”

  “I got through it with Nick. I’ll get through it this time, too.”

  “God, I don’t even want to tell you this, especially not now, but…”

  Lena usually wasn’t the kind of friend to try and spare Alisa bad news, except where Nick was concerned. “Did he stop by again? Why? He knew I wasn’t going to be there.”

  “He came to talk to me.” Lena heaved a sigh. “I guess he thought he could talk me into helping him get you back.”

  Knowing how much Lena and her ex resented each other, she could only imagine how difficult it must have been for him to swallow his pride and ask for her help. “What did you tell him?”

  “I told him you and Liam were happy. That you guys loved each other and he couldn’t say or do anything to change that.” She groaned. “When he finds out your marriage is over, he’s gonna be relentless.”

  “Don’t worry, I’ll handle him.”

  Liam staggered into the kitchen, knocking the cordless phone off the wall. He’d started drinking after he sent his daughter off to her bedroom and hadn’t stopped in the hours since. He hadn’t been this drunk… ever.

  “What the hell happened to you?” Matthew asked, watching him from the doorway.

  “Haven’t you heard?” He cursed the slur that made him sound so much like his old man had before he finally surrendered his life to the liquid poison. “She left me. She wants a divorce.”

  “Jesus,” Matt muttered, shaking his head in disgust. “What the hell did you do to piss her off? Things seemed to be going so well.”

  Liam watched his brother brew a pot of coffee before he dropped his head on the granite countertop. “I told her she was clueless.”

  Matt rolled his eyes. “Great. Women love to hear that.” He pulled the carafe out as soon as the first cup was ready. He set the tall mug down in front of his brother. “Drink that. I want to know what the hell happened to make her leave you. People fight, they say things they don’t mean, but that’s not enough to make someone decide to give up on their marriage. You’re not telling me something, so let’s hear it.”

  He took a sip of the coffee. Matt was right; he needed to sober up. He hated the way he felt and acted when he binged, which is why he hadn’t indulged since college. “Her ex told her I loved my business more than I’d ever love her.”
/>   “Is that true?” Matt asked, bracing his hands on the counter.

  “Go to hell.”

  “It’s a fair question, Liam. The only thing in your miserable life you’ve ever loved more than that goddamn company is your daughter.”

  “You’re just jealous. Jealous of my success.” He took a long swig of coffee, hoping the time-honored remedy would help him to feel human again.

  Matt choked on his laughter. “You think I’m jealous of you? What the hell have you got to show for all that hard work? A few big empty houses, a fleet of fancy cars, an overpriced plane. Big deal. That don’t amount to shit in the big picture and you know it. I wouldn’t trade my life for yours for anything.”

  His brother’s words were a harsh reminder of how little he had. “You know how to kick a guy when he’s down, lil brother.”

  “Maybe Alisa leaving you was the best thing that could’ve happened to you. Maybe now you’ll get your head out of your ass and figure out what’s really important.”

  “Shit,” Liam said, clutching his chest as he tried to push the stool back from the breakfast bar.

  “What the hell’s wrong with you, man? You’re as white as…” He ran around the counter when Liam tried to reach out for support. “What is it? Oh my God, talk to me. What’s wrong?”

  “Call ambulance,” he whispered before he fell forward into his brother’s waiting arms.

  Chapter Eighteen

  Alisa was too tired to think straight, much less ward off Nick’s advances this morning.

  “Come on, honey,” he said, sliding his hands into her hair as he backed her into the wall. “Now that he’s out of the picture, we can pick up where we left off.”

  Apparently, the absence of her wedding rings told Nick everything he needed to know about the status of her marriage. When she’d tried to tell him that she simply forgot them at home, he insisted he wasn’t buying any more of her excuses.