by H. Q. Frost
Storming into the living room I grab his sleeve and drag him into the kitchen. "Lower your fucking voice!"
"What is that?" he growls pointing toward the living room and I react before thinking, snapping my hand across his face.
My daughter is not a that.
Holding his cheek he takes a minute before looking at me with that same blaze in his eyes. "Is she Kipper’s?" He rubs the red mark, probably wanting to hit me back but controls himself.
My mouth opens but I pause. It's coming together that he doesn't actually realize that's his daughter.
"That's…she's…" Do I tell him? Perhaps she's safer if he knows she's his daughter. "She's yours." How did he not know I was carrying twins?
"Please," he snorts. "Explain that."
Closing my eyes, I rub my temples. "Sit." I walk to the kitchen table.
He doesn't sit, he paces. The crazed man looks like he's hanging on by only a thread so I start talking.
"I had twins, Callum. A girl and a boy. You took my boy. You only wanted a male heir."
The pacing's stopped but the deranged look on his face hasn't changed. Grabbing a chair, he yanks it back from the table and sits, his elbows resting on the surface and he holds his head up, not allowing me to see his expression anymore.
"Keep talking. Now. Finish telling me exactly what happened." The tone of his voice isn't one I want to test, so I talk.
"Your grandmother was in the room when I delivered. He…he was handed directly over to her and I never saw him again. A while later her and Kip showed up at my mom’s with all your paperwork. I signed everything you asked. I agreed to everything."
"What was everything?" he asks as if he's pissed at me for this. This whole thing is his fault!
"The divorce decree. Paperwork signing over rights to my son. The statement that I won't try to have contact with you or any Carbon, including my son. I won't even think about you or your family." I look at the table, thinking about how much I've failed at that promise. "I signed them all and she took them back, promising to protect me from you."
He snickers and I pause, thinking he has something to say, but his head's still dropped and he doesn't speak.
"I…" Everything that comes next involves Kip. "I did what you asked. I don't want any trouble for me or my family. So tell me why you're here."
"The truth," he responds and lowers his arms to look at me. "That was your side of the story. Now let me tell you the truth. I tried to contact you for months after you left me at the airport."
That's very true but his insincere texts and voicemails didn't have me wanting to run back to him.
"You ignored every text and call."
"Magdelena, call me," I drone. "Didn't really light a fire under my ass to want to contact you. I wanted you to leave me alone."
"Well you got your wish."
"Then why are you here?"
"Because I just found out your version of the story and I had to come tell you the truth."
"What's the truth?"
"I didn't know you were pregnant until my great grandmother showed up on the estate with my abandoned son—"
"Abandoned!"
"She said you abandoned him out of hatred, wanting nothing to do with the Carbons so you couldn't stand the thought of raising my child."
"Callum—" He stops me by lifting his hand.
"She moved onto the estate at that point. No mention of twins. I was caught in a whirlwind, not sure if I wanted to contact you. I couldn't wrap my head around you abandoning your son."
"I didn't."
"Please!" His fist hits the table and I jump. "Let me finish." The way he glares at me makes me nod my head in compliance. "Not long after I unexpectedly became a father, I was served with divorce paperwork signed by you."
"You signed first!" I protest, having a hard time keeping my commentary quiet.
"I never signed and the paperwork I was handed only held your signature. At that point, I knew it was over. I hadn't even known you had contact with my grandmother. She informed me you contacted her to get the child. If I tried to contact you again, you'd fight to get full custody of Cole and then you'd give him up."
"Cole?" the name squeaks from me and my eyes fill with tears.
"I had no reason not to believe her. You wanted nothing to do with me. I believed her when she said you wanted me dead. When you left me at the airport that day, I've never seen that amount of hate in anyone before."
That day I was so hurt. He called me nothing but a contract and I hated him more than anything in the world.
"So for the past four years, every time I look into his face, I've been wishing you dead." So much anger and hate drives his words before he exhales. "I didn't understand how you could abandon such a beautiful gift."
"I didn't," I whimper and my tears fall. "I swear I didn't."
His hand raises again. "I know you didn't. I know the truth now and you should too. Every demand and claim she came to you with was that of her own. None of those messages were delivered on my behalf, Magdelena, and I hate you for never trying to contact me."
"You wanted me dead," I snap and wipe at my tears with shaking hands. "You said you'd make sure I’d die a painful death if you ever saw my face or heard my voice again."
"She told you that, but would I ever say such a thing?" He looks disgusted with me, but how could he be?
"Yes! I truly believe you would."
"I would never." His hand hits the table and he sits forward.
"Why should I believe that? All I was was a contract you loathed."
"Let's not get dramatic."
"Let's not." I stand and go for the bottle of wine. "So you didn't think you should contact me for answers to why I would give up." I roll my eyes with a shake of my head. "Our son."
"I had the answers. They were also in a signed letter from you stating how loathsome you find me and my family."
"Oh," the word chuckles from me. "I do." The short glass I poured is gulped down then refilled.
He snickers at the comment, leaning back in the chair like he's losing the will to keep Callum Carbon's taut, proper posture. He's starting to look as pathetic as me.
"You have my daughter. Poppy." It's as if he's telling himself this and conjuring a plan. A vacant gaze peers at my kitchen table.
"No fucking way. Get it out of your head. You fucked me so bad. You stole from me, Callum. A life. The life of my son! You stole him!"
"I just told you the fucking truth, Magdelena," he snaps, getting to his feet. "I'm just as fucked as you."
"Hardly! Your family took my child."
"And I had no idea I've had a daughter." His hands flex into fists. "I didn't come here to talk about who got fucked over worse. I came here to tell you Kipper is using you to gain power within the family and my great grandmother's been helping him for years." Pushing his hand into his pocket, he pulls out the ring and lifts it for me to see before sliding it across the table. "Try and marry him, Magdelena. You're still married to me and I'll kill him before you see the day you marry another man."
My brows raise in shock. He's…jealous?
"Excuse me?"
"It wasn't real. None of it. Every paper you signed was never reviewed or signed by me. The divorce didn't go through. You're still married to me."
That's not what I was asking to be excused from, but that's also a huge shock. I can't wrap my head around any of this. Callum in my house. Everything he just told me. Which I'm not sure I can believe. Clearly the Carbons are manipulative. Now he's telling me he's not allowing me to marry Kip.
"Using me how? How will he gain power through me? I'm no one." One thing at a time. There are way too many subjects for my tired brain to absorb tonight.
"You're Magdelena Carbon. Mother of Cole Carbon. Who is the next rightful heir of the Carbon fortune and estate which he cannot obtain until he's of age."
"And you are Callum Carbon. His father. The current heir and Duke of Covington." When he looks away from m
e I move closer to him. There's something he's not telling me. "Callum? How can I help him in any way when you're still very much in charge of the estate and your title?"
I'm not here for her sympathy or forgiveness. I'm not here to form an alliance. I certainly didn't come here to find out he proposed to her. And I promised myself I wouldn't tell her that I will die because of her.
I am going to die. My great grandmother is eventually going to kill me for disgracing the Carbon name, just as the contract states. If my wife leaves me, I will be killed for being an ignominy.
"Callum?" she speaks louder and I look into her face.
My Pleasure.
"I will be stepping down."
"Why would you ever do that?"
Can't she see my grandmother played us both? Clearly the evil woman hates me as much as she hates her.
"It's been requested by my great grandmother." I don't know what else to tell her.
I didn't exactly think all of this through. The first flight I could obtain brought me here once I read the documents between Germaine and Kip. It was also the first I learned of Magdelena being with him.
"I have one question." I look into those icy blue eyes, unsure of who I'm looking at anymore.
These past three years I trained myself to despise her. It was a hard task to do, but she abandoned my son and just that little piece of her personality made me want to hate her.
"Kipper?" I question.
"That's your only question?" She snickers and pours herself more wine.
"You fucked him when we were together?"
"What!" squawks from her. "Are you kidding me!"
"Convince me otherwise."
"Leave. Now. Get the hell out of my house." That response is painful. Her avoidance of a straight answer tells me what I feared to be true.
"Not until I see my daughter."
We're in a predicament now. It's all out there, or most of it. I have a daughter I've never seen. Her a son she's never met. Where do we go from here? Sadly, Magdelena will never meet her son. If she feared for her life before, she has a lot more to fear now. If my grandmother finds out I came here, we're both as good as dead. How can I protect her now?
"Where's my son, Callum? Huh? I want to meet him." What's in her glass is drained and she pours more. The bottle is close to empty and she's only been drinking it for fifteen minutes or so.
"You know that can't happen."
"And you can't meet her." Her head drops and she stares toward my feet. "Leave my house. Before I call the police."
"Now what, Magdelena?" I glance back at the ring he gave her. I want to pay him a visit next, but I can't. My great grandmother cannot know I was here.
"Now you leave."
"Now I leave." I chuckle and drop my head, giving it a shake. Reaching over I pick up the ring and stare at it. Cheap. "Do you think he actually loves you?"
She looks away. Saying those words hurt me more than her. He probably does love her and I hate the thought.
"He's been playing you like a pawn since the beginning and you move with such grace across his board. Now you're left unprotected." I advance toward her and she moves back as I get closer. "So vulnerable," I taunt her as her back hits the counter and she can't move anymore. I'm close enough I can feel her body heat. "I will take you, little pawn, and when your king isn't protected any longer." I take her left wrist and lift her hand. "I will kill him." Shoving the ring onto her trembling finger, I try not to bare my teeth as that thought consumes me. Leaning closer, I inhale and my eyes close. "You're such a pretty waste of time," I breathe against her jaw, feeling her tremble. "And you're always on my mind." Announcing that wasn't intentional but being in her presence again has put a fog over my thoughts. "Tell him I was here, Magdelena," I say as I move for her back door. "And all your fears will come true. I was never the threat." I look back to see she's staring after me, unsure what to say.
"Wait," she blurts before I step into the dark. "I…I don't know what to do now." Her lack of confidence is disappointing.
"Do what you've been doing." There really isn't an answer. We let this happen to us.
I didn't come here expecting to find out my son has a twin sister. My only intentions were to try and clear my name. She hates me, as well as she should, but I couldn't give her more reason when I wasn't actually guilty of those sins.
"Callum, you can't just walk away after all that." She moves toward me like she's going to grab me and pull me back into the house. Why do I welcome her desperation for me? Peace was finally made when I thought she loathed me. "Kip. He wants to hurt me?"
I want to lie and tell her yes, but I don't think those are his intentions. He wants to advance in the family. Wouldn't be the first time someone not of blood became a Carbon.
Her fingers tug at the ring he gave her.
"No," I admit. "He'll probably be what keeps you alive."
"What's that mean?"
Staring into that face, I want to grab her and scream at her about how much I miss her.
"I don't understand how it came about. You and Kipper together," I admit to her and she drops her gaze in guilt. "But I don't believe Kipper will allow you to get hurt. I was never the threat. And Kipper is a pawn on my grandmother's board, and you are too."
"I'm not a fucking chess piece, Callum."
I smirk at her anger. "You should have come back to me." When I reach up to touch her face, she flinches back and it's probably for the best that I can't touch her. "I can't protect you now."
"Protect me from what? Your grandmother?"
"If you listened to anything I said, you'd realize she's the one that will make you hurt more than she already has."
"And why should I believe you?"
"Because, Magdelena. I never wanted to make you hurt the way she does."
"But you did want to hurt me." Her arms cross and make her breasts push up, giving a wonderful view of her cleavage, though now is not the time to appreciate that.
"Yes," I admit before stepping out the door. "In all the ways you wanted me to. You can't hide from me, and I will be back to meet my daughter. And then…you can go back to the life you've been living."
"Callum!" She grabs my arm. "How?" Her head shakes in confusion and she lets me go, looking around for her words. "How? After everything you just told me. Kipper is…works for? Or, or…something. I don't know. But Kip, he knew? Everything? He knew." She deserves that shock for even getting involved with him.
I was a fool to believe she never had an interest in him. Granted I know how shrewd Kipper can be and he would do anything to…have her. But she deserves this for allowing him into her life. She's trying to marry my ex-friend. She was mine.
"Be careful who you fall for, Magdelena. They aren't always who they seem."
She glares at me, but I leave her with that and hope it burns.
Having actual business to tend to, I fly to California to meet with Tim Meadows.
"Callum? Magdelena is thriving?" he asks and I sit up straighter, getting out of my thoughts.
"Come again?" He knows, or thinks, we're divorced. Why would he ask me that?
"The Magnum account. Are we gaining or losing?"
Fuck. I need her out of my head. She's always in my head, it never stops, but after seeing her in the flesh, the thoughts in my head are much different. I always mourned her leaving me, told myself over and over to hate her. Some days I believed it. Other days I wished I would have done it all differently. But I haven't fantasized about her the way I've been since I left her house. I want to punish her for all of this, but I only want it to hurt in the way she wants. I know what she craves sexually. I never gave it to her, but I know what she likes. She likes feeling used but in a way she knows she's cherished. She's my fucked up pleasure.
"Yes. Fine." I nod and tap my pen on the notepad in front of me.
"Are you here? Mentally? Are you with us?" Tim is pissed and he has every right to be because since I've stepped into this room, I've mentally c
hecked out.
"I'm here," I assure and sit up taller. "It's the states." Giving him a smile, I tease, "I hate being in this country. That's why we usually conduct business in my home."
"Give and take," Tim says.
I nod, still smiling at him but my mind's back on Magdelena. What I want to give her. And what I want to take.
I'm supposed to fly home from here and I'm eager to get back to my son. I'm even more eager to sit down with my grandmother to work out a bargain for my life. I just want to live peacefully and watch my son grow to be a man. I would step down and give it all to whomever she wants. Just let me live to see the day Cole proves me wrong and grows to be a man ten times my worth. Not financially, though he will be, but capable of knowing what's good for him before it's too late.
Before I can return home, I have to see Magdelena once more. Something is preventing me from leaving without seeing her again. I know what that something is and will be sorely disappointed when I don't get what I want, but it doesn't mean I can't try.
Would I take Magdelena back if she asked? Yes. Even though she's given herself to Kipper. Would my great grandmother allow it? Never. And she would kill me, Magdelena, our daughter, and Magdelena's family. So there is no sense in romancing ideas of reconciling with my wife. But I can romance the idea of claiming my Pleasure once more.
The house is lit up and there are people moving inside. The thought one is Kipper makes me grip the steering wheel tightly. He used her, played her, and she loves him. Hatred doesn't begin to explain my feelings toward the man. I want to slit his throat. I want to string him up and watch him bleed out. I want to beat him with my fists until my flesh melds with his in a bloody heap. All in front of Magdelena so she can witness the destruction of her love. I want to ruin the diamond with waves of his blood and watch her drown in it. See if she can sparkle doused in red.
God, I hate how she sparkles. It's so deceiving. The devil is dressed in the most beautiful skin and I hate I was lured into her trap years ago. I forever wear the brand of that trap imbedded on my soul. It will never heal, not even in death. And yet here I sit, outside of her house until she's alone just so I can come face to face with her again. Smell her. Possibly feel her.