“Michael, what do you have for me?”
“Reed…” Michael is direct and has absolutely no filter. Hearing him hesitate makes me sit up. “Fuck man, I’m sorry.”
That stuns me for a second. “For what part?”
“All of it, you losing your grandfather then all this shit with Tess. Seriously, I don’t think I would handle it well if all of this got dumped on me.” He inhales loudly. Michael’s a heavy smoker. “Anyway, here’s what I’ve got so far. Tess Rose Gallagher has been living for almost three years in Santa Monica, California.”
As if she knows we’re talking about her, she turns and stares straight into my eyes.
“Go on,” I say, not breaking our gaze.
“She is mother of Luke Brandon Saddington seven pounds, one ounce, and Lilly Rose Saddington six pounds, three ounces born via C-section in Manhattan, on December 9, 2015 at 11:58 p.m. A Dr. Blumen was her physician. Apparently, she had been put on bed rest six weeks earlier.”
“Why?” I interrupt him.
“Hold on. I have it here.” I hear him inhale again, along with the sound of papers shuffling. As I wait, I break eye contact and my gaze travels slowly over her lips then leisurely down her body, which is mostly covered up with her leather jacket. But I can still see her long thin legs in her dark skinny jeans. She huffs, bringing my eyes back to her incredulous stare.
Michael starts reading again. “It was blood pressure and premature labor. Yeah, apparently she was rushed in for emotional distress which caused her blood pressure to spike dangerously…”
“What?” I growl
“Um, I guess it caused her to go into premature labor.” I stop breathing for a second. What the fuck?
“But it says here the doctor stopped it. She had to spend six weeks in the hospital until the twins were born though.” He whistles. “Shit, that would suck. My wife would go insane. Six weeks in the hospital on bed rest!”
My eyes narrow on her. “Alone? Was she alone?” I demand, not caring in the least if she knows I’m talking about her.
“Yes, well, I mean your family was with her.”
“Who?”
“Jax, your dad, and a Mateo Brance Martinez checked her in.”
Another whistle escapes him. “You’re going to like this one, Reed.”
“What?” Rubbing my head, I’m getting sick of his dramatics.
“She put you on the birth certificates as the father. Which means if you want to go after her, you have a solid case since she purposely kept your children from you.”
My head starts to throb. Do I want to go after her like that? Make her suffer?
“Leave it, Michael.” A second—that’s all it took. I won’t hurt her using our children. That is her cross to bear and it would upset and damage Lilly and Luke. From what little I have seen of them, they both seem to be healthy, happy kids. Tess has embraced motherhood, and she adores them, which makes me angry because I knew she would be an incredible mother. My war is with Tess and I don’t want my children hurt.
“I want this handled quietly. Now that I’m back, the press will of course see them. Make sure it is known that I am their father and that they have been a part of my life even though I have been overseas.”
“You’re sure, Reed? Once you go public, it will hurt you, not her. She’s the mother. Always remember, the mother has the control. That’s why if you want custody, don’t play nice from the beginning.”
“No, we’ll share and get a handle on the story. As soon as the funeral happens and the paparazzi see them it’s going to be insane.”
Tess starts to fidget with her fingernails. Her leg is bouncing and she looks about as drained as I feel.
“As your lawyer, I must advise you that I think playing nice with Tess is a mistake. As your friend, I’ll make it happen.” He sighs.
“What about the name I texted you?” I stare at Tess. Her eyes are glued to the scenery we pass.
“Hold on. He was easy… Okay, so one Scott James Warner. He’s thirty-two and owns his own window company. He has no record, pays all bills on time. Owns a small house in Venice Beach, California. From what little time I had, it seems they met through a Logan Rupert and have been dating for a year or so. He is a nice white guy who makes a decent living and is desperately in love with your girl.”
That makes me wince. “She’s not mine.”
The thought that another man has seen Tess naked, been inside her makes me want to punch the seat in front of me. Instead, I blink a couple times. What does it matter how many men she has wrapped those skinny legs around? Clearing my throat, I say, “All I care about is going forward. I have two children who need me. Thanks, Michael. The funeral is tomorrow.” Tess looks over at me. Her eyes swim with tears. It distracts me enough that I forget everything for a second and lose myself in her sapphire eyes.
“Reed? You still there?”
“Yeah, sorry… lot of stuff on my mind.” Tess looks away. “So I will need a top realtor obviously. I won’t be returning overseas.”
“Reed, please…” Tess bites her bottom lip.
“What?” I smirk at the death stare she gives me.
She clutches her red purse. “Never mind. You do what you have to do. It doesn’t concern me anymore.”
“Anything else?”
“Yes, you’ve been paying child support to Tess from the day your children were born.”
“How much?”
“Thirty thousand a month. You also bought the house where she and your children live in Santa Monica.” I smile, not caring if Tess sees me.
“Perfect.”
He chuckles. “Yeah, I thought you might like that last bit. You basically own her.”
I look around. We’ve made it to my grandfather’s estate. The rain seems to have stopped for the moment. Tess seems ready to leap out of the SUV.
“Keep doing what you do best, Michael, and I’ll be in touch.”
“Yeah, yeah, tell your parents I send my best. I’ll have almost everything you requested by tomorrow morning.”
I put my phone in my jacket pocket and grab Tess’s wrist before she can bolt from the vehicle.
“What are you doing?” she all but hisses.
“You need to understand two things. One, I don’t give a shit about your reasons. Two, you are the mother of my children, so for them, I will play nice.” She glares at me and tries to pull away.
Jax has finally hung up. He turns, an eyebrow raised at my hand wrapped around Tess’s thin wrist.
“You guys ready?”
“No, I’m not ready,” she snaps. “I have to go back to Luke and Lilly. They are my responsibility.” She scoots forward to talk to the driver. I open the door and reach over pulling her with me. She digs in her heels and rips her hand away. I reach for her again when Jax groans.
“Jesus Christ, you two.” He opens his door angrily. “I’m fucking tired. There’s probably paparazzi. Can we not make a scene on our grandfather’s front lawn?” Both of us stare at him.
“Tess, please stay here tonight, okay? It’s getting late and the rain is coming…”
“You of all people know that’s not happening. I stay with my children.” She crosses her hands over her chest.
I don’t know what triggers me. Is it the fact that she’s not responding the way I want, or that I can’t seem to keep my hands off her? Or is it because she’s a liar and refers to our children as hers? But I want to wrap my hands around her flawless neck and squeeze.
Jax rolls his eyes. “Great. I’m tired. You two do whatever it is you guys need to do. See you in the morning.” He steps out of the Audi and slams the door. Tess jumps, along with the driver who clears his voice and gently shuts his door, leaving me alone with Tess and her icy silence.
She tries to open her door, but the childproof lock is on. I almost laugh at her disappointed face. “Unbelievable.” She grabs her bag and tries to scoot over me. It’s almost too easy, but I’ll take it. I reach for her waist and pull he
r back. She falls right on my hard shaft and starts to squirm. I should let her go, but when have I ever done what’s right? I wrap my hand around her neck, holding her in place while I place my lips at her ear. She gasps but stills her breathing and it comes in short puffs. I let my other hand wander up to her full breast and squeeze painfully.
“Reed,” she whimpers. I can’t help but smirk. She’s scared, which makes my dick twitch as if it wants out and in her. I should toss her away. Instead I leave her breast and force her ass harder on my erection.
“Feel this?”
“Yes,” she whispers. I bite her ear and she jerks but says nothing more.
“This is the kind of man I am now.” I press harder against her ear. “So be a good girl and don’t piss me off and I might let you go.” My voice comes out rough. I didn’t set out to do this. I never thought about how I would handle my sense of injustice with her.
“You’re shaking. Are you scared?” Unable to help myself, I want to get into her head and fuck with it.
“What are you going to do to me, Reed? Murder me? Rape me? Beat me? Or are you going to let me go inside so that I can give my regrets to your parents?” Her words are strong, challenging, her raspy voice wrapping around me like a silk ribbon.
I tighten my hand on her neck. She finally struggles enough for me to know I’m in her head. The one thing Tess hates is lack of air. That was always a weak spot thanks to her anxiety. It’s unfortunate for her that I know all her weaknesses.
“I bet if I stuck my hand down these jeans, I’d find you wet.” Unable to stop myself, I put my hand in between her legs and spread mine wide to open hers and rub her through the thick denim of her jeans.
“That’s it, Kitten… your cunt is so hot.” My fingers pop open her top button and I slowly drag the zipper down. I breathe in her scent, fueling my excitement. “Let’s see how much you hate me.” I slide my hand over her flat stomach and into her tiny panties.
“Reed,” she hisses.
Ignoring her, I tighten my grip, sliding my hand into her slick honey.
“Fuck,” I rasp because she is wet. I forget that I hate her, that she’s a bad person. All I feel is her delicious cunt quivering on my hand.
“Christ, Tess, I’m barely touching your pussy and your slick wetness is dripping on my hand.”
She tries to close her legs, but I tighten her neck bringing her head back so I can stare into her eyes. “I’m gonna finger fuck you and you’ll come only when I say so.”
Power. It’s like a drug and it’s ten million times more amplified with Tess.
She’s panting as I roughly take two fingers and rub her clit. Her eyes are wide, but her body is back to obeying. I see the moment it happens—her eyes glaze over with need. It’s almost burning out of her, which makes me growl as my balls tighten.
“I missed this plump clit, you know.” I rub it hard. Her pants are tight, so it’s easy to create the friction that makes her moan. Her face that I love to hate almost looks too perfect to be real. As she latches her nails into my forearms, she’s completely at my mercy and I love it. I lick her ear and travel down her long neck.
She bites her lower lip to avoid screaming as her pussy pulses, and I haven’t even dipped inside her slick core. When I loosen my hand on her neck, she whimpers. She’s flushed and her full lips are the color of deep red cherries.
I can’t help but smile as her orgasm drenches my fingers and her beautiful eyes glaze over in satisfied bliss.
I bring my hand out and shove the wetness into my mouth. “Yep, it’s you… I have to say you have the best-tasting come, Tess.”
Her breath is harsh. My crude words wake her up and she utters a mortified gasp. She brings her hands up, and I let her go. She catches herself on the back of the driver’s side headrest.
“What the fuck is wrong with you? You’re completely insane!” Her hands shake as she frantically buttons and zips her jeans. Then she scurries to the other side. “You…” She pushes her hair back. “You’re not normal anymore.”
If she thinks that’s an insult, she is going to be sorely disappointed. I laugh. “You have yourself to thank for the man I am today.” And to rub it in, I flash her my dimples and watch as her eyes change from blue fire to sad, defeated slits.
She reaches up with her delicate hand and rubs her forehead then glances out the window at the rain starting to sprinkle. “If you’re done torturing me, I’m tired and need to call Brance and check in.”
“Not until you say thank you for making you come. I did it as a favor to you.”
She hisses in some air, her eyes flashing with anger and humiliation.
We stare at each other, our energy thick and heavy in the backseat. “Fuck you, Reed. You gave me no choice.”
Her raspy voice goes straight to my already hard erection, and I have to fight myself from grabbing her head and forcing her to choke on my cock. Instead, I take a breath and try to calm down. I need to make arrangements for Luke and Lilly.
Stepping out of the SUV, I hold out my hand for her.
She slaps it away. “You’re joking, right?” With a quick grab of her purse, she scoots out. Tossing her hair off her shoulder, she walks up the steps, her graceful strut a brutal stab in my heart. I always loved her walk. She makes it to the top and surprises me by not fleeing.
She spins toward me. “Please don’t think you can bully me. If you want to talk like adults, you know where you can find me.” And like a queen, she grabs the old door handle and enters my grandfather’s mansion.
I don’t know how long I stand out in the rain replaying what happened, but I do know I need a cigarette. Not ready to face anyone, I go to the Audi and sit in the back, the splatter of drops somewhat calming as they pound the vehicle. I light up and lean my head back to enjoy it. With the twins, my smoking will have to go. Keeping the door cracked, I inhale and wonder who started me smoking? David or Lexi or both? Or maybe the fact I didn’t give a fuck drew me to them and to cigarettes. Hanging one foot out of the car, I look down at drops of rain dripping on my shoe.
“Christ.” Why can’t I ever control myself around her? Tossing the cigarette out, I pull out my phone to call Jay’s number. Tess’s smell still clings to my fingers and I take another breath to focus on my children. Getting to know them is my number one priority not fucking their mother.
“What can I do for you, Mr. Saddington?” Jay’s sarcastic voice brings me back to the now.
“Where are you?” Jay is a dick, but he’s loyal and I trust him.
“I’m sitting in a suite at the Plaza, waiting for your phone call. You’re late. I had money on you calling half an hour ago.”
“I want the best men watching that door twenty-four seven. And in the morning, make sure Brance packs up and checks out. Bring my children here. They will not spend any more time away from me. Any questions?”
“No.”
“Thanks, Jay. I’ll see you and my children in the morning.” I need a hot shower.
A delivery truck is pulling up behind me. I open the front door for the man carrying more flowers in and take the spiral staircase two at a time up to my room.
TESS
Present day – twenty-five years old
I pause to catch my breath. I’m shaking and go straight into one of the many guest bathrooms. Nodding at a security guard, I shut the door, lock it, and plop myself on the toilet seat. Breathe in and out. That was awful on so many levels. Reed has become a monster. A monster my body responded to way too quickly.
“God.” I cringe and cover my face. It’s not that big of a deal. Reed and I have a history. My body is trained to respond to his touch even if it was only to scare me, punish me. Even now that we’ve left the car, his touch still burns my skin like I’ve been singed.
“He’s a maniac,” I whisper. Great, I’m talking to myself. Had I not witnessed the love in his eyes when he looked at Luke and Lilly, I would have him locked up. Not that I have that kind of power, but still. Closing m
y eyes, I will my hands to stop shaking, get my phone out, and tap on Brance’s name.
“Yellow?” He sounds so happy I want to scream.
“It’s me.” I jump up and start to pace in the ornate turquoise-and-gold bathroom.
“Why are you whispering? Lilly, do not even think about turning that channel. It’s Luke’s turn… Sorry, how we doing?”
My mind pictures all three of them cuddling up together getting ready to watch Disney Junior or some other kid show. I want to burst into tears.
“It looks like I’m staying here tonight and the funeral is tomorrow.”
“Jay already filled me in. We’ll be there bright and early. Get some sleep. I’ve got this.”
“Brance?”
Giggling and happy squeals fill the phone and I can’t help but smile. “Hold on a second… You two are going to fall off the bed if you continue to jump like that.” I hear both of them say they are fine.
“Make it quick, Tess. I feel a disaster coming.”
I wave my hand even though he can’t see it. “It’s nothing. Go have fun. Tell them I miss and love them.”
“Tess, spit it out.”
“Reed’s different, right?”
“Um, from what little I saw, he seemed like the same ass as usual. You’re just not used to him being an ass to you.”
I look up at myself in the giant gold mirror. “Is that true?”
He chuckles. “Reed is Reed.”
“And…”
He sighs. “He’s going to be a good father. He wants them. I watched him. He looks at them like he used to look at you.”
I flinch. For some insane reason, that statement hurts—so much so that I almost rub my heart. I drop back down onto the toilet seat as I try to tell myself that I don’t care. “Yes, Reed will be a great dad. I’m so depressed.” And I almost tell him what happened.
“I’m not engaging in this conversation. I thought you hated him, remember?” He snickers, and if I could reach inside the phone and punch him I would.
“Why do I hear an echo?”
I sigh. “I’m in a bathroom hiding I guess.” Wondering how I’m going to survive the rest of my life.
The Enlightened (Entitled Book 2) Page 9