by Tonya Brooks
“Who did?” He demanded as every protective instinct he possessed rose to the surface. “Who took our son?”
“Child Protective Services,” she choked out as tears began flowing freely down her face. “They had a report that I was unfit.” She grasped his hand in hers with a strength she did not look capable of. “I was doing the best I could, Reece. I swear he was healthy and happy. I'm a good mother. I'd never do anything to hurt my baby.”
Memories of the childhood from hell burst free of the wall he'd built around them. The tears, the pleading, the protestations, all so fucking familiar that he felt physically ill. But this wasn't the evil bitch that had given him birth, Reece reminded himself. This was Jolie. His sweet, gentle sunshine girl didn't have a selfish or greedy bone in her body.
Her desperation was genuine and it shredded him. He lifted her onto his lap, wrapped his arms around her, and held her as she cried out her heartbreak. Right then and there he swore to himself that he'd never let anything hurt Jolie again. “We'll get him back, Sunshine,” he vowed. “I swear no one will ever take Bryce from you again.”
“The social worker said they received an anonymous tip that he was neglected and crying all the time. They said I left him alone while I was at work,” she admitted and her eyes were as tormented as her tone. “I would never do something like that. She said they had to take him away until they completed their investigation.”
“How long has he been gone?” He asked and knew that whoever had been calling her former employers had done this as well. When Reece got his hands on that motherfucker he was going to tear him limb from limb.
“Three days,” she said as she lifted eyes full of anguish to his. “Please tell me you had nothing to do with it.”
Goddammit! The fact that she had to ask sent that knife into his heart again. “I didn't,” he assured her.
“I just want my baby back, Reece,” Jolie said brokenly. “I'll do anything to get Bryce back.”
And there it was.
Jolie had just handed him the perfect opportunity to exploit her weakness and have her completely at his mercy. Ruthless son of a bitch that he was, it was on the tip of his tongue to guarantee the return of their son if she came back to him. But he couldn't bring himself to utter the words that would give him everything he wanted.
It was exactly what his mother would have done in this situation and the realization sickened him. There was no way in hell he could ever take advantage of Jolie like that. Nor would he use his son for his own selfish gain. He'd hurt them both enough already. Dane was right. It had to be her decision.
“Will you let me handle this for you?” He asked instead and was trying to abide by her no manipulation rule. When she nodded her consent, he snatched up his phone. “George, Child Protective Services has my son. I want him delivered to me today. Make it happen.”
He ended the call and Jolie lifted her head to place a kiss on his cheek. “Thank you.”
Such a small action, but it meant everything to him. At that moment, Reece would conquer the whole fucking world if she asked him to. “You're welcome,” he replied and hugged her just a little bit tighter. Nothing had ever felt as right as having Jolie in his arms. He hoped that one day soon, it was where she wanted to be.
After her crying jag, his wife had been wiped out, so Reece carried her into the bedroom where she curled up on his bed and slept. He doubted she'd had much sleep since Bryce had been taken away. Hell, maybe even longer than that. Jolie was a strong woman, but she'd obviously reached her breaking point.
She'd been through so much more than he had imagined. Suffered more pain and tragedy than anyone should ever have to endure. All because some sick fuck had decided to make her life a living hell. That was about to stop and the bastard who'd dared to hurt his wife was going down. Six feet under to be precise.
But first, he needed to find out who it was.
Reece was ruthless to his core. Like a raging river carved through rock, the first twelve years of his life had shaped him that way. In order to survive his brutal existence, he'd grown hard, cold, and emotionally detached. But on the inside, he'd been a raging inferno of fury. Volatile. Dangerous. One step away from self-destructing.
Then Bryce Lassiter had adopted him, and he'd realized that wealth and power would make him invincible. So he had learned to control the darkness inside of him. To behave like a civilized man. He'd channeled all of his considerable focus into feeding an unquenchable thirst for knowledge that had facilitated his quest for power.
Through sheer determination, he had made a place for himself in the world. A place where he was the master of his destiny. The ruler of his fate. His brother jokingly referred to Reece as the great and powerful Oz, and his attorney was the little man behind the curtain pulling the strings. In a way, Dane was right.
There was nothing that Reece could not do. He had more wealth than he'd ever spend. More power than any one man had a right to command. The world was his oyster. But he had discovered that without the woman he loved at his side, it all meant nothing. So he was fully committed to focusing that same determination toward winning her back.
Restoring her faith in him was a priority. Because he knew from experience that once broken, trust was hard to regain. He needed to find a way to convince her that he had not been behind the malicious phone calls. The quickest way to accomplish that feat was to discover who had been.
And deal with the bastard accordingly.
That intent firmly in mind, Reece sat down at his desk and flipped through the investigator's reports. Bartles had been tailing Jolie until their divorce was finalized so perhaps there was something in his reports that would suggest who the mystery man might be. It was a long shot at best, but still worth the effort.
Starting with the oldest postmark date, he unsealed the envelope and began to read the detailed report. His expression grew grimmer with every page. His chest grew tight, his eyes damp. Breathing became difficult. And he hated himself more with every word.
He had thrown Jolie out with nothing but the clothes she'd been wearing. She'd been a distraught, sobbing mess when the police had hauled her away. They had taken her to a homeless shelter where she'd been forced to reside with the dregs of society. While he had gotten completely hammered in his multi-million dollar penthouse.
It was no wonder that his sweet Jolie had become embittered. Reece had left her with no option except to fight for survival the best way she could. But she hadn't possessed the ruthless streak that he'd been born with. She'd been a babe in the woods with no one to turn to. If he'd read the fucking reports when he got them, Reece would have known that.
There had been no other man. No lover for her to run to for help. She'd had no one to care what happened to her. Or their child. No one who gave a damn if they lived or died. No one except his brother. Thank God for Dane's chivalrous streak. He'd taken her out of the shelter and checked her into a suite at the Opulent Resort. He'd also provided clothes and shoes.
Jesus Christ.
She hadn't had any fucking shoes.
His wife had been broke, homeless, barefoot, and pregnant.
Reece scrubbed both hands down his face and discovered it was wet with tears he hadn't been aware of shedding. There were no words to adequately describe the level of self-contempt he felt. He had put Jolie through absolute hell and in essence, forced her to become exactly like himself. The only difference was that she still retained a measure of her soul.
He didn't.
Jolie
Jolie woke feeling better than she had in years and stretched languorously. It was strange how something as insubstantial as hope could lighten the heavy burdens she'd been carrying for so long. But it had and she was positively giddy with relief. She was going to get her son back and finally be able to provide him with a decent life.
Bryce was still a toddler, so he had no concept of poverty, but she wanted so much better for her baby than what she had been able to give him so far. A home in
a neighborhood where children could actually play outside, clothes that hadn't been bought second hand, and educational toys to challenge his inquisitive mind. With a million dollars at her disposal, she could give him the world.
He might not have known the finer things in life, hell, he'd known nothing except the bare necessities so far, but there was one thing that her son had never lacked. Love. He was happy and healthy, and she loved him with every fiber of her being. If a mother's love counted for anything, Bryce Lassiter was the wealthiest little boy alive.
Speaking of wealthy Lassiters, she went in search of her ex and found him sitting at his desk, completely focused on whatever he was reading. The manila envelopes dropped haphazardly onto the floor gave her a good idea. Her stomach lurched at what they might contain. God knew her past had not been pretty.
“What are you doing?”
“Trying to find out who the bastard is,” he muttered absently without looking up.
The world tilted on its axis as she tried to focus on what he was saying through the roaring in her head. “… hoping to find something in these reports that will tell us who's been harassing you. You were being followed when it started so it's possible that the investigator might have…” he paused as he looked up at her. “Are you alright?”
Jolie was so weak with relief that she had to sit down. She managed to nod her head, but it was a lie, and he obviously knew it. Suddenly Reece was kneeling next to her, chafing her cold hands in his. The genuine concern in his startlingly beautiful turquoise eyes was her undoing and a shuddering breath escaped before she could stop it.
He slid both arms around her and held her close as tremors shook her. “Sunshine, what's wrong?” Reece asked gently. “Talk to me.”
For the first time in four years, she had lowered her guard and allowed herself to believe that things were going to get better. Reece had offered her a measure of security, a way out of the situation she was drowning in and the relief had been immense. She had made a tentative start to trusting him again only to be reminded of how insignificant his assurances were.
“When you said… I thought…” she choked out and couldn't even articulate past the fear that had gripped her. She could almost see the thoughts racing in his head. It was amazing how fast the man could process information. It was also unsettling the way he could still read her so easily.
“You thought I meant a lover,” he said heavily and cursed under his breath.
“I'm sorry,” Jolie found herself apologizing because he looked so defeated again. “I had just started trying to trust you and then…”
“I fucked up. Again,” Reece said in a tone filled with self-derision, his mouth set in a grim line. “Make a list of everything you want and I'll have George draw up the agreement as soon as possible,” he offered.
Relief flooded her. “Thank you.”
He lifted a hand to gently caress her cheek and said, “I won't let you down again, Jolie.”
Reminding herself that his words meant nothing, she turned her face away and asked, “Did you find anything?”
“Nothing helpful,” he admitted grimly, and she could tell that he had not liked what he'd discovered about her past so far. His hands came to rest on her shoulders and kneaded the tight muscles lightly. “You're too tense. Go soak in a hot bath and relax.”
The offer was tempting, but not a priority. Jolie had left her purse and phone at the club the night before, and she needed to be available if the social worker tried to contact her. Not to mention she needed something other than his clothes to wear. “I need to go home,” she countered and stood to escape the delicious feel of his hands.
Reece rose as well and the scowl on his face assured her that he was not pleased with the idea. “Why don't you stay here until you find someplace safe?” He suggested. “I can have a realtor arrange some viewings for you.”
The thought of going back to her fleabag apartment chilled her to the bone. Jolie had never felt safe there and couldn't get any decent sleep because she woke at every sound. And in that neighborhood, there were a lot of nerve-wracking sounds. “I accept,” she agreed and saw how relieved he looked. “But I still need to go pick up our things.”
“Why bother?”
Jolie did not take offense at the question since she knew that possessions were disposable and easily replaceable for someone with money, which he had an obscene amount of. “I need to get Bryce's birth certificate and baby pictures,” she explained. “And something to wear other than your pajamas.”
“You look good in my pajamas,” he said with a wicked grin and the desire in his eyes shot straight to her core.
“Will you take me?”
“Anyplace you want to go,” Reece confirmed.
Jolie
Jolie had learned during their marriage that the world of high finance had no set hours. Reece did business all over the world and was quite often on his phone in the middle of the night as well as weekends and holidays. He'd carried on a conference call during the entire drive and it gave her the opportunity to study him.
He was still the most handsome man she'd ever seen, with a body to die for. How she had reveled in exploring his muscular frame, pushing him to the very edge of his control and then sating his desire and hers. Their lovemaking had been a beautiful thing. Sometimes fast and wild, while others were a slow, pleasurable journey to ecstasy.
She had craved his touch with a hunger that no one else would ever be able to satisfy. The sad thing was, she still did. Only Reece could make her mindless with pleasure and leave her so satiated that she was boneless. Her womb clenched in remembrance, and she had to force the images from her head.
Jolie had let him back into her life for their son's sake, but she could not let him back into her bed. Because if she did, he'd own her heart and soul, just like he had before. And just like then, she would be completely vulnerable to him. That was a situation that she simply could not allow to happen.
Reece parked in front of her building and held up a finger, his way of asking her to give him a minute to finish the call. Knowing from experience that it was never that quick, she shook her head and opened the door. By the time he was off the phone, she would have completed the task and be back in the car again.
Glancing back to grin at the scowl he wore, the door to her building opened, and she walked into a solid wall of muscle. Strong arms wrapped around her and hugged tightly as a British accented voice exclaimed, “Jolie, luv, where have you been? I've been worried sick about you.”
“Gavin,” she said in surprise as she looked up at his handsome face just before his lips covered hers.
Reece
When a blonde man grabbed Jolie, an enraged roar tore from Reece's chest. The phone sent flying, in his haste to get to her, he practically tore the door off when he exploded out of the car. At the sight of the other man kissing his wife, his vision turned to black, and all pretenses of being civilized vanished.
“Get the fuck off of her,” he snarled in a guttural tone and flung the other man aside before advancing on him with murderous intent.
Suddenly small hands were pressed against his chest, shoving at him, trying to block him from his intended target. A golden aura appeared in his vision and Jolie's face came slowly into focus. In that second his entire world was reduced to nothing more than her face. Her beautiful face… twisted with fear.
His focus began to clear and his rational mind returned. He could hear himself growling like an enraged beast, smell the stench of rotting garbage and urine on the street around them. In his peripheral he saw the blonde man lying on the sidewalk, staring at him as if he were completely insane.
But his entire being was centered on the woman before him, pleading with him to stop. And she was afraid. Jolie, his beautiful sunshine girl, was afraid. Of him. The knowledge eviscerated Reece and he swayed on his feet. Trembling hands reached out and gently grasped her upper arms as he rasped, “Did he hurt you?”
“Jesus Christ, Reece! Are
you crazy?” Jolie accused as she moved away from him and knelt down beside the other man. “Gavin, I'm so sorry. I don't know what got into him,” she apologized and that amped his anger back up again.
“Who the fuck is he, Jolie?” He snarled, hands clenched into fists at his sides, and ready to rip the other man to shreds.
“Bryce's pediatrician,” she snapped as both she and the other man stood.
“You kiss all your patient’s mothers?” Reece accused viciously as he stalked toward them.
“No,” the man denied and stared back at him belligerently. “The only woman I kiss is Jolie.”
Reece was going to kill him.
His intent must have been obvious because his wife darted back between them. “Reece, don't you dare touch him again,” she commanded.
“Are you lovers?” He demanded in a menacing growl and saw her pale visibly.
And there it was.
Confirmation that his wife had a lover. Like this situation wasn't already fucked beyond redemption to begin with. Reece was walking a fine line between fury and insanity, his legendary self-control precariously balanced once again on a razor edge. Lifting eyes filled with all the fires of hell to the other man, he vowed, “You're a fucking dead man.”
Jolie
Jolie knew that Reece would never physically harm her, but she'd been terrified that he would kill Gavin. Because he had already told her what he would have done to her lover, which is why she stood toe to toe with him and gave him hell. A group of prostitutes on the corner were watching the spectacle with avid interest, but right then she didn't give a damn.
“You goddamn hypocrite,” she shouted furiously. “You fucked half the women on two continents and got your last lover pregnant. It's none of your damn business who I sleep with!”