Ruthless Bastard: Rich Ruthless Bastards Book Two

by Tonya Brooks

  “Uh, uh!” The hooker with blue hair exclaimed.

  “You tell him, girl,” the brunette with a ponytail called out encouragingly.

  “The hell it isn't,” Reece shouted right back at her. “You're my wife!”

  “Girl, you need to lay some lovin’ on that fine ass man and keep him at home,” the redhead opined.

  “I’ll take him if you don’t want him,” the platinum blonde offered.

  “You threw me out,” Jolie accused viciously. “And divorced me the same day I had your son!”

  “No, he di'int!” The redhead said in shock.

  “That ain't right,” the hooker with blue hair said in contempt.

  The fight seemed to drain out of him and Reece admitted, “I was a fucking fool.”

  “Aw, hell, no. Don't be backin' down,” the pimp insisted in disgust.

  “You're acting like one now,” Jolie assured him while an argument broke out between the hookers over whose side they should be on.

  “Because seeing you with another man kills me?” He demanded, anguish dulling his turquoise eyes.

  “She is a prime piece,” the pimp interjected.

  Though she wasn’t in love with the handsome doctor, Jolie did care a great deal for him. He had been the pediatrician on call at the hospital when Bryce was born, and he’d become a dear friend when she’d been at the lowest point of her life. Even before they became intimate, Gavin had been there for her through the good times and the bad.

  Which was a hell of a lot more than she could say for her ex. Even so, the pain in Reece’s expression clawed at her heart and Jolie had to fight a battle with herself before she replied. “Because you agreed to let me make my own decisions,” she reminded him in a more reasonable tone. “That includes who I sleep with.”

  “I know that's right,” the platinum blonde agreed.

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  Reece

  Reece could not deal with this shit.

  Knowing that Jolie had a lover destroyed him. His heart was completely shredded and his head really was going to explode. Because she was right. He'd been the one to end their marriage, and in the cruelest way imaginable he'd just discovered. He'd had no idea when George had delivered the divorce papers, but his lawyer would pay for that mistake.

  Dearly.

  And yes, he'd had his share of lovers, but none of them had meant a goddamn thing to him. However, he knew that Jolie did not indulge in sex without being emotionally involved. That meant she had to have feelings for the other man. That was the part he could not handle. Because if she loved the doctor, he didn't have a hope in hell of getting her back.

  “Can we continue this discussion without an audience?” He forced himself to ask as calmly as possible since half of the fucking neighborhood had gathered to hear them air their dirty laundry.

  “Can you behave like a civilized adult?” She challenged.

  “Don't push it,” he warned and would not make any guarantees.

  Jolie sighed in exasperation and gave him a venous look. “Stay right there and don't you dare interfere,” she warned and walked over to where the other man was leaning against the building glaring daggers at him.

  Reece glared sheer venom back at his enemy, but the doctor ignored him as he and Jolie carried on a conversation that was impossible to hear over the din around them. The son of a bitch had no idea how lucky he was. If Jolie hadn't stopped him, he would have killed him. If the bastard touched her again, he would.

  Jolie

  “I take it that's your ex,” Gavin deduced as he kept an eye on the other man.

  “It is,” she admitted in exasperation. “Reece is… insane.”

  “Insanely jealous you mean,” he corrected angrily before his expression sobered. “Are you alright, luv? I've been calling you all day.”

  “I left my phone at work last night,” Jolie confessed. “I'm sorry if I worried you.”

  “Worrying about you has become a habit,” Gavin admitted with a warm smile. “Have you made any progress with getting Bryce back?”

  “No, but Reece is going to get him back for me,” she assured him with unshakable confidence. When her ex set his mind to something, nothing and no one could stop him.

  “I was wondering how he came to be here,” he responded with a worried expression. “Is there anything I need to know?”

  “We're not reconciling if that's what you're asking,” Jolie denied.

  “Does he know that?” He asked doubtfully.

  “Oh, he knows, but knowing and accepting are two entirely different things,” she pointed out.

  “A man would be a fool to give up on you,” Gavin said seriously and trailed his fingertips down her arm. How she wished his touch could produce half the sensations that her ex-husbands did. “I'm a prime example of that.”

  Gavin had been determined to win her over since the day they met. The man was tenacious as hell, and she'd finally agreed to go on an actual date with him a year ago. Their relationship had recently progressed into intimacy, but he'd never driven her out of her mind with pleasure. Only one man could melt her with a look.

  The one-man she could never trust.

  The same man who looked like he was about to lose his shit again. “Reece is helping me find a place to live, so I'm just here to pick up a few things,” she explained. “I'll call you as soon as we're settled.”

  “Thank God you're finally getting out of this place,” he said in genuine relief. “And whenever you’re ready, the offer to move in with me will be waiting.”

  She had refused countless offers to move in with him or to let him pay for a nicer place for her to live. Gavin was a decent, caring man who deserved a woman that could give him her whole heart. Jolie would never be that woman and it wasn’t fair to lead him on. She’d known from the start that she’d never love him the way he deserved.

  The way she had loved her asshole ex.

  “Thank you, Gavin,” she smiled and placed a kiss on his cheek. The sound of Reece growling again had her hurrying into the building before he blew a gasket. She had known that he would follow her and the fury rolling off of him was palpable as they climbed the stairs.

  Reece

  After one last warning look and a feral baring of teeth, Reece followed her into the building. He noticed that the front door was not locked, which meant anyone could just walk inside. The legs sticking out into the hallway assured him that had already happened. Jesus. There was a homeless man sleeping under the stairwell.

  Taking the stairs two at a time, he followed her to the third floor and down the narrow hallway. Some of the apartments had numbers, some didn't. Some barely had doors. The stench of sour cabbage and stale urine assaulted his nostrils while the sound of rap music thumping and a baby crying filled his ears. He shuddered in revulsion at the memories they evoked.

  They stopped in front of a door with one of the numbers hanging upside down before Jolie laid her head against the wood and groaned, “The keys are in my purse at the club.”

  Reece took her arm and gently moved her aside before he kicked the door off of the hinges. A single piece of wood held in place by three security locks was all that remained. He looked over at his wife's astonished expression and growled, “I needed to break something.”

  “You need anger management classes,” she snapped before stepping into the apartment and walking over what remained of the decimated door.

  “Had 'em. They just pissed me off,” he admitted and followed her inside the... what the fuck? His eyes scanned the tiny apartment in shock. It wasn't even large enough to be called a studio. His goddamn bathroom was bigger than this. Hell, his shower took up more space than the kitchenette situated on his left.

  A rickety bistro table with two mismatched chairs sat just inside the doorway. A twin size bed was placed sideways at the opposite end of the room and reached from wall to wall. A shabby, oversized chair flanked the head of the bed while a small chest of drawers with an analog TV and VCR on to
p sat opposite it at the foot.

  The appliances were even more outdated, and if the high-pitched whine coming from the refrigerator was any indication, barely operational. Layer upon layer of paint was peeling from the walls and the faded linoleum floor was cracked and torn. The shoe box apartment was immaculately clean, but no way in hell was it fit for habitation.

  Son of a bitch.

  His self-disgust returned with a vengeance. Thank God his wife and son didn’t have to spend another night in this hellish place. He'd get them situated into the penthouse or book them a suite at Opulent until Jolie was ready to come home.

  She went directly to the chest, opened the bottom drawer, and removed a tattered shoebox. Jolie placed it on the bed before opening another drawer and removing a plain white bra and panties. From the quick glimpse he'd had, the undergarments were a far cry from the erotic lingerie he had bought her and taken great pleasure in removing from her body.

  She moved on to the closet, grabbed a pair of faded jeans and a T-shirt before entering the bathroom and shutting the door with a snap. Yeah, she was pissed. Well, so was he. They were going to have a serious conversation about her relationship with the fucking doctor, but he needed to get his shit together first.

  Like that was going to happen any time soon.

  From what little light filtered through the grime covering the outside of the window, he noticed less than a dozen worn and faded garments hanging inside the small closet. A wave of anguish washed over Reece as he recalled ordering her massive designer wardrobe be removed from his home and burned.

  But the cardboard box sitting at the bottom hit him on a visceral level that left him reeling. It was overflowing with the kind of cheap dollar store toys that he'd been lucky to get as a child. Until he had learned how to steal expensive ones; as well as more important things like food. And now his son was being subjected to the same miserable childhood.

  Reece was forcing down the bile rising in his throat when Jolie came back out of the equally tiny bathroom. His cock hardened painfully at seeing her dressed in the figure-hugging outfit. Sweet Christ, she had an amazing body. He wanted the rip her clothes off and make love to her again and again until he'd wiped every other man who'd ever touched her from her mind. Judging by the mood she was in, the chances of that happening were getting slimmer by the minute.

  Carrying his neatly folded pajamas, Jolie grabbed another change of clothes and picked up the shoe box. She took a look around the minuscule apartment before shaking her head and walking past him through the open doorway. “I need to go to the club and get my purse.”

  He didn't want her going back to that place for anything. “I'll buy you a new one,” Reece offered as he followed her down the stairs.

  “My identification is in it,” she informed him. “And so is my phone.”

  He sighed in resignation since she seemed to think those easily replaceable items were necessary and drove her to the club. Jolie gave him an annoyed look and said, “Stay in the car, Reece.” When he would have argued, she added, “The bouncers have instructions not to let you in and I'm not in the mood for another brawl.”

  “I am,” he confessed but remained in the car to make a very important phone call. Reece located his phone on the floor and called the private investigator again. When the man answered he said, “Bartles, Reece Lassiter. Someone has been stalking my wife. I need you to find out who the bastard is.”

  He quickly explained the situation before adding, “And dig up everything you can find about my son’s pediatrician. His first name is Gavin, he’s British, and he could be the one responsible.” Damn right he was checking out the other man because he was jealous, but also because the doctor would have come into Jolie’s life about the time the phone calls had started.

  That was just a little too coincidental for his peace of mind. If it turned out the doctor was the one making the calls, so much the better. It would effectively solve the stalker issue once and for all and eliminate the competition for his wife’s affections. Ruthless bastard that he was, he wasn’t above playing dirty to get what he wanted.

  And this time, he was playing for keeps

  Jolie

  “Scorn, where the hell did you disappear to?” The owner demanded as soon as she entered his office. “We've been worried half to death.”

  “Sorry, Tommy. It's a long story,” she admitted with a lopsided smile. Tommy and Mom owned the club and treated the dancers like they were their daughters. Since she lived nearby, he always had one of the bouncers walk her home at night to make sure she got there safely. “The good news is I don't have to dance anymore.”

  Jolie knew he'd be pleased to hear that. Tommy had insisted from the beginning that she was too talented to work in a strip club. “Baby girl, that's wonderful news,” he said happily as he rose and walked around the desk to give her a paternal hug. “Looks like I need a new headliner. Who do you recommend?”

  Since she was also the choreographer and worked with all of the dancers, Jolie knew exactly who he needed. “Flame is ready,” she assured him.

  “I agree,” he confirmed as he walked over to the safe and opened it to remove an envelope filled with cash. “Flame's good, but she's no Scorn. The customers aren't going to be happy.”

  “Maybe not, but you will be,” she admitted as she accepted her pay from the night before and stuck it in her purse. “An attorney is going to be visiting you. Probably today. It's not a joke, so accept what he offers you. You and Mom deserve it for helping so many of us who have no place else to turn.”

  The smile disappeared as he asked, “Does this have anything to do with the guy claiming to be your husband?”

  “It does,” she agreed and had no intention of going into details. Fortunately, he didn't ask for them.

  “Listen, honey, I'm glad things are looking up for you, but if the shit hits the fan again, you’ll always have a place here,” he offered.

  “Thanks, Tommy,” Jolie said with a smile before she walked out of the club for what she hoped would be the last time.

  Reece

  Reece had ended the call to the investigator just before his wife re-emerged from the strip club carrying a battered purse that had seen better days. When she joined him in the car, he asked, “Is there any place else you need to stop or can we go home now?”

  “Your home. I don't have one,” Jolie reminded him as she settled into the seat and folded her arms over her chest.

  “Mi casa es tu casa,” he replied without thinking and received a withering look. Yeah. It was probably a good idea to keep his fucking mouth shut until they reached the penthouse. They made the remainder of the trip in tense silence, both knowing that an epic battle would rage as soon as they arrived.

  Reece cursed under his breath when his phone started ringing as soon as they stepped off of the elevator. Intending to switch on the Do Not Disturb setting, a glance at the display informed him that it was the doorman. Answering the call, he demanded impatiently, “Yes?”

  “I'm sorry to disturb you, Mr. Lassiter,” Fred said nervously. “But you have a um, delivery.”

  He didn't recall ordering anything and right then he didn't care what it was. “Just keep it at the desk for me,” he ordered.

  “B… But, Mr. Lassiter,” the doorman stammered nervously. “It's a… a child.”

  He stopped mid-stride, heart in his throat, and demanded, “Say again?”

  “The woman claims she's delivering a child. To you,” he explained as if the situation were too bizarre to be real.

  “Send her up immediately,” he insisted and turned to see Jolie scowling at him, hands on her hips and ready to give him hell. It looked like their showdown would have to be postponed for now, but at least he was finally going to meet his son. Elation filled him when he announced, “Bryce is here.”

  Jolie gasped in shock, those luminous blue eyes growing round. “Are you serious?” She asked hopefully and he nodded solemnly in response. The most brilliant smile covere
d her face and just like that, his sunshine girl was back. She laughed in delight and hugged him in her exuberance before she darted over to the elevator to wait.

  When the doors slid open, she dropped to her knees and held her arms open. “Mommy!” A childish voice exclaimed happily as a miniature blonde tornado flew forward and flung himself against her.

  “Bryce,” she said joyously as she hugged his little body against hers. “I've missed you so much.”

  “Missed you, too,” the child replied as he looked up at her and his smile was every bit as full of sunshine and happiness as his mother's. “Where haf you been?”

  “I've been waiting for your big adventure to be over,” she said tearfully and kissed his cheek.

  “‘Venture's are ‘posed to be fun,” Bryce complained. “Didn't haf fun wifout you.”

  “Then you and I will have a big adventure together,” she assured him as she stood with the child still tightly clasped in her arms.

  A woman stepped out of the elevator and Reece moved to intercept her. “Can I help you?” He demanded brusquely as he stepped between her and his wife and child. The no manipulation agreement be damned. There was no way in hell he was going to let Jolie deal with this bullshit.

  “Mr. Lassiter, I'm Doreen Collins from Child Protective Services,” she introduced herself warily and extended her hand. He did not accept the offer of a handshake. “I was instructed to bring Bryce to you.”

  Glancing over his shoulder to make sure that Jolie and the boy were out of listening range, he replied coldly, “My son should have never been removed from his mother's care.”

  The social worker shifted uncomfortably under his glacial stare and said, “Protocol dictated…”

  “Any fool can see that child is happy and well cared for,” he ground out because it was obvious to him that the boy adored his mother and had missed her. Reece had never been excited to see his mother when CPS would send them back home. Hell, he and Dane had always been happier in foster care.