I sat up straighter and bit out, “Luke is one hundred times a better human being than you could ever hope to be. Back then and now. He’s honorable, hardworking, and honest. You’re evil, selfish, and the most pathetic excuse for a man I’ve ever had the misfortune to know.”
His chuckle was like fingernails on a chalkboard. I clenched my fists under the table. Maybe I’d be the one to punch him.
“Now, now,” he said with a patronizing calmness to his voice, “is that any way to speak to your father?”
And that was all it took for me to cause the first scene of my life.
“Isn’t it lucky that you’re not actually my biological father?” I said, my voice strong and sure. I didn’t care who heard me. I hoped someone got video and put it on the Tattler.
There was the quickest flicker of something on his face, something like alarm. That was enough to make me keep going.
“It must make a tough guy like you feel completely emasculated to know you’re sterile. Completely incapable of producing that all-important heir. And then it must have killed you to find out your wife’s baby with another man was a girl.”
I sensed that I was drawing the attention of the others in the bar. I didn’t care. In fact, it motivated me.
“You know what that tells me?” I continued. “It tells me God knows what he’s doing to cut off the James name with you. The end of a despicable, worthless bloodline. When you die, there’ll be no one left in your family because you’re a worthless, weak, small-minded man.”
Anger slanted his brows as he stepped toward me. Luke stood and crowded him on that side.
“Not worth it,” I reminded Luke.
Felix pretended not to notice. “I’d advise you to watch it, young lady.”
“I’d advise you to fuck yourself, old man. You’re not my father. You have no say in my life. The day you disowned me was the best day of my life. You better run back to your little girlfriend. Is she even legal?”
Felix looked down his nose at me, his lips in an ugly snarl as if he was a badass instead of just an ass. I hadn’t missed that he’d gone pale, telling me I’d hit him where it hurt, just as I’d hoped.
“A word of advice to you both,” Felix spit out acidly. “Watch yourselves.”
“Is that a threat?” Luke asked.
“If it is, I have it on video for law enforcement to have a look-see,” Josh said as he came up to our table. “Security’s on the way to escort you out, Mr. James. You okay, Magnolia?”
I slowly nodded, feeling…exhilarated. Free like I’d never felt before. I wasn’t scared of Felix’s threats. He didn’t have thugs under hire, nor did he have the balls to do physical harm. With him it was all blowing smoke and throwing his power around, but he had none over me anymore. Not a drop.
Trying to act as if he wasn’t humiliated—and failing, as the little tic in his cheek told me—Felix raised his chin, pivoted, and stalked out of the bar area to his unfortunate date.
I exhaled heavily and made eye contact with Luke.
“That…was fucking incredible, Magnolia,” he said quietly.
“Brilliant in my opinion,” Josh said. “That heartless bastard evicted my ex-girlfriend for being two days late with her rent—when she had the flu so badly that she couldn’t sit up. He deserves to rot in hell.”
“Thanks for getting video,” I told him. “His threats are empty, but could you send it to me just in case?”
“You bet,” Josh said. “And don’t worry. I won’t share it.”
“You know what?” I paused and took a sip of my martini, thinking before I said more. “I would actually love it if word got out. You know, if that ‘leaked’ somehow or someone spread the word on the Tattler.” I shrugged. “I mean…I’m not going to post it myself, but if someone else were to accidentally put it out there… Oops.”
Josh grinned and shook his head. “It’d serve him right. I’m only going to send it to you though. You can do what you want with it.”
“Thanks, Josh.” We exchanged numbers so he could forward it.
After he walked back behind the bar, Luke reached across the table and put his big, work-roughened hand over mine. “Are you really doing okay, Mags? That was intense.”
“It was. But I’m relieved.” I sat back, breathed deeply again, and confirmed that was true. “It felt good to unleash.”
Still holding my hand, Luke chuckled. “I bet it did. It would’ve felt good to punch him too, but you’re right. He’s not worth the legal trouble.”
