Fucking Wesley.
Sweet man. Loved me dearly.
I couldn’t breathe. My chest hurt, and my pulse raced, and the kindness and excitement in her voice were far too much for me to handle.
“Thank you, Mary.” I managed to choke out. “Goodbye.”
Hanging up, I lowered my head to my arms and fought the urge to cry. I’d known he was going to do something, but I hadn’t braced for this. How could I?
“Julia?” Stocks asked. “Should I call Havoc?”
“Not yet. Give me a minute.”
I had one place in the world that I could call home, and that immoral, merciless mangina was taking it from me. I’d kill him. I’d stab him in the chest and rip out his cold, dead heart. Desperate to rally any possible allies, I tried Laura again. Her phone went straight to voicemail.
Fucking honeymoon!
With no other options, I did the unthinkable and called my father. Surprisingly enough, he took my call.
“Julia.” His tone was clipped. Guarded. “It’s nice to hear from you.”
“Is it, Dad?” I asked, my sadness and fear churning to anger. “Is it really?”
“My hands are tied. You know about the stipulations on the—”
“He’s taking my bookstore.” I blurted out. “My apartment. Everything. He purchased the building and served me an eviction notice.”
Dad let out a breath. “I was hoping he wouldn’t give you that ultimatum. I tried to talk to him, but Wesley hasn’t been the same since you left. Since the wedding, he’s been erratic and unpredictable. I think seeing you with another man affected him more than any of us thought it would. He wants you back, and you know he’s not going to take no for an answer. He’s pressed me to cut off your trust fund payments, and without them, you won’t have the means to fight him.”
“Youcouldchange the stipulations on the trust fund,” I reminded him. “Your handsaren’ttied. Not really.”
“But the business, Julia. You know I can’t do that. Be reasonable.”
My heart sank. I scanned the bookstore—the sweet elderly couple perusing the nonfiction section, the mom reading to her two daughters in the children’s section—this was my life. I refused to let Wesley or my father’s business take it away. “I’ve never asked you for anything. Not once.”
“I know,” he huffed. “But this… We’ve been fostering this relationship for decades.”
“And this is my store. My livelihood. My life.”
“Wesley assured me that he’ll let you keep the store. Please see reason and return to your husband, Julia.”
See reason? “He’s not my husband,” I growled. I’d tried talking, begging, and now I only had one card left. I slipped away from the ears of my customers and into the break room to play. “Did you know Wesley was in cahoots with the Kinlans?” I asked.
Dad drew in a sharp breath. “Cahoots? That is a dangerous accusation to make. Especially over the phone.”
I snorted. “He’s about to take everything from me, and you think I care about exposing him? They found teenage girls in one of those warehouses. Teenage girls being trafficked.”
“I read the report.”
“Wesley’s involvement. Did. You. Know?”
His silence was more than enough of an answer. Disgusted, I shook my head. My eyes burned, and it felt like the room was caving in on me, like my entire world was crumbling around me. “Oh, God, were you and Mom part of it, too?”
“No.”
He wouldn’t tell me even if they had been. My stomach cramped. The back of my throat felt raw. Did I even know these people? “But that’s the kind of man you want me married to? Someone who traffics teenage girls.”
“We all make mistakes in business, Julia. Do not pretend to be clean and righteous. I know you. I know the things you’ve done.”
