“Fine, you know her age better than me. Really, I thought you’d appreciate me giving you a break. But if you want to fight me in court with some dopey lawyer who won’t win, I guess you could try?—”
“I have a lawyer,” I interrupted, glaring back at Jared on the couch. “A savage, really fucking expensive one.”
“Holy shit.” Jared popped off the couch, stretching out his arm to point at me. “Do you know who he is?”
“No. Who is he?” Christy asked, her eyes narrowed as she looked between us.
“That’s…that’s Silas Jones,” he stammered. “He’s a baseball legend. A five-time Gold Glove winner, and he has like five championship rings.”
“Six,” I corrected, a smile twitching at my lips when I met Christy’s panicked gaze.
“You were in my fantasy league so many times. I made a shit-ton of money off you,” Jared said, laughing from behind me as I strode up to the wretched woman Rachel and Taylor ended up with as a mother.
“I made a ton of money too,” I said, my tone low and menacing as I stood over Christy, shooting her a wide grin as the color drained from her face. “My salary was in the millions all throughout my career and still is. If you try to take Taylor today, and you won’t because you’ll never get past me,” I gritted out and looked back at Jared, still too starstruck to register my threat, “it would be my great pleasure to make your life a living hell. Harassment, child endangerment, child abandonment charges. I could have every paycheck of yours until you’re an old woman go to Taylor for back child support.”
“No, you couldn’t,” Christy said, trying to sound indignant despite the fear in her vacant eyes.
“Oh, but I could.” My smile deepened. “And it would be my honor and privilege to make you suffer for as long as I can afford to.”
She squinted at me, her jaw tight and quivering.
“And so you know,” I leaned in to whisper, “I can afford to for a long,longtime.”
“Why would you even do that?” Christy asked, her voice shaky from obvious nerves.
“Because I love Rachel. More than anything in this world. And there isnothingI wouldn’t do for her or Taylor. Somehow, even with a mother like you, Rachel grew up to be the most amazing person I’ve ever known. And they’ve both suffered enough, thanks to you.”
Christy backed up with each step I took toward her.
“So, if I were you—” I nodded to the door behind me “—I would get out and never come back. Because if you try to reach out to either one of them or come within fifty feet of this house, I’ll make sure you spend the night in adirtyBrooklyn jail.”
Christy sniffed, giving Rachel one last glare and shaking her head.
“Come on, Jared. Let’s go.”
He followed, shuffling to the door as he dug into his pockets.
“Hey, before we go,” he said, holding up a pen and a crumpled receipt. “Can I get your autograph?”
I grabbed the pen and the receipt from his hand and flung them across the floor.
“I think that’s a no,” Rachel said, her voice calmer despite how her nails dug into my arm.
Christy pushed Jared out the door, not looking back at either of her daughters as they rushed toward the stairs.
“I’m sorry. I thought she was you,” Taylor said in a small voice after I shut and locked the door behind them. “I went downstairs to let you in, and I didn’t know what to do when she pushed past me.”
“I know, sis.” Rachel rushed over and grabbed her face. “You didn’t do anything wrong.”
“She can’t…” Taylor trailed off, her eyes welling with tears. “She can’t really do that, right? Make me go with her.”
“No, and she won’t,” I said, coming up to them and squeezing Taylor’s arm. “We’ll start a restraining order as a precaution, but I don’t think she’s coming back.” I tapped her chin so she’d lookup. “No one is taking you away from your sister. I can promise you that.”
She nodded, dropping her head into my chest.
“Thank you,” she murmured into my shirt, her words muffled with sobs.
“Shh, don’t cry, kiddo,” I crooned, wrapping my arms around her. “It’s going to be okay. They’re both gone and not coming back. And if they’re stupid enough to try, they won’t know what hit them.”
