“Don’t you ever speak to her like that,” I nearly scream in his face.
His face is beet red and it seems like he wants to put his hands on me, but I’m bigger and I have back up.
“Sell to Lincoln, take your wife and kid and never contact me again. Stay here and I’m going to sue you for every cent you’ve invested in this company. I don’t care if this civil lawsuit goes on for years. You stalked me, blackmailed, and threatened me.”
“Isn’t that exactly what you’re doing right now, threatening me?”
Kate shrugs her shoulders, and I don’t loosen my grip for a second.
“Yeah. I guess I am. You’ll be hearing from my lawyer,” she says, tilting her head toward the door. “Let him go, he isn’t worth it,” she says.
I want to smash my forehead against his, but do as she says, forcibly shoving him against the wall as we walk out of his office as a united front.
“That was hot as fuck. I’m hard,” Ben says and Kate laughs.
“Then let’s go back home and take care of that,” she says with a laugh.
We’re piledon my bed, Kate’s head on my chest as Ben spoons her from behind as her phone vibrates on the nightstand.
“Hello,” she says in a breathy voice, a slow smile taking over her face. “He did?” I can feel her heart racing against her chest as she nods and listens to the voice over the phone. “But it worked, didn’t it?”
Her weight is mostly on my chest as she agrees with the caller. “This is what I want. I just want to be done,” she says, “thanks again for everything.”
With a shake of her head, she plops down on the pillows, taking a deep breath.
“Who was that?” Ben says in a sleepy voice, and Kate lets out a small laugh.
“The lawyer. Will’s selling Lincoln the company. He…he doesn’t want a civil suit. He’s willing to come to an agreement to avoid going to court,” she says in a rush, her eyes nearly dazed.
I wasn’t so sure about her plan of storming his office and making a scene, but it seemed like it got her message across loud and clear.
“I still think you should take every single cent he has,” I say and she scoffs.
“Well, what do you want?” Ben asks, ever so pragmatic.
“I feel like I got the payback I wanted. Seeing the look on his face when he found out I sold the shares to Lincoln and that he couldn’t manipulate me was priceless.” She blows out a puff of air, playing with the sheet. “I think I just want to be free. I want to be comfortable in my home, in our relationship,and not worry about running into him again. I’m not tied to him anymore. He doesn’t scare me. I’m free,” she says, her eyes glistening with tears. “I’m free,” she whispers again.
A nearly cathartic cry slips out of her and Ben and I look at each other in confusion before taking action. I cradle her in my arms, my brother rubbing her thighs as she lets it all out.
“I don’t want to deal with a civil suit. I just want to live my life with the two of you, and our four cats,” she jokes, wiping her face with the back of her wrists.
“I should have head butted him when I had the chance,” I joke and she pulls back and looks at me.
“No. I mean, it was hot when you grabbed his shirt. But I needed that moment so bad, to show him I’m not the weak woman he thought I was. I’m done worrying what anyone thinks about how I live my life.”
“And how do you want to live your life?” I ask her, thinking back on that painting I saw in her home when she was going through her marital troubles.
“Alive. Happy. Free,” she says, with radiant bliss written on her face.
“So what now?” Ben asks.
“We celebrate?” Kate asks with a wild smile.
“I know just the place,” I say.
“Tomorrow though, my calves ache and it’s been a busy day,” Ben says.
“Agreed,” I say.
