“I hate that you suffered. These women are selfish bitches who don’t care about the damage they cause to families when they spew their lies. All for their five seconds of fame or a fat check for a tell-all interview.”
“Believe me, I know. It’s part of the reason I don’t date.”
“That saddens me. I hate that your father’s success has come at such a high personal price.”
“It has its advantages too,” he reluctantly admits. “I’ve gotta go. Love you, Mom.”
“Love you too, honey. Stay safe.”
After I hang up, I have a quick phone conversation with Porter, followed by a call with the girl scouts leader but she assures me none of the girls have access to cell phones on the trip and Dani won’t know anything until she returns to The Big Apple. I try Jackson again, and there’s still no answer. Frustration mixes with anger, fear, and pain, and I debate the wisdom of looking for those photos, but I can’t not do it.
I reopen the internet and quickly find them, sucking in a gasp as pain obliterates me from the inside. Tears well in my eyes as I stare at the images of Jackson, asleep on his stomach, in some hotel room, with the sheets bunched at his waist, low enough to confirm he isn’t wearing boxers or pajama pants. Jackson alwayssleeps naked, so that’s not unusual, but how the fuck did that bitch get into his room to take these photos?
What if it’s not innocent? What if it’s all true? A sob bursts free, and acid crawls up my throat as pain literally becomes me. I cry into my hands, emitting some of the churning emotion ripping me apart on the inside, before I pull myself together.
I try Jackson one more time, screaming in frustration when it still goes straight to voicemail.
Fuck this shit. He knows I’ve seen this by now. He should be fucking calling me non-stop until he’s spoken to me.
After quickly fixing my face, I grab my purse and car keys and make my way out of our brownstone in Greenwich Village, en route to the financial district where Jackson’s office is.
I need answers, and I need them now.
Chapter Eight
Jackson
“Throw the book at her,” I instruct my attorney, Conrad, and his two colleagues. “And work to terminate the sponsorship agreement with E-X Tires. I want to pull the plug before Maxim does.” Ember has her daddy wrapped around her little finger, and I’ve no doubt she’s convinced him of her lies. We’ve already had a few shouting matches over the phone in the month since I fired his toxic daughter.
“We’ll get the paperwork started asap,” the distinguished gray-haired attorney says, just as the door to the conference room crashes open, hitting the wall with a loud bang.
My wife storms across the room toward me, looking equal parts angry and upset.
Shit.
“I told Mrs. Lauder you were in a meeting and couldn’t be disturbed, sir,” Malcom—my new assistant—says, following Nessa into the room sporting a panicked expression.
I drill him with a pointed look. “My wife and my kids supersede all conventional rules. Nessa, Ren, and Dani are theonly people allowed to interrupt me, at any time, no matter what I’m doing. I explained this on day one.”
His Adam’s apple bobs. “I apologize for my mistake. I’ll ensure it doesn’t happen again, sir.”
“Jackson.” Nessa stops in front of me. The hurt radiating in her eyes threatens to yank my legs out from under me.
“Baby.” I clasp her gorgeous face in my hands, seeing the evidence of the tears she’s tried to hide with makeup.
Fuck. I’ve messed up again.
I’ve been holed up with my legal team for hours trying to make this go away. I knew Nessa would freak, but I thought my message would cover it and she’d be okay until I could call her. Nessa knows me inside and out. She knows I would never,could never, betray her. I love her so fucking much, and it pains me that another vindictive bitch is putting my family through this again. “It’s not true.” I look her straight in the eyes. “I love you, and I would never cheat on you.”
Honestly, the way I’m feeling right now I could murder the bitch. It wouldn’t be the first time I’ve killed someone to protect my wife, and I wouldn’t hesitate to do it again.
Mess with my family, and you mess with me.
Her lower lips trembles. “But those pictures,” she whispers as tears gather in her eyes.
“I can explain.” I push her blonde hair behind her ears. “I know it looks bad, but it’s not true. I haven’t touched her. I swear.”
Nessa bursts out crying, burying her head in my shoulder and sobbing her heart out. Every anguished cry rips a strip from my heart, and I wish I could absorb all the pain so she feels none of it.
