Brian sneers at my question, his skin flushing with anger. “You were always a dumb bitch, Brooke. The answer is obviously money. Your little boyfriend is fucking loaded, and he stole myuncle’s clients. Now, he’ll pay dearly to get you back, and we’ll be set for the rest of our lives.”
Rage surges through my veins, and I pull myself into a seated position, propping against the wall behind me. “Gabriel won’t fall for this shit, Brian. He’s smarter than you.” My voice cracks and I swallow thickly to wet my dry throat. “I didn’t know you had an uncle.”
“Get her a glass of water.” William steps forward, crouching in front of me.
Brian storms out of the room, slamming the metal door behind him.
All tantrums and dramatics.
Nothing’s changed.
“Gabriel will pay, darling. He loves you. He tried to stay away from you to make it look like you meant nothing to him. I knew better. I’ve had you both followed since the day we met in front of the coffee shop. I’ve always wanted revenge for him ruining my name, but I never found anything that could hurt him. Until you, beautiful Brooke.” His fingers glide down my cheek and I jerk my face to the side, avoiding his touch.
“Do you want to know why he left you? Hmmm? I bet he didn’t tell you, did he? I had a delivery boy leave an envelope on his office door. It contained a little note. ‘You took something from me, so I will take something from you.’ Tit for tat, don’t you agree?’”
I see fucking red.
“You sick bastard! He didn’t ruin you. You’redishonest and a fucking crook. You have no one to blame but yourself. And yes, he did tell me, you prick.” I don’t register his hand lifting until I feel the stinging pain across my cheek. Warm liquid trickles from my lip as my skin burns from the impact.
“You will not speak to me like that! Your stay here can be pleasant or miserable. Your choice.” He stands, glaring down at me before exiting the room.
I see where Brian inherited his manners and morals.
Bastards.
I know it’ll bruise with how hard he smacked me, but in this situation, that’s the least of my worries. My head falls back against the wall as I wonder how I’m going to get out of this.
Glancing around the room, I take in my surroundings. I’m in some kind of warehouse. Gray metal walls lead up to an open ceiling with fluorescent lights. There’s only one exit, the metal door they both left through. My body shivers and I see the stains on the concrete floor I’m sitting on. Large pieces of plywood are nailed to the walls in random places. I’m assuming they’re covering the windows. The room is empty other than the table and two chairs in the corner to my right.
The door flies open, and Brian strolls in with a bottle of water in his hand. Even though I hate him, and I want to tear him apart, I accept the water he holds out for me. Twisting off the cap, Igulp the cool liquid greedily, almost choking.
“Get off the floor and sit in one of those chairs.” He’s calmer than before, but I know his temper is simmering just below the surface. He was hot and cold throughout our marriage. His moods change instantly like flipping a switch.
Recapping the water, I struggle to stand, dizzy from my head injury. He grabs my arm roughly, leading me to one of the chairs. He lets go abruptly, and I fall onto the metal seat.
Wincing in pain, I shift my body to meet his gaze. “You won’t get away with this, Brian. Just let me go, and I’ll forget this ever happened.” Fat chance, but I’ll play any angle to get out of this mess.
He startles me with a sinister laugh. He turns the other chair towards me and sits down. “Stupid girl. You’re not going anywhere. My uncle is the only reason why you’re even breathing. I’ve been waiting two years for the opportunity to cause you pain.”
My lips part, somehow shocked by his callous words. “You’re a narcissist. You made me miserable our entire marriage. The only reason you hate me is because I left you. It’s not because you loved me. It’s because I moved on with my life and didn’t need you.”
He stands swiftly, flipping the chair behind him. He backhands me across the face, and I tumble to the floor. “You fucking bitch!” Bending down, he grips me by the throat, lifting me,dropping me onto the chair. Unable to stop myself, I cry out in pain.
He lifts his chair upright, pulling it closer. Sitting down once again, he adjusts himself where our knees touch as he leans into my space. “I could’ve made you stay, Brooke. You’re right, I never loved you. You were an extra income, a maid and a warm pussy in my bed. Your leaving was inconvenient, if anything. I spun a tale as to why you left so I wouldn’t look like a fool. I couldn’t have you damage my reputation.”
His words hurt. I loved him once, and being told I was nothing more than a tool is degrading. I wasted years on this man, and it was all for nothing.
Fire ignites my blood, and I can’t stop what I say next. “Fuck you! You’re not half the man Gabriel is on your best day!” Expecting another blow to my face, I hold onto my pride, lifting my chin defiantly.
He chuckles darkly, leaning against the back of his chair. “Oh, Brooke. If you’d had this fire before, our union might’ve gone differently.”
Glaring at him for a few moments, I rest my head on the back of the chair, staring at the beams in the ceiling. My head is pounding, and my face is throbbing. “Why did you never talk about William? What’s your grand plan, Brian?”
“Oh, good. Story time. William is my dad’s brother. I never knew him until about a year ago. Dad died, and we met at his funeral. Neither one ofus gave a damn about the piece of shit, but we had a part to play. He introduced himself and invited me to dinner. We got to know each other, and he filled me in on the collapse of his company, and the role Gabriel played in it. I kept tabs on you after you left, mostly for fun. I knew you moved here, but I never thought my luck would be this good. My ex-wife dating the man I’m about to destroy. It’s like fate had the perfect plan for us all.” He smiles smugly, crossing his arms across his chest.
The mention of destroying Gabe has fury flaring in my veins. Self-preservation goes out the window as I open my mouth. “You’re a fucking coward and so is William. You can’t make a successful life for yourselves, so you try to steal it from someone else. Gabriel will see through your bullshit, and you’ll both spend the rest of your lives in jail. Both of you are disgusting, and I hope Gabe rips you apart.”
It happens so fast; I don’t have time to react. He grabs the bottom of my chair, flipping it backwards. I hit the ground, the metal seat driving into my back. He climbs on top of me, both hands wrapped around my throat, cutting off my air. Fear grips me, realizing he’s going to kill me.
