you should have been protecting me from rather than pushing me to be seen with in public. When that didn’t work to marry me off you used your position as my business manager to deny me access to my money. When I left you stopped paying my credit card bills and cancelled my company health insurance in an effort to make me come home. The hospital where the girls were born is threatening to put me into collection, for heaven’s sake. And after all that, I finally get a please? Why are you asking so nicely? What’s so special about Thomas? What’s in it for you?”
“I didn’t know you were pregnant,” Jerald said. “If you’d have called me—”
“You could have called me, ” Justin said. “You should have called me. You don’t need to bow down to your brother and marry when you don’t want to. I have money saved up. When we get home—”
Jerald let out a condescending laugh. “How sweet. He has some money saved up,” he mocked.
“Stop it,” Jena said. It was sweet.
“She doesn’t need whatever paltry sum you’ve amassed working as a minimum wage security guard. This is rich.” Jerald laughed again. “He’s pretending he has no idea how much you’re worth once you marry.”
“What’s he talking about?” Justin asked.
“You mean you really don’t know?” Jena asked. “Jaci didn’t tell you? Ian didn’t mention it?”
“You’ve been home with my twin daughters for two weeks, living in the same building as me and I just found out about it tonight,” Justin said. “I think it’s safe to say Jaci and Ian don’t feel it necessary to keep me in their loop.”
“Don’t believe him,” Jerald spat. “He knows. It’s not a secret. Why else do you think he slept with you? What’d he feed you, some lie about a broken condom? Did he even wear one?”
Justin charged around the car.
Jerald went into some ridiculous martial arts pose as if that would effectively ward off an attack by a six-foot-tall enraged cop.
Abbie cried out.
Justin stopped.
Jena ran the few steps to the car and opened the rear door. “It’s okay,” she whispered. Please don’t start crying again. “Mommy’s right here.” Abbie blinked and stretched but closed her eyes and went back to sleep.
Thank you.
“Bring her inside,” Jerald said, opening the rear door opposite her. “Where’s the other one?”
“Home with Jaci. We’re not staying. I’m here to pick up some of my things.” She turned to Justin. “Watch Abbie, I’ll be out in a few minutes.”
“We’ll come with you,” he offered.
“No.” It’d be quicker if she went herself, so she turned and ran up the marble steps into the grand foyer.
* * *
“You’re not worthy of her,” Jerald told Justin after Jena disappeared into the house.
No, he wasn’t, but he and Jena shared two infant daughters. And tonight he’d learned enough about her to peak his interest, to make him curious about the girl who’d spied on him with a high-powered telescope, who’d crushed on him from afar and the woman who’d chosen him as her first lover, who’d given birth to his babies without asking for or expecting anything from him. The millionairess socialite who’d been manipulated and controlled by her brother for years, yet had the inner strength to escape him despite being cut off from her funds and having to take a part time job in a doctor’s office, while pregnant with twins, to support herself.
“How much will it cost me to get rid of you?” Jerald asked.
“I’m not for sale, Jerry.”
“All men like you have a price.” He scrunched his face like a troll. “Name it.”
Justin closed the car door as quietly as he could so their conversation wouldn’t disturb Abbie. “You seem hell bent on lumping me in with some unsavory fellows, Jerry.” He kept his tone light but made it a point to insert “Jerry” in as often as possible to piss off the pompous ass. “But I’m in a league all my own.”
“Because you’re so vile
“I didn’t know you were pregnant,” Jerald said. “If you’d have called me—”
“You could have called me, ” Justin said. “You should have called me. You don’t need to bow down to your brother and marry when you don’t want to. I have money saved up. When we get home—”
Jerald let out a condescending laugh. “How sweet. He has some money saved up,” he mocked.
“Stop it,” Jena said. It was sweet.
“She doesn’t need whatever paltry sum you’ve amassed working as a minimum wage security guard. This is rich.” Jerald laughed again. “He’s pretending he has no idea how much you’re worth once you marry.”
“What’s he talking about?” Justin asked.
“You mean you really don’t know?” Jena asked. “Jaci didn’t tell you? Ian didn’t mention it?”
“You’ve been home with my twin daughters for two weeks, living in the same building as me and I just found out about it tonight,” Justin said. “I think it’s safe to say Jaci and Ian don’t feel it necessary to keep me in their loop.”
“Don’t believe him,” Jerald spat. “He knows. It’s not a secret. Why else do you think he slept with you? What’d he feed you, some lie about a broken condom? Did he even wear one?”
Justin charged around the car.
Jerald went into some ridiculous martial arts pose as if that would effectively ward off an attack by a six-foot-tall enraged cop.
Abbie cried out.
Justin stopped.
Jena ran the few steps to the car and opened the rear door. “It’s okay,” she whispered. Please don’t start crying again. “Mommy’s right here.” Abbie blinked and stretched but closed her eyes and went back to sleep.
Thank you.
“Bring her inside,” Jerald said, opening the rear door opposite her. “Where’s the other one?”
“Home with Jaci. We’re not staying. I’m here to pick up some of my things.” She turned to Justin. “Watch Abbie, I’ll be out in a few minutes.”
“We’ll come with you,” he offered.
“No.” It’d be quicker if she went herself, so she turned and ran up the marble steps into the grand foyer.
* * *
“You’re not worthy of her,” Jerald told Justin after Jena disappeared into the house.
No, he wasn’t, but he and Jena shared two infant daughters. And tonight he’d learned enough about her to peak his interest, to make him curious about the girl who’d spied on him with a high-powered telescope, who’d crushed on him from afar and the woman who’d chosen him as her first lover, who’d given birth to his babies without asking for or expecting anything from him. The millionairess socialite who’d been manipulated and controlled by her brother for years, yet had the inner strength to escape him despite being cut off from her funds and having to take a part time job in a doctor’s office, while pregnant with twins, to support herself.
“How much will it cost me to get rid of you?” Jerald asked.
“I’m not for sale, Jerry.”
“All men like you have a price.” He scrunched his face like a troll. “Name it.”
Justin closed the car door as quietly as he could so their conversation wouldn’t disturb Abbie. “You seem hell bent on lumping me in with some unsavory fellows, Jerry.” He kept his tone light but made it a point to insert “Jerry” in as often as possible to piss off the pompous ass. “But I’m in a league all my own.”
“Because you’re so vile
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