Never Say Never, Part Four (Second Chance Contemporary Romance, Book 4) (8 page)

“Get lost.”
 

“I didn’t kill your parents.”
It came out of nowhere and she couldn’t hold it in any longer.
 

There was a long silence and he drew in a shuddering breath. “What the fuck are you talking about?”
 

“I didn’t kill them. Brian Ross did.”
 

Chase stepped back a few steps and she took it as her chance. Emily swept into the apartment and shut the door with her heel.
 

“How many lies am I going to deal with this week?”
Chase walked to the kitchen and took out a bottle of brandy. The clock on the wall said it was barely past noon.
 

“Chase,”
Emily whispered, “I didn’t know until recently, otherwise I would’ve –”

“What?”
He sloshed the alcohol into the glass then stared into its depths. “Told me sooner? I don’t know if I even believe you, so don’t worry about that.”
 

She should’ve expect this kind of resistance. “Where’s Janet?”
 

“Where the fuck do you think she is?”
He motioned towards her. “She’s gone, not that it’s any of your business. Chastity’s gone too and let’s throw my business into the mix with that too.”
 

“I didn’t do this to you. It was Joseph.”
 

“Christ, who the fuck’s Joseph?”
 

“He was the lawyer Chastity worked with. He wanted to help me expose Brian’s crime, but I feared it would expose your dealings with him too, so I told him to hold off.”
 

Chase didn’t sip the booze, but placed the glass on the kitchen counter. It shattered, spilling the fluid everywhere. “I see.”
He didn’t make to clean it up, and neither did she.
 

“What do you see?” He pushed those anger buttons hard. He knew just how and it got her right in the gut each time.
 

“Why would he wanna expose me, Emily?”
 

She stuttered for a second, the cleared her throat. “I don’t know.”
 

“Don’t lie to me. Did you fuck this guy?”
 

“No!”
The shout was a knee-jerk reaction, but he gave a wry nod in response –
like she’d confirmed his suspicion rather than allayed it. “I did not sleep with him.”
 

“Then why was this cat out to get me?”
 

“Because I refused to sleep with him. I only want you, okay? I only want you!”
She couldn’t keep that truth in any longer. “I eat, sleep and dream Chase Newman.”
 

“Don’t bullshit me.”
His reply was choked and he rushed towards her, then gripped her upper arms. This was the most physical contact they’d had in months. The heat flowed off his body, and she slid he arms around his neck.
 

God she needed him. She needed this man like she’d never needed before. This overwhelming sensation, this corrupted love, would be the end of her.
 

“Don’t lie to me,”
he said again, then jangled her around a little.
 

“I don’t lie! I’ve never lied to you about anything and I never will. I cannot move on from you. I can’t sleep properly, I don’t even enjoy dance as much as I used to. I’m going crazy without you, Chase.”
 

He backed off, breathing heavy. “This is too much, I can’t deal with this.”
 

“I didn’t betray you, I told him that I was still in love with you, he saw it too and he got jealous.”
 

“Fuck him, fuck Chastity, and fuck it all.”
He punched the counter and winced when his fist met glass. He lifted it and walked to the sink, then picked the glass out and ran his hand under the tap.
 

“Are you okay?”
 

“You don’t care, Emily. You can say this shit now, but the bare-assed fact remains that you didn’t care enough to tell me you knew this shit before it went down. You weren’t preserving me, you were preserving yourself.”
 

“I’m so tired of that kind of talk. I’m not a selfish person, I’ve given everything to try get you back, to get the kids back. I’ve changed totally from who I was to who I need to be.”
 

“Whatever,”
he replied, then grabbed a cloth and wrapped it around his hand to staunch the bleeding. It reminded her of a time in the past, but she couldn’t touch him now; he would push her away.
 

“I refuse to be judged on my past.”
 

“I’m not judging you on your past, I’m judging you on your present.”
 

Emily glared at him. There was no getting through. She’d tried so hard, given him everything and she’d gotten disdain in return.
 

That anger she’d kept on hold rushed back to her, destroying her logic. She’d never prove herself to him, but at least she could take down Brian Ross. Get the kids back.
 

“So this is it then. I’ve done what I can and you don’t want me.”
 

He clenched that cloth, the blood soaking through.

“I never want to see you again, Emily McDonald.”
 

Her heart shattered.

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

Brian slapped the newspaper onto the desk.
 

His face stared back up at him, the headline reflecting his drunken glare. The papers must’ve looked high and low for the old college photo. They’d blacked out the other guys –
his old football team buddies –
in it, but they’d all been steamed that day.
 

It was after a particularly sweet victory against a rival team.
 

Now, he was no longer the hero, and not even a martyr, he was a scandal. Public enemy number one. And it was
her
fault.
 

That bitch ex-wife hadn’t had enough to go to the cops about the murders, obviously, so she’d found another way to bring him down. She’d even used her little fuck buddy Chase to get to him.
 

That was cunning on her part. He’d give her that.
 

Emily had clearly learned a few things during her stint in prison.
 

“Brian?”
Amanda, the useless whore, appeared in the doorway, her blonde hair tied up tight and her roots showing.
 

“You look shit. Why didn’t you do your hair like I asked? We’ve got an image to uphold.” Brian tapped his foot beneath the desk.
 

“Love, it’s not like our image is very good at the moment. I don’t think anyone will care what my hair looks like.”
Amanda gave a watery smile, then her eyes widened as if she’d just realized what she’d said to him. “Sorry, baby, I’m sorry.”
 

But it was too late. The anger had reached its peak now.
 

“What the fuck did you just say to me?”
He rose from his leather office chair and it rolled back and hit the bookcase behind him. “What did you say?”
 

“Nothing, baby, I’m sorry. Don’t be mad, it just slipped out.”
Amanda held her arms out and waved them at him, backing away slowly.
 

This stupid cow thought she was better than him. She thought he’d held her back and not the other way around? He’d show her how worthless she truly was.
 

“I’m going to make you regret that,”
he said, raising a fist, and she gave a low groan of fear. Her eyes rolled in her head and it gave him an ounce of gratification. At least she knew what she was up against.
 

“Bri, please relax,”
she whispered, “I didn’t mean it like that. Please.”
 

“Then how did you mean it?”
He circled the desk and closed in on her, she was the prey and he was the hunter.
 

“Darling, I just meant we have bigger issues to deal with.”
 

“We?”
Brian gave a raucous laugh. “There’s no ‘we’
dealing with it.”
 

“But, I’m your wife, we’re together,”
she murmured, then her cheeks colored bright red. She raised her chin and looked down her nose at him. “Unless you want to turn to that Janet woman for support.”
 

He raised his eyebrows. She knew about that, did she? All the more reason to silence her, to make her go away like the problem she was.
 

“How could you do that to me?”
Amanda stared at him hard, and the fear in her turned to fury. “How could you betray me when I gave you everything? I killed our unborn child for you!”
She shrieked the last sentence. There was a clamor upstairs, but he ignored it.
 

“Don’t try to change the subject. You do as I say in this house.”
 

“Stop,”
Amanda commanded, showing him her pale palm.
 

He rushed at her and she screamed, but he cut it off by grabbing her around the throat.

Brian squeezed hard and she scraped at his forearms, leaving tracks.
 

“I could kill you in a heartbeat,”
he growled, shaking her slightly. “I could destroy you the way you deserve. You’re so low, you’re such scum, and I knew it when I married you. Easy to use and form, and a brilliant way to get back at Emily.”
 

“Let –
go –”

He shook her again. “Useless waste of space. You couldn’t even stay on the pill when I told you.”
Brian released one hand and used it to grab a handful of her blonde hair. It was soft and he tugged at it hard. “Can’t even dye your hair right. Can’t do anything right. Worthless bitch.”
 

“Can’t –
breathe –”
She pleaded with her wide eyes, filled with tears, but bugging out of her skull. She was so close to death. So close he could almost feel it for himself. The slowing blood, the lethargic beat of her heart. Pitiful.
 

“Beg for it.”
He dug his nails into the back of her neck, hand dwarfing it. “Beg for your life.”
 

“Please,”
she choked it out. “Please.”
 

He let go of her hair, then backhanded her across the face. She flew across the room and slammed into the wall. A bruise rose on her cheekbone, shining up at him. Evidence.
 

He’d have to finish her now.
 

Amanda moaned and struggled into a sitting position, then touched the back of her head and winced. She glanced up at him and the fear was back where it belonged.
 

Brian stopped in front of her, and she crawled back against the wall, but there was nowhere to go. “You’re going to die.”
 

“Please, please, Brian don’t do it.”
She glanced left and right, searching for an escape, grasping at anything to preserve that meaningless existence.

“It’s time. I’ve wasted too much of it on you.”
 

“Don’t, please,”
she whispered, tears flowing now, travelling down the make-up streaked cheeks. He didn’t reply, but readied himself. “Brian! Please, don’t do this. The kids,”
she said suddenly, and he froze, “the kids are upstairs. Don’t let them see you hurting me.”
 

He nodded and lowered his shoulders slowly. The kids. Emily’s kids. That would work just fine.
 

“You’re right.”
Brian sighed, and Amanda blinked in shock and relief. “It’s them I should focus on.”
 

“No!”
 

He kicked her hard in the face and there was sharp ‘snap’
–
her nose broke. She passed out right away. Perfect.
 

Brian strode past her and into the house.
 

“Jared! Becci! Daddy’s looking for you,”
he yelled.
 

The scrambling upstairs grew louder.

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

Emily stared out the window and breathed through her nose. No more Chase, no more Joseph, no more support except for the sadness and burning anger at her ex-husband.
 

So many men had let her down, now. She should never have given Chase Newman a chance.