Shameless (24 page)

Trey grinned. “Easy, slugger. She’s not worth the effort. I’m just glad to be rid of her so I can move on with my life.”

“That’s what you need to focus on right now, getting on with your life. I know you’re gonna be a great dad someday, when the time’s right.”

He ran his fingertip over one of the small liquor bottles in front of him. “Thanks. Hell, maybe it was for the best. I’m still wrestling my demons, ya know?”

“You haven’t had a setback because of this, have you?”

He couldn’t afford to have a setback. If he had a prayer of convincing Sierra he was a changed man, he had to be able to assure her of his sobriety. “No, not that I wasn’t tempted.”

“I’m proud of you for staying strong. Okay, well, good luck with Sierra. Let me know what happens, okay?”

“Will do. Talk to you later, sis.” He disconnected the call and selected Luc’s number. His friend was not going to be happy about his decision, but he didn’t care.

“Hey, you in Oklahoma, man?” Luc asked.

“Yeah, the driver’s taking me to Eric’s house now. Thanks for taking care of the arrangements.”

“No problem. What are friends for? I just wish you would’ve let me come with you. I’d like to take a shot at that old bastard myself. What they did to you was crazy, man. If I didn’t say so before, I’m sorry.”

Trey smiled. His best friend had his faults, but he was nothing if not loyal. “Thanks, buddy. Listen, I need you to do me a favor. Get Sumners off the golf course and tell him I need to talk to him, pronto.”

Luc groaned. “Why do you need to talk to your lawyer?”

“I hope to be getting married again soon and after the shit you two pulled last time, I don’t want to hear anyone mention the words prenuptial agreement to Sierra ever again. Is that understood?”

“Are you serious? Man, you’re actually considering marrying that girl again? What is it they say about an insane person repeating the same behaviour and expecting a different result?”

Trey laughed. “I’d agree with you, but it’s gonna be different this time, Luc. I’m not going to let anything interfere with my marriage, not even my career. I know what’s important now.”

“Trey, you’re at the top of your game, getting ready to release another album and start a new world tour. You have to be focused on your career right now.”

Trey eyed the diamond ring flashing on his left hand. It may have taken him too many years, but he finally had his priorities straight. “I’m gonna ask Sierra to come on tour with me.”

“What about her charity work?”

“I’m pretty sure she can take care of that from anywhere. Listen, I’m not saying this is gonna be easy, but I’m determined to make it work. Are you with me on this or do I have to fire your ass?”

He was only half kidding. He would do whatever it took to make his marriage work, even if that meant giving his best friend his walking papers. 

“Do I have a choice, Trey?”

“No, but you do have a choice about whether you’d like to be my best man.”

Luc laughed. “No, I don’t. You’re like a brother to me. Of course I have to be your best man.”

“You know, you’ve never told me why you have a problem with Sierra.”

“For one, she’s too damn good for you.”

Trey laughed “I know, but other than that.”

“She’s the kind of girl who could throw a guy off his game.”

“What do you mean?”

“Please, you take one look at her and you think about lazy days lounging in bed instead of keeping your eyes on the big prize.”

“She is the big prize, man. She’s all I’ll ever need to be happy.”

Luc groaned. “Shut the hell up before you make me lose my lunch.”

Trey chuckled. “What about you? Am I gonna have to kick your ass for hurting my sister again?”

“I haven’t even spoken to your sister in weeks. Last I heard, she and Josh were heating up the sheets and I was thinking about kicking his ass.”

“If that’s the way you feel, why are you wasting time? Marry the girl already.”

“No way, not me, never gonna happen. I don’t do marriage or that happily-ever-after shit. After watching my parents nearly kill each other for twelve years, I can’t imagine why anyone would put themselves through that.”

He knew about his friend’s parents, their volatile marriage, and bitter divorce. Given everything Luc had witnessed growing up, he couldn’t blame the guy for being a little gun-shy. “Not all marriages are like that.” 

“You’ve heard the stats, Trey. Half of all marriages end in divorce, which means half of all kids come from broken homes. You may not know what that does to a kid, but I do. That’s why I decided early on I was never gonna get married or have kids. It’s not worth the risk.”

“I’m not gonna lie to you, Luc. I love you like a brother, but I sure as hell wish my sister had the good sense to fall for a guy like Josh instead of you.”

“I thought she was into Josh?”

“Not anymore; she told me they stopped seeing each other.”

Luc whooped. “Well hot damn, that’s the best news I’ve heard all day, buddy.”

Trey shook his head. He would never understand the dynamics of that relationship. “You don’t want her, but you don’t want anyone else to have her. Is that right?”

“I didn’t say I don’t want her, I do. I just don’t want to do the whole marriage and babies thing and she won’t settle for anything less. So hell no, I don’t want anyone else to have her.”

“You know someday she’s going to meet someone who’s going to give her everything she wants, don’t you?” Trey thought they may have lost the connection when his comment was met with a long silence.

“I know that. I want her to be happy. Hell, I wish things could be different, but I can’t change who I am, Trey.”

He wanted to argue, to tell his friend that anything was possible if they wanted it badly enough, but he didn’t think Luc was ready to hear it, so he decided to let it go.

They were pulling up in front of a traditional colonial home in an estate subdivision and Trey realized it was time to confront the man who’d almost destroyed his life. “Listen, man, I’m here. I’ve gotta go.”

“Fair warning, you’re gonna have one angry manager and publicist if this ends badly.”

“Relax. I just want to make sure he knows that if he messes with me or Sierra again, I’ll make him wish he hadn’t.”

Luc laughed. “Okay, but do me a favor and keep your hands to yourself.”

“Will do, boss. Talk to you later.”

The chauffeur walked around to his door and opened it. Trey got out and shoved his hands into the pockets of his leather bomber jacket. His friend offered good advice. He came here to make a point, not to get thrown in jail for assaulting a judge.   

He rang the doorbell and forced himself to wait thirty seconds before ringing it again.

A matronly woman wearing a maid’s uniform answered. “May I help you?”

He tipped his cowboy hat. “Good afternoon, ma’am. I’m here to see Mr. Cortright.” He decided he would stand a better chance of gaining access to the house if she didn’t see him as a threat.

He would prefer to have the element of surprise in his favor when he saw the old man. He could only hope she wasn’t a fan of country music. If she was, she would no doubt be aware of his connection to her employer.  

Her thin lips twisted into a slight smile. “Is the judge expecting you?”

“No, ma’am, but the judge and I do have some business...”

“Liz, did I hear the doorbell?” Eric came down the winding staircase, dressed for a round of golf.

Trey flattened his palm against the heavy wood door. “Eric, we need to talk.” He didn’t wait to be invited in. He pushed past the surprised housekeeper and stalked to the foot of the stairs.

“Who the hell do you think you are, barging into my house this way?”

Trey noted his firm grip on the edge of the banister. His knuckles were turning white and there was a slight tremor to his hand.

At least the man had the good sense to recognize danger when he saw it in the form of a 6 foot- 4, 230-pound former linebacker who had earned his reputation bringing down men twice his size. The stakes had never been this high during a football game. Everything that meant anything to him was riding on this.

Trey smirked at him. “You know you’re gonna need that six-foot-high bench and an armed bailiff to protect you from me, don’t you, old man?”

Eric drew himself up to his full height, looking indignant. “I don’t know what you’re talkin’ about, boy. I’ve never been intimidated by anybody in my life. It’s the other way around. I talk and people listen.”

Trey laughed. “Ah, but I haven’t committed any crimes.” He glared at the much smaller man. “At least not yet.”

The color drained from his face. “Are you threatening me?” He looked past him, toward the front door where his housekeeper stood listening. “Did you hear that, Liz? I do believe this boy just threatened me. I think you’d better call the police.”

Trey smiled at the older woman. “You may want to hold off on that, Liz.”

He turned back to Eric. “Unless, of course, you want the world to know about your sordid little deal with Megan.” He made a tsk tsk sound and waved his finger in the other man’s face. “That’s not exactly behavior befitting an honorable judge now, is it?”

Eric cleared his throat and stepped past Trey. “That will be all for now, Liz. I’ll call you if I need anything.”

She bowed her head, obviously trying to hide the smile on her face. “Yes, sir.”

Trey followed Eric into a paneled library and closed the door. He leaned on the edge of the desk and crossed his booted feet. “Now, where were we?” He folded his arms over his chest and watched Eric pour two glasses of scotch. “That’s right. I was about to kick your ass for the scam you tried to pull with Megan.”

Eric tried to appear unaffected by the threat as he offered Trey one of the glasses.

Trey declined the offer with a firm shake of his head.

“I may have had a few brief conversations with your girlfriend.” He gripped his glass until his knuckles turned white. “After all, we had a mutual interest: your relationship with my fiancé.”

“From what I hear, she’s your ex-fiancé and my relationship with Megan was casual, to say the least. I never intended to let it get serious and she knew that.”

Eric took a drink of scotch. “But you were sleeping with her?”

Trey ground his teeth in frustration. “Not that it’s any of your business, but that was before Sierra came home.”

He paced the room. “Nashville is not Sierra’s home; this is her home.”

Trey shrugged. “For now, maybe. But that’s not the point, is it? You tried to trick me into marrying a woman I didn’t care about just so you could have Sierra.”

He turned to Trey, his blue eyes dark with suppressed rage. “I had Sierra until you came along and screwed everything up.”

Trey threw his hands up in the air. “What the hell did you have to offer her? You’re old enough to be her father. You could never give her a family.”

Eric emptied his glass and reached for the second. “You think Sierra is holding out hope for a family?” He let the statement hit its mark before posing the next question. “She didn’t tell you, did she?”

Trey tried to remain calm, but he felt an uneasy feeling taking root deep in his gut. “Tell me what?”

He grinned, revealing perfect porcelain teeth. “Sierra can’t have any more children.”

In the time it took for him to take a step back, Trey was on him, fisting the front of his shirt in clenched hands. “You’re lying, you miserable son of a bitch.”

He shook his head frantically. “No, I’m not. Go and ask her for yourself.” He pointed a trembling finger toward the door.

Trey dropped his hands and pointed his finger in Eric’s face. “If you ever come near Sierra again or so much as utter her name, I will ruin you.”

Eric glared at him, clearly not used to being on the receiving end of a threat.

“And you know I have the money and power to do it, old man.” Trey shoved his hands in his pockets because he could no longer trust the thin grip he had on his control. “Consider this your last warning. One more misstep and I promise you, you’ll wish you’d never been stupid enough to cross me. Is that understood?”