Part 30 (2/2)
”What's up?” I asked quietly.
”Some s.h.i.+t went down today, babe,” he answered.
c.r.a.p.
”What s.h.i.+t?” I asked.
He looked to his brethren then back down at me. ”Olivia got the letter from my lawyer.”
I found this confusing or, more to the point, this reaction confusing. Brock had contacted an attorney and, using his change of career circ.u.mstances as an excuse, he was approaching Olivia to see if they could agree a joint custody schedule, the boys with Brock one week, back with Olivia and Dade the next.
In my mind, there were two possible reactions to this from Olivia. Relief that she could continue with her spa visits and shopping and whatever else she did during her days unhindered by the responsibility of her boys being around most of the time. Or anger just because she was a b.i.t.c.h. Brock, being Brock, had to have prepared for either eventuality.
”And?” I prompted.
”And, she phoned me.”
”Okay,” I said when he said no more.
”And when she phoned me, she asked if we could meet, have dinner. She told me she's close to leavin' Dade and she's scared. She hasn't worked in over two years, she signed an iron tight prenup, has no money of her own, isn't in a position to set up again and take care of the boys and certainly not in the position to hire an attorney to deal with me. She reiterated she wants to discuss our situation, the boys' situation, our family situation and the possibility of reconciliation.”
I felt my mouth get tight. Then I felt Brock's arm give me a squeeze.
”I said no, babe,” he told me. ”I told her that wasn't a possibility. I've moved on, that move from her is permanent and at this juncture in our lives, we need to talk through our attorneys.”
My mouth relaxed.
”Then I got a call from Rex,” he went on and I blinked. He kept talking. ”Rex was freaked, said his Mom picked them up from school and she was a mess. Cryin', carryin' on, told them what I was doin', told them she was leavin' Dade, told them she was scared, told them me bein' with you meant we'd never have a family again, told them she didn't know what she was gonna do. He called when they got home and told me even after they got home she was still cryin' and carryin' on and she was. I could hear her in the background.”
My mouth again got tight.
Through stiff lips, I whispered, ”You're kidding me.”
”Nope.”
”d.a.m.n.” I was still whispering. Then I asked, ”What'd you do?”
”What could I do?” he asked back then I read it as the warning sign it was when his arm got tight, his body turned slightly into mine, his eyes locked with mine and I braced. ”I hauled my a.s.s over there and calmed her down by promising to have dinner with her.”
f.u.c.k! f.u.c.k! f.u.c.k!
I pressed my lips together and looked at the counter.
”Baby,” another arm squeeze and I looked back up at him. ”This is a minefield. I gotta go slow and cautious. This is why Hector's here.”
I stared up at him in confusion then looked to Hector, still in confusion, then back at Brock when he started speaking again.
”Hector worked with me at the DEA. He now works for Lee Nightingale. Lee's got an operation, bounty hunting, some security, private investigation. I got enough on my plate and Hector owes me a favor. I'm callin' it.”
”You're calling it?”
”Yeah. I'm havin' dinner with Olivia and we'll talk but this s.h.i.+t, it's the last straw.
Draggin' the boys into this, cryin' and carryin' on, freaking out Rex, plantin' s.h.i.+t in their heads about you. And when I got there Joey was freaked too. Said she was drivin' crazy, flipped them both out and it didn't get better when she continued her drama back at the house. I am not down with that s.h.i.+t. I'm so not down with it, I'm done with it. I'm not goin'
for joint custody, I'm going for full. And to go for full, I gotta have s.h.i.+t to back that play.
Hector'll find it. Somethin' on Dade, somethin' on Olivia.” He pulled in breath and said, ”Sorry, sweetness, but in the meantime, I gotta play her game. I want my move to be a surprise, I want her scrambling and, bottom line, I want my kids. I'm willin' to do just about anything to see that happen and I'm gonna need to ask you to ride that out with me.”
Immediately, I nodded.
He took in my nod and smiled, this one reached his eyes.
Then that smile died and he said softly, ”Somethin' else happened today.”
f.u.c.k!
”What?”
He hesitated, studying me.
”Brock, honey,” I pressed into him, ”what?”
”You remember I told you in my gut that I knew h.e.l.ler was poising to strike?”
Oh no.
”Yes,” I whispered.
”He's poising to strike.”
”Oh G.o.d,” I breathed.
”Good news is, with my old job, got contacts, informants, friends, folks who owe me. Had a call from one that says h.e.l.ler's been askin' a lot about me. Diggin' deep. So I made a few more calls and found out he's in my business, financials, credit history, work history.”
My brows drew together. ”Why would he do that?” Then I asked, ”How could he do that?
Isn't that stuff confidential?”
”You want it bad enough and you got the money then you got the means to do just about anything, find someone who can or buy someone who'll talk.”
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