“He didn’t get very specific and I didn’t want him to. It’s none of my business who you hired to work at Jameson International.”
His jaw tightened. “But you somehow made it your business, didn’t you?”
“Kane Wright forced me to.”
“He can’t force you to do anything you don’t want to, Nicole.” Red shook his head once more. “I feel like this is déjà vu all over again.”
“I was scared for you, Red. How do I know what’s true or not? You weren’t around for me to talk to.”
Some of the anger drained from his face as he considered her words. “I know. I know, and I suppose I’m really just mad at myself for putting you in the position where Kane Wright could take advantage.”
“There’s more,” she said.
“Of course. There’s always more.” He laughed, but it sounded like a bark.
“Come here, sit next to me,” she said, patting the couch.
“I’ve got to put this food away.”
“Red, don’t do this. Don’t withdraw because you’re upset.”
She could see the conflicting emotions on his face. His difficulty in trusting anyone was coming to the surface once again.
“I’m not withdrawing, Nicole. I’m just putting the food away,” he said. And then he went to the bags and began unpacking them and putting things into the cabinet and the refrigerator.
After a minute or two, he walked back to her carrying a few magazines. His eyes were softer. “I’m sorry,” he said. “I’m listening.” And he gave her the magazines, which she put to the side for now.
“Come sit,” she told him.
Sighing heavily, he sat down on the edge of the couch. His head was sagging as if he were a whipped dog. “So, tell me everything.”
“I’m going to just warn you that this is probably going to piss you off…”
“Please, don’t torture me anymore, Nicole. What happened?”
“Promise me you’ll listen to the whole story before you make assumptions.”
“I’ll do my best. I can’t promise anything.” His hands were clenching and unclenching on his lap.
“Okay.” She took a breath. “Kane threatened me that if I didn’t do as he asked, he would leak all this terrible stuff about you to the media. We were in his club and—“
“You went to one of Kane Wright’s clubs? Which one?”
“Venture, I think it was called.”
“Right.” Red’s teeth were practically grinding in his jaw.
“He wouldn’t tell me much, Red—just that if I didn’t meet him there he’d destroy you completely.”
Red barked another humorless laugh. “I’m going to destroy his face next time I see him. I’m dead fucking serious.”
“Please calm down.”
“I’m doing my best Nicole, but this story of yours is really starting to make me crazy.”
“Nothing happened. I’m fine. I’m here with you now.”
He glanced at her, his jaw twitching. “Keep going.”
“I went to the club and he had some creepy people around. He’s definitely into something illegal like drugs or…I don’t even know what.”
“I’m sure he is. The guy is a piece of garbage.”
“But he was fairly polite to me, aside from threatening to destroy the reputation of the man I love, that is.”
“Oh, yeah. He’s very polite.”
“Anyway,” she continued, grabbing his hand in hers, “he told me that he was interested in getting to know me better.”
Red’s face positively turned purple. “Please tell me he didn’t say that Nicole.”
“And he invited me with him on a trip to the Cayman Islands.”
Red stood up now, his hands clenched into fists. “That’s it, I’m going back to the city. Right now. Where’re my fucking car keys?”
“Red, stop.”
He looked at her and his eyes were full of fury. “This man—this man who destroyed my company and practically stole my sanity in the process—tried to make a move on my pregnant wife. And you want me to just sit here and listen? I can’t do that, Nicole. I’m going to wring that asshole’s neck.” He walked toward the kitchen. “Now where did I put my goddamn keys?”
“This makes me not want to tell you anything,” she called after him. “Every time I tell you something like this, you freak out and then we end up apart again.”
He put his head in his hands. “I can’t take it, though. I need to do something.”
“You need to grow up.”
He took a few deep breaths and straightened, nodding with resignation. “Okay. Okay. You’re right. I just…I’m not very good with this sort of thing.”
“I’m well aware. Now come over here and sit.”
He came back and sat once more. They held hands and he met her gaze.
“You ready to hear the rest?” she asked.
He nodded dutifully. “Sure. Why not? It’s only one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to listen to in my entire life.”
“Kane invited me to go with him to The Caymans. Of course I said no. He made it clear that he didn’t expect me to have sex with him, he said there’d be no strings attached.”