Total pages in book: 224
Estimated words: 215705 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1079(@200wpm)___ 863(@250wpm)___ 719(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 215705 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1079(@200wpm)___ 863(@250wpm)___ 719(@300wpm)
“Consider this your invite to ours as well. I’m not sure how we’re handling invitations, this is moving so fast, but she wanted Rockefeller Center at Christmas and I’m not waiting a year to make her my wife.”
“Afraid she’ll figure out you’re an asshole?” he jokes.
“No. I’m damn glad she loves me anyway.”
We disconnect and I dial Gabe. “In case I haven’t told you. We’re getting married on the twenty-seventh.”
“As in this month?”
“That’s right. You need a tux. You’re my best man. I’m going to sign the paperwork on the location.”
“Damn, man, you afraid she’s going to back out if you don’t rush this?”
“Hell yeah, I am,” I joke. “And I’m not letting that happen. I’ll be to the office as soon as I finish up.”
“You inviting dad?”
“Not a chance in hell,” I say, having made the decision during my run. “I’ve got too much good going on to fuck it up with him in the room.”
“And her father?”
“She needs him here. He’s all she has except us.”
“Right. Because her mother ran off after fucking our father.” It’s a story I told him not long after I found out. “It’s probably not a good idea to have our father and hers at the wedding for that reason alone,” he adds. “It’s going to remind Carrie of what took place.”
“Unlike her father, Carrie blames her mother for her mother’s actions. My reasons for not wanting dad there are about him alone. Now, mom. Mom, I wish like hell could be here.”
“Me too, man. Me too. Where’s the wedding venue? I’ll meet you for lunch. We need to catch up on a few things and the office is suffocating me.”
I give him the address and a few minutes later, I’m on the subway, the fastest method of travel to my destination. The ride is short, and even shorter, considering I spend it thinking about Carrie. I don’t think about that press story. I think of her. I’m not beyond understanding the impact of this woman on my life. Hell, I know all too well, which is why I’m marrying and keeping her forever. Nothing is going to get in the way of making this woman my wife.
I reach the street level and find a photo from Carrie waiting on me of the Rockefeller Center tree, which must mean she’s finished shopping for a dress and beaten me here. Eager to find out how she feels about her dress and the location, I cross the street and I’m about to turn into the rink area when suddenly Tabitha is standing in front of me.
“You bastard. Do you know what you did to me?” She grabs my jacket. “Do you know?” She swings at me and I catch her hand and turn her against the building wall, looking for a security guard. What I find is Carrie standing a few feet away, staring at me, holding Tabitha against a fucking wall.
Chapter one hundred thirteen
Reid
Ihold Tabitha against the wall of the building off the ice rink by the lapels of her coat as my eyes hold Carrie’s, and I can’t breathe waiting for her to react. “Asshole!” Tabitha shouts and kicks me in the shin.
I grimace and look at her. “You are insane, woman,” I say, and my only pleasure in the pain she created is that Carrie has to know this wasn’t what it looked like.
She kicks me again and Carrie is suddenly beside us. “Reid,” she says urgently. “Let her go.”
“She attacked me, baby. Get a security guard.”
“He’s lying,” Tabitha says. “He asked me to meet him here.”
“What?!” Carrie demands. “He asked you to meet him for a tour of our wedding location? You’re kidding, right?”
Tabitha goes pale. “Wedding location?”
“Yes,” Carrie says. “This is our wedding location. I highly doubt anyone would believe he had you meet him here.” She looks at me. “I’ll get security.”
“I’ll tell them you threatened me,” Tabitha snaps. “And I don’t think you want that right now with all that press you have, Reid. It’s not going to please your stockholders.”
I tighten my grip on her shoulders. “What do you want, Tabitha?”
“Money. He’s taking my money so you get to pay me.”
“Money,” Carrie repeat. “You’re really blackmailing us?”
“How much?” I ask, baiting her to finish the threat. I have a witness in Carrie.
“A million,” she says fearlessly. “That will get me started.”
Carrie holds up her phone and hits a button and the conversation we just had with Tabitha begins to replay.
“Let her go.”
I look left to find Elijah standing there in a three-piece blue suit, no coat, his dark hair fluttering in the cold wind. “You sure you want me to do that? She might kick you like she did me.”
His eyes meet Tabitha’s. “She doesn’t seem to understand that you won’t ever give her money, while I might.”