Page 18 of Single Mom’s Undoing (Lucky Lady Reverse Harems #1)
DAMON
B ill doesn’t know Clara is in town. Carter and I made sure of it, though Jace refuses to tell us why Clara reacted the way she did, nor will he tell us what he and Clara talked about before he drove her home the other day.
There are questions left unanswered that are bothering the hell out of Carter and me, but we respect Jace’s request to trust him.
Clara’s back at the mansion, working on her designs. Matty and Shiloh are in the Vanguard daycare. Carter is busy negotiating a new contract with a federal agency, while his father handles a few affairs in Blackthorn Falls before he plans to leave again.
Jace is off doing something he hasn’t divulged, and while the mystery irks the hell out of me, I do my best to keep busy.
After the encounter at the summer fest, I’m compelled to follow up with Elizabeth to make sure she steers clear of us.
I make my way across town and into the Lafayette Gallery to talk to her .
“Of all the galleries in the world, this is where you chose to get involved,” I say as soon as I find her reviewing several paintings.
The custodians carefully mount and hang each of the pieces under her guidance as she takes notes and instructs them on lighting and room temperature.
“I’ll be with you in a moment, honey,” Elizabeth says without even looking at me. “Pierre, you’ll need a soft white LED right above the Degas. It brings out the chalky texture of the pastels, and bring in a cooler bulb for the Matisse. We’ll need it once the room gets crowded.”
“Yes, madame,” the custodian replies, then gets off the ladder and heads into another room to get the requested items.
Elizabeth turns around to face me and smiles.
In another life, there might’ve been nothing between us. She was never really my type. But the grief of Clara’s departure left its mark, and it clouded my judgment. That being said, Elizabeth and I made a child—and I love Shiloh more than anything in this world.
“I take it you’ve reconsidered your stance?” she asks.
I shake my head. “No, I’m actually here to make sure you stay away from us, Elizabeth. You’re no good for our daughter. You said so yourself when you relinquished any and all parental rights.”
“That was two years ago. I’ve changed.”
“Had you changed for real, Shiloh and I would’ve heard something from you during the time you were gone. A phone call, a postcard, something, anything. So, let me ask you again. What are you really doing here? ”
“I was ashamed, okay?” Elizabeth exhales sharply. “I didn’t know how to approach you and our daughter, especially after the way I left. But I’m here now, and I am ready to make amends.”
“And I told you that you’re not coming anywhere near us until we discuss this through family court.”
A grin slits her face. It’s cold and ugly against the warm peach color of her elegant pantsuit and cream stilettos. “Oh, I’m not worried about family court, not with the kind of legal power I’m bringing to the table,” she says.
“I take it you’ve made quite the fortune selling and buying art for Middle Eastern princes then?”
“And local businessmen, too,” Bill Lockwood says as he walks into the room.
For a moment, I freeze, holding my breath as I watch the grey-haired tycoon saunter across the white marble floor—his gray suit and appearance in perfect order.
There’s a physical resemblance to Carter, but he bears none of his son’s kindness or noble character.
Truth be told, I never liked Bill, though I always afforded him the respect, as he was my best friend’s father.
“So, you and Elizabeth are putting this exhibit together,” I say after a moment, reaching out to politely shake his hand.
His grip is firm, perhaps a little too firm. He’s sending me a message, and I am tempted to respond in kind, but I choose to smile and do nothing. “Most of these artworks are from my personal collection. Elizabeth purchased some of them, and now I’m ready to give back for a noble cause,” he says.
“Ah, right. It’s a charity gala. ”
“Indeed, and we’ve got elite personalities flying in from all over the states and overseas for it,” Elizabeth adds. “We’ve put in a lot of work to make this happen. Should we reach our donation objective, we’ll build a new art school to service the entire county, not just Blackthorn Falls.”
I notice the subtle movement of Bill’s hand settling on the small of Elizabeth’s back, the exchange of smiles and knowing looks. There’s more going on between them than meets the eye, and it chills me to the bone.
“Since when did you develop such a strong love for Blackthorn Falls, Elizabeth? Last I checked, you were itching to get out of here and put this town behind you. Hell, you left your husband and your baby girl so you could fly around the world and live a much more glamorous life.”
“Yes, I did, but now I’m back,” she replies with a soft shrug. “I’m ready to pick up where we left off, Damon, and I deserve to be a part of Shiloh’s life. I am her mother, after all.”
“You gave birth to her, and then you abandoned her. That hardly makes you a mother,” I shoot back.
“My lawyers will disagree,” Bill intervenes, his tone clipped, his eyes hawk-like. “Even if she did renounce her parental rights, with the right amount of pressure and the right arguments in court, Elizabeth could have them restored before summer’s end.”
“And you’re helping her. Why?” I ask.
“I care about Elizabeth and her happiness. She has made me happy in a number of ways.”
“Oh, I’ll bet,” I mutter .
Bill scoffs and shakes his head. “She deserves more than my financial gratitude, and she wants to be reunited with her daughter. It’s the least I can do.”
“And frankly, I resent your comments, Damon,” Elizabeth adds, pursing her lips to make it clear that she feels insulted.
I don’t really care, not at this point, not after everything Shiloh and I went through to build a good quiet life for ourselves.
“You forget something, Mr. Lockwood,” I calmly say.
“What is that, Damon?”
He raises an eyebrow while Elizabeth inches slightly closer to him.
“You’re not the only one with the financial prowess to lead a legal battle in court anymore,” I say.
“You’re not the only one who can whip out a team of $500-an-hour lawyers.
Whatever you throw at me, I will match it.
And I will make sure the court and the public learn precisely what kind of a mother Elizabeth chose to be. ”
“I deserve a second chance, Damon. You can’t deprive me of that,” she says, practically pouting. “Shiloh deserves to get to know her mother. I just want visitation rights, for starters.”
“No.”
“Then we’ll go for full custody,” Bill interjects. “You may have the financial prowess to face me in court, Damon, but you do not have my experience or my patience.”
“Is that a threat, Mr. Lockwood?”
“It’s a promise, and my son can confirm that I always keep my promises. ”
As I look at him, I feel conflicted. The other day, when he showed up at the mansion, Bill seemed warm and friendly. He didn’t show this aggressive demeanor. He did give me some persistent looks during his chat with Carter, but I thought nothing of it—until now.
Now, it all makes sense.
He’s been doing more than just business with Elizabeth, and he’s come to her rescue as soon as it became clear that I’m not giving an inch on Shiloh—ever.
He’s waging war.
“Elizabeth, I will see you in family court then. File your motion, and I will fight you with everything I’ve got,” I politely reply. “In the meantime, good luck with your charity gala. I hope it garners the success it deserves.”
“You won’t win,” she warns me.
“This isn’t a game where one of us wins and the other loses. This is our daughter we’re talking about, and if you’re more concerned about winning than you are about Shiloh’s welfare, you’re already off to a terrible start.”
I walk out before she or Bill can say anything else.
My blood boils and my stomach turns with anger and disgust. Of all the people in the fucking world, my ex-wife and the mother of my child decided to hook up with my best friend’s corrupt, murderous father.
They were already unpleasant characters on their own.
Together, they’re worse.