Page 67 of The Business of Love Box Set 1: Books 1 - 4

RICK

I nearly tripped over the threshold as I hurried out onto the driveway after Verity and Kim, who was glaring so fiercely at Verity that I could have sworn there was smoke coming out of her nose and steam coming out of her ears.

“Take your hand off me,” Kim spat vehemently.

For a moment, the two women stood there, squaring off like two lionesses ready to come to blows. For a brief reckless second, I thought that might be an interesting thing to witness.

Then I gave my head a shake and came between them. “Let Kim go, Verity.”

Verity’s dark eyes never left Kim, but she released her elbow.

Kim shook her head and rummaged around in her purse to pull out her cell phone.

Meanwhile, Verity stepped in close to her and spat insults.

“Of course, I find you here. Precious little Kim. No wonder Rick always wanted me to be nice to you. It’s because he wanted in your pants.

” She spun to me and shoved me in the chest. “Did you fuck her, Rick? Hmm? Did you get your cock wet like you’ve been dreaming about for the last year? ”

I caught her wrist when she made to shove me again. “Enough, Verity.”

She yanked her hand away and rounded on Kim, who was now on the phone with a taxi company and giving them my address.

Verity reached for Kim’s phone.

Kim pulled back, ended the call, dropped her phone in her purse, and moved in on Verity so quickly I didn’t even have time to blink. She pointed an accusing finger in the face of the woman I thought I wanted to marry.

“ Listen ,” Kim hissed. “I never came around here to steal your man. I was here to cater to every single one of your self-involved, entitled, vain, petty requests. And I did so without ever batting an eyelash because my only role was to give you the wedding of your dreams.”

“Get your hand out of my face you—”

“And,” Kim continued, dropping her hand to press her finger into Verity’s chest and push her back a step.

“Lo and behold, you’re the coward who runs off with her tail tucked between her legs when said wedding day finally arrives.

You leave Rick standing at the altar, wondering what the fuck went wrong, while all of your guests stared up at him thinking the same thing.

After they flew from every corner of the world to celebrate with you, you left them high and dry because nobody means a damn thing to you, Verity.

You’re selfish and mean. You’re a bully.

You have a shitty, hideous personality, and if you ask me, Rick came out on the winning side of this mess because he doesn’t have to wake up every day for the rest of his life to your chameleon smile or blow all of his money fixing your lips and your tits and your hair.

No amount of money will fix how wicked you are, Verity. No amount. ”

I stood there like a fool with my mouth hanging open in the silence that followed Kim’s beratement of Verity.

Verity stood in stony silence too. When she finally found her voice, it lacked the confidence she had when she’d first stormed after Kim. “How dare you speak to me that way?”

“How dare I?” Kim hissed. “How dare you ? You never cared about Rick. Or Chessie. You cared about having your face on magazine covers. You cared about ensuring your bank account was always full so you could buy all the designer shoes and handbags your shriveled little heart could ever desire. You cared about fancy dinner parties and what everyone else on the outside thought about you. Well, let me make one thing perfectly clear, Verity.” Kim moved in close.

I could have sworn her eyes flashed red.

“Nobody is talking about how much they love your closet or your fake tits. All they’re talking about is what they gain from knowing you.

Just like you did with Rick. Because any person who can stand your company is as self-involved as you are.

Go back to your daddy in the Bahamas, little girl.

Maybe he can still love you for what you are. ”

Oh snap.

Verity stomped her foot and let out a shriek of rage when Kim turned her back on her.

I stood in paralyzed silence for a second before hurrying after Kim and catching up with her. “Fuck, Kim. I’m so sorry. I had no idea.”

“This isn’t your fault. Don’t apologize for her.”

“Please. Let me drive you. You don’t have to take a cab.”

Kim shook her head and stopped when she reached the end of the drive. “No. You have things you need to work out with Verity. And I suggest you get crystal clear with her about what you want going forward. Otherwise, she’s going to cling to you for dear life and make you wish you were dead.”

Was Kim angry with me? Did she feel threatened now that Verity was back?

I shook my head. Kim wasn’t insecure like that.

Kim took a deep steadying breath. “Besides, you need to stay here with Chessie. This scared her, Rick.”

I hung my head. “I know.”

Kim put her hand lightly on my chest and peered up into my face. “I’m fine. And Chessie will be fine too. Just figure your shit out with Satan’s spawn over there. Okay?”

She let her hand fall from my chest and walked off down the sidewalk, clearly wanting nothing more than to be away from my psychotic fiancée.

Ex- fiancée.

As of right fucking now.

I turned and marched back up the drive and met Verity by my car. She was furious. Her cheeks were red and her eyes were glassy.

“I don’t want to see any crocodile tears,” I told her. “You started this. Kim had no choice but to set you straight.”

“Set me straight? Rick, she went after me! She attacked me!”

“No,” I said firmly. “You attacked her. And you finally went after someone who wasn’t afraid of you, and now you don’t know how to handle that.”

“Whose fucking side are you on?”

I almost said nobody’s. Then I regrouped.

“I’m on my own goddamn side, Verity. I made a mistake when I asked you to marry me. So I owe you my gratitude.”

She blinked. “Gratitude?”

“For walking out on me at the wedding. Come on, Verity. How long would we have been happy together if we actually got married? A month? Maybe two? Then you would have found a way to make us implode and I’d be left standing in the rubble. Just like last time.”

“I’m not your ex-wife,” Verity growled.

“No, you’re not. You’re my ex-fiancée.” I held out my hand. “Give me the ring back.”

She pulled her left hand against her chest. “Rick, please. Let’s talk about this.

I made a mistake. I got scared and I ran and I didn’t know what I was doing.

But now that I’ve had time to think, I know what I want.

” She stepped toward me. “I want you. I’ve always wanted you. You’re my better half. You’re the man—”

“Stop.”

“Please!”

I shook my head. “No. We’re done. I can’t forgive you for what you did.

Or trust you. I feel guilty enough for having exposed Chessie to this shit.

I won’t do it again. I want your stuff out of my house by the end of the month.

Send whoever you want to come move it out or come yourself.

If it’s not gone by the first of March, I’ll move it out myself. ”

“And where would you put it?” she asked. “In storage?”

“In a donation bin,” I growled.

“You wouldn’t.”

“I can give you less time, if you prefer.”

Verity’s face screwed up with rage. “You’re a fucking asshole, Rick. You know that?”

“Maybe. But at least I’m not going to be a miserable asshole married to you.”

Verity ripped her engagement ring off and threw it at me.

It bounced off my chest and rolled three feet down the driveway before rolling up against the grassy edge and coming to a stop.

She spun on her heel and stormed off. She wobbled a bit on her six-inch stilettos as she made her way to the black luxury car parked at the curb.

She opened the back door and turned to look back at me.

“You’re going to wish you never lost me, Rick,” she called. “It doesn’t get better than this for you.”

“It got better for me the moment you left The Plumeria.”

Her shriek was shrill and furious—the sort of sound a provoked female villain might make in a child’s movie. Then she got in the car, slammed the door, and the driver pulled away.

I let out a shaky breath. “Jesus.”

Guilt crawled around in my gut as I walked over to pick up the ring and then turned back to the house and tried to think of the best way to explain this to Chessie so she would understand that this wasn’t right and that I was sorry.

Parents made mistakes all the time but this was the biggest one I’d made in a while.

I owed her an earnest apology and a promise that I would never let someone like Verity get close to us again.

It was a promise I owed to myself as much as I did to my daughter.