Page 52 of The Tycoon
Pausing for a moment, I try to rein in my racing heart. He isn’t going to like what I have to say, but I refuse to have him accuse my Sutton of such a heinous act.
“Sam, you’ve been in a fight, there’s no doubt about that but…no. I don’t believe that Sutton was the one that beat you up. And I think it’s really shitty that you’re trying to hurt me like this. You can’t stand to see me happy, can you?” I ask.
Huffing a laugh, he reaches into the pocket of his flannel pajama pants. Shaking his head, he pulls out his phone.
“Oh, yeah,I’mthe one trying to hurt you!” he says, raising his voice as he tries to pull something up on the screen of his cell. “Right. Ok. So when I got out of theemergency roomafter your fucking rich bitch of a boyfriend beat me up, my mom drove me back to San Antiono to take care of me. I’ve been there all fucking week, recovering from getting my head bashed against a brick wall! Anyway, I felt alittlealive last night, so we went down to River Walk. Well! Imagine my surprise when I see SuttonfuckingDouglas out on a date with somebrunette!”
Laughing at his story, I can’t help but roll my eyes. He’s being ridiculous, and I’m getting a little annoyed.
“That’s impossible, Sutton was tied up in negotiation meetings all night there’s no way it was hi–”
“Oh, yeah?” he interrupts, holding his cell up to my face. “Because this sure as hell looks like him to me!”
Moving my gaze to the screen, I reluctantly watch as a video plays. While dark, I can make out the image of a man that resembles Sutton sitting at an outdoor table. My mind automatically dismisses it, chalking it up to the painkillers he’s probably on.
“That’s not Sutton.”
“Keep watching, Dolly!” he all but yells.
Jumping slightly from the volume of his voice, I turn my attention back to the screen. It zooms in closer, revealing a clear image of what looks like Sutton’s handsome face.
“What the hell,” I whisper.
“Oh, just keep watching! You’re getting to the good part!” Sam barks.
Pressing my lips into a fine line, my stomach fills with razor sharp butterflies as I see a woman with long brown hair approach him. I only see her from behind, but I recognize her right away. There’s only one person in the world who was blessed with perfect hair and a slutty walk like that.
“Savannah,” I say under my breath.
“Oh, you know this bitch, Dolly?” Sam asks, tilting his head as he looks at me. “Yeah, of course you do! Hewouldcheaton you with someone you know. He’s that kind of an asshole!”
Drowning him out as he continues to berate my love, I’m unable to turn away from the video. Time slows as I watch Savannah bend down to say something into Sutton’s ear. Whatever it is must have hit him the right way, for he smirks like he does with me when I try to talk dirty to him. Acidic bile rises in my throat as I watch her tongue dart out to lick his neck. He says something to her that makes her tight body wiggle before he stands from his seat. Taking her arm, she cuddles against him as they walk away, looking as close as only two lovers can.
A phantom fist punches me in my stomach, causing me to gasp as it knocks the wind from my lungs. I’m engulfed by a boiling wave of physical and mental pain. My heart implodes into a billion shards of delicate porcelain.
How could I have been so naive? Sutton Douglas isn’t my prince charming, he’s my silver-tongued assassin. Now I know why he didn’t text me to tell me goodnight, he was too busy fucking his gorgeous assistant to care. Hell, knowing my luck, he’s probably inside her right this very second.
Oh, God. I’m going to be sick.
Letting out a sigh, Sam pulls his phone away from my face. Locking his screen, he places it back into his pocket. His expression changes from anger and annoyance to something much softer, almost empathetic. Leaning in towards me, he forces me to meet his warm gaze.
“Believe me now, Dolly?” he asks, trying to lift his bruised brow. “I wouldn’t lie to you. Not about something like this.”
Staring at him, my vision blurs as tears well in my eyes. I stammer like a moron, my words jumbling together in an incohesive sentence. Unable to hold my heartbreak, I start to sob uncontrollably as the gravity of the situation puts me in a chokehold. I’m messy and loud, full of molten tears and watery snot as my body collapses against the couch. I’ve never felt such hopelessness before, I wish my heart would truly explode.
I don’t want to be here.I don’t want to be on the same plane of existence as the man that has consumed everything good inside me and eviscerated the purity that was attached to my soul. If I knew I wouldn’t go to hell, I’d run to the kitchen right now and slit my wrists. I really would.
“Oh, my sweet Dolly. Shh, come here,” he says.
Reaching for my trembling body, Sam pulls me onto his lap. Holding me against his chest, he gently runs his fingers through my hair. He tries his best to soothe me, but I am broken beyond repair.
“He isn’t worth your tears, he isn’t worth your pain. He really isn’t, Dolly. You are too good for him. He doesn’t see what an amazing, beautiful, smart woman you are.”
His voice trails off, I feel his lips nuzzle tenderly against my crown. He holds me for what seems like forever, allowing meto cry and scream until there is nothing left for my body to release. It’s only then that he continues with his compliments, no doubt trying to make me feel better.
“You really are so perfect. So smart, so sweet. It’s his loss, you’re going to be ok. I promise you’re going to be ok, I’ll make sure you’ll be ok,” he purrs, pulling me even closer.
I hear his words, but they don’t resonate in my brain. My body may be physically spent, but I am still emotionally reeling.