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“Stop!” she barked, spinning toward me, her eyes already red as tears poured down her cheeks. “You know, I'm glad she got a chance to speak, because I got to know the secret that you two have been hiding. I suspected something was going on, but I told myself I was crazy.”
“Sweetheart, I—”
“No! Dad, no!” she sobbed behind her hand, her engagement ring sparkling in the carport lighting. “In what world did you think sleeping with my best friend would be a good idea?”
Brow arched, I slid my hands into my pockets. “You understand the irony of that question, don't you?”
Rolling her eyes, she whirled around the other way, drawing her arms closely into her body. “You and Maddie need to leave. You've ruined my engagement party.”
“No, your mother ruined your party, but I apologize.” I took a deep breath. “I know I didn’t help matters.” I took my chances and approached her, glancing back over my shoulder to see Maddie standing at the entrance, staring at us. I positioned myself so Elizabeth couldn’t see her as I pulled her into me. “Elizabeth, I’m so sorry I didn’t come to you about anything first. I knew it was a bad idea, but I was so unhappy with your mother and being alone, and—”
“Dad,” she sniffled into my chest as if she were fighting acceptance, “I want both you and her to leave immediately.” She took a step back, peering around me. “How dare you, you stupid whor—”
“Elizabeth!” I spat, and she snapped wide eyes at me in utter shock. “I know you’re mad, but don’t you dare speak to her the way you’re about to.”
“Wow!” she scoffed. “You have the nerve speaking to me that way after what I just found out.”
I should’ve kept my mouth closed, but I was tired of so many secrets between us when we'd always been open with one another. Before I could control my words, I spat, “As opposed to how I found out in Turks and Caicos about you and my best friend? Yeah, I was angry at first and felt a sense of betrayal, but I just gave my best friend of over decades permission to marry my only daughter.” I twisted to Maddie, then back at Elizabeth. “We’ll both go but know that we're both here for you when you're ready to talk. And we both love you. I fully support you marrying Vinny because I see how happy he makes you.”
There was so much more I wanted to say, but I was thankful my phone vibrated in my pocket. Though I understood where my daughter was coming from and fully expected her to act that way, she of all people, should’ve understood where I was coming from. Unfortunately, her entire engagement party was ruined because of family drama we should’ve fixed a long time ago. I slipped my phone out of my pocket seeing Vincenzo’s face on the screen. My face must have told exactly what was going on.
“Is that Vinny? Is he with mom?”
“I have to take this, and I don't think it's a good idea that I take it in front of either one of you.” I peeked at Maddie. “I need to handle this right now. You guys can either stand here and talk or you can leave.”
“I want you to leave!” Elizabeth huffed before she stormed back inside, bumping Maddie’s arm on the way in.
I placed the phone to my ear. Hello.
I need you to come around back to the twentieth hole and I need you to come alone.
I'm on my way.
I hung up, taking my keys from my pocket, and handing them to Maddie. “You can go sit in my car and wait for me or you can take your car and go to my house, and I'll be there at some point after I finish handling this.”
She handed my keys back to me. “I’ll take my own car and go to my apartment. I think it's best for me to give you and your family space for a while.” She threw her arms around me and then took a step back. “I love you,” she whispered, “but I’m not going to be responsible for you losing Eliza. I just can’t, I’m sorry. Not after Alicia ruined what was supposed to be a special night for her… and we didn’t help matters.” She spun around with a teary gaze and power-walked toward the parking lot.
I shoved my keys in my pocket. I wanted to run after her, but I knew handling Alicia was the first step, and I hurried to the twentieth green. As I approached, Vincenzo was standing with an arm tightly around Alicia’s midsection and the other around her neck, holding her back against him. Dimitri and Antonio stood close by, and three other men were hidden in the shadows under a tree.
“I warned you, Jamie,” Vincenzo growled in pure rage. “Up until this point I’ve given you control over her fate but after she tried to hit my fiancée and after she had a hand at ruining our engagement party, I'm done.”
I bowed my head once then glared at Alicia. “I need you to understand something. I genuinely used to love you with every ounce of my being. Even when I chose to ignore how you were. I've given you the world since we were teenagers. You’ve never had to ask for anything. I’ve never given you a reason to go anywhere to get something from someone else that I couldn't give you. And I warned you on vacation, if you ever hurt either of our kids, I would let him end you.” I took a step closer. “You've destroyed so many things and you've disrupted so many others. But I'm not going to let you near anyone again.”
“I saw you with her!” she screamed. “The night you had me kicked out of the gala at the same time you and her left. I followed you and I saw you go into the office building with her, and I took the next elevator. I still have a key! Your office door was locked and that's when I knew for sure that you were fucking that little slut!”
I took two quick strides toward her, stopping in front of her. “You're right. But she's my slut to fuck. She belongs to me. And now, she’s my girlfriend. And you won't live to have another opportunity to take anything else away from me.” I nodded once at Vincenzo. “Not that you ever need my permission but do with her as you wish. I only have one request.”
He cocked a brow.
“For the sake of my kids, just make it quick and be done with it.”
He shoved her at Dimitri and Antonio.
She stumbled as her heels sank into the ground, but they caught her.
“I’ll meet you guys there,” he continued. “I have to go do damage control with Eliza.”
“Sounds good,” Dimitri replied as he and Antonio dragged her away with her in full protest.
