Page 69 of Jonny’s Redemption

Yikes. It was a good thing I’d walked out of the room and Jonny was no longer sitting next to me or he would’ve heard Tony’s angry shout.

“What the fuck, what, Tony? Is Penny okay?”

“I wouldn’t know seeing as you called her to tattle like the bitch you are and she broke up with me.”

“Whoa, there, friend,” I chided. “First, tone down the assholery and second, you cannot be blaming this on me.”

Thankfully, I’d made it out into the reception area far away from the conference room by the time Tony started again. I guess he didn’t feel like toning down his snarky comments and neither did he feel like being civil.

“It is your fault. Everything was fine until you and that bitch got involved. Now Penny won’t fucking listen to me.”

And it was a damn good thing she hadn’t listened to him, he had no idea what he was doing. Before I could correct him he kept right on yelling.

“Then you opened your fucking trap and told Penny I was bothering you and she broke up with me. Told me she warned me and I didn’t listen. Total bullshit. You need to call her to fix this shit, Bobby. Swear to God, you don’t and you’ll be sorry.”

I tensed at his threat and something funny stole over me—not fear, not anxiety, not apprehension. No, it started as a twinge in the pit of my stomach and it grew and grew until I couldn’t contain it. I was sick and tired of people thinking they could treat me like shit. I was not Tony Whatever-his-last-name-was’s whipping girl, nor was I his personal errand girl who would hop to and deliver messages for him. As a matter of fact, he was nothing to me. Not a client, not a friend, not a colleague. I was as good as a stranger to him and he thought he had the right to call me fifty-two times, annoy the shit out of me, make demands, question me, and now shout at me and threaten me.

No.

Just no.

“Did you fall down this mornin’ and bump your head?”

“What the hell are you talking about?”

“You must’ve. There’s no other explanation other than you bumped your goddamn head thinkin’ you have the right to call and threaten me. No. Fuck no, I’m not calling Penny and telling her anything. Her personal life is none of my business and it would seem it’s none of yours either seeing as she finally wised up and got shot of your ass. And since I think that’s the smartest thing she’s done since I met her I might buy her a drink tomorrow when I see her.

“Now what’s gonna happen is this—you’re not ever gonna call me again, and I see your number come across my phone I’m gonna take that as harassment and report it. And since you’ve already—very lamely I might add, proving irrefutably what an uninspired moron you are by telling me I’ll be sorry if I don’t fix your fuck-up—you calling just now will be threat number two. I don’t wait for the third strike to make my move, Tony. I’m making it now and you don’t wanna fuck with me. I’ll rain hellfire down over you until you beg for mercy.”

“You’re so full of shit. You got nothing, bitch.”

“I got more than you could ever dream possible. Lose my number, asshole.”

And with that, I hung up.

I was supremely mad. So angry, my hands shook.

But standing in the reception area of Gemini Group after hearing the second person that day make a threat against me, strangely I felt great.

Sure I was furious at Tony, and Dick was a nuisance, but for the first time in my life, I truly felt like I had more than I ever dreamed possible.

I felt it.

The Tonys and Dicks of the world couldn’t touch me. EJ and my father couldn’t hurt me. My mother’s defection had been a blessing.

I had Evie and the girls.

I had Jonny and the guys.

I had it all.

I was living the dream.

And the best part?

I’d earned it.

It was all mine.