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“Who amI?” A slick grin crossed my face as I glanced at Marsh. His eyes screameddon’t you dare. He knew me better than that.
“Let’s all go back out to the ball and…” Marsh tried to work around the uncomfortable moment but there was no way in hell.
“And nothing,” I said, my voice rising. “You want to know who I am? I’m his daughter.” The word was stiff and unfamiliar on my lips. I wasn’t used to being anyone’s daughter. I wasn’t used to being anyone’s anything, to be honest. I was always my own everything.
“His what?” Carla laughed then looked at the sick expression on Marsh’s face. Sweat peppered his brow. He looked like he needed a chair and a drink.
“Daugh…ter,” I said drawing the word out like she was hard of hearing. “Your husband had an affair twenty-three years ago with my mother. Got her knocked up and then went home to you. Don’t worry though,” I said pausing and watching Carla’s face crack into a million pieces. “He didn’t raise me and secretly take care of my mom and me on the side. He’s a real upstanding man. He left me and so did my mother. I was raised in the system until I aged out.” My own story was still bitter on my tongue. “I met Marsh three years ago and I’ve been his secret fucking side baby ever since. There. I did what you couldn’t do for the past three years, motherfucker.”
“Twenty-three years,” King corrected, lifting his finger in the air.
“Oh, yeah. Twenty-three,” I smirked tipping my head to the side. “Now, it’s all out in the open. Have fun doing damage control.” I moved out of the small office with my hands shaking and a lifetime of anger drawn to the surface of me. I was a fucking mess. A walking time bomb.
“Jupiter!” Marsh called after me but I kept powering through the crowd. I needed fresh air. I didn’t stop moving until all the noise from the ball fell away.
A pair of strong hands rested on my shoulders and I knew from the feel, it was King.
“Hey, look at me,” his voice came soft and quiet from behind me. I turned to face him revealing the tears in my eyes. I hated crying but the emotions wouldn’t be contained.
“I hate him,” I said, my voice shaking.
“I know.” He folded me into his arms, kissing the top of my head.
“He really stood there and had every opportunity to tell her I was his kid. Instead, he introduced me as Jupiter. That’s it. Not my daughter. Not, I need to tell you who she is when we get home. Just…Jupiter.” I sniffled against King’s chest. “I felt like an afterthought. Like a fucking secret.” Pain sludged around inside me like broken glass.
“Listen to me, Ju,” King said, his voice serious. “You are not an afterthought or a secret. Fuck Marsh. He has no idea what kind of person he’s missing out on by hiding you.” He angled my face toward his while the cool night air dried some of my tears. “I know we have to work with him for Legion of Kings’ business but if you want, I will keep him away from you. Just say the word.” King stroked the sides of my face with his thumbs while he stared at me.
I nodded in response and pulled him closer to me. I had no idea when it happened but he’d become my world. My protector. I didn’t need protection from the world but I did need to be protected when I felt too small to handle myself. I needed protection from my stupid heart. It kept reaching out to Marsh even though my brain knew better.
“I’m not letting him have that kind of hold over me,” I said, clearing away the tears. “I want him to look me in the face every fucking time he has to deal with the Legion of Kings. I want him to choke on his guilt.”
“That’s my girl,” King said with a smile. His long arms slid around my waist and I melted against him. He was so hard and strong and smelled so damn good. I could have stayed there forever.
I yanked away abruptly though.
“What?” King frowned at me.
“That old bitch wants to fuck you, King. Carla? Marsh’s wife.”
“Oh yeah, she wants this dick.” He nodded his head, agreeing. I shoved him backward and he laughed, holding his arms out. “Why are you pushing me? Hey, I can’t help it if every woman knows good dick when she sees it. I’m just an innocent bystander.”
“You’re an asshole,” I said.
“Nah, I leave that all to you. Plus, you know I’m not trying to fuck Marsh’s wife or anybody else’s wife. The only wife I want to fuck is my own. Now, you can believe that shit. I’m a lot of things, Ju but a cheater ain’t one of them.” He walked up to me and with a strong hand and gripped me by the throat because he knew what that shit did to me.
“Now, tell me you know and understand that there is no one else outside of us.” His voice was quiet and intimate. Only for our ears.
“I understand,” I said without any pushback because I felt the white-hot sincerity pulsing through him.
He. Was.Mine.
“Now tell me who the fuck my wife is.”
I held up my bare left hand and said, “Nobody because there’s no fucking ring on my finger and I don’t do the empty title shit. Either we have papers or we’re single.”
“Wrong,” King said, a devious smirk on his face. “Dead fucking wrong. Loud and fucking wrong.”
“Um unless you slipped an invisible ring on my finger,” I said tugging away from his possessive grasp before my pussy talked me into something stupid. “This space is blank and until it’s filled, I’m your woman. Not your wife.”
