Oh no. No fucking way—he didn’t get to undermine me like that. Not to mention his language . . .
“Izzy can have the cake when she says sorry for hitting you,” I said. He set the cupcake down in front of her, deliberately. I cocked my head, glaring at him.
“Isabella, say sorry,” Jess said, catching her attention. “Say it with Auntie Jess?”
The little girl looked at Jessica and smiled. “Sowwy.”
I sighed in relief, realizing this could be a sign of things to come—Izzy was a smart kid. Too smart. If she realized she could play her parents against each other, we’d be screwed by the time she hit middle school.
I felt another wave of near panic hit—if I couldn’t control a two-year-old, how was I supposed to control a middle schooler?
“Okay, princess. Cupcake time,” Painter said, swinging a leg over to straddle the bench next to her. She beamed at him, shoving it into her mouth without paying the slightest attention to me. It was always like that . . . Izzy was daddy’s girl, through and through.
I hated it, and I sort of hated myself, too.
What kind of crazy woman is jealous of her own daughter?
• • •
“She’s gonna do fine,” Painter said, giving me a cool look. We stood next to each other under the picnic shelter, watching Izzy play chase with Jessica on the playground equipment. He’d lost all the smiles now that we were alone. Prison had impacted him even more deeply this time. He’d gone darker, more still. His art was darker, too. From what I’d seen in his studio, there was a new power to his painting, but also a new sense of danger.
No wonder his works were selling like crazy.
Seemed a little unfair, actually. Painter committed crimes and went to jail, and all it did was titillate potential buyers. I busted ass and worked hard, but I still couldn’t afford a new car. The fact that he’d offered to buy me one just made it sting more.
Asshole.
“You promise you’ll call if she gets scared?” I said, hating this entire situation.
“Sure,” he replied. “But she won’t. She loves my place, and it’s not like she’s never been away from home—she’s spent the night with London and Reese. She’ll do fine. You need to stop worrying.”
“Okay,” I whispered, defeated. “I’ll be out this evening, but I’d still really appreciate it if you let her call me at bedtime. I want to say good night.”
“Out where?” he asked casually. I shot him a look.
“With a friend.”
“Date?”
“None of your damned business,” I snapped. Shit. Why had I done that? Way too defensive, which was a dead giveaway.
“Anyone I know?” he asked, his jaw tight. I turned to him, raising a brow.
“You screw everything that walks,” I spat out. “How dare you question me?”
“Jealous?” he asked, eyes hard. Scowling, I flipped him off subtly. He raised a brow.
“You want me to stop screwing around, come over with Izzy tonight and I’ll be happy to limit my fucking to you, Mel. Anytime you want under me, the door’s open.”
The words sent a wave of heat through me, and I’m pretty sure my nipples went hard as rocks. He gave a mocking ghost of a smile.
“Still remember how you taste, baby—not to mention how that cunt of yours felt wrapped tight around my cock. Do not fuck with me, Mel. I’m not some little boy you can play games with.”
I stepped back, eyes wide.
“You shouldn’t talk like that,” I managed to say. His smile turned nasty.
“Mel, I’ve done everything you’ve asked,” he said. “And there’s not a damned thing on earth I wouldn’t do for Isabella. But I’m sick of jumping through your hoops, only to have you go full bitch on me when I want to see my daughter. She’s my kid, too.”
“Do you lay awake nights trying to think up new ways to be an asshole?” I asked. “And I’ve never asked you to do anything for me. I’d be just as happy if you disappeared. Me and Izzy were doing great before you came back and decided to play daddy.”
Something flared in his eyes, and then he stepped into my space. I tried to back away, then felt the picnic table hit my butt, blocking me.
“I’m not playing anything,” he said, the words low and hard. “I fucked up. I know I fucked up, I’ve apologized for it, and I’ve done my best to make up for it. I’ll never get that time with her back, and I’ll regret that for the rest of my fucking life. But no goddamned way I’ll let you or anyone else get between me and my girl, Mel. I appreciate all you’ve been through and I’m thankful that you’re Izzy’s mom, but don’t think you’ll get rid of me. You’ll never be rid of me, Melanie. For the rest of your fucking life, I’ll be here because we share a kid. So stop being so nasty all the time.”
I stood, trembling, as he raised his hand to my hair, pushing the short bob back behind my ear. His fingers traced the lobe, sending chills all the way down my spine and between my legs. Memories hung between us, heavy and sweet.
“I liked it better long,” he whispered.
“It was too much work taking care of it,” I managed to reply, wishing like hell I couldn’t feel the heat radiating off his body.
“If you fuck him tonight, think of me,” he replied, eyes burning. “Remember what it felt like when I was the one inside you.”
How could someone so vile be so sexy?
“Right, because you’re always thinking of me?” I sneered. He licked his lips hungrily, then leaned over to whisper in my ear.
“Every single time, I pretend it’s you under me. Doesn’t matter who it is, I close my eyes and it’s always your face I see, Mel. You give the word and I’ll fill that hungry cunt of yours.”
I closed my eyes, desperate for some space.
“You can’t talk like that.”
He traced his nose along the side of my face, scenting me.
“Almost a year,” he whispered. “Almost a year I’ve been free, doing everything I can to help you. Financially, around the house. I said something stupid when you told me about Izzy, and then I got reckless. I paid for that by losing the first part of my daughter’s life. I won’t lose any more. I’m done trying to make you happy, Mel, so here’s the new rules. You can fuck around all you want, but you stay the hell out of my world. You come back inside, I’m taking over. Got it?”
My eyes snapped open again, and I jerked back so hard I would’ve fallen across the table if he hadn’t caught me.
“What?”
“You heard me,” he said, his face like stone. “New game, Mel. I’m done riding bitch so you can feel good. Consider yourself warned.”
With that, he turned and walked away.
SIX MONTHS LATER
KOOTENAI MEDICAL CENTER EMERGENCY ROOM
“Todger’s back,” Sherri said, nudging me with her shoulder. “Drunk off his ass and hasn’t been cleaned up since the last time he was in here. Rock, paper, scissors to see who has to deal with him.”
I nodded and we counted to three. She went with paper, I was rock. Crap.
“Lucky bitch,” I said, rolling my eyes. She laughed, offering me a little finger wave. Todger was harmless enough, even if he did smell like a dead fish. The guy had been in and out of the ER for years, just one of the many mentally ill homeless guys we saw regularly. About six months back he’d found some temporary housing, but the last time he’d been in, he’d confided in me that the CIA had planted bugs in the apartment and that he wasn’t safe there. So far as I knew he’d gone back to sleeping under the bleachers down at Memorial Stadium. “Cops bring him in?”
“No, the warming station called an ambulance,” she said. “He started seizing on the floor, sounds like DT’s to me.”
I raised a brow. “Seriously? He’s trying to sober up?”
“Who knows with Todger? Anyway, you better get in there and check on him. We put him in a room, but Dr. Ives is busy with a real case and Dr. Baker is grabbing some food while she can. Said Todger would still be there when she gets back.”