He surprised me by shoving me against the wall. Instinct immediately took over, and I grabbed him, reversed our positions, and pinned him against the wall and then I let loose.
“You fucking stole my child. Seven years, August. I missed her birth. Her first steps. What sort of fucking monster are you to take that from someone? What did I ever do to you to deserve that?”
“You fucked my sister—”
“I love your sister, August. You fucking douche.” I pushed him; his head knocked against the wall.
“You don’t know love. Your family was as dysfunctional as they come.”
“You don’t know love either, which makes no sense because you had great parents and a loving sister. There’s something wrong with you up here,” I tapped his temple, “that you’re morally corrupt.”
“I’ll ruin you. I’ll make sure your business fails.”
“Go ahead and try. I wonder what all your country club friends will think when they learn that you stole my child. That you betrayed your own sister, and August, I’m not just talking about what you did to break us up. Now that April is finding her footing. Asserting her own power, how long before she decides to take her part of the trust and discovers all the things you’ve done to keep her from it?”
His eyes narrowed. “I’m only looking out for her. She has a home. She has a job—”
“She shouldn’t be an employee in the company her father founded, you greedy bastard. You want to control her so you can keep the trust.”
“That’s not true—” August pushed at me. I let him go and stepped back, feeling like I’d made my point. But then he took a swing at me. “I’m going to destroy you.”
I ducked then grabbed him and pressed him against the wall again. “I’m a decorated Navy SEAL. You’re the man who lies and cheats. Who betrays his sister and steals a child. Let’s see who this town sides with, shall we?”
“Jude.” Cyrus’ hand pressed on my shoulder and pulled me back.
I released August. “Bring it on, August. Based on this meeting, I suspect, just like when we were in high school, I’ll come out on top, and you’ll look like the snivelling loser you always were.”
“I mean it, Jude. You’re done in this town.” August fixed his tie and headed out.
I couldn’t decide if I should be worried. August’s family was well known and liked in Bismarck. He’d had eight years to make his own mark. I’d been gone. Still, if he behaved the same with others as he did with April and me, chances were, he didn’t have many loyal fans. I wondered where April would fall in this dispute.
“Why is that man so pissed off at you?” Cyrus asked. “Then again, I might be pissed because it appears that you’ve attacked a potential client.”
I sucked in a calming breath, watching August until he disappeared from view. Then I turned to Cyrus. “That crazed man is April’s brother. Believe it or not, he used to be my best friend. Or so I thought.” I really wanted a drink, and decided to grab one from the bottle stashed in the bottom drawer of my desk.
“That’s a long time to hold a grudge,” Cyrus said following me.
I pulled out the scotch and two small glasses. I poured two fingers of the liquid in both. “He ran me out of town eight years ago.” I set one glass in front of Cyrus and downed mine, pouring another two fingers.
“Why did you come back then?”
I wasn’t sure if Cyrus’s concern was about my feud with August or that August would hurt our business.
I stared him in the eyes because he deserved the truth. “Because I promised April that I would come back for her. Even though that mother fucker forged a letter from her telling me it was over, it never was for me.” I sank down into my chair.
Cyrus sat too, watching me as he sipped his drink.
“He forged a letter so I wouldn’t return, knowing full well, April was pregnant.”
Cyrus arched a brow.
“He fucking stole my kid.”
&nbs
p; This time both brows rose. “Kid?”
I nodded, the pain and hate tearing at my heart. “I have a seven-year-old daughter. I never knew, Cy, I swear to fucking God.”