The fucker’s eyes got all teary. Kyler could’ve leveled him simply for that. “If you love her, honestly care for her, then you’ll realize that she deserves better than you. She has a good thing going for her in Vegas. Do you honestly want to cause her more pain than you’ve already caused?”
Rory’s mouth parted, but Kyler interjected, “She’s mine now. I have no idea how much clearer to make that.” He leaned in across the table and heard the snarl in his voice. “The option for you to take her back to Savannah isn’t an option anymore. Regardless, she has a soft spot in her heart for you and thinks you’re not this horrible piece of shit that I know you are.”
“Kyler,” Sawyer warned.
His gaze flicked to Sawyer, who hadn’t moved off the wall but raised his eyebrows. Kyler clenched his jaw, controlling his voice. “Ella is staying with me. In Vegas. Where she is safe and loved. She has nothing left for her in Savannah, and she certainly does not want to be with you.” He tapped his finger against the paper. “Sign it and let her move on with her life.”
Whatever Rory had seen in Kyler’s expression he must’ve taken seriously, since his shoulders slumped. “Is that what she wants?”
“What she wants is no longer your concern,” Kyler retorted. “Her moving away and the restraining order should be clear enough for you to realize the relationship is over. You cannot possibly be that stupid.” He drew in a long breath, then released it slowly. “I don’t know what you’re hung up on, but it’s done. Over. Now that I know of the restraining order, believe me when I tell you that I will not hesitate to get you arrested. Do not contact her. Do not come anywhere near her. Are we clear?”
Rory held his gaze, then, like the coward he was, he hung his head. “Yeah. We’re clear.”
Kyler leaned away, staring at the piece of shit. He’d seen too many people come from hard times and do incredible things with their lives, regardless of the odds. There was no justification to think it was okay to act like a complete asshole at rough times in their lives.
Rory stared at the envelope before he removed the papers. His hand shook as he picked up the pen and signed the document. “She’s a good woman.”
Kyler’s fists clenched as he rose from his chair, all his rage slowly building to unbearable levels. He noticed Sawyer stepping in closer to him as he pressed his hands against the table, leaning into Rory. “If beating those words from your fucking mouth wouldn’t make me a man like you, that would be in your foreseeable future.”
He brought his face within inches of Rory’s, noticing Sawyer move just a bit closer, then he added, “A man of your character doesn’t get to mutter those words. You are to never talk about her again, in any fashion whatsoever. And you certainly don’t need to tell me that I have a woman so special that I’d go to all measures to keep her safe.”
Grabbing up the papers, he glanced to Sawyer, who had taken a step back and relaxed his posture. “Get Maggie to call her friend in Savannah and get him on a plane.”
Sawyer raised her brows in surprise. “Are you sure?”
Not process the paperwork for breaking the protection order? the question rang out between them.
“No, I’m not,” Kyler muttered, not giving Rory a second look. He didn’t deserve it. He deserved to be ignored and feel small, like he’d done to Ella. “But that’s what Ella would want.”
She’s the only thing that matters.
Not Rory. Not abuse. Only her.
Chapter Twenty-one
On Sunday morning, Ella waved at the girls as they drove off in Dmitri’s Hummer. The world was a little foggy this morning and her head hurt from the three glasses of wine she’d drank last night. Though, at least she wasn’t as bad as Kenzie, who’d guzzled double what Ella had.
Kenzie had said all of two words this morning and grunted the rest. While funny as it was, Ella knew the effect that last night had on her. She knew she most likely would’ve run, not wanting to face any of them again. By their staying with her, they took away her chance, and as rattled as she felt, she was also touched by their friendships.
I’m lucky.
She sighed as Dmitri’s Hummer vanished around the corner and she shut the front door. Now what? Her thoughts spun wildly out of control. What happened with Rory last night? Did he go to jail? Why did Kyler want to go with him? More important, why hadn’t Kyler come back to her last night?
Everything hurt.
Her head throbbed. Her heart ached. Her damn soul felt battered, if she were being honest with herself.
Instead of standing at the door, thinking shit over that she couldn’t control, she set to showering off the hangover, since two cups of coffee and a painkiller hadn’t helped yet. Moving through her hallway, she entered her small, modern bathroom and stripped out of her pajamas, getting into the shower.
There, she stayed for a good fifteen minutes until her head stopped thumping and the world seemed less hazy. Once she turned off the shower and reached for the towel on the hook, she heard her front door open and close.
Knowing exactly who it would be, and needing more than ever to see Kyler, she grabbed her housecoat off the back of the door. Then her wet footsteps followed her into the living room.
Water dripped off her hair, landing on the hardwood floors, when she spotted Kyler sitting on her couch with his back to her. She moved around the couch and noticed an envelope on the table. He turned to her, and his guarded gaze still held that cold distance. Seeing it brought forth emotions she wasn’t expecting. Happiness didn’t fill her at his arrival, red-hot anger did.
“What’s that?” she asked, pointing to the envelope.
“Your signed divorce papers,” he said, not moving from the couch.