She pressed her lips in a flat line. “I’ll never forget what you did, what you do, for Joey.”
“He’s a good guy.”
Her heart squeezed. Not everyone saw just how wonderful her brother really was. “He always adored you.”
“But what about you?” he asked. His hands, which had been gripping her wrists, now stroked the sensitive underside. “Do you have any love for me? I can work with the tiniest scrap if you just say the word. I can change. I’ll be faith—”
“Don’t.” She pulled her hands away.
“Please, Steph. Don’t make me beg.”
“I don’t love you.” She forced the lie out because the truth was she’d always have a place in her heart for him. She wouldn’t have married him if she hadn’t loved him deeply. But that didn’t mean they should be together. She’d moved on out of self-preservation. She wasn’t indifferent to him, as much as she wished she was, though she could be once he left her alone again. And he would; she knew that. He wasn’t the kind to stick around in one place for long. “I—”
Just then the door swung open, and Paulie D came in. Griff stepped away from her. Steph smiled at Paulie D, relieved they’d finally get this over with. Paulie D was a short man with balding hair and long, straggly pieces hanging down the sides. He was also a bundle of energy.
“Traffic was a bitch!” Paulie D exclaimed. He thumped Griff on the back. “How ya doin’, Griff?” He turned to her. “Stephanie, we need to talk.”
Talk? She thought she just needed to sign some papers. She glanced at Griffin, who turned away.
“Griffin can’t sign the papers,” Paulie D said. “This will destroy him. He’s not exactly cash rich, if you know what I mean.” He rubbed his fingers together. “The cash runs out just as soon as it comes in. It’s the lifestyle—the mansion, the ski chalet, the island house. The jet. That’s a shared ownership, by the way, with some other bands.”
Griff quietly dressed in a T-shirt and jeans. He still wasn’t saying anything. Steph was getting a bad feeling.
“I don’t care about any of that,” she countered.
Paulie D put his hands on his hips. “He’s already behind on mortgage payments for the island house and, in this market, he’s going to lose money on a sale for any of them. The high-end homes have taken the biggest hit depreciation-wise. I’ve advised him not to sell.”
Steph huffed out a breath of frustration. “Aren’t you listening to me? I just want the divorce. He can keep the money.”
Paulie D cocked his head and narrowed his bulgy eyes. “Yeah, yeah, yeah. You say that now.”
“I’ll sign something that says that,” Steph said.
“If only it were that easy.” Paulie D started pacing. “Here’s where it’s complicated. If he signs those papers from Connecticut, they’ll determine distribution of property in what they consider equitable. Connecticut won’t rule favorably on account of his, uh, activities.” His bulgy eyes shifted to Griff.
He meant all the affairs. She was so over that. Besides, she wouldn’t demand half of everything. Unless…
She turned to Griff. “Either you give me the divorce right now, or I will get a lawyer and take half of everything. I’ve got a pretty good case against you. The infidelities are a matter of public record. You basically abandoned me.”
Paulie D grew agitated, running his hands through what was left of his hair. “Now, hold on, hold on. No need for threats. We can work this out. If you could just hang on. A year from now we’ll get the finances straightened out. You get a lawyer, and we’ll settle this all up out of court. We’ll make sure you’ve been compensated for your emotional distress. Maybe you could buy yourself a nice house in the suburbs. You’d like that, wouldn’t you?”
“A year!” Steph exclaimed. “I’ve already waited five years. I don’t want to wait a year.” She snapped her head around to Griff, who was suspiciously quiet. “Griff?”
Griff shrugged one shoulder.
“Griff,” she prompted, “are you going along with this?”