Chapter 1
"You're an asshole." The words sound heavy as they leave my lips. They should. They carry with them all the vile distaste I feel for him in this moment.
"Excuse me?" Jax glances up from where he's seated behind his desk. His tone is strong and unyielding. If he's surprised by my words, he's masking it brilliantly. "What are you doing here?"
My head shoots to the right where an older man is sitting. His gaze is downcast but it's clear from the way he's clenching the laptop resting on his knees that he's uncomfortable.
"Are you Gilbert?" I throw the question at him knowing that he must be the man Jax barked at on the phone earlier. He was summoned to help Jax manipulate the shares I hold in Mark's company from my grasp.
He nods, his eyes glued to his lap.
"Leave." I spit out.
"Ivy, what the hell has gotten into you?" Jax stands, dropping the pen he was holding with a dull thud onto a stack of papers on his desk. "You can't order him to leave."
"Leave now, Gilbert." I seethe, my eyes never leaving Jax's face.
"Go." Jax flicks his wrist in the direction of the door. The older man scurries out of the room. His haste makes it clear that he recognizes that I'm about to explode.
I turn to slam the office door behind him. I reach inside my bag searching for the cold metal of the framed picture. As my fingers find it, I feel pressure on my shoulder.
"Ivy, what's wrong with you?" His breath is a whisper against my neck.
I shiver and pull free from his grasp. "This." My voice lacks emotion as I pull the frame from my purse and shove it into his hands in one swift gesture.
I study his expression as his eyes quickly skirt over the picture. "What? It's a picture of you and Mark."
"In the background. Look." I push the edge of the frame coaxing him to hold it higher. I want him to focus on the picture. I want him to see what I see. I want his eyes to lock on his own face, in all its smug, egotistical glory waiting in the shadows studying his prey.
"Fuck." He drops the frame on the floor. It bounces before the glass crashes into splinters.
I don't flinch. "You're worse than him." I scowl. "You used me."
His eyes lock on mine. His tongue traces a path around his lips. He swallows hard before he opens his mouth. "No. Don't say that."
"It's true. You're both lying bastards."
"I'm nothing like Mark. Nothing." He leans in closer to me as he stretches the word across his lips.
"You're worse." I turn away reaching for the doorknob.
"You're not leaving until I explain." He grips my elbow, pulling my hand back towards him.
I flip around to face him pulling my arm free. "I'm leaving. Don't try and stop me."
He throws both hands in the air as he takes a firm step back from me. "Fine. You're too emotional right now to hear me anyways."
"I never want to hear what you have to say. Never." I stomp my foot as I pull the door open.
"You'll hear me. I'll stop by your place later tonight," he says, the words casually rolling from his tongue.