Conviction(79)

I hate him.

I f*cking hate him.

“You really think Pearce could’ve come up with that little blackmailing scheme on his own? The timing and convenience never seemed coincidental to you, Nina? Are you that stupid and na?ve that it never occurred to you that it was straight after you turned down my proposal that your brother came to you with an offer that you had no choice but to accept?”

My scalp tingles and I fight the urge to throw up all over his feet. I’m grateful to be sitting down and wearing sunglasses as I feel my eyes close and my body sway.

I feel like I’m drowning.

Choking.

Suffocating.

They were in it together.

My brother and Marcus.

My mouth waters as I constantly swallow down the bile that keeps rising in my throat.

“Something you’d be wise to learn, Nina, I always get what I want.”

I snap out of my haze at his words. He links his fingers together, places them behind his head and leans back on the bench, crossing his legs in front of him.

He’s just left me devastated with his words and now his sitting here so smug and casual, almost like he’s sunbathing.

I’ve never considered myself capable of an act of violence, but right now, if I had a knife in my hand, I would stab him in the heart without a second thought.

Actually, I would slice his throat because it would be pointless stabbing him in the heart, when he so obviously doesn’t have one. I’d slice his throat and walk away, leaving him to bleed out. Hopefully, his brain would register the fact that he was beyond help and was going to die before he passed out from blood loss.

Apparently, when pissed off, I do have a violent streak.

“The thing is though Marcus, you didn’t win. You may have lied, blackmailed and manipulated, along with whatever else it took to make me your wife, but I never loved you, never really even cared for you and now, well now you’ve lost me completely.”

I watch as he uncrosses and crosses his legs again, but I don’t give him a chance to speak.

“You see Marcus, I’m now with someone else. I’m the happiest I’ve ever been in my life. I’m loved, cherished, worshiped and desired and it’s by someone with more honesty, humility and integrity than you could ever wish for in a thousand lifetimes. He owns me Marcus, heart and soul. I’ll be his till the day I die.”

His arms are now folded across his chest and I know my words are cutting him as deep as any knife ever could.

I mirror his pose from earlier and sit casually back on the park bench, not believing the sight that is headed toward me along the pathway. He’s wearing tan coloured cargo pants, a loose, light grey jumper and has a grey beanie on his head. He’s on a longboard, confidently zigzagging his way through the lunchtime park walkers. He looks nothing like Reed the rock star. He just looks like Conner, the man I love.

“In fact, here he comes now.”

I stand up and finally lift my glasses from eyes and push them to the top of my head. I can’t help but smile as I watch the joggers, walkers, office workers and even the mums pushing prams take a second look as his sexy self passes them on his board.

“Are you serious, Nina? He’s on a skateboard. A grown man, on a f*cking skateboard. Obviously another loser who can’t even afford a car.”

Conner’s eyes meet mine and my heart honestly skips several beats when I watch them light up and that smile that I love, takes shape on those lips that make me squirm inside. He stops right in front of where I’m standing, flips his board up pressing his right foot on the end and tucks it under his left arm. His eyes don’t leave mine during the whole process and he totally ignores Marcus.

“Meebs, I missed you, baby,” he greets me almost word for word the same way that Marcus did. The difference in my reaction is visceral. It’s welcome and it warms me. He reaches out and strokes the back of his knuckles over my cheek.

“Marcus Newman… and you need to take your hands off my f*cking wife,” I hear from beside me.

Conner takes my hand and moves me away from Marcus. He puts his board down on the path and pulls off his beanie. Standing up straight, he looks Marcus in the eye.

“Conner Reed… it’s been a while. What? Must be fifteen, sixteen years or so?”

Marcus’s mouth actually drops open.

Wide.

Open.

His eyes flick from Conner to me and I take absolute pleasure in his discomfort as realisation dawns on him.

“Back with the junkie-ex-con, Nina?” He shakes his head. “You’ll end up back in the gutter, but then that’s where all sluts belong.”

I grab Conner’s arm, knowing instinctively that Con will want to punch him.

“Go on, I dare you,” Marcus almost spits the words. “Just try it and I’ll sue you for…” He stops talking when he notices Conner shake his head and laughs.

“I wouldn’t waste my time on a little toad like you, Newman. You’re nobody! Another jumped up little lawyer on the corporate ladder, trying to make it big in this world. I really couldn’t be f*cked to raise an eyebrow in your direction, let alone my fist. You know why? Coz, I’m Conner f*cking Reed, that’s why. I’m already at the top of my world. I got the fame, the fortune, the house and the cars, but best of all… best of all, Marcus Newman… I got your wife.” He turns his gaze to me and smiles. “She’ll be your ex-wife very soon and then she’ll be my wife, but in between now and then, I’ll be keeping not only my hands but my mouth, lips, dick and tongue, all over your wife. I’ll be keeping them on her in my bed, in my bath, shower, over my office desk, anywhere I f*cking like in fact, and no doubt, your wife will enjoy every last lick, f*ck and suck I give her.” Her turns to me again. “Won’t you baby?”