Tied With Me (With Me In Seattle)(95)

“Why do you say that?” he asks calmly.

“It took two freaking years for the divorce to be final, Ty. I don’t want Cary to drag this out too.”

“It wasn’t necessarily Cary’s fault that the divorce took so long, Lauren. Jack had a good lawyer and your

divorce was a mess.”

That’s the f*cking understatement of the year.

“Will you take my case?” I ask.

“No,” he replies quickly.

“What?” I ask, my dazed eyes returning to his. “Why?”

He shakes his head and sighs as he takes a seat behind his desk. “I have a full load as it is, Lo.”

“You’re more aggressive than Cary,” I begin to say but halt when he scowls.

“I really don’t think I can help you.”

Stunned, I sit back and stare at him. “You mean you won’t.” I hate the hurt I hear in my voice, but I can’t hide it. I know Ty and I aren’t super close, but I considered him a friend. I can’t believe he’s shooting me down.

He folds the letter and hands it back to me, his mouth set in a firm line and his gray eyes sober. “No, I won’t. Make an appointment with Cary and talk it over with him.”

My hand automatically reaches out and takes the letter from Ty, and I’m suddenly just embarrassed.

“Of course,” I whisper and rise quickly, ready to escape this office. “I’m sorry for intruding.”

“Lo . . .”

“No, you’re right. It was unprofessional for me to just show up like this. I apologize.” I clear my throat and offer him a bright, fake smile, then beeline it for the door. “Thanks anyway.”

“Did you want to make an appointment, Lauren?” Sylvia the receptionist asks as I hurry past her desk.

“No, I’ll call. Thanks.”

I can’t get to my car fast enough. Why did I think Ty would help me? No one will help me!

All the connections I have in this town, all the money I have, and that * is still making my life a living hell.

I drive home in a daze, and when I pull up behind a shiny black Jaguar, my heart sinks further.

Today f*cking sucks.

Prepared to call for help if need be, I pull my cell phone out of my bag and climb out of my car. I walk

briskly past him and up the steps to the front door.

“Hey, gorgeous.”

“I told you not to come here, Jack. I don’t want to see you.”

“Aw, don’t be like that, baby. You’re making this so much harder than it needs to be.”

Shocked and pissed all over again, I round on him.

“I’m the one making this hard?” I shake my head and laugh at the lunacy of this situation. “I don’t want you here. The divorce has been final for weeks now, and you have no business being here. And now you’re trying to

f*cking sue me?”

He loses his smug smile and his mouth tightens as his brown eyes narrow. “No, I’ll tell you what will make it easy, Lauren. You paying me what’s rightfully mine is what will make it easy. You hid that money from me, and I’m entitled to half.”

“I’ll never pay you off, you son of a bitch.” I’m panting and glaring, so f*cking angry.

“Oh, honey, I think you will.” He moves in close and drags his knuckles down my cheek. I jerk my head away, but he grabs my chin in his hand, squeezing until there’s just a bit of pain. “Or maybe I’ll just come back here and claim what’s mine. You are still mine, you know.”

My stomach rolls as he runs his nose up my neck and sniffs deeply. Every part of me stills. What the f*ck

is this?

“A man has the right to f*ck his wife whenever he pleases.”

“I’m not your wife,” I grind out, glaring at him as he pulls back and stares me in the face.

He flashes an evil grin and presses harder against me. “You’ll always be mine. No piece of paper can change that.”

I don’t answer, but instead just continue to glare at him in hatred.

“Maybe you should just go ahead and write that check.”

He pushes away from me and backs down the stairs toward his flashy car, a car he bought with my parents’

money, and snickers as he looks me up and down. “You’ve kept that hot body of yours in shape, Lo. Maybe I’ll come back sometime and take a sample. Remind you of how much you loved it when I f*cked your brains out.”