Tied with Me (With Me in Seattle, #6)(81)

stake any claim to my inheritance.

But blind with love and promises of forever, I had stood my ground and insisted that a prenup was unnecessary.

My dad would lose his mind if he knew what was happening now. If only I’d listened to him!

I tuck and roll, then push off the wall, turning into a backstroke.

The small amount of money that Jack is trying to lay claim to is nothing compared to the money I have that

Jack knows nothing about. Since our legal separation, I’ve become very successful in my career as an author, but I wasn’t lying when I told Ty that it’s not about the money.

This is my heritage. My family worked hard for this land, for the wealth they amassed, and Jack doesn’t deserve a f*cking dime of it. That’s why the divorce took so long. I fought him with everything in me to ensure that

he didn’t get his greedy hands on my family’s money.

In the end he won a small settlement that all of the lawyers talked me into.

Jack wasn’t happy.

I push off the edge of the pool and glide underwater until I reach the surface and then move into a front crawl.

After my parents died in a car accident just over two years ago, Jack made it clear that he didn’t love me,

had been sleeping around since we were dating, but expected me to keep him in his comfortable lifestyle.

And when I threw a fit and kicked him out, he slammed me against the wall and landed a punch to my stomach, certain to avoid bruising me, before he left.

Thanks to threats from Brad, and Jack knowing how well-known I am in this town, he hadn’t bothered me since.

And now he’s threatening to rape me.

Rape me!

It’s not worth it. Living in constant fear and embarrassment of seeing Jack around town. Seeing the pity in the eyes of people I’ve known my whole life when I see them on the street.

And now coming home to an ambush because he’s feeling desperate.

I’m done.

Exhausted and panting, I pull myself out of the water and resign to go see Cary in the morning to agree to a

settlement.

It’s time to move on.




It’s early when I leave the house and drive to the lawyer’s office. I don’t have an appointment, and I don’t even know for sure if anyone is there yet, but I couldn’t sleep last night. I couldn’t lose myself in work.

I need to get this over with.

When I stride to the front door, I’m surprised to find it unlocked. Sylvia isn’t in yet, but I hear voices back in Cary’s office.

I stride through his door like I belong there, and both Cary’s and Ty’s faces register surprise when they see me in the doorway.

“You know, Lo, we have these things called phones. You use them to call and make what’s known as an appointment.”

Ty’s gray eyes are narrowed, but his lips are quirked in a smile. He’s in a power suit today, which makes my mouth water immediately. His shoulders look even broader in the black jacket, and the blue tie makes his eyes shine.

“Ha-ha,” I respond and sit heavily in the seat before Cary’s desk. “I’m sick of this shit.”

“Ty told me you came by yesterday,” Cary informs me as he leans back in his chair.

“I was f*cking served papers,” I mutter and push my hands though my hair. “But I think I want to settle.”

Ty raises his eyebrows. “I’ll leave you two alone.”

“You can stay,” I mutter. “I could use both of your opinions. I’ll pay double for the hour.”

“That’s not necessary.” Ty’s voice is clipped and he frowns as he gazes at me. “Why the change of heart?”

I lean back in the chair, tilt my head, and look at the tin tiles on the ceiling.

“Because Jack’s an *. Because now he’s decided to threaten me.” I shake my head and look Cary in the eye. “But no payments. It’s going to be in one lump sum and he needs to sign a contract stating that he’ll never

ask for another dime.”

“Wait, back up.” Ty pushes away from the desk and glowers down at me. “What do you mean he threatened you?”

“It doesn’t matter.”

“Lauren,” Cary interrupts, “it does matter. What the hell happened?”

“When I returned home, Jack was at the house.”

“Does he still have a key?” Ty asks.

“No.” I shake my head adamantly. “I changed all the locks and installed a new alarm system the day he left.”

“So he was waiting outside,” Cary clarifies.

“Yes. I told him to leave, that I didn’t want to see him and he isn’t welcome at the house. He said I was making things harder than they need to be.” I laugh humorlessly as Cary’s eyebrows climb toward his blond hairline.

“I reminded him that there’s nothing difficult about this at all. We’re divorced. It’s over, and he can just go

away.” I shrug and look away, not wanting to continue.

“What did he threaten you with?” Ty asks softly.

I raise my eyes to his and suddenly my stomach rolls. “I’m going to be sick.” I bolt from the room and run to the restroom in the hallway, barely making it in time to lose the half-gallon of coffee I consumed this morning. When the dry-heaving stops, I rinse my mouth and open the door to find Ty on the other side.