It's a Fugly Life (Fugly #2)(38)

“Where is she?” Mabel whispered.

I didn’t think it was my place to say. And given the circumstances, I wasn’t about to tell the woman to call Max.

“I’m sorry, but I can’t help you.” I stepped around her and gave a nod to the security officer who stood on the other side of the glass door, allowing employees to enter the building prior to the store’s opening.

“Listen here, you disgusting little gold-digging slut,” she growled. “I know all about you and your sleazy Italian boyfriend.”

I turned and looked at her, wondering what she was talking about.

She went on, “You think Max won’t find out what you’re up to? You think you can marry into our family?” She stepped closer, putting us two feet apart. The overdose of Coco Chanel nearly made me gag. “I’ll never allow it, you f*cking little whore.”

Involuntarily, I felt my hand ball into a fist and my arm reach out and swing. I landed a punch right on the woman’s nose and felt it crack. She screamed and blood poured from her nostrils as she fell back onto the cement.

I felt torn between the urge to spit on her and the urge to help her up because this wasn’t me. I didn’t go around hitting people even if they deserved it.

Callahan must’ve been watching, because he appeared right away. “Go inside,” he commanded.

My feet wouldn’t move.

The security guard rushed outside, and several employees, arriving for the day, stopped to see the commotion.

All the while, Mrs. Cole lay on the sidewalk, groaning.

“Get some paper towels,” Callahan ordered the security guard, who disappeared inside.

From the corner of my eye I saw a young woman, a salesclerk I think, calling 9-1-1. Out of nowhere, two paparazzi began taking photos.

I looked down at Mrs. Cole, and our gazes met for a moment. A flicker of joy sparked in her eyes.

Fuck. She’d done this on purpose. What had I done?





Shortly after eight o’clock in the morning, the police arrived to arrest me. Not a surprise. Mrs. Cole had baited me, plain and simple. And what was her endgame?

Wasn’t sure.

Maybe she’d hoped I’d go to jail forever or that she’d scare me off from Max. Maybe she wanted to get even for Cole Cosmetics’ demise. Either way, I’d broken her nose, and now I was in some sort of trouble, but her behavior only made me want to marry Max to spite her.

No. Stop, Lily. Don’t give her any power. I could never allow his mother to influence my actions again or interfere with my feelings for her son. That said, I began to see how easily she poisoned the people around her.

Monster! I thought as I sat handcuffed to a bench, waiting to get booked. Oh, the press was going to have a field day with this.

“Mrs. Snow?” I looked up at a tall, older gentleman with thinning gray hair.

“Yes?”

“I’m Robert Krane—Mr. Cole’s attorney.”

Crap. Max knew. Not that I’d thought he wouldn’t find out.

“Is he angry?” I didn’t think Max would be upset because I’d punched his mother, but that I’d allowed her to get under my skin and had gotten myself into a mess when he needed to be focused on his sister.

“Mr. Cole is unreachable, but your assistant Keri called me. I’m on retainer for LLL and their employees.”

“I’m not an employee.”

“Yes. Of course, you’re the owner—that is what I meant.”

I stared blankly at him. “I’m sorry. Can you repeat that?”

He gave me a strange look. “Are you referring to the part about you being owner of the company?”

“I don’t own LLL,” I pointed out.

“I filed the paperwork myself. You’re fifty percent shareholder.”

“That’s not possible. I never signed anything.”

His brows shrugged with confusion, but then he put on his poker face. “I suggest you take that up with Mr. Cole.”

Ohmygod. “You wouldn’t happen to know if I also own part of a small shopping plaza in Santa Barbara, California?”

With the same no-tell expression, he said, “Once again, I suggest you take that up with Mr. Cole.”

Dammit. So he’d gone off, made me an equal partner and never said a word.

“Sadly, no one knows where he is.” Which worried the hell out of me. The last time he’d gone missing, his company had been falling apart. Our relationship soon followed.

“I’m sure he’ll turn up soon,” said Mr. Krane. “In the meantime, let’s work on getting you out of here.”

It took about six hours for Mr. Krane to get me out on bail. I still couldn’t believe this was happening.

“Aggravated assault?” I’d asked. “But I only hit her once.”

“She’s currently in the hospital with a broken nose and a cut on the back of her head.”

Oops. I guessed she fell. Too bad there hadn’t been a cliff behind her. Evil cow.

“I’ll be in touch soon with your court dates,” said Mr. Krane. “And the judge gave you permission to leave the state, but don’t go on any trips outside of the US, and expect to be back here in a few weeks.”

“Thank you for helping me,” I said and marched out of the station, feeling thoroughly deflated.