Brothers of Paradise Series

“It’s hard not to,” she murmurs, “when you just almost died.”

I pretend to scoff. “It never got that close. The ocean and I have an understanding.” I bend my head, brush my lips to the outside of her ear, and feel the same tidal wave of emotion as last night, when I’d found her and Emma asleep on my couch. She’d worn my sweater, and I’d never wanted her to take it off. “Just remember that you’re Jamie Moraine,” I murmur. “You’re a great mother to the best kid, you’re starting your own web design business, you go regularly to the gym, you have a very handsome boyfriend-”

She laughs against my cheek, breaking my stride.

I grin. “Isn’t it all true?”

“Yes.”

“Not to mention you have a lawyer, your friends, and an entire town on your side. This asshole doesn’t stand a chance. So you don’t believe a word he says. Okay?”

She nods, and I can see the steel she pours down her spine. “Not planning to.”

When the doorbell finally rings, I walk her to the front door. I’ve agreed to stay out of sight until she calls for me. I need to say a few things to him, she’d told me earlier that morning. Trust me, Parker.

So here I am, my hands balled into fists as I hear the voice of a man I’ve dreamed of hurting far too many times. I’ve never considered myself a violent man. But here I am, brimming with it.

“Jamie,” he says. “So this is your mother’s house after all?”

The voice is smarmy, with an admonishing note. I lean my head against the wall in the hallway and look out the frosted glass window. The man is lanky and dark-haired. He stares at Jamie with uncomfortable intensity.

“Yes. I lied when I said it wasn’t,” she replies.

“Did you? You’ve picked up a lot of questionable habits this summer,” he says. “I don’t know if I like them, Jamie.”

I remind myself to breathe.

“That’s okay,” she says. “You don’t have to.”

“Where’s the kid?”

“She’s with a friend,” Jamie says. Emma is at Lily’s together with Vera, both women fully aware of what’s going on here.

Jamie had been embarrassed about that, too. This is your family, I’d told her. These are your friends. We want to help.

Let us.

And she has, my brave girl, standing on the porch now with steel in her voice.

“Oh? Hiding her from me?” Lee asks.

“You’ve never shown any interest in fatherhood, so I’ve been following your lead. Isn’t that what you’ve always wanted me to do?”

“Jamie,” he says, and there’s clear displeasure in his voice. “When did you start talking like this? So defensive.”

“I’m speaking my mind. I understand if that’s a new experience for you, since I lost mine during the years I was with you.”

“Stop this,” he says harshly. There’s thunder in the voice. “This isn’t you, this isn’t the woman I love. I’ve told you I’ll consider forgiving you if you come home with me, to our place, Jamie, but I’m going to change my mind if you keep acting like this.”

“Good. I won’t go anywhere with you ever again, and neither will Emma.”

Lee scoffs. “So you’ll stay here? With what money, Jamie? You’d live like a leech off your family or your old friends, and how long will that last? It’s not like any of them actually want you here. You’ve been gone for years. They’ll realize soon enough how worthless you are. How you don’t fit in. Maybe they already have, huh? Haven’t you started noticing the signs already?”

I grind my teeth together, my jaw hurting from the pressure, forcing myself to stay in place.

Not until she asks me to.

Then Jamie surprises both Lee and me. She laughs. “You really think that’ll work on me? I left you and your poison behind. I’m not worthless, and you were always the leech. When I think of all the things I did for you, the paychecks you took right out of my hand…” She shakes her head with a dry laugh. “My only regret is that I didn’t leave you sooner.”

Lee narrows his eyes. “You think anyone else will want you? I know all your flaws, Jamie, and still I love you. I’ve forgiven you for all of them. And you’ll throw that away?”

“What you felt for me,” she says, “was never love. I know that now. Leave, Lee. And never contact me again.”

His face goes bone white. I step toward the door. If he dares raise a hand-

“My daughter is in this town,” he says. “If you think I’ll leave without her, you’ve cracked your goddamn mind even worse than I thought. Is she inside?”

“No, she’s-”

“Emma? Let me in, Jamie,” he says, and tries to shoulder her aside.

I decide that’s my cue and open the door. It would be comical to see him halt, only inches from my chest, if I didn’t see red.

Lee takes a step back. “What the hell?”

I’ve been in a fair amount of bars in my life, places where men with quick fists eye one another. Avoided them best I could, but there had been a fight or two in college. Stupid, drunken things. But I know what it feels like when a man sizes you up.

And I know how to do it in return.

So I let my eyes drift over the man in front of me, over his legs and the wiry arms. His face looks weathered beyond the years I know he has, and the eyes burn with indignation.

“Lee, is it?” I say. “Emma isn’t here.”

His eyes drift between me and Jamie, narrowing in anger. “Who the hell is this?”

“My lawyer,” Jamie says. “Well, amongst other things.”

A slow smile spreads across my face. “That’s right. It’s a pleasure, Mr…?”

“Thompson,” Lee says. His gaze locks at my temple, where I have a bruise. “You’re a lawyer?”

“Yes. Amongst other things.” My smile widens. I know it’s an unfriendly one. “So it’s my duty to inform you that Ms. Moraine has filed for single custody.”

Anger flashes in his eyes and he looks at Jamie. “What the hell? Have you completely lost your mind? What lies have the people here been telling you?”

“You’ve never wanted to be a father,” she says. Her voice doesn’t waver.

“Not true. Emma is the best damn thing that ever happened to me,” Lee says.Copyright Nôv/el/Dra/ma.Org.