The Dragon's Fate - Roxie Ray Page 0,55
think it was possible to hate Damon more, but when I saw those pictures I sure did. “I drink sometimes but I rarely get drunk and Hayden is always well taken care of.” My voice sounded whiny and defensive. I hated Damon all the more for how I sounded.
Damon had written me out to be some sort of drunk tyrant. My blood was boiling and my hatred for the dickhead fueled me past my anger at Jace. I’d deal with him later.
“We can negate the claims because the photos are time-stamped, and they are spaced out enough to make it seem like you’re just like any other woman and single mom blowing off some steam on your weekends. Trying to make you seem unfit from this is a stretch, but…” Porter sighed and looked at me with a heavy expression. “Damon’s lawyer is a bastard who has no shame in trying to make it seem like you have a problem. And word around the local courthouse is that this guy isn’t above underhanded tactics, but he never gets caught.”
I wanted to scream. “Should I run again?” I whispered.
“No,” Jace said in a near shout.
Porter eyed him but spoke to me. “Damon doesn’t know that you were given a heads-up. He has no idea that you know what he’s up to. That gives you an edge.”
“I’d rather find him and put a brick in his face.”
Jace chuckled. “Me, too,” he said darkly.
“I know you’re upset, but I promise that I’m going to nip it all in the bud before Damon can even take it to court. Your ex-husband won’t get anywhere near you or Hayden.”
Tears pricked my eyes. “Thank you for doing this for us, but I’m curious as to how you knew this was coming.”
He looked at Jace.
Jace nodded. “I’ll handle it.”
I gave him a warning look. Just what precisely did he think he was going to handle? If he thought he was going to handle me, he had another thing coming.
Porter gave me a grim smile. “It was nice meeting you, and I’ll do anything I can to help.”
“Thank you,” I whispered as he walked out.
Jace held up one finger before following his brother. I waited on the edge of my seat, every nerve in my body firing at the same time.
When Jace walked back in, he didn’t sit. He paced the living room in front of me. “There are things…” He glanced my way and ran his fingers through his hair. “Damn it. There are things I’ve kept from you, but I have a specific and valid reason for doing so.”
Great. Here we went. “You’re married?” I asked.
He stopped short and stared at me. “No,” he said loudly and vehemently. “Never that. Nobody but you. There’s never been anybody for me but you.”
“Well, that’s nice to hear, but then why are you hiding stuff from me?” I asked.
He groaned. “It wasn’t a place of ill intention. I’ve got some family drama that’s hard to talk about. And I had to be sure, like a thousand percent sure about you before I could think about telling you.”
I straightened my spine. “And what does this have to do with Damon?”
“It’s complicated, and it’s best explained if I can show you. To show you, we have to drive out to my mom’s land.”
I arched an eyebrow at him as my anxiety spiked. “What’s there?”
“Proof of what I kept from you and why. I promise you’re in no danger.”
“Sweet baby Jesus, you’re going to take me to the woods and induct me into your cult, aren’t you?” I shook my head.
“What?”
“No, thank you. I should’ve known it was an actual cult.” I stood and started for the door.
“Briana.” Jace caught my hand and tugged on it, but only a little and he let go right away. “Do you trust me?”
I looked at him and thought about the dates and time we’d spent together. The time with Hayden. “I would’ve before today.”
His eyes lit up. “You trust Skye, though, right?”
Instantly, my suspicions were intensified. “What does my friend have to do with all of this mess?”
“Call her and tell her exactly this: Jace has a big secret to tell me. Should I trust him and go with him to his mom’s land?”
I arched an eyebrow at him, but I did as he asked, pulling out my phone and dialing Skye. She answered on the second ring. “Hey, Bri! How are you?”
“I’m in a really strange situation, that’s how I am. Jace is sort