Total pages in book: 40
Estimated words: 37734 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 189(@200wpm)___ 151(@250wpm)___ 126(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 37734 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 189(@200wpm)___ 151(@250wpm)___ 126(@300wpm)
I took a deep breath for control and ignored her stupid question. “Did you bring Linnie?”
“Caroline!” she hissed. “Her name is Caroline!”
“To me, she’s Linnie. You call her what you want to call her. I’ll do the same. Unless she tells me she doesn’t like it when I shorten her name.”
Trix lifted her nose into the air and looked down at me with disdain. “She’ll be along in a little while.” Trix gave me a little smirk. “Charles is picking her up from her music class.”
“Charles…” I knew perfectly well who Charles Rothschild was. He was the fancy-ass motherfucker Trix was dating who was fifteen years younger than she was. While I could give a fuck about the age difference, he was more than a little full of himself and not very bright. Trix was treating him like he was a mature adult when he wasn’t in any form or fashion. From what Ripper had found on the guy, he was currently living off the trust his grandparents left him, his old man had cut him off from other family money, and he had more women than I was sure Trix could have imagined. Didn’t matter. What I did take exception to was the fact that Trix had let another man take responsibility for my daughter without informing me.
“Some reason you didn’t tell me you were letting Chucky pick her up?” I didn’t raise my voice, but I knew the expression on my face, even with my sunglasses still on, would let her know how much she’d fucked up. I used it often with residents at the hospital. The effect it had on Trix was negligible, but she did swallow hard before she found her backbone.
She ground her teeth, not saying anything about my shortening her boy toy’s name. “She’s my daughter, Jude. I’ll let her go with whomever I deem appropriate.”
“Uh-huh.” I had to use every ounce of self-control not to fly off the handle. I was ever conscious of my temper when I was around Beatrix. The woman could and often did use my words against me. If it hadn’t been for Wrath, I doubt I’d have any rights to my daughter at all. “I have two questions for you, Trix. First, isn’t Linnie’s music teacher that MILF who flirts with all the dads who bring their kids to practice?”
Just as I’d known it would, Trix’s face turned a very unbecoming shade of purple, her outrage clear. “Janet Wankum is a very highly respected musician. She’s a graduate from Julliard!”
“Second question, Trix.” I ignored her declaration and tacked on my nickname for her because I loved that look of murder I knew she’d give me. Meant I was getting to her like she wanted to get to me, which was to say I was making her hate me nearly as much as I hated her. I have absolutely no idea what I ever saw in Beatrix that made me have a kid with her. Not only was she not wife material, she most definitely wasn’t mother material. “Who suggested Chucky pick up Linnie at music practice?”
Silence.
I grinned. Yep. Old Chucky was likely wanking Ms. Wankum. God, I’d love to say that out loud! Right straight to her perfectly made-up face.
“Why can’t you let me live my life in peace, Jude? Why does everything have to be such an ordeal with you?”
“Why are you four hours late? We’ve had the same schedule for five years, Trix. You bring her to me here at the beach after she gets off school. On her music days, I take her to practice. I’ve never let her miss one, and I’ve never had her there late. Now, over the last two months, you let me have her later and later every visit. What is it you want?”
For a moment, I thought Trix wouldn’t tell me what she wanted. Probably out of spite since I’d called her on her bullshit. Then she caved.
“Fine. Caroline is going to turn sixteen soon. She’ll be able to do her own driving to and from our homes.”
“You wantin’ me to buy her a car?”
“And I want you to assume full custody of her.” Trix lifted her chin, glancing around her. “In exchange, I want five million. You do that, and you’ll never see or hear from me again.”
God, it was tempting! I’d have my baby girl with me where I could make sure she was safe -- and be rid of Trix like a bad fucking dream. But that would prove to Linnie her mother didn’t care one little bit about her. I didn’t want to do that.
“Have you talked with Linnie about this?”
She put her chin up. “It’s not her decision. She’s a kid.”
“She’s almost sixteen. It’s not an adult, but it’s old enough for her to at least be a part of major decisions in regard to her life.” I cocked my head and pulled my sunglasses down my nose to get a really good look at my ex. “Do you even care what happens to your own daughter? Are you willing to just… sell her?”