I narrowed my eyes. “Exposing Juniper to Logan?”
“Oh, don’t act so dumb.” Lionel snorted. “You barely know this guy, and you’re jetting off to Japan with him. Did you screw him there?”
My face heated. “What I do with anyone in my private life is none of your business.” I pointed accusingly at him. “And I’m not going to hear it from a man who has slept with all sorts of women since we’ve been divorced and even when we were married.” I shook my head. “You’re just mad that someone is interested in me. You want me to be sad and alone. Well, too bad. You lose.”
A sickening grin appeared on Lionel’s face. “You think your new man is a nice guy? You think a man like that hasn’t slept with all sorts of women, done all sorts of shady things?” The grin turned into a sneer. “You don’t get that rich without having all sorts of skeletons in your closet.”
I rolled my eyes. “Just because you’re a bad person doesn’t mean every man is. Logan’s a good man. He’s already proven that.”
“Are you so sure of that? I bet a few private detectives could find something.”
I rubbed the back of my neck. This was getting tiring. “Besides, we’re not even together. We’re just friends.”
“Bullshit!” he yelled.
I was so startled, I took several steps back.
“Don’t lie to me,” Lionel said, his eyes bulging. “I know you’ve had sex with him. I can see it on your face.”
“What does it matter what we are? Or what we’ve done?” I planted my hands on my hips. “Do you have a point to all of this other than coming off like a crazy person?”
“Yes. If I find a few skeletons in his closet, then I can go to a judge and get full custody of Juniper.”
My heart dropped. “What?”
It didn’t seem right, but I wouldn’t put it past Lionel to weasel out something that might have worked. Maybe I was just letting him get too far into my head. Years of gaslighting during our marriage had left me too sensitive at time to his attacks.
“You heard me.” Lionel’s eyes narrowed.
“You’re not going to get full custody.” I shook my head. “You don’t even want full custody.” It was one of the few things we hadn’t argued about during the divorce.
“Maybe I’ve changed my mind. All I know is Juniper was fine when she left my house, and then she ended up in the hospital.” He shook his head. “I’ve thought a lot about that, and I think it proves you aren’t paying enough attention to her. You’re an unfit mother.”
I wanted to wrap my hands around his neck and throttle him. “How dare you. I took time off work and watched her. She just got worse. It happens.”
Lionel snorted. “I think you were too busy worrying about Logan Hawkins and not paying enough attention to Juniper.”
I slapped him before I even realized what I’d done. My hand stung from the blow.
Lionel rubbed his cheek, glaring at me. “You’re going to stop seeing Logan Hawkins, or as God as my witness, I’m going to make sure I get full custody. Our daughter came close to dying.” He jerked this finger up to point at me. “And you were the one watching her at the time. And I guarantee you that I can find something on Hawkins.”
My pulse pounded in my ears. I didn’t want to believe Lionel could take Juniper from me, but he was ruthless. If anyone could find a way, he could find it.
He looked away, the fire dropping from his voice. “Besides, I think there’s something else we need to talk about.”
“What?”
“Your trip to Japan and my trip to Mexico made me realize something important.”
“And what was that?”
Lionel sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. “That maybe you were right, and I was putting things before me.”
I blinked several times, confused by the conversation whiplash. “What are you talking about?”
He held up his hands. “I understand why you’re interested in Logan Hawkins. You need a man in your life. Someone to make sure you’re doing what you need to. Juniper needs a full-time man in her life.” He nodded. “That’s maybe why I’m getting so worked up, but I think we need to think about what’s best for Juniper, not just us.”
“Are you drunk? I can’t follow what you’re saying at all.”