“You were merely assigned her,” he continues. “While she chose me.”
How the hell does he know this? That our marriage wasn’t real at first? Who told him? A Morelli? Hell, did Charlotte tell him?
No way. She wouldn’t do that.
“Your relationship is meaningless.” His dark gaze alights on me, his focus returning. “She may have married you, but she doesn’t actually care about you. It’s in name only.”
I consider telling him it’s changed, but I can’t let on that she means something to me. That would be a mistake.
“She willingly left with me that day, you know,” he continues, his smile cruel when he aims it at me.
I make a dismissive noise. “Bullshit. Youterrifyher, you psychotic asshole. She would never leave with you willingly.”
He blinks at me, appearing confused. What, is he shocked I would defend her? I’m not like her family, who have such little faith in Charlotte. I know her, better than anyone else.
Better than him, that’s for damn sure.
“You just don’t like losing,” I toss out at him.
His face turns red, his eyes blazing with fury. “You’re damn right I don’t like losing. I love that girl. We were ripped apart by her father. Hedestroyedme. I lost my job. My career. I went home to nothing and had to start over. All thanks to Reginald Lancaster. Then he just gives his only daughter away to you, when you’ve done nothing to deserve her. Nothing.”
Wait a minute—so his real beef is with my father-in-law? You don’t cross a Lancaster. They’re all ruthless, and they learned it from their father.
I may be reckless, but I’m ruthless too. Especially when it comes to the woman I love.
And I love her. She’s going to have my child. We’re going to be a family. I’ll be damned if I let anyone—especially this asshole—get in the way of that.
“He’s here you know,” I say, my tone nonchalant. Like we’re just two friends hanging out in the bathroom, having a conversation.
And where the hell are any of our guests? Why aren’t they coming in here to take a piss, for Christ’s sake?
Seamus frowns. “Who’s here?”
“The man who destroyed your life.” I pause. “Reginald Lancaster.”
“He’s here?” When I nod, he continues, “At your party?”
“Yes. And I agree with you.” This isn’t a lie. “He’s an asshole.”
“He deserves to be destroyed,” Seamus says enthusiastically. “I want to be the one who makes him take his last breath.”
Well shit. Good ol’ Seamus sounds serious. “I’ll take you to him.”
He frowns, his dark brows drawing together. “You want to help me? Why would you do that?”
“I don’t like him either.” I take a step forward. Then another. “He doesn’t deserve to be alive.”
Forgive me for saying such a thing out loud, because I don’t know if I mean it. He’s an asshole who’s put his hands on my wife, but he is her father. I know Charlotte’s feelings for him are confusing.
Seamus’s entire demeanor eases, the gun hanging from his fingers loosely. “If you’re trying to use reverse psychology on me, it’s not working.”
I come to a stop, my gaze still on the gun. I’m closer now. I could definitely take him. “I’m not trying shit with you. I actually agree, as much as I hate to admit it. Old man Lancaster is a horrible human being. He destroys lives on a daily basis and doesn’t give a damn about who he hurts.”
“You marrying Charlotte destroyed me as well,” Seamus admits, his voice rough. “Her father did that on purpose, marrying her off to anyone else but me. I’d written him endless emails. Letters. He never responded to me.”
That’s a new factoid. “What do you mean, you’ve written him?”
“I begged for his forgiveness. I told him I loved his daughter with every cell in my body. That I wanted to make things right between us.” A desperate edge fills Seamus’s voice, and his eyes are shiny. Almost as if he might start crying. “But he didn’t respond. I tried to write to Charlotte too, but the letters were all returned.”