DREAM (14 page)

Leo nods and heads for the door.

“Dream.”

I look at Gable. “I hate you, and don’t even think of trying to talk to me ever again.”

I don’t look back as I leave the mansion.

Chapter 13

Leo doesn’t speak to me on the drive to my house. I slam the door of the Lexus and the house to make sure that he gets the message.

I don’t sleep at all. I stay on the couch in the living room listening to infomercials playing in the background as my mind spins.

The thought that I was married to
him
, that I wanted to have sex with
him
, all came back to one thing: he is a fraud. He conned me into all of it. He played me into thinking I could trust him and like him and maybe even fall in love. I should have stuck to my original plan. Pay him back and divorce him. Now look at me. I like him because he brainwashed me to. He conned me and lead me right down the path he wanted me to.

I watch the sun rise as the morning news begins and I can’t take any more noise. I shut the TV off and go into the kitchen for coffee.

My house is so much smaller than Butler Mansion. I feel almost cramped as I reach for my mug and turn on the coffee maker.

I am sitting down at the table when I hear the front door opening. I don’t panic because I know who it is.

Leo comes around the corner carrying my overnight bag, makeup bag, and my briefcase.

“I didn’t think you wanted to go back to Butler Mansion.” He places everything in the chair across from me. “I know you told me to leave, but I can’t. I’ve lived here for over twenty years. It’ll take some time for me to move out. Would you prefer I stay at a hotel? Gable told me he’d take care of the expense.”

“Why did you help him? Why didn’t you tell me the truth?” There’s still rage in me and I haven’t been able to calm down yet.

“I helped him because I knew what he was doing was good for you. He’s not a bad man. I know right now it looks like a clusterfuck, but Gable did everything for you. I didn’t tell you because I knew it was a good thing for you.”

“Does this look like it’s a good thing for me?” I hiss at him. “I knew deep down Dad would never do this to me. I knew it, but I believed you that day in the park. Now, look where I am.”

“Dream, Gable loves you. I’ve known him for a lot of years and he’s never gone to lengths like this for anyone, not even Gideon.” Leo pleads with me. “Gable is a good man. He’s done so much for the city and the world.”

“I don’t what he’s done. I’m over it all. I’ll hire a divorce attorney today and have this taken care of by the end of the month.”

“I’d asked you to think this through.”

“I don’t need your advice anymore, Leo. Thank you for bringing me some items, but you can leave.” I stand to grab the coffee that’s finished brewing.

“Are you sure you don’t need me to take you back and forth to work?”

“Please leave,” I say firmly, and I hear him walking away from me.

Fuck, this is going to be a long day.

~~~

When I walk into JE, I’m ready to dive into work and find a divorce lawyer. Ugh! I’m sure the newspapers are going to have a field day with this. My heels click-clack on the floor until I reach Mrs. Stones. She looks pale.

“Are you okay?” I quickly ask her, concern for her well-being.

“We need to talk, Dream.”

Instantly my blood boils. “I have had enough of that damn sentence, and I don’t want to have to yell at you like I’ve done to Leo and Gable.” I don’t give her time to say anything, and I slam my office door shut.

I don’t care what she says, I’m not listening to it. She’s about the only person I have left who hasn’t taken my heart out and stomped on it. I drop in my chair and softly bang my head on the desk.

“Dream.” Mrs. Stones walks in.

“Whatever it is, I don’t care. Whatever you’re going to ask, I’m not going to answer it.” I say loudly with my head still on the desk.

“Dream.”

I groan loudly when I realize she’s not alone. That’s not her voice; it’s one person I never want to talk to.

I sit up. Gable, Mrs. Stones, Leo, and Mr. Nickerson are all standing in the room.

“Well, great.” I announce cheerfully and sarcastically. “The people who say they care for me the most, and were
loyal
to my father, are now all standing here to rip my heart out one more time,” I scream, slamming my hand on the desk. I stand up so fast my chair almost flips over.

“Let’s all calm down and talk,” Mr. Nickerson says. “Dream, we all have a lot to tell you, but you need to calm down for us to tell you.”

“Swell, so there’s more to this sick, twisted game you all call my life.” I think I could breathe fire at this moment.

The four of them head over to the table, sit down, and face me. I feel as if I’m in front of a firing squad.

“Who wants to start unraveling more of my life?” I cross my arms.

“Dream.” Mrs. Stones grabs my attention. “We’re going to start at the beginning, and we’ll tell you everything.”

“Damn straight, you will,” I grumble.

“I’ll start.” Mrs. Stones announces. “I started working for your dad when he first opened JE. It was a tough time because a lot of businesses were closing down, but he stepped in and made a lot of money quickly. Then he got involved with some sketchy people.”

“What? Who?” JE is not a
shady
company.

“Me.” Gable answers. His blue eyes are bloodshot and not bright. He looks sad. “When your dad started sending me business, I did the same for him and that’s when JE changed.”

“Changed?” I don’t think my heart or my brain can take any more surprises and I have a feeling another bomb is about to be dropped.

“He started to help businesses learn how to
skim
from the IRS and hide money.” Gable explains.

My mouth drops. “What?”

“Your dad would help criminals hide their money. He was very good at it,” Mrs. Stones adds.

“However,” it’s Leo’s turn to talk. “He made a lot of enemies too, because he quit doing it and that caused him trouble.”

“That’s why I always had a bodyguard.” I realize where he’s going.

“I never left your side,” he continues.

“Your dad did turn JE back around and made it a legitimate business again,” Mrs. Stones says.

“Which is he why he ended up being in so much debt.” I shake my head as all the pieces begin to fall in place.

“Well,” Gable shifts in his seat. “That’s not true.”

“Oh, come on.” I grind my teeth and rage makes another appearance.

“Listen to me, please,” Gable begs.

I roll my eyes. He said that last night when he told me the truth.

“I told you last night you needed to stay with me for protection, do you remember?”

“Yes.” I furrow my brow. Where is he going with this?

“Your dad has had a lot of threats made against him. He needed people to think he lost his business. It would limit people coming around him causing issues. He started the rumors he was borrowing money and the ball started rolling. It worked.” Gable enlightens me and I’m not sure if I’m in some sort of end of the world movie or not.

“When your dad died, there were some that started poking around trying to figure out why JE hadn’t bankrupted yet. That’s when Mr. Nickerson and I came up with the story of the marriage. Marrying me keeps you protected. My house is fortress; there’s no way anyway can get to you.” Gable continues.

“JE was never broke?” I ask in disbelief

Everyone shakes their heads.

“You gave me a check. I saw it. I held it.” My voice is rising.

“I took the check from Ronnie and gave it back to Gable,” Mrs. Stones admits.

“What are you telling me?” I yell at them.

“You’re only protected when you stay with me.” Gable answers me. “As long as you stay with me, no one will touch you. You have to stay married to me and in my house; it’s the only way.”

“I don’t believe you. You have done nothing but lie to me over and over again. How do I know you’re not lying right now?” I can’t believe my life right now. It’s a hot mess and I don’t know how to fix it.

“Dream, I swear to you we’re not lying to you. We’re telling you everything.” Mrs. Stones pleads with me. “You have to stay with Gable.”

“For how fucking long?” I scream at them. “This is my life you’re toying with. This is my life.” My voice raises an octave with each word and the tears are coming again. “You all lied to me. How can I ever trust any one of you again?”

“Dream.” Leo stands and walks over to me. “You know Mrs. Stones and me the most out of everyone in this room. Think about yesterday. Would you have ever doubted us?”

I cross my arms. “Before yesterday?”

He nods.

“No, I wouldn’t have.”

“Please, hold onto that faith because we’re the exact same people. I promise you we don’t want anything to happen to you. Yes, I kept a lot from you and for that I’m sorry, but you need to trust me now. You have to stay with Gable.”

“For how long?” I didn’t want to cry, but I did. This is my life and I should be the one controlling it, but everyone else seems to be my puppet master.

“Until the threats are gone,” Leo says softly.

I close my eyes, knowing that I would have to stay with Gable. “Everyone please leave.”

~~~

I sit on the cold, hard ground looking at the gray gravestone that has my parents’ name chiseled into it. I don’t know where else to go. I don’t know what else to do. Is there no one else in my life who’s honest and cares about me and is not interested in their own agenda?

I trace the U of my dad’s name. “I wish you were here. You would tell me what to do. What the hell? You’re the one that got me into this shit storm.”

I take a long, deep breath. I can’t be mad at him. He was trying to give me everything and a solid upbringing. I shake my head. A fat lot of good that did me. My whole world is upside down. I can’t find the beginning or the end.

“What am I going to do?”

“Come home.”

I roll my eye and turn to Gable. “Can’t you leave me the fuck alone?”

“Dream, please stop cussing. It’s very unbecoming and it’s not you.”

“I don’t know who I am!” I grumble and face the gravestone again.

“You’re Dream Jackson-Butler. A smart, beautiful, good-hearted woman that put people first and herself last.” Gable sits down next to me. “You’re the woman I love.”

“Stop saying that. For the love of God, we don’t know each other.”

“You knew me well enough to want to sleep with me. You knew me well enough to come to my office and check on me because you were concerned,” he reminds me.

“I did that under false pretenses.” I look into his blue eyes, the ones I used to like looking into.

“Dream, I’m sorry. I will say it every single day we’re together. I swear I will, but please come home. You need to be safe.”

“From who?” I ask loudly. “Do you even know if there are any true threats?”

“Yes.”

“How? Tell me.”

Gable pushes his hand through his hair and rubs his hands hard against his face and beard. “When your dad died, an offer was made on JE from someone who was threatening your dad.”

“Who is he?” I push on.

“Someone dangerous.”

“Okay, you’re making up shit again. You can’t tell me a name because there is no one. This is just another one of your stories to keep me around.” I stand up and head back to my BMW.

“Jacob.”

I stop.

“The threats are from Jacob Matherson.”

I slowly turn to him and watch him stand up.

“He wanted JE to get back at me because I was friends with your dad and Ulrich helped me so many years ago. About two years ago, Jacob approached your father for help, but Ulrich said no because he wasn’t doing that line of work anymore. Jacob wouldn’t let up. He started to send your father pictures of you on campus and sending threats of how unprotected you are.

“When your dad died, he hounded Mr. Nickerson to purchase JE and that’s when I came up with the story. Jacob won’t cross me and it leaves you protected, but you have to stay with me for that to work. If you leave, Jacob will do anything to get to you and take JE from you.”

I can feel my eyes bulging out of my head as I listen to his words. I don’t know if my heart can take anymore. I can’t take another twist in my life.

“Why?” I utter. “Why does Jacob want to hurt me?”

Gable comes closer to me. “One, he doesn’t like the word no and Ulrich told him no numerous times. Second, Jacob is still mad for me leaving the business and making billions when he hasn’t. He wants to hurt me and the only way he can is by hurting you.”

“That’s…that’s why Gideon said I was your downfall.” I shake my head.

“You’re the only woman I’ve ever truly loved. He’s right. If anything happens to you that will be the end for me.”

“You don’t know me. You can’t love me.”

“Dream—”

“Stop talking.” I throw my hand up in his face. I know it’s childish, but he can’t say my name anymore. If he says another word, I might punch him in the throat. “I don’t want to hear anything else.”