No Matter What (124 page)

“You wouldn’t tell her, Michael, and you know that.
 
You know that as well as I do so don’t threaten me with that one.
 
You had her and you lost her, and worst of all, you hurt her.
 
Jesus, how she’s stood back all these years and let you get away with what happened I still can’t understand.”

“Because she’s an incredible woman.
 
And you’re right, I never really deserved her.
 
But then, neither did you.
 
Did you?
 
Because you stand there and lecture me on how I cheated on her when you did exactly the same thing.
 
With her best friend.”

Kenny had had enough now.
 
He wanted to finish this, he wanted to show this man that he wasn’t all that he thought he was but this time, as Kenny went for him again, Michael was ready for him, grabbing his wrist, staring right into his eyes.

“You and me, we never really got on, did we?
 
But we both love
India
and this isn’t helping anything.
 
Is it?”

“Fuck you!” Kenny spat.

Michael just laughed, letting go of Kenny’s wrist, pushing him away.
 
“Is that the best you can come up with?
 
Huh?”

Kenny wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, tasting blood where he’d been hit.
 
“Whatever I did, I didn’t rape her.
 
That cancels out anything else and you know that.
 
You know what you did ... how can you fucking live with yourself?”

“What I did haunts me every day of my life and don’t ever think it doesn’t.
 
I don’t need
you
coming here telling me that, I don’t need
you
telling me anything … I’ll stay away from her, if that’s what she wants, ok?
 
I’ll keep out of her life for as long as she wants me to, so, if that’s all you’ve come to make sure of then you’ve achieved that.
 
Now get out.”

Kenny looked at him.
 
How had she ever loved him?
 
What was it he’d had that had made her love him so hard?
 
And if Kenny was honest with himself he knew that
India
had never totally gotten over her ex-husband.
 
Not really.
 
Maybe she never would, despite her new relationship with JJ.
 
He’d just never understand why.

“Just leave her alone.
 
She doesn’t need you anymore.”

“She doesn’t need you either, though?
 
Does she?”

That felt like a punch to the stomach for Kenny, even though he knew it was the truth, but he wasn’t letting Michael get the satisfaction of knowing he’d got to him.

“Just remember, I know everything, Michael.
 
I know it all.”

“And if you care about
India
you’ll keep your mouth shut.”

Kenny gave Michael one last look, letting himself out of the villa, slamming the door shut behind him, kicking the wall in utter frustration as he leaned back against it, getting his breath back.
 
Had he actually achieved anything in there?
 
Or had he just made things worse?
 
If
India
ever found out he’d confronted Michael like that she’d - well, she’d probably never forgive him.

He put a hand to his face again, wincing at the pain in his cheek.
 
He could only hope this never got back to her.
 
He hoped he hadn’t made the situation worse. But whether he had or not, only time would tell.
 
Only time would tell whether Michael meant what he’d said and stayed out of
India
’s life.
 
And all Kenny could do was hope that he did.

***

The confrontation with Kenny had only made Michael more determined.
 
It hadn’t been something he’d particularly enjoyed but he should have known it was coming.
 
But it hadn’t shaken him; it hadn’t put him off his stride.
 
It took a hell of a lot more than that to deter Michael Walsh from anything.
 
He was still going ahead with everything he had planned and Kenny Ross was just going to have to get used to it.
 
There was no doubt that he cared about
India
, and that was good, that was fine, but Michael cared about her too.
 
More than anyone could ever imagine.

He closed his eyes for a second and thought about Layla.
 
She was no
India
, no doubt about that.
 
But if he kept comparing everybody to his ex-wife he was never going to be able to move on.
 
Although, in his own mind he knew he didn’t really want to move that far anyway.
 
He didn’t want to get too far away from
India
, too far away from the future he still dreamed of getting back one day.
 
But for now he might as well enjoy some time with Layla.
 
While he had that time to spare.

His plan wasn’t ready to be put into action just yet but the foundation’s were set, the wheels were already in motion, but it wasn’t something that could be put into place quickly.
 
He was going to have to be patient if he wanted this to work, and he knew that if it
did
work, if he managed to pull this off without India finding out what he was doing then it was going to become inevitable that she had no choice left but to face him.
 
He had the necessary power in
Hollywood
to make sure it happened if he just stayed patient.
 
 
Sometimes, though, he felt that the longer he was leaving it the harder the task in hand was going to be because she had a new life now, a new man, and that wasn’t making things any easier.
 

But he was ready, and no matter what it took, he’d fight to get her back.
 
Back where she belonged.
 
With him.
 
Layla was nothing but a brief, albeit very pleasant, way to pass the time until
India
was back in his life.
 
Because that’s where she’d be, eventually.
 
Back in his life.
 
No matter what.

CHAPTER 60

2009

India
stood in front of the mirror and looked at her reflection.
 
Her skin was tanned, her blonde hair now sat much shorter on her shoulders in a messed-up choppy bob and, despite her forty-one years, she looked a good decade younger.
 
She still thanked her famous father’s genes for that much needed gift, because today she wanted to look beautiful.
 
Today she wanted to be the perfect woman; she wanted to be a princess.
 
Today of all days she wanted that.

“You look stunning.”

She turned round and smiled at her handsome father.
 
Sixty-two years old and still one hell of a looker.
 
“You don’t look so bad yourself.”

Reece laughed, walking over to his daughter, kissing her cheek gently.
 
“You, my beautiful girl, look incredible.”

“Do you think anyone knows, dad?
 
Do you think anyone’s found out?”

Reece shook his head.
 
“Nobody knows, sweetheart.
 
I promise you.
 
We had the best people organise every aspect of this and they won’t let us down.
 
Everything has gone according to plan so stop worrying.
 
It’s all in hand.”
 
He smiled at her. “Please.
 
Stop worrying.
 
Everything is going to be perfect.”

She smiled too, trying to relax but still feeling a little on edge that their secret may have been leaked out there somewhere.
 
They’d worked so hard to keep everything under wraps, to make sure that only those that had been told were here today.
 
It was just something they’d wanted.
 
They’d wanted a day that was beautiful and quiet and just for them.
 
No cameras.
 
No media circus.
 
No publicity.

Bobby walked into the room, stopping dead in his tracks as he looked at
India
, gasping out loud.
 
“Oh – my - God!
 
My princess really
is
a princess.”
 
He dabbed at his eyes with a handkerchief he’d pulled out of his shirt pocket.
 
“Looking at you standing there, it’s hard to believe you’re a middle-aged mother.”

India
stuck her tongue out at him.
 
“And you’re an old queen with a Puerto Rican toy boy who lies about his age and has an obsession with botox.”

“Ooh, you hit below the belt sometimes, missy.
 
And I don’t have the monopoly on toy boys now, do I?
 
Speaking of which, yours is looking particularly gorgeous down there.
 
Nerves suit him.
 
I could watch him pace that floor for hours, preferably from behind though, that suit he’s wearing is such a perfect fit.”

India
felt her stomach flip at the mention of JJ.
 
Her wonderful, beautiful Joseph Joshua.
 
The man she was about to marry any minute now in a ceremony that had been kept so secret that even the few people that had been invited had only got to know about it two days ago.

“Is he ok?”
India
asked, desperately wanting to see him.
 
They hadn’t even been apart last night, not really, anyway.
 
They’d been in the same house but not sleeping in the same room.
 
A small nod at tradition, but she hadn’t really slept much at all anyhow, a mixture of nerves and excitement had kept her from getting any real rest.

Bobby started fussing around her, arranging her dress and checking her make-up.
 
“He’s fine.
 
Really, he’s fine.
 
A little pale maybe, looks like he’s about to bolt at any second ...”

“Bobby!
 
That’s not funny,”
India
laughed, punching him gently.

“He’s not going anywhere, angel.
 
He’d be mad to even think about it.
 
I mean, look at you!
 
If I wasn’t gay I’m marry you myself, even if you
are
challenging Elizabeth Taylor for the amount of husband’s you can have in one lifetime.”

Reece stood back and watched the now familiar banter going on between his daughter and her P.A., although Bobby had long since surpassed being just an employee.
 
He was one of
India
’s closest friends, Godfather to her son and a very much loved friend of the family.
 
Infact, he practically
was
part of the family now.

“Bobby, do I really look ok?”

He stood in front of her, folding his arms, looking at her sternly.
 
“Do you really need to be told, angel?
 
Because, let me tell you, when Mr Handsome takes his first look at you out there he is literally going to stop breathing.
 
Oh God, I’m filling up again … Reece, pass me another handkerchief will you?”

Reece walked over to Bobby and gave him a hug, which made
India
giggle slightly.
 
She’d never seen her dad hug Bobby before and it looked kind of sweet.

“I think we need champagne, don’t you?” he said to Bobby, who looked up and nodded, wiping his eyes.

“I’ll go get some.”

Reece turned to
India
.
 
“He’s right you know.
 
Joseph is a very lucky man. Very lucky indeed.”

India
smiled at the way her father always referred to JJ as Joseph.
 
Never Joe, and certainly never JJ, it was always Joseph.
 
And it always made her smile.

She turned and looked in the full length mirror again.
 
She was wearing an ivory, strapless floor length gown specially designed for her.
 
It was beautiful, elegant and fitted her like a glove, hugging every curve, flowing out at the back in a small train.
 
Her hair was loose and tousled and she wore a small yet beautiful tiara with a short veil that hung down her back just past her shoulders.
 
Teamed with very high strappy ivory sandals and exquisite make-up in natural tones, she looked every inch the perfect bride.
 
She just wanted JJ to think she looked perfect too.