Shattered Dreams (Vegas Dreams Book 2) (2 page)

“It’s okay, really. I’m very sure you only brought the one.”

And it had been
very
fast too. On top of me one minute, sawing logs the next.

“You kinda look like you weren’t satisfied last night,” he said.

I couldn’t think of a nicer way to phrase it. And odds were I’d never see him again after today, so why try? “It was okay. Don’t worry about it. Okay?”

The mortified expression on his face was the exact one I’d hoped to avoid. It’s the one all men get when they realize they have something to prove. R wasn’t about to let me leave without one hell of a wild ride.

“We could, umm ... do other stuff. I’m really great at—”

I broke from his embrace. Stood. Again.

In one last attempt to change my mind, he whipped the covers off his body, exposing a part of him I didn’t want to see in the sunlight, and said something to me that included the word “drill.”

I considered.

Then I reconsidered.

The drilling part was appealing, but the filling required feelings, emotions, trust.

And I had none to give.

“Look,” I said, “before you offer to make up for last night by revving my engine with your cordless drill, let me say this—I’ve been there, I’ve done that. Thanks for the offer. Last night was, ahh ... quick. Nice to have met you.”

Hey, I could have said mediocre.

At least I didn’t go for the jugular.

My doorbell rang, and considering my husband Damon wasn’t due to drop our girls off for another four hours, my suspicions rose as to whom might be standing on the other side. Maybe he’d already had his fill of our children and had brought them home early. It wouldn’t be the first time.

I released the deadbolt and opened the door, surprised to see my closest friends Rae, Kenna, and Callie. Hands on hips, they entered my house, none of them smiling. I surmised I was in some sort of trouble.

“What’s wrong, guys?” I asked. “What’s this about?”

Rae, the outspoken leader of the trio, spoke first. “
This
is an intervention.”

I waved my hands in front of me. “Oh, no. No way. You’ve got to be kidding.”

“’Fraid not,” Kenna added. “You can’t say you didn’t know it was coming.”

Not wanting to be the only one without a voice, Callie pointed to a chair. “Yeah, so sit down and listen to what we came here to say.”

She looked at the others like she expected a gold star for bravery.

“When do you get the kids back?” Rae asked.

“Tonight, why?”

“And tomorrow they’re back in school, right?”

“Yeah, why?”

Rae stuck her hand inside a lime-green Prada handbag slung over her shoulder, pulled out a stack of papers, and slapped them down on the coffee table in front of me. “It’s been six months, Sasha. Six!”

“Yeah, I’m aware. I’m going to do it. Really, I am. I’ve just been working up to it.”

“It’s time to kick that man into the past where he belongs.”

“I still don’t feel ready yet.”

“Of course you’re ready. You were ready the day you booted his ass out of this place. You’re scared. We get it. Damon seems big and powerful, and you don’t think you can take him down without him ripping everything from you.”

Rae exchanged glances with Kenna like she’d just passed her an invisible torch.

“All we want is for you to do what’s best for you,” Kenna said. “For your girls, for your future. And most of all—for yourself.”

“Yeah,” Callie added. “What they said.”

“I’ll think about it,” I responded. “He’s a powerful attorney with powerful friends. You all know that.”

Rae sat, folded her arms in front of her. Not a good sign. Ever since she’d “found herself” the year before, she was determined to get what she wanted when she wanted it. “This isn’t a discussion. We’re not here to weigh the pros and cons, and we’re certainly not here to give you a choice.”

“But, it is my choice. And I have to do what I think is best.”

“Great. We want you to do what’s best too.”

“I ... don’t follow.”

She pointed at the paper. “We’re here to make sure you fill out the divorce paperwork.”

“You can’t just—”

Kenna clicked the end of a pen, handed it to me, grinned. “We’re not leaving here until you do.”

“You wouldn’t force me to—”

“We can and we will,” Kenna said. “It’s either this, or we fill it out for you.”

I waited for Callie to add another “yeah.” She didn’t. She just sat back and smiled, allowing the other two to do the dirty work.  

“I still haven’t hired a lawyer,” I said.

It was a valid excuse, and an honest one.

“No need,” Rae said. “You already have one.”

“How?”

“I hired him on your behalf.”

“Without talking to me first? When was this?”

“A month ago,” Rae said. “He’s on retainer, waiting for
you
to decide you’re ready. Today I told him you were.”

“Why didn’t you tell me about this before?”

“It wasn’t the right time.”

“And now?”

“Now it’s time to stop dragging your feet,” Rae said.

“We’re doing this because—” Kenna started.

“You love me. I know,” I finished.

“We do,” Callie said.

Rae grabbed a binder off the kitchen counter, stacked the paperwork on top, and slid it in my direction. “You ready to take your life back?”

Was I ready to take my life back? It was all I’d thought about for months. Cutting the cord had just proved harder than I initially thought it would be. Looking into their eyes, I realized they were right. Whatever mud Damon was about to sling in my direction, I couldn’t live in fear of him anymore. I sat back, looked at the first page, and nodded.

It was time.

Two hours and one energy drink later, I read the last line, penned the final signature, this time on the correct paperwork. Confident Rae would get what she came for, Kenna and Callie had forsaken the cause, leaving when I was three quarters of the way through. They promised to follow up with me the next day to ensure the deed had been done. As they left, they’d whispered something in Rae’s ear, making me feel like there was something else going on.

“You said you would help me,” I said.

“I am helping you,” Rae responded.

“Not now—then. When I first left Damon, you said you knew how to change my life. Six months and nothing’s changed.”

“I’d say a lot’s changed.”

“Are you trying to be funny?” I asked.

“Six months ago, the only man you’d slept with in the last ten years was Damon.” She jabbed my side playfully with her elbow. “Can’t say that now though, can ya?”

I frowned.

“Do you have it out of your system yet?” she asked.

“What—sleeping with other men?”

She shook her head. “Everything you’ve bottled up inside.”

“I’m done spending the night with random men, if that’s what you’re asking.”

“Glad to hear it, but that’s not what I’m asking. If I’m going to help you, you need to stop playing the role of the woman scorned and trust me.”

“I’ve been through a lot, Rae. It’s not like I can just switch off what happened, forget everything he did to ruin us, ruin our family.”

“You know what I hear? Two things. You’re scared and you’re not ready. But you’re wrong. You’re a lot tougher than you give yourself credit for, and, you are ready.”

“Ready for
what
?”

“You can’t step into your future until you step out of your past.”

“How do I ... I mean, I don’t even know how.”

“For starters, stop suppressing everything. Let it out. Have a good cry. Have ten good cries if that’s what it takes. Hit something. Anything. Hard.” She pushed her face in front of mine, tapped a finger on her chin. “Hit me if it will make you feel better. Come on. Do it!”

I leaned back. “You’ve gone mad.”

“You’ve got to get the rage out. The real Sasha’s in there somewhere. I need you to resurrect her and remember how good it feels to be yourself again, the person
you
want to be, not the girl he turned you into.”

She was right, but then, she always was right.

Rae pointed at the papers I’d just filled out.

“What?” I asked.

“The paperwork. I’m going to take it with me.”

“Why?”

“Damon always seems to find a reason to weasel his way inside this house when he brings the kids home, so let’s not take a chance that he’ll find them. I’ll keep them safe. He doesn’t need to know what’s happening until it’s already happened.”

I complied with her request, handed her the papers. It seemed logical, although I’m sure I could have thought of plenty of places to stash the documents where he’d never look. My underwear drawer came to mind. Even when we were married, he
never
looked in there. But then, why would he when his head was stuck inside every other drawer in town?

“Is there something I should know about?” I asked. “I feel like the three of you are keeping something from me.”

She grinned, waited for me to realize what she’d been trying to tell me all along.

“Right,” I said. “Trust you.”

She patted me on the leg, stood. “Everything is going to be all right, Sasha. You’ll see.”

I kissed my daughters goodbye and dropped them off at school a little after eight the next day. Then it was time for my morning ritual. I drove to the coffee shop, ordered a non-fat vanilla latte, and arrived back home at five to nine. A few minutes later, there was a knock at the door.

Rae.

“What are you doing here so early?” I asked.

“Visiting you. I was on my way to the office and thought I’d drop by, see how you’re doing.”

She stepped inside but remained at the entryway. She wouldn’t be staying long.

“I’m guessing you’re here for a reason?”

She placed a hand on my shoulder. “It’s not a big deal.”

“What isn’t?”

“I wanted to give you a heads up.”

“About?”

“Damon.”

“Why?”

“There’s a chance he might make an appearance today.”

“Wait—here?”

She nodded.

“Rae, what’s going on?”

“He’s being served.”

“What?! When?”

She glanced at her phone. “Umm ... right about now.”

“How could he be? Rae! What did you do?”

“I passed your divorce documents off to Gideon O’Shea last night.”

“Who’s Gideon O’Shea?”

“Your new lawyer.”

“An Irish lawyer?”

She bobbed her shoulders up and down. “Think so. Your
hot
Irish lawyer. I hear he’s single too.”

“A ginger is working my case?” I asked.

“May I remind you that
you’re
a ginger too?”

Two gingers working together. In a weird way, I felt like my Wonder Twin powers had just activated.

Rae picked a business card out of her wallet, handed it to me. “I’ve scheduled an appointment for you today at one o’clock at his office. Okay?”

“Why have I never heard of this person?” I asked. “Damon introduced me to almost every lawyer in town during our marriage. I don’t recall ever meeting anyone named Gideon.”

Rae shrugged.

“He mostly deals with the big boys—the rich and sometimes famous.”

So did Damon. Or he claimed to, at least.