Unconditional (16 page)

“What?” She glared at him in annoyance.

Dominic sat down to lunch, immediately having a sense of déjà vu. Victor had called him earlier requesting a meeting. He knew his friend wanted to plead his sister’s case, but Dominic wasn’t going to entertain that shit. Victor should know that he wasn’t in the habit of reversing a decision.

“Dom, thank you for seeing me on such short notice. We’ve been friends for a long time. No woman should come between us.” Victor grinned knowingly at him.

Dominic didn’t know if he was talking about Rin or Flavia. So he made no comment and took a swallow of his beer. He’d give this idiot ten minutes of his time. Just then, his eyes caught the image of what his body had picked up on a few minutes ago. Rin was sitting a few tables away from him, in a secluded corner, having a meal with that degenerate Fielding.

Seeing his focus on Rinah, Victor offered his unsolicited opinion. “Your wife certainly socializes with a lot of black men.”

“The Bahamas is a black country. Who the hell do you expect her to socialize with?” Despite his defense of her, Dominic couldn’t help but look over at the man. He tried looking at him objectively, wondering what women could find attractive about the other man. As Victor had pointed out, Fielding was a few shades darker than Rinah. He barely topped six feet, average height but not imposing like his friend Neo was. What the other man had, he supposed, was charisma, and he wore his success well. In his designer suits and shoes, well-groomed, and relatively suave, the guy had a lot going for him. If he wasn’t such a slimy bastard, Dominic might have been more concerned that Rinah would be attracted to the Bahamian lawyer.

“Sorry, man. I’m just looking out for you.”

He frowned at his friend. “That observation wasn’t necessary, and borders on racist. If she was having lunch with a white guy, would you’ve had the same concerns?”

“I meant no disrespect. I just assume in an interracial relationship, you would have to be more concerned when your partner gravitated toward her own race. After all, these relationships are not natural.”

“Victor, just shut the fuck up! You’re spewing utter bullshit! I’m going to say hello.”

As he was about to stand, their waiter returned to the table with a large envelope in his hand.

“Sir, I was told to give this to you.” The young man politely inclined his head in respect and left them again.

Victor looked on with alert inquiry. “Aren’t you going to open it?”

“I have something else more important to deal with.” Dominic glanced over at his wife, who seemed to be having an animated discussion with her lunch date.

“Obviously, this is important as well. Why else would someone go to such trouble to bring this to you here?”

Annoyed at his friend’s intrusion, Dominic impatiently tore into the envelope. He pulled out a few of the glossy documents. His training kicked in then: all emotion was wiped from his face and he held himself rigid with control. “Victor, I’m afraid you’ll have to excuse me.”

“Okay, man. Anything you need.”

He barely heard the other man’s agreement. He was too busy stalking over to his wife’s table with the offending package clutched tightly in his hand.

Rinah shifted nervously in her chair as she saw Dominic thundering toward her, shrouded with lethal rage. Dominic would become angry with her, or be displeased about something when they disagreed, but he was never this cold, this unreachable, this frightening. He bore no resemblance to her husband and father of her children. Gripped with anxiety, her palms grew damp and her mouth went dry. He looked as if he wanted to hit her, but her husband wasn’t capable of such cowardice. However, she wasn’t certain of this man headed toward her. The violence she sensed in him was blatantly tangible.

Rinah saw Dominic’s mouth move, but she was hard pressed to understand what he was saying. She deliberately closed her eyes as she forced oxygen into her starving lungs, recovering quickly enough to hear him speak.

“Fielding, I know we played this game before, but enlighten me about your relationship with
my wife
,” Dominic drawled softly.

What
?
What did I miss
? Rinah thought in confusion.

Dominic continued staring at the poor man with murder in his eyes.

Fielding started to sputter and protest, but Dominic continued as if he had not interrupted.

“Come now, we’re men. Tell me to my face what’s going on here.”

“I’m sorry, I…I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Fielding stammered, coming to realize that her husband was deadly serious.

Dominic laughed a menacing, humorless laugh. “Is that all you’re going to say? You fucked with what’s mine, now you suddenly have amnesia?” His voice was hostile, every word uttered with precision and clarity through clenched teeth, leaving no doubt he was out for blood.

Fielding swallowed audibly and turned a sickening shade of gray as he stared wide-eyed at Dominic’s intimidating posture. “I think I’d better leave,” he whispered uncertainly.

“Again, Dominic? That’s enough! You have no right to make such a scene. I’m working, and—”

His hateful gaze swung to her, trapping any further words from her mouth.

“Working? Is that what you call it now? It’s more like working on your back!”

Rinah gasped at his malicious words.

“I don’t know what’s gotten into you, but you need to stop, now!” she whispered fiercely, cognizant of their riveted audience. The violent intent in his eyes was enough to give her pause.

“Stop? I haven’t even fucking begun!” His fury was so great, he growled almost every word.

“Dominic, please stop this!” She was afraid to look around at the stares she was certain their interaction had garnered.

Victor sauntered over to their table and rested his hand on Dominic’s back, as if in support. “Look, buddy, as much as I’m sure they deserve it, I don’t think you should do this here. The owner of the restaurant has offered his office for privacy.”

Dominic seemed to ignore his friend and instead focused his venom on Fielding, who was practically shaking in fear.

“Get the fuck out of my face! I’ll deal with your ass later. And don’t think you can hide from me. There’s no rock you could hide under I couldn’t find you!”

Fielding didn’t wait for a second invitation to leave. He vaulted out of his seat and sprinted from the restaurant.

“Now, sweet wife.” Dominic looked at her with pure hatred, his tone stark and decidedly chilly, leaving no doubt he was reserving the most of his wrath for her. “There are a few things we need to settle.”

She was apprehensive and a little bit afraid. What was going on with him? Even he was not that unreasonable to carry on like this over a business meeting. She didn’t look forward to dealing with Dominic in his present, volatile mood. He was almost steaming with suppressed emotion and escalating rage.

She stood, facing him. “Thank you for embarrassing me again. What the hell is wrong with you?”

“Come with me,” he commanded, turning and marching toward the office.

She looked at Victor to gauge what was going on. He didn’t even bother to hide the glee on his face. Rinah knew then that whatever this was, it had been orchestrated by Victor and his evil sister.

“Really, Rinah, on an island this small, it’s impossible to hide your whoring ways.” Victor smirked.

Pushed beyond reason, Rinah advanced on him and punched him as hard as she could in his flabby stomach.

The patrons in the restaurant gasped.

“Fuck you, Victor!” she whispered in his ear as he roared in pain.

“Truth hurts, doesn’t it?” Dominic walked back toward her.

“He’s lucky I didn’t hit him lower!” she muttered.

“Bring your little ass in here!” Her husband furiously gripped her forearm and guided her to the offered privacy.

Once they gained entrance to the room, she immediately went on the offensive. “Tell me you have more sense than to think such nonsense.”

He dropped her arm as if she was contaminated. “No?” His inquiry was too quiet, too calm.

“You can’t believe that I’d…?” She shrank back as he gazed at her with scorn and contempt. “Oh my God, you do believe that crap!”

“What do you expect, when you chose to sleep with trash like that? Did you think you could do this and I wouldn’t find out?” he roared.

“Oh, this is rich! You were living with your mistress in our apartment and you have the nerve to accuse me of sleeping with that moron?” She softened her voice in disbelief. The fact that Dominic could believe such rubbish about her was laughable, but she didn’t find any of this amusing. Gone was her fear, swiftly replaced with unadulterated outrage.

“You were mine, dammit!” He seemed to have difficulty getting his words out.

She couldn’t ignore how much he appeared to be hurting. But it was all so unnecessary.

“Did you forget your promises to me? You’re my wife, dammit! My wife! How the fuck could you do this?” His eyes appeared gun-metal black, so great was his rage.

She stubbornly remained silent. Now he could feel what she’d been going through for months. Now he could know the anguish she’d suffered. Calm acceptance filled her, her mind almost tranquil despite being in the epicenter of such turmoil. She carefully opened her handbag, took out her mobile, and checked it for missed calls or messages. She was almost tempted to hum, but that would be taking it a bit too far.

“Did you tell your lover how hot you get for me whenever I touch you?” His eyes raked her figure with scathing contempt.

She ignored him, browsed through several new Facebook posts, and was still contemplating humming.

“Is this how you dress for him? Does he like lifting that little skirt and plunging into your pretty little pussy?” His body visibly vibrated with fury.

Her tranquility evaporated. She knew he wanted to get a rise out of her, was spoiling for a fight, and those last few words accomplished that. She snapped her phone off and rounded on him. “You don’t get to speak to me that way! Ever!” She hadn’t expected this level of ugliness from him. Now she wanted blood, too. “You can believe whatever you want. I have things to do,” she uttered between clenched teeth. She replaced her phone back into her bag, then turned and stalked toward the door. He could never hurt her any more than he just had. She was shattered by the hateful words that had come from his mouth.

“I’m not through with you yet, Rinah. If you value your position in our children’s lives, you’d better not walk through that fucking door.”

She glared back at him, stone cold fury filling her.

He returned her glare with an icy brutal one of his own.

“I suggest you listen, and listen well. My lawyers will be in contact with you to begin divorce proceedings. Yes, I will give you the divorce you’ve been too afraid to ask for. I’ll not tolerate infidelity from you of any kind. You will, of course, have adequate visitation rights, but if I find that your disgusting lovers came near my children, your visitation rights will be revoked indefinitely!”

She had always prided herself on remaining level-headed in the face of adversity and on always remaining classy. But such rage surged through her body that she sprang away from the door and advanced on him. All thought of leaving the room quietly, without getting into any further argument with him, was forgotten. “You bastard, you dare to threaten me with our children, my children? I understand that you think you have something to be hurting about, to be angry about. I get it! Now you know what it feels like to suspect your spouse of cheating on you! As I said, I don’t give a damn what you believe. But don’t
ever
think I’ll allow you, or anyone, to take my children away from me! No judge in the world will ever keep me away from my children.”

“Is that what this is about? Revenge?”

Her body trembled with vehement resentment. “Don’t be an idiot! As if I’d ever lower myself to such gutter behavior! You had me under twenty-four hour surveillance for the past year. When was I supposed to have had this affair? I’ve been pregnant with our daughter for the months you’ve been gone. At what stage was I to carry on with another man? Send your lawyers. I don’t give a damn! Do your worst, Dominic, but don’t bring my children into this!”

“Have you forgotten who I am, Rinah?” he asked in a succinct, derisive voice. “You don’t have the money or resources to fight me in this. So think long and hard before challenging me, sweetheart.” Dominic couldn’t look at her without seeing those pictures: his faithless wife in the arms of that swine, Fielding.

The hurt burned a hole in his chest. His stomach felt like it would explode with revulsion. He had never known betrayal like this, so crushing in its intensity. She used to be his. He was so fucked up he didn’t know what to do with himself. Destroying the bastard financially wasn’t going to be enough. He wanted to kill the fucker. If he didn’t end their confrontation soon, there was no telling what he would do to her.

“I don’t have to think about challenging you, because I’ve never had a lover other than you! How are you going to divorce me for infidelity when it never happened?”

“You are denying ever taking Fielding as a lover? I have pictures in my hand that prove otherwise. Let me see you deny them!”

“Go to hell, Dominic! There are no pictures, because I have never even been alone in the same room with that schmuck. If there are pictures, they were fabricated! Don’t be such an asshole. Whoever sent those pictures wants us separated. I don’t understand why you care so much.” Completely pissed off, she glared at him with disdain.

“Look at you, so enraged because someone dared to play with your toy! A toy you were only too happy to leave alone for almost a year. Now you’re outraged at the thought of someone else wanting me? Please use that brilliant brain that God gave you and stop acting like a Neanderthal.”

“I’m not pissed, I’m fucking furious! My wife whoring around with that sleazebag!”

In seconds, her knee viciously connected to his balls. He saw her mouth moving, screaming at him, but his senses were occupied with the pain reverberating throughout his body. His hearing came back on-line when she started to leave the room.