Page 49 of Suddenly Yours

The realization settled deep and steady in my chest. It didn’t scare me at all. Not even a little. If anything, it felt… right. Like something clicking into place that I hadn’t realized was out of alignment.

I finished locking up the house and tucked the keys back into the lockbox.

That was when I heard a car pull in behind me.

I turned just as Levi stepped out of his SUV.

Great.

He didn’t bother with pleasantries. Didn’t even pretend this was an accidental meeting.

“So this is where you’re hiding now?” he said, his voice sharp as gravel.

I stayed where I was, calm on the surface even as irritation coiled tight in my chest. “This is private property and a construction site. You shouldn’t be here.”

He scoffed. “Funny, I was about to say the same thing. You shouldn’t be here.”

He stepped closer, invading my space, trying to get a rise out of me. I didn’t give it to him.

“You think you’re some kind of big shot now?” he went on. “I heard about you and this place.” He glanced around. “No doubt you’re hoping to score some of Missy’s inheritance to build all this.”

“That’s enough,” I said quietly. I was not going to explain anything to this idiot. He didn’t deserve it.

He laughed. The sound had always been ugly. “You really think her parents are going to be okay with this? With you?” His eyes gleamed. “Gerald Sharpe barely tolerates you. And Elizabeth? She always thought Missy should aim higher.”

My jaw tightened.

Levi took another step forward and shoved my shoulder. Not hard. Just enough to test me. I wasn’t falling for it. There is no way in hell I was going to let this loser bait me.

“I’m only going to say this once, back the fuck off from Melissa. I know you two are friends”—the way he said the word sounded vulgar—“but I need a chance to make things right with her, and I can’t do that with you breathing down her neck.”

“Trust me, the time for you to make things right with her is long over,” I said smoothly. “I think it’s best if you run on back to her dad and suck on his tit for a while longer, while you can.”

Levi’s face turned red with anger.

“You think this is a joke?” he said more quietly, shoving my shoulder again.

Technically, at this point, if I wanted to, I could get him for assault. I wasn’t going to stoop that low. Yet.

“There’s a lot riding on Melissa’s future here. She stands to lose everything without me.”

“She doesn’t need anything from anyone, especially from you,” I said, feeling my anger stir for the first time. “She’s never needed anything from her parents.”

I didn’t know all the details of her parents’ separation of their business during their messy divorce, but I knew what Max and Missy had told me.

He and Missy had been given ten percent each of Sharper Image Dance Company, the family business, at birth. A while back, Missy had sold her portion of the family business to Max to fund Sweet Expectations. Which, in my opinion, was well worth it.

“She is nothing without me.” Levi moved closer to me and lowered his tone. “I know people. Powerful people.” He glanced around quickly. “I’d hate for you to be sued for one reason or another up here. I’d wager there are at least a dozen code violations on any of your sites.”

And suddenly something that he was able to keep hidden from most people became very clear to me. The man was a controlling sociopath.

Before I could react or respond, Mark appeared suddenly at my side. The man’s phone was already out and in hand.

“Is there a problem, boss?” Mark asked evenly. “Should I call the cops?”

Levi’s gaze flicked toward Mark and a look of annoyance crossed his eyes before his control slipped back into place. Then he turned back toward me. His smile was tight, angry.

“This isn’t over. Remember my warnings, Cade.” He said my name like it was a curse word. “She’s mine and always will be.” He whispered the last so that only I could hear.