CHAPTER SEVENTY-FIVE

AXEL:

Present day…

Shondra, Vee, and I arrived at Shelia's birthday party an hour after it started. Place was packed. I rubbed my hands in glee. The more people that witnessed her downfall, the better. We strolled in as a group, and chatting her and there, we made our way ever closer to the birthday...girl.

Shelia was thirty and had been for the last five or six years. She held court center stage to a group of men vying for her attention. I could understand why they did so. Shelia was cheap, easy, and could promise them a quick ride with no strings attached. Just what a married woman could offer. 

"These decorations, I hate to admit, are lovely", Vee said to Shondra. My angel nodded, looking around the room. Yeah, Shelia had spared no expense. White chrysanthemums and pink roses flown in from the Netherlands rose majestically from crystal vases exploding with eucalyptus and leather leaf. Blush tablecloths were the backdrop for the silver plates and heavy silverware. The gift table groaned under the weight of presents even though Shelia, the philanthropist, had asked for monetary gifts to her favorite charity.

Herself.

A pile of envelopes from those who followed her crass wishes, poked from the top of cream tulle bag. Most of the gifts were from Jameson, but they weren't for his wife. They were for the people who came to the party. 

A wrapped package from his spring collection for everyone who'd RSVP.

After Shelia's speech in which she thanked everyone for coming, Jameson planned to make one of his own. With the waitstaff distributing the party favors, he would unmask Shelia for the cheating, blackmailing bitch she was.

My phone was fully charged and ready to record.

"Ladies, why don't we go to the bar?"

Shondra nodded her agreement.

Vee, however, had other plans. "Axel, I'll catch up with you two later. I want to find Jae." She looked around the room, already on the hunt for her man. "I want to make sure he is okay."

We wished her well and off she went, lost in the crowd within seconds. With my arm firmly around my woman's waist, I led her to the bar. On the way, we ran into her jilted-never-lover-Tony.

He narrowed his eyes, and his lips curled into a sneer. "You move fast, Shondra."

She stiffened at my side, and I pulled her closer. Before she could respond, I did it for her. "Fuck off, Tony. Shondra made her choice, and you weren't it."

"Yeah, so she said." He then mumbled something loud enough for us to hear.

It wasn't nice.

I opened my mouth to react, but Shondra beat me to it.

"What did you say?" She placed her size nine stiletto on his shiny Italian shoe and put on the pressure.

Tony winced in pain, his eyes tearing up and his mouth trembling.

"Don't you ever use that word around me." She removed her foot from on top of his after she pushed a bit harder to make sure he got the message.

"He's said worse about you," Tony whined, nodding his head in my direction.

"Unlike you," Shroud said, leaning close to Cony's pain-filled face, "Axel has always been transparent. You, on the other hand, lied about Tabitha."

His face turned from pale to lobster red in under a second. "How do you know?"

"In all the years I've known Axel, he has always told me the truth."

Tony opened his mouth to refute her claim, but snapped it close under my glower.

His shoulders slumped. He knew he had lost. "When he tires of you, don't come looking for me." After one last look filled with longing and regret, Tony limped away.

I shuddered, remembering how I'd almost lost Shondra for good. Tony, with his manufactured lies, had nearly convinced her he was a good guy. Damn prick had always coveted what was mine, and now he was paying for his mistakes in underestimating Shondra's regard...her faith in me.

No other man would get a chance to do the same. Shondra was mine. In fact, when the time was right, I would happily go down on one knee and make Shondra my wife. I was more than ready to say my vows before God and the world. I was ready to move on.

Wrapping my arms around my angel, I hugged her close. "Are you always going to cause trouble wherever we go?"

"Yeah, I might," she said, cutting off my retort by planting a juicy kiss on my lips.

I groaned into her mouth. We had yet to bring things up to speed. We've kissed and cuddled, nothing else. After the funeral of William, over a month ago, we agreed to go slow, grieve if we had to. 

And that I did.

I shed more tears over my son, but not a damn one for William. 

Shondra, however, wanted time to process Gilliam's death. Learning of my father's role in how my half-brother died had put a pall on our reunion.

Dear old dad had hired a hypnotist, one Dr. Karat, under the guise of helping William get better. In reality, the man encouraged William to orchestrate his own destruction during their sessions.

When I showed up, ready to throw my half-brother from the balcony, my dad gave William a nod, the signal to make amends for the innocent life he took.

And the poor bastard ran with it, straight to the rocks below.

Paul Hammerstein was all about revenge.

And if anyone hurt me and mine, Axel Hammerstein was too.

***

JAMESON:

My overwhelming feeling of disgust at Shelia's blatant display of nuttiness changed when Vee came into view.

Her beautiful face filled me with contentment...and purpose.

After my speech, we would be out in the open. Free to express our love for the world to see. Vee and I had already discussed living arrangements. We would buy Shondra's old house, and Axel and Sho would move into their new one, right across the street.

Vee approached and stood an arm's length away. I ached to hold her. To keep things civil until the "unmasking," Vee and I agreed to stay apart. If Shelia caught wind of our budding relationship, she would pounce on us with both feet.

I struggled to resist my urges when Vee came close. Close enough for me to smell her perfume, feel the heat of her skin, study the curve of her mouth... 

I told caution to go to hell and pulled Vee in, kissing her forehead in front of anyone who cared to look.

She squirmed in my arms. "Jae, what are you doing? I thought we would wait—" 

I closed her mouth by sweeping my tongue along the seam of her lips. She parted them and I went to town, nearly bending her in half with the force of my passion. A few shocked gasps from those around us registered in my mind.

But did I stop?

Hell no.

I'd waited long enough. Too damn long.

"Ahem."

That was Shelia clearing her throat in that damn way I hated. Thank heaven it was the last time I'd ever have to put up with it.

Vee broke our kiss by stepping away. Disappointment flooded me...until she reached down to take my hand.

"Jameson? What are you doing?" Shelia hissed, her blue eyes pointing daggers at Vee.

"What I should have done a long time ago." I saw Axel move inside my peripheral vision, his phone held aloft. My eyes shifted to Shondra. She directed the staff to hand out the gifts. Most people took them dumbly, too busy staring at the blowup of my fake marriage.

***

VEGAS:

No way was I leaving my man, the father of my child, to deal with his crazy ex on his own. I took his hand and stood by his side. My rightful place.

Shelia looked ready to chew nails. Her face was an alarming shade of red and her eyes brimmed with fire. I held her damning gaze, refusing to lower my eyes like I had when my stepmother berated me. When my father didn't stand up for me. When Terrance left me. 

I had found myself in Jae, and I would not give him up for anyone.

"What do you mean 'what you should have done a long time ago’? Have you been sleeping with this slut?" Shelia screamed.

Jae's fingers tightened on my hand as I surged forward. "You have some damn nerve calling me a slut."

"Easy, Vee, let me handle it." Smiling, Jae brushed his thumb across my cheek.

I conceded, giving him the lead to take out the trash.

Just inside the banquet room, Mrs. Gertrude Ehrenberg, in a red tracksuit, stood with her arms folded much like Axel did when he expected a fight—feet planted, arms folded and a deadly smile on her mostly wrinkle free face.

Jae coughed once, then he spoke, his deep voice carrying throughout the room. "Can I have everyone's attention?" He needn't have asked. Shelia's screeching had all eyes riveted on us. Jae cleared his throat. "Shelia and I have lied to you for these past few years." Shelia let out a squeak of protest. Jae silenced her with a look so dark it was a wonder the sun didn't hide. "We," he said, motioning between them, "divorced some time ago. I kept up the pretense we were together because my ex-wife blackmailed me into doing so."

There were a few shocked murmurs from the general crowd and a few noises of disbelief from Shelia's admirers.

"You have in your hands the reason for her blackmail. I would ask that you open your packages now."

No one moved for a few seconds. I had started to think our plan wouldn't work when an elderly man set his champagne flute on a cocktail table and made quick work of opening his gift. A laugh rang out when he held up a blue, three ball butt plug. He studied it for a moment while his wife looked on, aghast. She crushingly slapped him on the arm when he said, "I haven't used one of these in years. Cindy, do you want to give it a go tonight?"

Laughing, the rustling of paper and shocked exclamations filled the room. Shelia looked on with a sour expression. After a few minutes when no one condemned Jameson, she turned and hissed, "You think you have won? You haven't. Your bitch will feel my wrath. Just wait—"

Mrs. Ehrenberg had sidled up to Shelia as she talked. She grabbed her arm in what looked like a rather powerful grip. "Consider yourself done at the hospital, my dear. The doctor, whom you blackmailed with sex into keeping quiet about your misdiagnosing, my grandson, has come clean. He and his wife are in counseling, and you are out on your fat ass. You can expect your license to be yanked within a week."

Shelia spun out of her grasp and ran from the room. No one went after her.

And just like that, she left our lives with less than a whimper.

***

Six months later...

SHONDRA:

I opened the door.

Kale squealed when she entered our home, barreling for Axel. She loved that man almost as much as I did.

Axel squatted and threw his arms open wide. When she got close, he scooped her up and twirled her around. She giggled, kicking her feet. Jae and Vee came through the door, smiling. They often took a stroll in the evening and ended up at our house on their way home. 

Vee and I left the guys with Kale, her arms wrapped around Axel's neck.

We walked into the kitchen. I put on the kettle and Vee got the Earl Grey. It had become our ritual of late. We also had plenty to discuss. Our double wedding was only a few weeks away.

"Shondra, I want your mom to walk us down the aisle. She practically raised me and you know Daddy..." she trailed off, looking out the window. Vee's father wasn't in any condition to do anything for anyone, least of all himself. His lucid days were no more. He existed until his end came upon HM.

"She'll like that, Vee. I'll ask her when I see her tomorrow." Mom had finally stopped working. For a long time she didn't have to because I could have supported her. She insisted, telling me it gave her something to do to keep her mind off her past. About three months ago, she met a nice man at church. They started off talking, which led to dating, and now there was nothing he wouldn't do for her.

I was happy she finally found a semblance of peace.

Vee brightened. "I love the planning, but I can hardly wait for our day. What about you, Sho? Are you ready?"

Axel and Jae came into the kitchen. Kale was in her daddy's arms, her curly head on his shoulder and her eyes drooping closed.

Axel shifted his blues and locked them on me. And just like always, he made me want him with the promise he spoke without words.

Looking into the eyes of the man I knew I would love forever, I said, "Yes, Vee. I'm more than ready."