Page 52 of Like You Love Me

“Stop it!” Ryan ordered. London yanked free of his hold and zoomed in on Caleb as he struggled to get to his feet.

“Only a weak man hits a woman, and an even weaker man steals money from his child’s piggy bank.” Caleb gazed at him, but London wasn’t moved by the tears clouding his bloodshot eyes. “Get some help, and until you do, stay the hell away from my sister!”

Ryan moved between the two of them. “Man, enough!”

“I’m done.” London held his hands up in surrender. “Please apologize to your wife for me.” With that, he stormed out of the bar.

Chapter 12

The rest of the event breezed by and finally came to an exhausting end. Bianca bid the team goodbye and retrieved her coat from the closet. It had been a great evening, and the women were all pleased. Even with her cousin thinking, he was a Chippendale, Remy had earned more money than any other bachelor, including Trace, bringing in twenty thousand dollars. The media ate it up, and of course, Remy’s camera crew featured the entire event on the radio.

As Bianca drove to Jabarie and Brenna’s house to pick up Sierra, snow flurries descended from above. The forecast for the rest of the week was in the low thirties, therefore, she didn’t expect any accumulation. She turned down Route 1 and couldn’t stop shaking her head. Even with all the craziness, it had been a successful night. But as she left Main Street and found herself on the long winding road, she felt her hands tremble as scenes from that terrifying evening flashed through her mind.

“Nope, don’t do it,” she murmured, then reached down and turned up the radio. The station was playing an oldie she first heard while dating Collin. “Ugh, I don’t want to think about him either,” she muttered. But he wasn’t going away. Collin wanted Sierra to be a part of his life. She had to admit she was impressed by his relentless determination. Did she really want to continue denying his requests? Mentally she slapped herself. She wouldn’t fall for Collin’s flair for persuasion. He could not be trusted, and they would never be friends. There had been too much deceit for that ever to happen. But what worried her the most was London. When he married her, he was under the impression Collin was gone forever from their lives. Now he was back. Bianca felt a chill sweep over her. She pushed the button for the rear defroster and took another deep breath. Tomorrow after the ball, she would talk to London.

She pulled onto the circle driveway and left her car running as she climbed out. The air was cold and bit at her face. She pulled her scarf up over her nose and hurried over to the door. Within seconds of ringing the bell, the door flung open, and she smiled at her beautiful niece Arianna. She was thirteen and already given her father a panic attack.

“Hi, Auntie Bianca.”

“Hello, gorgeous.” Bianca quickly stepped into the warmth of the house. “How was Sierra?”

“She was fine. She and Bri played video games.”

“Easy money.”

Arianna chuckled and shook her head. “Not that easy.”

“What are you going to do with all that babysitting money?”

Her hazel eyes gleamed. “I’m saving up for the new iPhone. Daddy won’t buy it for me.”

“That’s because he wants you to be responsible.” Bianca yanked gently at her faux locks. “Where’s your mother?”

“She’s in the kitchen,” the teenager said, pointing to the rear.

Bianca nodded. “Please tell Sierra I’m here and to get her stuff.” She strolled through the contemporary designed home toward the kitchen to find Brenna sitting at the kitchen table, looking down at her phone.

“Hey, girl.”

Brenna startled, her hazel eyes snapping up to stare wide-eyed at her face. “Bianca.” She invited with a frantic roll of her wrist to come closer. “Come see this.”

Curious what caused the worried look on her sister-in-law’s face, she hurried over and took the phone from her outstretched hand. Bianca looked down at the screen in horror.

“Where’dyou get this?”

Brenna hesitated before saying, “A customer at Spanky’s posted it on their Facebook page and tagged Clarence’s Chicken & Fish House.”

Bianca looked down at the screen and froze when she realized it was a video of London at Spanky’s. What in the world was he doing there? She noticed he had disappeared after Rush graced the stage, but he hadn’t even returned her text messages, so she had no idea where he had gone.

“Oh, my goodness!” She cried out when her husband landed a fist to Caleb’s face, sending him soaring onto the floor.

Brenna eyed Bianca worriedly. “Yes, that’s what I said when I saw it.”

Bianca’s thoughts were racing with worry when she handed back the phone.

“Was that his sister’s husband?”

Bianca sucked her tongue. “Yes, and he’s been a problem.” She reached for her phone and dialed London, but the call rang and eventually went to voicemail.

---