Page 40 of Intrigued By Love

“You’re right. I won’t argue with that point, but it doesn’t excuse your behavior now. You were a hardworking actress once upon a time, a good enough one to win an Oscar. But that was decades ago. Tell me what you’ve achieved recently. Besides alienating your son with all your antics.”

She grabbed my arm. “Listen here, you little slut. I refuse to let you dig your claws into him again. You’re nothing but a gold digger. That boy deserves better. Don’t think you’ll get a penny of our money.”

I shook her hand free and rubbed where her nails had left crescent-shaped marks.

“You are seriously delusional. I don’t need anything from Jax.”

She laughed in that way one would expect the evil queen from a children’s cartoon to do. She really had lost her acting edge.

“It’s always about money.”

This conversation was going nowhere. I tried to have compassion for her, for what she must have dealt with, but the second she touched me with anger, any sympathy I had for her disappeared.

“Look, I’m only going to say this one time. I make plenty of money. In fact, I’m a partner in this resort.” The surprise on her face made me want to smirk, but I refused to stoop to her level. “I don’t need a penny from Jax. Why would I, when I live in paradise with a house on the beach?”

I turned toward the doors. I had to get away from this self-centered woman. I’d mastered handling difficult guests, so why was I letting her get to me?

Because it hurt to know people who were supposed to be family behaved this way.

I had to accept I’d never have the loving relationship Thad’s parents had with Lina or what my parents had with Cora and Ani.

Once Lina and Thad made their entrance, I was going to down some shots of tequila.

“Don’t think this is over.”

I should have kept walking but I was done with this.

I faced her again. “Why are you so fixated on me? This is a conversation you need to have with Jax.”

“My relationship with my son is none of your business.”

“That’s right, it’s not. Keep me out of it. Jax and I are trying to see where this goes. You can try all you want but it won’t scare me off.”

She smiled and lifted a brow as if she’d won. “It did before.”

There was no point in denying it when she was partly right. “It won’t again. I’ve learned from my mistakes. You seem to want me to make them over and over again.” I sighed.

“Do you really think he’ll marry you?”

“Yes, he will.” We both froze as Jax stepped from around the corner. “There’s no doubt about it.”

Chapter Sixteen

Jax

“Jax.” My mother moved in my direction, but I sidestepped her, going toward Kai.

When I’d heard the words my mother was spewing at Kai, I wanted to step in and protect her from the venom. Then I realized Kai was holding her own.

I’d intervened when we were officially behind on the schedule Kai had set.

I stopped a foot from Kai, setting a hand on her waist before leaning down to kiss her forehead. “Raquel sent me out here to find you. Are you ready?”

“Yes.”

I offered her my hand and she took it.

“I guess I’m on Raquel’s bad side.”

---