Page 76 of Whatever It Takes

He steppedinto the room wearing an orange jumpsuit with his state issued slip-on sneakers squeaking against the floor. I took a moment to really look at him. Gone was the clean-cut, golden boy in a perfectly pressed business suit.

He looked like shit and I couldn’t be happier about that. I wished this man the most miserable existence, because that is exactly what he deserved.

Looking back, it was clear to me that we were all a sick little game to him. He toyed with us in a way that would change the lives of everyone involved. I blamed him for all that’s gone wrong in my life. Hating that he got to hold her, love her, give her the child that was supposed to be mine. He was the man who gave her the life that I had once promised to her.

Then again, maybe I shouldn’t give him so much credit. I should’ve seen the warning signs. Maybe if I wasn’t so young and foolish, I could have stopped him from putting a ring on her finger.

He looked smug as he pressed his hands along the metal table and leaned forward. “It didn’t take you long.” His angry eyes shifted over my shoulder to the door.

I widened my feet and folded my hands across my chest. “If you were expecting to see Charlotte, you’re out of luck.”

“You mean my fucking WIFE!” He sneered, trying to act cocky and show arrogance when he had no right to. He may have been powerful and in control at one point, but those days were over.

I walked over to the table and squared my shoulders. He was trying to act tough, but I could smell fear from a mile away.

And he was trembling like a little bitch.

I pushed the envelope across the table. “Sign the fucking papers.”

He looked down at the manila envelope and narrowed his eyes. “I’m not signing shit. If you think I’m just going to hand over my wife and daughter without a fight, you’ve clearly underestimated me.”

“I don’t need you to hand her over. She’s already mine. If you inch a little bit closer, you’ll be able to smell her on me.”

Just as I expected, he reacted. He tried to lunge toward me, but the guard was already on him. “You son of a bitch. She’s my fucking wife!” he boomed, while being pulled back by his shoulders. “Show me some goddamned respect.”

I nodded my head to the guard and held up my hand. “Mr. Anderson isn’t going to lay a finger on me.” I cocked my head to the side. “Isn’t that right?”

The muscle in his jaw ticked so hard it looked ready to break through the skin. “I want to tear your fucking eyeballs out.”

I looked at my watch pretending to be bored with this conversation. I just wanted to say what I had to say, force him to sign the damn papers, and get the hell out of here. If I got him a little riled up, well that was just a bonus.

“I have a proposition for you.”

His eyebrows dropped low. “You can take your proposition and go fuck yourself. I’m not interested.”

I scrubbed my chin and pointed to the empty chair. I wanted to wait him out and watch him squirm in his seat, but unfortunately, I didn’t have all day. I promised Marco that I wouldn’t do anything stupid.

I folded my hands into a tent and placed my fingers under my chin. “Sit, we have a few things to discuss.”

He let out a sarcastic laugh. “No, we don’t. I’d rather eat a bowl of dog shit with a hair in it than discuss anything with you.”

I found that hard to believe. Unlike me, he was trapped in a six-by-eight-foot padded cell with nowhere to go and no way out. He had all the time in the world, and by the way he looked, he hadn’t slept in days. Exhaustion was etched across his face. He was probably desperate for a change in scenery. Even if I was the last person he wanted to see.

I stared at him for a minute and imagined all the years he stole from me and the fucked-up shit he did to Charlotte that night when he slipped her that roofie.

My muscles clenched, and I took in a deep breath. I needed to keep a cool head and focus on what I came here to do. “Grant, let’s play a game. It’s called Guess Who. I’ll start.” His beady little eyes turned into slits. “I had an interesting chat with an old buddy of yours. Would you like toguess who?”

His jaw clenched, and I paused, trying to keep my tone flat. “You can’t think of anyone? Okay, I’ll give you the answer. Michael Romano. Ring a bell?”

I watched his Adam’s apple move in his throat as he swallowed hard. I stood taller, all six foot two of me, and watched as the realization settled in. The tension burned across my chest, ready to explode.

I slammed my hands down on the table. “You’re a worthless piece of shit.” My words were seething with rage. “Charlotte trusted you as a friend and you took advantage of her. You knew exactly what you were doing when you drugged her.” My voice dropped to a whisper so only he could hear me. “When you raped her…”

He ran his thumb along his bottom lip. Sweat was already forming along his hairline. “I don’t know what he told you, but I didn’t rape her. I gave her a sleeping pill, that’s it.” He was visibly shaking. “She asked me for one. She probably doesn’t remember. She was so shitfaced that night.”

“You’re right, she doesn’t remember. In fact, she doesn’t remember a damn thing from that night with you.”

He looked to the hidden cameras that were capturing every word spoken in this room. He knew the drill almost as well as I did, having spent most of his time on the other side of this table. What he didn’t know was that I wasn’t here to get him to spill his guts, that was Marco’s job. The only thing I wanted was his fucking signature on the divorce papers.

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