Page 38 of Let Me Say It Again

“It’s fine, he’ll want to see me. Thanks for your number, I’ll call you.” The loud voice came from right outside my office before my door opened without a knock and in waltzed an ass. Oh, sorry, I meant donkey’s ass because that was exactly what Nate was. No other way to describe him.

Especially after he’d made an embarrassment of himself at my engagement party. Figured he’d get wasted and show his true colors. Not exactly the time to do that, if you asked me, but what did I know?

“Two lies in a matter of seconds,” I noted of his words to the poor woman who worked for me. “I hope you’re leaving here and going straight to church to ask for forgiveness.” I shook my head. “Lying is a sin,” I pointed out in case he didn’t know that among the many other things he was dense about.

He quirked a brow, acting casual. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Was he shitting me? “I don’t want to see you, and we both know you’re never calling my temp assistant.” I pointed to my door. “Speaking of, stop flirting with my employees, temporary or not, okay? I don’t know her, but I know that making anyone sit through a date with you would be malicious.”

“Screw you,” he replied. Naturally he didn’t have a better comeback. He walked over and took a seat in one of the chairs opposite to me. “I didn’t come here for this shit.”

I leaned back and sighed. “Why don’t you enlighten me as to why you’re here then because I don’t remember asking you to stop by?”

Although we were brothers, we were family by blood only, not choice. And I wouldn’t have exactly considered us friends. Friendly when we had to be, but not friends. I’d never agreed with most of his decisions, but the way he’d treated Jade and broken up with her, that was quite possibly the shittiest decision he’d ever made.

Sure, I’d broken up with my share of women. But there was some level of decency you should have when you did that, and as usual, Nate lacked it. “I’m waiting,” I pushed when he didn’t answer, just sat there, his eyes scanning my desk.No, your brain cells cannot be found on my desk, sad to say.

He cleared his throat and narrowed his eyes. “You can’t marry Jade.”

A roar of laughter escaped me. “That’s ridiculous. You don’t tell me what to do.”

“On this, I do. You can’t.” His voice was deeper, and I could tell he was trying to sound like he was giving me a warning.

But guess what? I didn’t listen to people, my brother included, and I certainly didn’t care what he wanted. That should have been no surprise to him.

I leaned as far back as I could in my chair, drew my brows together, and studied him. He tried to exude this strong and confident persona, but I knew the truth. Maybe it was because we were brothers. Perhaps it was because he sucked at it. Either way, I saw him for what he really was—weak and cowardly. I wasn’t a bad person, so don’t think I was. I just had a great read on people, and I didn’t appreciate when someone tried to tell me what to do or how to live my life. I’d do what I damn well pleased and anyone who had a problem with it could fuck the hell off.

“Did you hear me?” Nate asked, his eyes blinking rapidly as his anger bubbled to the surface. He always did have a short fuse, which was one of his downfalls. “I said you can’t marry Jade.”

“I heard you.” I grinned like a cocky bastard. “The trouble is, little brother, I can marry Jade, and I will.”

“She’s not yours to marry.”

“No?” I leaned forward, straightening my back, and placing my elbows on the desk as I folded my hands together. “Who’s she to marry then?” I pushed my hands toward him, pointing both index fingers at him. “You?”

He swallowed, his Adam’s apple bobbing. “She’s my ex.”

“Operative word being ex.” My jaw twitched. “You kicked her to the curb a long fucking time ago. By my way of thinking that means you didn’t want her to be part of your life anymore. You gave up any ability you had for making demands where Jade was concerned when you decided to appease other people’s perceptions.”

“Jade doesn’t belong in our world. You’re going to see that. I just hope it’s not too late, and you don’t ruin this family and everything the Lyons name stands for before that happens.”

Another warning.You know, I was really starting to hate this day. Blood was pumping in my ears, the sound nearly deafening. “I don’t give a shit how you see Jade. I don’t give a shit what you or anyone else thinks about our world and her place in it. Maybe if you cared a little less about what others thought, then you wouldn’t have acted like a dick and let the best thing that ever happened to you go. And while we’re at it, maybe you should get together with our mother, who not only seems to accept Jade but just so happens to be playing tennis with her.”

He widened his eyes. “What?”

“You heard me.” And if our mother could accept her, then what the fuck was Nate’s problem?

“Do you think that just because her mother is Regina Morelli it changes things? It doesn’t.” He pinched the bridge of his nose. “Regina is dead, and once again she has no real family. She’s a lone wolf, always has been, always will be. A woman like her doesn’t belong with men like us. I only wish her the best and believe she should meet someone one day, get married, start a family, all that card company stuff.” He paused, exhaling. “Not with us, though. Do you understand?”

I rubbed my temple, hoping I got through to him this time because if I didn’t, I would have no other choice but to call security and have him thrown out of my office. “You’ve been giving me warning after warning since you walked through my door. So, let me give you a warning, okay? Don’t you dare talk about my fiancée again. In fact, I don’t want her name to fall from your lips ever again. In other words, get my fiancée’s name out of your mouth. Doyouunderstand?”

He opened his mouth, but I held a hand up. “One more thing, and after I say this, I don’t want to hear a peep out of you. I want you to get up, turn around, and get the hell out of my sight because I’ve had it up to here”—I gestured above my head—“with you.”

His face grew red, and I knew he was going from annoyed to downright pissed.

I went on anyway, though. “Jade is not alone. She has sisters, friends, andme. Unlike you, I don’t lose myself easily to beliefs others set on me. I know who I am and where I came from and that none of it matters. Jade and I are getting married. It seems like you’re the only one who has a problem with it. And even if there are others who stand with you, I couldn’t care less. You can all start a club and converse about it on your own time.” I was done talking about this with him. Done with all of it. “Now get out.” I peered down at a stack of papers on my desk and fingeredthe edge of one of them so I could scan the pile and see where to start. “I have work to do.”

Nate didn’t say shit, but someone did as I heard, “What a goddamn bore.”

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