Page 16 of Playing For Keeps
Jamison turns to me and stiffly shakes his head.
Melanie seems to consider it for a second. “No. Not until you all come together. If no one is punching the other, then yes, that would be great.”
She’s obviously going to be the rational one here today. Aiden turns toward us the moment the thought leaves my brain.
“What the fuck are you doing here?” He marches toward Jamison.
I step in front of Jamison. “Calm down, Aiden. I asked him to come here. You got that call before I could tell you.”
Aiden’s furious gaze hits me square between the eyes. “Why the fuck would you do that? He’s not a part of this.”
“Like hell I’m not.” Jamison starts toward Aiden. “If it weren’t for you, we wouldn’t be in this situation.”
“Stop. It won’t help anything.” Melanie grabs Jamison’s arms and holds him back. “Dori wouldn’t want this.”
He gives her a sidelong glance and nods. Aiden halts in the center of the room, ready to pounce.
Jamison faces me. “Tell me how this happened.”
My insides knot. “I was supposed to pick Dorothy up from Jamison's; she was waiting there for me to take her to the airport. Unexpectedly, she went to her loft for the final walkthrough and was taken from there.”
Melanie folds her arms over her chest. “But Jami said you had a plan to get your mom. What happened to that?”
Aiden stomps into the kitchen, avoiding the topic. It’s probably for the best. He and Jamison need the distance or else they’re sure to go to blows.
I suck it up and get ready to be a man. “The plan was to get my mother at the airport. I told Isabella Dorothy was working for me again and going on a business trip to meet with the board about the clause in her contract. They didn’t think I would be there. Our thought was that my motherwould try to take Dorothy and the authorities would arrest her there.”
“You used her as bait?” Jamison roars. “You told me everything was going to be taken care of before she left for the airport. Not once did you tell me she was being put in the direct path of your psychotic mother.”
“Not only that, but why Isabella? What does she have to do with this?” Melanie’s eyes burn fire my way.
Jamison does a double take with Melanie’s words. “That’s another great question.”
I clear the lump from my throat. “Isabella has been working with my mother. She’s the one who gave the board the compromising pictures of Dorothy.”
Jamison and Mel both step forward. Melanie takes the lead before Jamison has a chance.
“You mean to tell me the bitch who’s carrying your baby is also responsible for this nightmare? I knew she was trouble.”
Aiden cuts in. “Isabella is pregnant with your child?”
Damn, this is bad. I’m treading between landmines, and with every step I take, I’m that much closer to getting blown to shreds.
Aiden takes large strides to get in front of me. “Why didn’t you tell me she was pregnant?”
“The same reason you haven’t told me why you didn’t get the FBI involved from the beginning,” I snarl.
“They're not involved?” Jamison brushes past Melanie. “Why wouldn’t you get the FBI from day one? What are you hiding, Aiden?”
The three of us stand in a heated circle. Aiden’s staring at me. Jamison’s glaring at Aiden. And I don’t know how we’re not going to end up in a ball of fists by the end of this conversation.
Aiden spins to Jamison. “You have no room to speak about hiding shit.”
“I never kept anything from you that would put Dori indanger.” Jamison inches closer to Aiden. “You know I would never do that.”
“Being with her puts her in danger, you stupid fuck,” Aiden hisses.
Jamison flinches back, and his brows come together. “How so? And don’t even think of lying. I know you, and you’re keeping something from us.”
