Page 69 of Hearts of Stone

“But when you returned to our flat, this place we’d both signed the lease on, what did you do?”

“Jade—” Trevor said.

“What did you do?!” My voice rang out across the quiet street, the commotion enough to give everyone in the fancy houses around us a show. “Tell them what you did, Trevor, or I will.”

“I told you to get out,” he finally ground that out. “That I didn’t care that you’d caught me, because we were over for some time.” The dark-suited figures that had been standing back moved slowly closer and Trevor seemed more worried by them than anything. “That I…” He swallowed hard, then crumpled the papers in his hands. “That I didn’t find you attractive anymore.” Silence reigned for just a moment, and when he continued, it was in a much smaller voice. “That I’d give you some time to find your own place, but that you were to get out of the apartment as soon as possible.”

“Jade?” I lifted my phone at the sound of Trevor’s dad’s voice. “Jade, sweetie, are you OK?”

“I’m fine, Jim,” I told him, forcing myself to smile, even as tears filled my eyes. “I inherited a massive house and a fortuneafterwe broke up. But I woke up this morning to find Trevor here, trying to get half of it because we’d been in a de facto relationship.”

“Shit…”

I don’t think I’d ever heard a man’s heart break before. With a lot of older men in Australia, it was always jokes and bullshit, keeping a stiff upper lip and not letting emotions get the better of you. But I heard it now, in Jim’s long, shuddering sigh. “Look, love, I’m gonna get off the phone now and call your parents. You should give them a call before they ring you, and I’ll… I’ll behaving a chat with that son of mine, even if I have to drive down to Adelaide and kick in his door to make that happen. He won’t go through with this, I promise, love.”

“No, he won’t.” James Mellors approached us with his phone in hand. “We have quite a few witnesses here, including some from the Dorian Corporation.” He frowned as he looked at the shadowy men, some of them beginning to shift restlessly. “All of whom, I’m sure, would be prepared to give evidence under oath to the nature of this pathetic plan. Jade, I urge you to consider taking legal action against this man. We will institute a restraining order, of course, but there’s also the matter of him trying to coerce you out of half your fortune, which is illegal under the state’s new coercive control legislation.” He smiled at Trevor tightly. “And something that the estate has iron-clad protections against.”

My ex was about to say something, but right then his phone began to ring. He pulled it out and saw who it was, going pale in response.

“Dad?”

I heard the little boy right then, not the big, bad lawyer, and somehow that was enough. I walked over to open the gate and usher my lawyer inside.

“Holy crap, Mellors.” Daniel looked James up and down. “Who knew you had that kind of big dick energy going on under that whole tightly wound, prissy bitch facade? I wouldn’t have put you on my Do Not Fuck list if I had any idea.”

“Something tells me your lack of perceptiveness means you walk through life constantly surprised by the most pedestrian of things,” Mellors replied, before turning to me. “Jade, if we could have a word inside?”

“Are you being mean to me, Lawyer Daddy?” Daniel asked, bounding beside us as we walked back to the house. “Do it again! Do it again!”

“With someone who doesn’t even have the wherewithal to put in place some protective measures?” James’ eyebrow rose slowly. “Out of the question. Now, Jade, about your former partner. I took the liberty of drawing up some documents that I think are necessary for your protection. You might baulk at some of them, but hear me out.”

I had no intention of protesting. As I walked back into the house, the shadow of the gargoyles fell over me. I might have stone guardians to look after me at night, but I’d use whatever legal protections I could to keep me safe during the day.

Chapter 40

Jade

"I need to set up a charity to help women leaving their abusive husbands or partners,” I announced as we walked into my kitchen. The bright white walls, the shining tile, the massive expanse of marble countertop shouldn’t have had my heart racing, but it was, rapid as a rabbit’s. “Millions of women experience sexual, emotional and physical abuse every day and they can’t leave.” My voice broke on that, my brows knotting. “They can’t do anything about it.”

“Jade, did you get any sleep last night?” Daniel asked as he put the kettle on. “You’re looking a little—”

“Coffee,” I said, my heart feeling like it skipped a beat, forcing me to hold my breath until it started beating again. “I need a coffee, please.”

“Chamomile tea for you,” he said decisively, grabbing out cups and mugs and setting them on the counter, defiantly plucking out a herbal scented tea bag and putting it in my cup.

“Other women don’t get chamomile tea,” I said. “Other women would be forced to just give in to get arseholes like…” Iswallowed hard, but the lump in my throat wouldn’t move. “Like—”

“Trevor Davis will not be allowed to come within three metres of you in any public space,” Mellors said smoothly. “I know a judge who’ll approve the restraining order once we get the balls rolling. Trevor will not get onto the grounds of the estate.”

“Too fucking right,” Harry growled and when my focus shifted to him, I half wondered if he was part gargoyle. It wasn’t just the massive frame, clad in Crocodile Hunter khaki, but that deep scowl and the way his blunt teeth flashed as he grimaced. “Though we could do with more security.”

“Something we need to action immediately,” Mellors agreed with a sharp nod before typing himself a note in his phone. “I’ll have a company liaising with you, Harry, before the end of the day.”

“But other women don’t get that.” I felt a bone deep heaviness in my body, one that made it hard to move, hard to breathe, to do anything, because they didn’t get it. While domestic violence happened at startling rates to men as well, I was willing to bet Harry and Mellors had never been a victim of it. “Too many women have…” My voice broke, but I forged on. “…have nothing. No friends…” Daniel moved closer, grabbing my hand and giving it a squeeze. “No caretakers, no lawyers, no nothing. They’re forced to try and navigate the entire process on their own, right when they’re at their lowest and I—”

The kettle began to whistle, the high-pitched sound cutting through my words and that was OK. I was out of breath now anyway. I sucked one long breath in, then another, forcing my lungs to inflate because that might help take the tight feeling in my chest away. But as the whistle got louder and louder, my breathing got faster, right up until the point that Mellors flicked the switch to turn it off.

“You need to help,” he said simply. I nodded. It seemed so unfair, that I was now obscenely wealthy and able to skate free of all of the shit with Trevor, when most women couldn’t. “I understand.” He couldn’t really, but he was coming on board and that’s what mattered. “I know you may have gotten a negative impression of the Wildfyre Club last night and I’m not even saying that’s wrong, but the ladies… They may have been born to privilege, may live a kind of life that most could never dream of, but they do help people with their charitable works: many people. I could make some introductions if you like…”

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