“Except Sammy. Nothing good will come from her spending time with you.”
“It’s going to happen. You know what I’m like. When I set my mind to something, I don’t give up. You fight me, you risk legal bills you have no means to pay and losing your daughter completely.”
I couldn’t believe this was happening. “You threw us away. You made this choice.”
He smiled, a cold, evil one which made me shiver.
“Not when I tell the story, Livvy.” He sneered Van’s nickname for me with so much venom, I could feel the hatred in his voice.
He stood, crossing his arms. “Van Morrison is not going to get to play daddy to my daughter. You’re going to lose, and if you fight me, I’ll make sure you lose big-time.”
His words made me feel ill.
“When I’m done, you’ll be lucky to see her on weekends,” he threatened.
I refused to let him see how terrified I was. How his words were affecting me. I picked up my bag and headed for the door. I paused before I walked out. “Bring it on, Chris,” I said, my voice filled with loathing. “I’m not the only one with something to lose here.”
I walked out before I collapsed.
He had found my weak spot and hit it so hard, I was bleeding.
Van
I wrote down the last of the measurements and snapped the cover shut on my notebook. “Okay, I’m going to double-check all this, then order all the millwork for the building.” I clapped Simon on the shoulder. “Thanks for the help.”
He grinned. “No problem. I hope I get a chance to help with the installs. I love that part.”
I had discovered Simon shared my love of woodworking. He showed me some of his work he had pictures of on his phone, and I could see he was a real craftsman. He told me he often did jobs on the side, and if I could arrange it, I planned to hire him to help once the contract with WIN was over.
Which couldn’t come fast enough. Not beating the shit out of Nolan was getting harder every day. Between the way he ran his crew and his snide comments, I was ready to blow. Liv was so anxious, the dark circles prominent under her eyes and the stress she carried evident in the tense set of her shoulders. It was killing me. But he was a smart bastard. His remarks were either muttered to himself or done in such a way he could defend himself, passed off as “teasing.” My hands were tied about how he ran his crew since he was getting the job done, and I had no control over his jurisdiction. John was rarely on-site, and when he was, Nolan was smart enough to behave.
It was driving me crazy.
I shook my head to clear it and turned, running my hand over one of the intact window casings. “I want to reproduce all this as close to original as possible. It’s going to be gorgeous when we’re finished.”
Simon stepped beside me, admiring the beveled edges and intricate cuts. “It will. Your boss has an eye for detail and unique opportunities.” He laughed humorlessly. “Nolan would have bulldozed these places to the ground and rebuilt.”
The words were out before I could stop them. “Nolan is a short-sighted, narcissistic asshole.”
He guffawed, and I had the decency to look ashamed. “Sorry. I know he’s your boss.”
“He is. That is all he is. My boss. I work hard and earn my paycheck. I don’t owe him anything more than that. He doesn’t deserve anything more than that, frankly.”
“Have you thought of leaving?”
“Only every day. I apply for every job that comes up, but there isn’t much these days. Building has changed. So much is prefab off site and brought in and put together like a jigsaw puzzle.” He pushed his hard hat up his forehead, wiping his brow. “I kinda miss the old days of building from the ground up and being proud of the work I’ve done. Now they just need strength and to be fast.” He shrugged. “I do what I have to and put up with Nolan because WIN pays well, and I have to think of my family. I don’t have to like it—I only have to put in the hours and go home to what really matters.”
“He isn’t easy on you.”
“No, he isn’t. But to be honest, I’ve worked for worse. John runs a good business. No cutting corners or shoddy workmanship allowed. I’d rather put up with the likes of Nolan’s attitude than risk my life with negligent operators or be forced to build shit, if I’m being honest.”
“I can understand that.”
“That’s why I do some small side jobs. I get to indulge in what I love doing and it helps make the Monday-to-Friday gig bearable,” he explained. “This one is actually great. I’m enjoying working on this one with you, Van.”
I was about to respond in kind, when I saw the trailer door fling open and Liv rush through it, her steps fast. Nolan appeared in the door and shouted something after her, but with the distance, I didn’t know what it was. I knew, however, it wasn’t good.
“Shit,” Simon swore. “Is he at it again?”
Wordlessly, I turned and jogged down the stairs, needing to get to Liv. I grabbed a spare hard hat as I went and met her partway across the pavement.
“You need to be in a hard hat, Liv,” I muttered as I placed it on her head. “What the fuck did he do?”
She was so pale, I was sure she was going to faint. Ignoring the looks and not giving a shit about the unwritten rule we had, I wrapped an arm around her waist and steered her toward the building. She was shaking, her body vibrating so hard, I was surprised she could walk. As soon as I got her into the building, I pulled her into the closest apartment, shut the door, and yanked her into my arms. She gripped my waist, burying her face into my chest. I tugged off the hard hat and stroked the back of her neck for a minute as I murmured quiet reassurances.
“I have you, Liv. It’s okay. Whatever it is, it’s okay.”
A long shudder went through her, and I tightened my grip, pressing her into my body.
“Did he touch you?”
If he had, I was going to kill him.
“No,” she whispered.
“Was he being an insulting asshole again?”
She lifted her face, her eyes dry but panicked. “He wants to take Sammy away. He says he’s going to fight me.”
My response was instinctive and honest.
“The fuck he is. No one is taking your daughter from you, Liv. Not in this lifetime.”
“He’s hired a lawyer. He’s going to try to get his rights back. He-he wants visitation.”
I slid my hands up her neck, cupping her cheeks. “I don’t care what he wants. Our girl is staying where she belongs. With us. He doesn’t get her. Do you understand?”
“How am I going to fight this?”
Her heartbreak and pain bled from her eyes.
I held her face tighter. “You’re going to fight it with me. And we’re not going to lose.” I wrapped her back into my embrace. “I won’t allow this to happen, Liv. I swear to you.”
She fell forward, my words giving her what she needed for now—strength.
I held her, then tilted up her chin.
“Tell me everything he said.”
Listening to her repeat the conversation with Nolan, I became enraged. His remarks were insulting, degrading, and all lies. Liv grabbed my hand as I swung around, determined to cross the site and teach him a lesson he would never forget.