Total pages in book: 21
Estimated words: 20861 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 104(@200wpm)___ 83(@250wpm)___ 70(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 20861 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 104(@200wpm)___ 83(@250wpm)___ 70(@300wpm)
"Mom?"
The next ten minutes were a blur, and Vixen couldn't even make herself think.
Proverbs 3:5-6, Vix.
For so many years in her life, she had been like everyone else in the way she kept trying to solve problems on her own. She had done it even when the results were never good enough. She had done it because that was what she had been taught to do.
But not anymore.
Vixen struggled to keep her composure when Riley's mother walked back into the living room, hair now perfectly styled in silky waves, and her slim form sheathed in a Chanel dress.
Beatriz joined her on the couch and crossed her legs as she studied Vixen from head to toe. "Vixen, isn't it?"
Vixen managed a smile. "And you must be—-"
The other woman cut her off, asking, "How long have you and Rule been dating?"
Vixen was more startled than offended by the other woman's rudeness. "We're just friends."
"You must be a really good friend to have permission to drive my daughter home."
"Your daughter and I are friends as well."
"How very smart of you," Beatriz drawled. "Now I understand why Riley likes you so much. She even warned me, her own mother, not to cause trouble."
Vixen remained silent, knowing there was nothing she could say in return.
"I'm thinking of moving here as well," the other woman declared abruptly.
"I see."
"It seems very peaceful here."
"It is."
Beatriz's lips tightened. "Why don't you just drop the act? We both know you don't really want me to move here."
No, I don't, Vixen thought. But since how she felt didn't matter at all...
"Riley would love to have you around—-"
"Spare me." Beatriz's lip curled. "I didn't believe Rule at first when he told me about you. But I guess you truly are the real deal."
Vixen slowly shook her head. "I'm not quite sure—-"
"Stop pretending," Beatriz spat. "The difference between us is obvious. You're nice, unlike me. You're so nice you have both my own daughter and ex treating me like I'm a monster out to eat you."
"I'm sure it's not—-"
"But you know what's really funny?" Beatriz asked with a sneer. "I may be a monster compared to you, but there's someone worse than me—-"
"Mom, you promised!"
Vixen instinctively rose to her feet at the way Riley rushed into the living room. The younger girl didn't just look horribly upset. She also appeared terrified, but of what?
"You were the one who said it yourself, darling." Beatriz remained seated even though her cheeks were flushed with anger. "Vixen is a nice girl—-"
"Stop it, Mom!"
"And nice girls deserve the truth." Beatriz's furious gaze snapped to Vixen. "Don't you think so, too?"
Vixen was torn between wanting to comfort Riley and trying to calm Beatriz down, whose fury wasn't enough to mask her own pain.
"I may be no angel like you," Beatriz snarled, "but Rule's more like a devil than I can ever be."
"Mom, please!"
Riley burst into tears, but it was as if her mother was lost in a storm of rage of her own making.
"I bet he didn't tell you the real reason he came to move here!"
Vixen only managed to take one step towards Riley before the other woman spun her around.
"Listen to me, you idiot! Rule is not who you think he is. Are you hearing me? He's a fraud. He's the real monster here, and that's why he was fired from his own company!"
"MOM!"
A still-sobbing Riley tried pulling her mother away, but this only made Beatriz tighten her grip on Vixen's arm.
"He played around with other people's money, Vixen. And his last one lost them a hundred million. People lost their jobs, their homes—-people lost everything because of his ego. Are you sure you still want a man like that?"
Six
RULE KNEW RIGHT AWAY something was wrong the moment he pulled up the driveway and saw his daughter already waiting for him outside their home.
She rushed up to him and started speaking even when he had barely gotten out of his car. "You need to call Vixen, Dad."
The moment he heard Riley mention her name, he knew right away that Beatriz had caused trouble again. But even though this had Rule feeling sick to his stomach—-
"You need to talk to her, and—-"
His daughter came first, always.
"Riley, slow down."
"But you don't understand, Dad! Mom was so—-"
Rule pulled his daughter into his arms when she started crying.
"It's going to be okay, alright? So calm down, and then we'll talk about this properly."
Riley's body gradually stopped shaking, and Rule took a step back. "Better?"
"Mom's still inside."
Rule only nodded, knowing that it was his daughter's way of saying she wasn't yet comfortable at seeing Beatriz again.
"Want to go for a drive?"
RULE FOCUSED ON THE road ahead and keeping a rein on his temper as his daughter recounted everything that happened since his ex welcomed Vixen to his home in a bathrobe.
Classic Beatriz, he thought grimly. She had always been the type to make a scene, either to get what she wanted...or in this case, because it was the opposite. He had refused to give her a loan, and this was his payback.