CHAPTER 263: CHAPTER 263 ASHTON: EASY TARGET

‘You found her?’ Lea asked.

I nodded and sank onto the barstool beside her.

‘She all right?’

‘She’s fine.’ Or she had been, until I turned up, wrecked her dinner and blew up her plan.

‘Told you the PI I recommended was good.’ Lea smiled. ‘I use him for business intel mostly, but he handles personal cases too. I—’ She paused, reading my face. ‘Didn’t go well, then.’

There was sympathy in her voice, but I knew her well enough to hear the schadenfreude underneath.

‘Mira just needs time.’

Lea waved the bartender over and ordered a Boulevardier for me. ‘That’s what I said. She needs time to process the news. Alone. You showing up probably made things worse. Did she lash out?’

‘No.’

I took a long gulp. It went down smooth, but it didn’t touch the mess inside me.

I couldn’t forget the look on Mira’s face when I told her about her father. Or the look that followed when I explained how he’d died.

Shock. Anger. Blame. Rage. Hatred. Even disgust.

‘So I was wrong,’ Lea said.

Not quite. Mira didn’t blame me, not out loud anyway. But she did say she needed space. She didn’t think it was a good idea for us to spend the night together.

So, just past midnight, I got kicked out. I drove aimlessly for a while and ended up here.

I drained the rest of the cocktail and signalled for another.

‘You should slow down,’ Lea said. ‘You’re the one who told me drinking solves nothing. No answers at the bottom of a glass. Only delusion, escape, lies and cowardice.’

‘I’m not drunk.’

I wished I were.

If I were, I wouldn’t remember every detail. I’d be able to forget the moment she reached for her ring.

She’d been about to take it off.

Leaving Paris and leaving her alone had been a huge mistake.

Lea seemed to read my thoughts. ‘I’m sorry. If it weren’t for me, you wouldn’t have had to rush back to Skyline, and none of this would’ve happened.’

I shook my head. ‘It’s not your fault.’

Lea was one of my oldest friends. I couldn’t just leave her in trouble.

‘Are you sure Pierre will sign the divorce papers?’ I asked.

She’d flown to Paris with me because her lawyer said Pierre had agreed to a no-contest divorce.

‘He doesn’t want to, but his parents will force him to. The Marchands care more about their money than their image. You’ve put pressure on their overseas business, and I’ve threatened to leak Pierre’s dirty laundry to the press. His parents will hogtie him and drag him to sign if they have to. They’ll be glad to see the back of me. Never liked me anyway.’

I patted her shoulder. ‘You’ll find someone better.’

From what Kylian told me, she’d married Pierre days after meeting him. Whether it was her mistake, his, or both, wasn’t mine to judge.

‘Look at us. Pair of hopeless cases,’ Lea said with a crooked smile. She raised her glass. ‘To friendship.’

I clinked glasses with her and drank.

‘Do you want me to come with you tomorrow to the meeting?’ I asked.

The only time I’d met Pierre was outside her hotel room. He’d been high and drunk, slamming his fists on the door. He looked like a spoilt man-child, and I wouldn’t put it past him to get violent.

‘Nah. I’ll bring my bodyguards.’

‘You’d better.’

‘What about you? What are you going to do about Mirabelle?’

I stared into my drink. For once, I had no idea.

‘There you are.’

We both looked up at the voice, soaked in spite.

‘Pierre!’ Lea stood abruptly. ‘What the hell are you doing here?’

‘Catching you in the act.’

He was clearly drunk. Bloodshot eyes. Breath reeking of booze.

‘Is this the guy you’ve been fucking behind my back?’

I pushed away the finger jabbing towards my face. ‘Watch your mouth.’

‘He’s just a friend,’ Lea said. Her voice wavered.

Something about her expression made my gut twist. She didn’t look furious. She looked... hopeful?

‘Friend,’ Pierre scoffed. ‘I know what that means. Fuck buddies.’

‘Say that again and I’ll make sure you can’t speak for a month.’

I was already in a foul mood. Pierre was practically begging to be my outlet.

‘Ooh. Scary man.’ He fake-shivered. ‘So scary. Look at me, I’ve got goosebumps.’

I knocked his arm away. ‘Piss off.’

‘Funny. That’s exactly what I was about to say to you.’ He grabbed Lea’s waist. ‘Let’s go, Lea bunny. You and I need a little chat.’

I stood and blocked his path. ‘She’s not going anywhere with you.’

‘Says who?’ His grin was vile. His eyes had that gleam I didn’t like.

‘Ash, let me just talk to him,’ Lea said, eyes apologetic.

‘Are you serious? Did you forget what he did to you?’

‘I...’ She looked away and bit her lip. ‘He’s still my husband.’

I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. Where the hell was the sharp, clear-eyed Lea I knew?

As if to show off, Pierre pinched her arse while looking straight at me.

I clenched my jaw. ‘Lea. Are you sure you want to leave with him?’

She gave the slightest nod. Still couldn’t look at me.

‘See? She’ll go wherever I want,’ Pierre crowed. ‘She’s my wife, mate. And I’m going home with her tonight. Gonna fuck her brains out. Then make her swallow my cum.’

I glared at the little bastard. ‘Don’t talk about her like that.’

‘She’s mine. I’ll talk how I like. I’ll do what I like. You don’t get a say.’

I looked straight at Lea. ‘Tell me you’re not going with him.’

‘I...’

I saw the punch coming. Pierre was sloppy and slow, way too drunk to land a surprise hit.

I blocked it easily. It didn’t hurt.

But it was all the excuse I needed.

The fury that had been building all night finally snapped loose.

I smashed my fist into his face. Blood splattered. He howled and swung wildly.

Lea tried to get between us, but I kept going.

Everything blurred. I wasn’t hitting Pierre anymore. I was hitting every bad decision, every frustration, every goddamn thing that had gone wrong.

He kicked, flailed, screamed. I kept swinging.

Bouncers stormed in. Tried to pull me off.

I didn’t stop.