Chapter Fifteen

Riley

Mickey's loud gasp fills the room as she gets to her feet. My father stays seated. His eyes narrow slightly at me as his fingers tighten around his glass of cognac.

"Explain," he orders.

I tell him about how the documents got mixed up and how the judge turned out to be a pastor. He listens silently, seemingly frozen in his seat. In contrast, Mickey restlessly paces the room with an expression of horror and dismay. When she can't keep quiet any longer, she grips my shoulders.

"Riley, you can't do this."

"I already have," I tell her.

"But this is a mistake. You said so yourself. There's no reason for us to... to..."

"Adhere to it?" I finish.

"To stick to it," she says.

She probably doesn't know what 'adhere' means.

When I say nothing more, she turns to her husband and wails, "Harry, this is unacceptable. You can't just let this happen."

"It's already happened," I point out.

Mickey glares at me like I'm a speck of dirt on her Chanel sunglasses.

"So you're going to stand by this decision even if you know it was an error on the part of the staff?" my father asks.

"Yes," I answer.

Beside me, Lena, who seems to have been petrified since we entered the room, finally moves. She pulls her hand away and steps forward.

"I'm sorry. There's been some--"

"Lena." My father silences her with one look. "That's your name?"

She swallows and nods.

"Can you leave us alone for just a moment?"

I place my hand on Lena's shoulder and she gives another nod.

"S... sure."

She walks to the door. As soon as she's out, Mickey starts complaining again.

"You can't seriously be thinking of keeping her as your wife," she says. "And you're out of your mind if you think your father and I are going to let you."

I ignore her and look at my father. He takes a sip from his glass.

Mickey sits beside him and places a hand on his arm. "Harold, we've already talked about this. And I've already talked to Louisa, too. Surely--"

He holds his hand up and she shuts her mouth with a scowl.

"You really want to have that woman as your wife?" he asks me.

"Yes," I answer without hesitation.

I'd rather have her than Judy. No question.

"Even though she's a nobody? Even though people will say she's not a suitable wife for you?"

"They're not going to be married to her," I say. "I am."

"So you're prepared to stand by her? You can only defend her so much, you know. You won't be able to protect her from everything."

"I will," I assure him with fists at my side.

He falls silent.

Mickey glances at me, then at her husband's serious expression, then shakes her head in dismay. "Harold, surely you don't think--"

"I will allow it," my father says.

Mickey gasps. I find myself breathing a sigh of relief.

"Consider this the one whim I will indulge as your father," he goes on. "The one fault I will overlook."

My eyes grow wide. Does this mean that my words the other night had an effect on him after all?

"But no more," he adds. "Is it understood?"

I nod. "I understand perfectly."

He lifts his glass to his lips for another sip. I take that as the sign that I'm dismissed and leave the room. I find Lena sitting on one of the chairs outside, her eyebrows furrowed in worry. When she sees me, she stands up.

"What was that about?"

"You heard what I said." I approach her. "You are my wife."

"No. That was a mistake."

"A mistake is only a mistake if you regret it, if you decide it's wrong," I tell her. "And I happen to think it's not."

Lena shakes her head as she glares at me. "What is this? Is this all still part of your game, your fun? Haven't you had enough? Haven't you done enough?"

"The game is over, Lena." I grab her hand. "This is real."

She pulls her hand away and steps back. "I don't even know you. Aren't you Riley Boyle? Then why did you call Harold McAllister 'Dad'?"

She glances at the door.

I sigh. "Harold McAllister is my father. Boyle was my mother's maiden name. I used it because my father didn't approve of me swimming and also because I didn't want people to know who I was. I didn't want anyone making things easy for me, and I didn't want anyone questioning my victories, my achievements."

Lena nods. "So you're a McAllister."

"Yes. That's why I retired--to help my father run the family company."

Her eyes grow wide. "And your mother is fine with that?"

"Make no mistake," I answer. "That woman in there isn't my mother. Her name is Mickey. She is my stepmother, my father's second wife."

She touches her chin. "I see."

"Now you know who I really am."

"That doesn't change anything, though." Lena shakes her head. "If anything, it gives me more reason not to stay married to you. I won't."

My eyes narrow. "You have no choice. I'm not giving you a divorce."

"You already gave me one before," she points out.

"And it didn't work. So maybe this is fate."

"Fate?" She gives another shake of her head. "Don't give me that bullshit."

I just grin. "Just accept it, Lena."

"No way. I'll... I'll sue."

"You think you can win against a McAllister?"

She glares at me, then her bunched eyebrows break up and arch. "Wait. If your real name is Riley McAllister and not Riley Boyle, then our marriage contract isn't valid."

"Technically, I still am Riley Boyle. Both are legally acceptable. And even if they weren't, you can't nullify a marriage contract just because one of the names is wrong. If that was the case, a lot of marriages would be over before they even began."

"Ours was never supposed to begin."

I touch her cheek. "You are my wife, Lena, whether you like it or not."

"So you're saying you're forcing me to be your wife?"

"You married me of your own free will," I remind her. "You signed the papers with your own hand."

"Because I was asked to! You know that. And because I was told we'd get a divorce."

I grab her arm. "Why are you fighting me on this? You were fine being my wife at the house."

"Because I had to be."

"Admit it. You didn't want a divorce, because you were in love with me."

She doesn't answer.

My temper rises. Why? Why is Lena resisting so much? I thought she'd be happy that we're married for real. Isn't this what she wanted? Why is she pushing me away now when she was the one throwing herself at me? Has she really forgotten about me?

Well, she can't get rid of me that easily.

I grasp her chin and press my lips forcefully against hers. I tighten my grip on her wrist as I push my tongue into her mouth.

She gasps for air as she pulls away. Then she covers her mouth with her arm as she turns her back to me.

"Maybe I did love you," Lena says softly. "But not anymore. Not after you left me just like that. Maybe you're the first man I gave my heart to, I gave my whole self to. But you threw those away, didn't you? So now you have no right to say you still own them or take them back."

She turns to look me in the eye.

"I fell for you once. I'm never falling for you again."

The words make my chest tighten. My hands clench into fists.

So this is how she wants to play it? She thinks I'm being mean to her? Fine. If it's a fight she wants, that's what I'll give her.

"You're right," I tell her. "You don't know me, Lena. That man who you lived with at that house, who told you all the words you needed to hear, who tried to cheer you up when you were sulking, who was patient and gentle with you, that's not me. I'm not that kind."

I place my hand beneath her jaw and gaze icily into her blue eyes. "I'm Riley Boyle McAllister and you are my wife. Whether you like it or not, you are mine."

I let her go, then turn around.

"And you will stay here until you've learned your place."