Page 52 of Reputation (Tempt)
He sure as hell hadn’t held back earlier.
“You’re so fucking talented. And not just as an athlete. You could do anything—design your athleisure line. Coach. Whatever. But I get the feeling you’re using your job as a nanny as a crutch. As an excuse so you don’t have to face your fears and find out what you’re really capable of.”
“Oh yeah?” I asked, feeling his words as if they were a slap to the face. Probably because they’d hit a little too close to home. “And what about you? First, you’re a bad boy. Now a family man. You seem to care a lot about your image for someone who acts like he doesn’t give a shit what anyone else thinks.”
“I don’t.”
“Then why do this?” I asked, hung up on the fact that Nate would be willing to lie to Brooklyn. Especially when I knew their relationship meant everything to him.
“You know why,” he said more softly.
I gnashed my teeth as the answer came to me. “Trinity.”
He nodded. “She filed an order asking the judge to reevaluate our custody agreement. The lawyers are working on setting a court date.”
“What?” I gasped. How had I not seen anything about this in the news? And why the hell hadn’t he told me sooner? “When did this happen?”
“Yesterday. I’m doing my best to keep it out of the press for Brooklyn’s sake. But I’m running out of time.”
“Fuck.” I sighed. “I thought she was going to back down.”
He shook his head, his expression downright murderous. “Not this time. You know—” He huffed. “The most infuriating part is that she doesn’t actually want more time with Brooklyn. She wants something that’s almost as priceless to me as my daughter. So, you’re right. I don’t care about most people’s opinions, but I do care when it could affect my relationship with my daughter.”
“That’s…” I clenched my fists, my nails digging into my palms. I didn’t even have words for how wrong that was. How angry Trinity’s behavior made me—mostly on behalf of Brooklyn.
“We’re not going to let that happen, right?” I asked. Nate looked at me with such surprise that I said, “What?”
“We?”
“Well, yeah. I told you I’d do what it took to keep Brooklyn where she belongs—with you. I know I’m not her parent, but I love her. And it’s obvious that sharing custody with Trinity wouldn’t be good for Brooklyn.”
“Obvious to us, but perhaps not a judge. But I appreciate you saying that. And I will do everything in my power to prevent it.” He clenched his fists. “Which is why the engagement would need to be believable. Trinity’s legal team even cited several sections of Annalise’s tell-all to show why I’m an unfit parent.”
I clenched my fists. “What does Trinity really want?”
“Did you know my mother collected rare gems and jewelry?”
I blinked a few times, thrown by his question. “Um. Maybe?”
“My mom loved jewelry. To her, it was both beautiful and practical. It was sentimental but also an investment. A way to create a legacy. I can remember watching her pore over auction catalogs when I was little. Or she’d drag me along to a private showing. She had exquisite taste, and her jewels are one of the few things I have left of her.”
I frowned. “And Trinity knows this?”
“Yes. And she wants a piece my mom owned.”
Rage burned through me, flaring even hotter.How dare she.
“Why not offer to give her the item’s estimated value instead?” I asked, even though the mere idea pissed me off beyond measure.
“Because the last time it was estimated for insurance purposes, it was worth over thirty-six million dollars. And that doesn’t factor in how high it could go for at auction.”
I coughed and sputtered. “Thirty-six million dollars? What the hell is it?”
“A necklace that once belonged to Marie Antoinette.”
My jaw dropped. “You’re kidding me.” He had to be joking. Right?
He shook his head. “And even if I gave her the item or the equivalent dollar amount, it would only be a temporary fix. Trinity will just keep doing this again and again.” He gnashed his teeth, and I hated her for putting him in this position. “I don’t want that threat hanging over me for the next six years until Brooklyn turns eighteen. And I don’t want that toxic drama for my daughter either.”