He Realized Too Late I Was His Secret Backer

Sabrina was livid. If the officer hadn't been holding her back, she'd already have lunged at him.

"Roy Weiss! Do you have a shred of conscience left? If it weren't for Tammy back then, you'd have been behind bars long ago—"

"Sabrina, stop." I cut her off and stepped inside, looking at the officer.

"I'm taking her home."

Before the officer could answer, Roy's voice dropped low. "She hits my people and just walks out?"

I looked at the woman pressed against him, red-eyed, hand over her cheek, and then at him.

"So what do you want?"

His face was cold.

"Your friend slapped my woman. Now I want it back."

Sabrina laughed like she'd heard a joke.

"Let her hit me. You really think—"

"Who said I wanted it back from you?"

Roy cut her off, his eyes settling on my face.

"Tamara, your friend made the mistake for your sake. The bill's yours to settle, isn't it?"

"You son of a—"

Sabrina was shaking with rage, ready to fly at the two of them.

The next second, I spoke.

"Fine."

Sabrina's head whipped around. "Tamara, are you insane? He's the one who cheated. He's the one who wronged you!"

I ignored her and walked up to Roy and Christine McDaniel.

"Go on, then."

Christine's eyes reddened. She said softly, "Mr. Weiss, don't put your wife through this, I—"

The crack of it landed across my face before she could finish. Roy had grabbed her hand and swung it hard into my cheek.

The sting bloomed instantly, hot and raw.

When it was done, I turned to leave.

"Did I say you could go?"

His voice was cold as ice. "She slapped Christine once. I want ten times that back from you."

He dragged Christine forward.

Before I could brace, the cracks were already falling, one after another — sharp, then sharper, ringing off my face one blow after the next.

Nine of them. Each one heavier than the last. Each one crueler.

With every blow, the last trace of love left in me thinned out a little more.

By the final one, there was nothing left to feel.

Something warm trickled from the corner of my mouth, and my mouth filled with the taste of rust.

No one around dared step in.

Because the man swinging the hand was Roy Weiss, the man who ruled New York unchallenged.

When he finished, Roy rubbed Christine's hand for her.

Then came the cold warning.

"Keep your friend in line. Next time don't let her bark like a mad dog and frighten my woman."

With that, he took Christine's hand to leave.

"Roy Weiss."

I called him back and held out the divorce papers. "Sign."

He stared at me for a good ten seconds. Then he smiled.

"Tamara, still not done? You're going to play hard to get with me now?"

I tugged at the corner of my mouth. "You're overthinking it."

His face went dark all at once. He snatched the papers, scrawled his name across them, and flung them back in my face.

"Tamara, a friendly reminder. Without me, you're nothing."

"And the day you come crawling back in tears begging for forgiveness, I won't spare you a second glance."