Forever Blake (Once Upon a Player Book 3) by Elena Matthews (free books to read .TXT) 📗

the sun, Edwin, but I’m starting to think you don’t know your daughter at all. Yes, she might still be young, but she has an old soul. She has more talent in her little finger than the majority of the first-year associates at the firm. She’s already a lawyer without a degree. She knows exactly what she is doing with her life.”

He grinds his teeth, his face reddening with anger. “Don’t you dare tell me what I know about my daughter!” he screams in my face. “I’m only here to tell you that this thing between you both ends now. I don’t care how madly in love she is with you; I don’t want her with someone who used to fuck hookers for fun. I don’t want that for Reagan. You are not good enough for her.”

I only slept with a hooker once at a bachelor party, which was years ago, but I don’t say anything that might add fuel to the fire. I knew he would react like this, but damn, the insults are hard to swallow, especially since I thought he respected me. Why else would he have taken me under his wing when I was a wily first-year associate all those years ago?

“Look, I understand you’re upset, but if you’d just hear me out, you’d know that I’m in love with her.”

He literally laughs in my face—to the point that spittle spews from his mouth. “You forget that I know you, little boy. I know how your mind works…and I know you’re incapable of anything on a deeper level. You have too much of a reputation to be with someone as pure as Reagan, and I won’t have you taint her. So, I won’t tell you again. It ends now, and if you so much as look at her or breathe in her direction, I will make your life a living hell. Do I make myself clear?”

“Oh, you’ve made yourself clear all right, but I won’t be able to do what you’re asking me.” I square my shoulders, looking him dead in the eye.

“And why not?” he snarls.

“Because you know I don’t tolerate threats, and ironically, that’s something I learned from you.”

“Oh, but I think you will this time because if you don’t back down, there’s a good chance you’ll find your ass in jail or at least disbarred from the bar association.”

My bravado wavers slightly, his words hitting a nerve. He’s throwing a mistake I made as a second-year associate—something that, honestly, without his help, would have likely sent me to jail—in my face. It wasn’t a life-or-death matter; I didn’t kill a person, but I did illegally obtain evidence for a client by impersonating a police officer. I learned my lesson, but little did I know that he’d hold it over my head like this.

“You wouldn’t do that,” I state, but I’m not confident with my words. I’ve never seen him this angry before.

“Yesterday, I wouldn’t have, but that was before I found out an employee—a junior partner I trusted—deceived me by hooking his claws into my daughter, making her just another one of his conquests!”

“She is not another one of my conquests, and I’m sorry, but you won’t back me into a corner by your blackmail. I won’t hurt her like that despite the monster you obviously think I am.”

“Fine, fight against me all you want…but I promise, it won’t end well for you.” He turns and begins to storm away. A second later, he abruptly stops in his steps and spins back to face me. “Oh, and if you haven’t already guessed it, you’re fucking fired.”

With that, he walks toward the elevator, and I’m just left standing at my front door with a broken nose, debating on whether it’s too early to start on the scotch.

Then, I decide, Fuck it. I mean, I’m unemployed now, so why the hell not?

It’s not as if this day could possibly get any worse.

Or could it?

It’s a little after noon, and I’m on my sofa, watching a Korean fight movie that isn’t even in English. I could switch the subtitles on, but after my seventh scotch of the day, I doubt I’d be able to read the writing on the screen in my drunken stupor. My phone has sporadically buzzed throughout the morning with several calls and texts, but I ignore them, having no interest in speaking to whoever is on the other line.

I mean, who wants to talk to me anyway? I’m just a good-for-nothing fuckboy with no job and the possibility of going to jail if I don’t give up the only woman I’ve ever loved. I mean, I’m a piece of shit, according to Edwin. He didn’t directly say it, but why else would he just assume I took advantage of Ever?

He has no idea of the turmoil I experienced once I knew who she was, how many days and hours I spent doing everything in my power not to think about her as anything other than my intern. Hating the fact that I was so attracted to his daughter, so incredibly infatuated with her. I fought so hard against my feelings for her because I didn’t want to disappoint him.

I guess that was futile since the man I’ve been incredibly loyal to thinks so low of me that I’m nothing but shit on his shoe. Who knew that falling in love would bring out the ugly in people, especially those I respected?

Feeling the bile in my stomach rising, I try to push it down by pouring another drink, but just as I tip the glass to my lips, a knock sounds at my front door.

Ugh. Who the fuck is it now?

Not that I’m not in a sociable mood, but the last time I opened the door, I had my nose broken, so I’m hardly in any hurry for that to happen again.

I begin to ignore it when the voice on the other side stops me in my tracks, and my eyes