Chapter Seventeen

William and Sarah Rayner’s Backyard-Seattle, Washington. Via Johnson (Almost) Rayner

Even though we had met about twenty minutes ago, Ryan’s sister Amanda was assisting me in adjusting my dress.

She winked at me. “Don’t be nervous, the man you are about to marry loves you more than life itself.”

“Getting married to the man of my dreams isn’t the scary part. It’s the fear of busting my ass out there.”

Grabbing on to my bare shoulders, she smiled. “All you have to do is focus on the groom’s face. You know he will be grinning like an idiot.”

I couldn’t help but laugh a little as I pictured Ryan staring down the opposite end of the aisle with this boyish grin and a gleam in his eyes.

“How much more time do we have until it starts?”

“Precisely five minutes. Don’t worry—you’re going to be great.”

Before I was able to rebut, there was a light tapping on the door and my father poked his head in. “How are we doing in here? Do I need to distract everyone so you can make a run for it?”

“No daddy, I’m not running. I love him too much to ever hurt him like that.”

Amanda handed me my bouquet. I looked at her and she nodded. “Alright, let’s get this show on the road.”

The soft music playing grew louder the second my father led me to the start of the aisle. My soon to be husband turned around to stare at us. Lo and behold, Amanda was right. He had this certain gleam in his eyes and a youthful grin on his face. He looked excited, ready to be married.

I hardly heard my dad whisper, “Are you ready sweetheart?”

Not being able to take my eyes off Ryan, I’m pretty sure my face wore a childish expression as well. Everyone stood as my dad led me down the aisle. All I focused on was getting closer and closer to the man who was about to become mine for the rest of my life.

Placing my hand into Ryan’s, my dad gave me away. As the preacher spoke, I could barely take my eyes off my soon to officially be husband. The feeling of happiness drastically changed seconds after the preacher said, “If anyone objects this marriage let them speak now or forever hold their peace“.

Leave it to that bitch not to be able to hold her peace forever! Jennifer Davis popped up out of nowhere and yelled out the words, “I object!”

As if we were in sync, Ryan and I turned around to face her. Ryan’s hands shook in my mine with rage.

She glowered at us. “I wouldn’t do it if I were you, Ryan. I brought some reinforcements. Guys!”

My skin prickled as the familiar men stood up. I dropped Ryan’s hands and hid behind him. “That’s them. They are the ones who kidnapped me.”

Ryan snarled at her, “Why are you doing this, Jennifer?”

“She doesn’t belong in our world, Ryan! You know that she never has,” she said, peeking around at me. “Isn’t that right, Olivia?”

Ryan looked back at the preacher. “Get her out of here safely, please.”

Before my mind processed what was happening, Ryan ran towards Jennifer and the preacher whisked me out of the way. A hand grabbed my free arm. Looking over, I saw it was my dad, shielding and ushering me away. My heart practically stopped once the sound of gunshots went off. Shit…Ryan!

As much as I wanted to turn back around, my father and the preacher wouldn’t allow it. Shoving me into the backseat of the car, my dad rushed to the driver’s side and sped off.

I was no longer able to feel the beating of my heart, lifeless at the thought of Ryan being shot, lying on the ground and bleeding to death. Tears started streaming down my cheeks.

He’s dead…He’s fucking dead and it’s my fault! Wailing like a baby, I just let my sadness flow out of me.

* * * *

The first thing I heard was the sound of Ryan’s voice trying to calm me down, then I felt his touch attempting to soothe me. Gasping, my eyes flew open and my body jolted. I had to blink a few times for my eyes to adjust back to reality.

Looking over at Ryan, I touched his chest to make sure he was the real deal and not some figment of my imagination. I crashed my body into his, hugging him.

He gazed at me as I pulled away and looked into his eyes. “What’s wrong, baby?”

“I had a nightmare. You had been shot and killed saving me. The shittiest part was, it was our wedding day and we were at the altar. You were murdered on the day that is supposed to be one of the happiest moments of our lives!”

Pulling me into him and holding me, he kissed my forehead. “Baby, I’m right here and I’m not going anywhere. I’m never going anywhere.”

“You have to figure out who kidnapped me. I can’t handle heartbreak like the one I just had.” Shivering, I buried my face in his chest.

* * * *

Home-Seattle, Washington. Ryan Rayner

I stood there, shaking my head at my wife who had been speaking complete nonsense.

“No. Absolutely not. I’m not doing it.”

“Come on, Ryan, please! Do this for me. I trust you here.” Via bounced up and down on the kitchen floor. “This is extremely important!”

“Let me get this straight. You want me to pay a visit to Jennifer to pull any information out of her about the kidnapping because of some nightmare you had?” I stopped what I was doing to look at her.

“You’re not going to be pissed if I do this? Are you aware of what happened last time I went to Jennifer’s?”

She nodded. “I remember quite well. This time, you have my permission. Do you want to find out who is behind all of this or not?”

“Baby, you know I do. It’s just…”

“What? Charlie, please tell your stubborn-ass boss here that he should be the one to talk to Jennifer. We all know she isn’t going to talk to me. She hates my guts! No worries, the feeling is fairly mutual.” She looked at Charlie and then back over to me.

I sighed in defeat. “Fine. I will go talk to the woman on one condition. You promise me you will not leave this house under any circumstances. I can’t believe I am saying this, but whatever Charlie orders you to do, you obey him. Understand?”

She nodded, as she appeared rather pleased with herself. “Yes sir!”

* * * *

I can’t believe I agreed to this shit.

What is Via expecting me to do here, dominate the poor woman? While it’s an idea and would make this job fly by, I am not about to go down that road. I am dominant to one woman, and that is when she wants me to be.

I knocked on her door.

“Ryan, what are you doing here?” Jennifer glared at me in shock.

Holding up my hands, I said, “I just want to talk.”

She opened the door wider to allow me to step inside. I couldn’t place my finger on it, but something was different about her. “I didn’t know you had permission to come visit me.”

“I’m not going to lie to you. My fiancée sent me over here to try to get information out of you about the kidnapping.”

She shook her head. “Ryan, I swear to you I didn’t have anything to do with Via’s kidnapping. I was away when Madison told me the story. Did you talk to the man in prison?”

Nodding, I answered, “He isn’t involved. I gave him an offer he couldn’t refuse. I would be so grateful if I were given some clue, something to help me out.”

“Whoever it is, you don’t believe they will strike again do you?”

“Madison has been working on this case non-stop and she still hasn’t had any leads. We have no idea if they will attack again.” I shook my head in disgust.

Jennifer and I spent the rest of the evening chatting about the last five years of our lives, which brought us to talking about Via and Jason. She was confiding shit to me about my brother I could have gone my entire life not knowing: how amazing he was in bed and blah, blah, blah. Thankfully, she grew tired enough to go to bed.

I lay on the couch, going over everything in my mind. I was at a complete loss. Nothing seemed to be adding up at all. If neither Jennifer nor Mister Martinez had anything to do with this, then who did? My thoughts wandered as I drifted off to sleep.

* * * *

I woke up to a light tapping on my foot the next morning. Peeling my eyes open, I looked to see Jennifer smiling at me.

“Thanks for staying last night. I’m glad we can still be friends after all of these years. Who knows, maybe Via will see that I’m not some villain stalking her man and we will have a chance to become great friends too.”

Rising from the couch, I stood up and stretched. “She will be grateful enough that you are not the one involved in this.”

Her smile didn’t fade as she strolled into the kitchen, poured two cups of coffee, then came back into the room and handed me a cup. “Come, let’s chat about this wedding of yours.” She made her way to her room.

I followed her, taking a few sips of coffee as I walked. Setting the cup down on a nearby table, I stood in her doorway. “My brother has you under his spell, doesn’t he?”

She sat down on her bed and motioned for me to join her. “A little, but it’s a fact you’re settling down and getting married. I would have never, in a million years, thought that you would find that one woman for you.”

“Via and I are pretty excited about the wedding. Well, Via is a bit nervous. She’s afraid something bad is going to happen. She’s worried that whoever is behind all of this is waiting to make their move during the wedding.”

I was lying across her bed, propped up on my elbows, with my feet dangling over the edge while I confided in her.

“I don’t blame her. She has every right to be frightened.” Jennifer nodded in agreement.

Before either of us could say another word, the front door shut and footsteps ceased at the doorway of Jennifer’s bedroom. “What in the hell is going on here?”

I quickly stood up and turned to face my brother. “Dude, it’s not what it looks like.”

He grabbed me by my shirt and plowed his fist into my jaw, snarling at me, “Go home to your fiancée!”

Tackling him to the floor, my face inches from his, I informed him out of anger, “I wasn’t here to fuck her, Jason—just to talk, that’s it. If you have any more questions after you calm down, get a hold of Via. She is the one who insisted on all of this.” I stood up, said my good-byes to Jennifer, and left.

It took me a few minutes to calm down from the encounter I had with my brother. I pulled my phone out of my pocket and called my wife. “Hey baby, where are you?”

“I’m at work, rehearsing with the staff for next week’s grand opening. I hope you got everything you needed. I didn’t know it was going to take all damn night,” she hissed.

Climbing into the driver’s side of my car, I paused. “Whoa, back the airplane up, here. You were the one who begged me to push information out of her. You damn well know nothing happened!”

“We will talk about this later. I am extremely busy at the moment.” I sensed her fake smile over the phone. “Chat with you later, Mister Rayner.”

She hung up on me. How is it possible that Via and I are always getting into trouble with one another?

Speeding off towards the house, I thought about my wife and her fiery attitude. As I pulled up in the driveway, an unfamiliar car was parked in front of the house. Who in the hell could this be now?

Stepping out of the car, I smiled at the sight of him. “Mister Johnson, a pleasure seeing you again sir.”

“What in the hell is going on, Rayner?”

My eyes blinked in confusion. Shit! How much has Via told her father about us?

My mind was at a standstill. I didn’t want to blurt out anything that would get into deeper shit with this man, so instead I asked, “What is going on with what?”

“Do you have any clue as to why my ex-wife is in town?” His nostrils were flaring, another habit Via had picked up from her father.

I sighed in relief. “All I know is that she showed up here the other night wanting to speak to her daughter. Via wasn’t home, of course, so she didn’t have any other option but to talk to me.”

He shook his head. “Don’t trust that crazy woman. She always has been, and always will be, out for herself. She doesn’t give a damn about me, you, or Via. She is a no good, dirty-rotten, greedy excuse of a woman!”

I must admit, seeing Via’s father this enraged was a little entertaining. Claire must have pushed his buttons for him to be this pissed at her.

“Would you like to join me inside for a cup of coffee, Mister Johnson?”

“I was on my way to Via’s new restaurant. She sent my hotel an invitation for me to attend a trial run tonight. I believe she sent your folks and her friends one as well.” As he spoke, his breathing began to slow down.

My wife is having a trial run of her new business? How sweet of her to inform me. “That’s right. I spaced about it being tonight. We can take my car. I just need a few minutes to change my attire.”

* * * *

Mister Johnson and I climbed out of the car.

I tossed my keys to the valet, and allowed Mister Johnson to walk ahead of me. I couldn’t wait to see my woman’s face once she saw me standing with her father.

“Good evening, Mister Rayner.” The hostess grinned in my direction.

“It’s good to see you again, Emma. Mister Johnson is on the list for tonight’s festivities.” I smiled at her. “I will be joining him as well.”

“Very well, Mister Rayner. Mister Johnson, right this way.” Her posture became straighter as she ushered us to our table. “Here we are. Enjoy your meal.”

I searched for Via as we took our seats. The place was packed. I had no idea how, or even when, she did all of this. A grin appeared on my face the moment I spotted my baby sister’s face, still uncertain where my fuming fiancé was.

“Dear brother, have you grown too stuck up to sit with your family?” she wondered as I stood up to give her a hug.

“Amanda, this is my soon to be father-in-law, Anthony Johnson. Mister Johnson, this is my little sister, Amanda,” I introduced them.

Innocently smiling at him, she turned on her charm like she always did when meeting a fresh face. She extended her hand. “It’s a pleasure meeting you, Mister Johnson.”

“The pleasure is all mine. Please, call me Tony.” He blushed as they shook hands, a sign he had been captivated by her beauty.

Amanda focused her attention back to me. “When do I get to meet this dazzling woman who has conquered the impossible?”

“I would say right about now.” With a smirk, I looked past her.

Via smiled at her father and my sister, but scowled once her eyes met mine.

I was so glad I could not read her mind at this moment. Something told me she was cursing like a sailor.

She stopped in her tracks for split-second, gripping a man by the shoulder. Speaking to him for a moment, she took a hold of his hand and he followed her.

I just about swallowed my tongue when his face became clearer. The infamous Mike Hunt had a hold of my wife’s hand. Oh, there better be a fucking good explanation for this shit!

She was enjoying the expression on my face a little too much as her smile morphed into an evil smirk.

“Amanda, this is Olivia Johnson, my stubborn-ass fiancée.” I kept my tone firm and calm.

Via and Amanda exchanged handshakes. The damned stripper still had a hold of my woman’s hand.

She looked back at him for a second and smiled. “I seem to have forgotten my manners. Amanda, Mister Rayner, this is Michael Huntington, an old boyfriend of mine. We went to culinary school together. He moved out here a few years ago. As of tonight, he is my wingman and will be helping me run this place.”

My jaw practically hit the table at hearing such surprising, unexpected news. I understand why she would avoid telling me this, but seriously, she’s making an old boyfriend her business partner?

Holy fuck! Did she put this shit together over night?

Amanda beamed at them. “I think it’s great that couples who used to date can work well with each other.” She stared back me with a wicked grin. “Don’t you agree, Ryan?”

Oh yes, it’s just so fucking fabulous! Particularly since my wife’s ex-boyfriend is a stripper. It’s just the fucking icing on the fucking chocolate cake! I cleared my throat. “It’s fantastic…”

Via observed my pained face. Instead of being her reasonable self, she grinned in enjoyment. “I believe you and Michael have already met, Mister Rayner.” Her smile grew broader.

Quickly standing up and shaking his hand, I politely smiled as I conjured up the words to speak. “I remember Mister Huntington quite well. If you will excuse me, I have some business that needs tending to. I will be just a few minutes.” I walked away from the scene of the horrific incident.

Making my way out the front doors, I walked a few feet into the parking lot. Stopping once I felt satisfied with the distance, I screamed at the top of my lungs. I had to release my anger and frustration in some way without ruining Via’s special night. It didn’t take me long to gather myself and return to the table. I remained calm even though Via had insisted Michael and Amanda sit with us.

She strolled up to me, bending down so her lips met my ear. “Thank you for taking your temper-tantrum outside.”

She moved to rise up, but I stopped her by grabbing a hold of her arm. We glared at each other for a few long seconds. In one swift motion, I pulled her on to my lap and enthusiastically planted one on her lips. “I love you Mrs. Rayner, but we are going to have a long and serious talk about this stripper ex-boyfriend business partner deal,” I whispered in her ear.

A smirk appeared on her face. “Oh but sweetie, you know damn well nothing happened.”

Standing up and smoothing out her black pants, white tuxedo shirt, and matching black jacket, she smiled at everyone and spoke. “Enjoy your dinner.” She trotted off to meet with her other guests.

Holy shit! The woman has beaten me at my own game!

My manhood became alert at the thought of her overbearing ass and taking control in our playroom. If I weren’t so agitated with her, I would be fucking her in the restroom or on the rooftop now.