Truth be told, Xander didn''t remember much about how miserably he''d left Yvonne the night before. He knew they''d slept together—no mistake about that—but the specifics, how rough things had gotten... that all blurred together in his mind. He only had a vague recollection of catching sight of the aftermath that morning the evidence alone was telling enough.
So when Shawn showed up to fetch him, Xander was still dazed, reeling from it all. That''s probably why Shawn and Lott managed to hustle him away with such ease. Under normal circumstances, with his temper, Xander never would''ve gone anywhere if someone told him to—but today he just let it happen.
"I swear, I could kill you!" Yvonne spat.
"Fine, fine, kill me. As soon as the baby''s born, you can do whatever you like," Xander replied, almost too agreeable, desperate to keep her calm.
Except somehow, his choice of words "do whatever you like”—made everything sound suggestive, and Yvonne''s cheeks flushed with fresh rage. Without warning, she reached over and gave his side a sharp, merciless pinch.
"Ow-!" The pain was real.
Just then, Shawn''s name shed on Xander''s phone. Xander caught Yvonne''s delicate wrist and spoke softly, "Easy, love. Let your husband take this call."
The word husband almost sent Yvonne into orbit-she looked fit to faint from anger.
Xander untangled her hand from his shirt. “We''ll settle this when we''re home, behind closed doors. We havepany now, okay?" His tone was all gentle persuasion.
The driver up front had already rolled up the privacy divider and was doing his absolute best not to hear a single word. No way was he getting involved in the crossfire-not even by ident.
Yvonne was beyond furious.
Xander answered the phone, all frost. "What do you want?"
That troublemaker! Shawn had stirred up disaster, and now Xander was stuck trying to exin himself to Yvonne.
Right now, all Yvonne wanted was to tear into Xander, and all Xander wanted was to strangle Shawn.
Completely oblivious to Xander''s simmering irritation, Shawn said, "Bro, you gotta turn around and get me."
"What?"
"My car can''t get on the property, and there aren''t any rides out of this private airport. Come back, hurry up!"
Not long ago, Shawn had been too scared to even get in a car-now he was begging for a lift. "What did he expect, to walk thirty kilometers with nothing but his suitcase?
"Why can''t your car get in?" Xander asked, steel in his voice.
"I don''t know-did Yvonne do this on purpose just to mess with me? Ask her if she''s trying to get back at me," Shawn blurted, frustration building.
Hearing that, Xander could only conclude his brother was an even bigger idiot than he''d thought. Who in their right mind would ask that out loud?
"If your sister-inw is messing with you, just deal with it. You probably deserve it."
There was a long pause on the other end. “What??" Shawn spluttered.
Hadn''t he gone through all this trouble for Xander''s sake in the first
ce getting caught up in Yvonne''s
wrath covered in bruises? Was this s idea of gratitude?
Xander was unmoved. "That''s it. I''m hanging up now."
"Wait! Thirty kilometers! How am I supposed to ''just deal with it''?!" Shawn yelled.
But the call had already ended. Xander didn''t give him so much as another word.
Standing alone on the shoulder outside the airport, Shawn shivered as a cutting wind swept by, leaving him to stew in solitary indignation.
"Unbelievable. No conscience-that''s literally my own brother! If I''d known, I''d have left him to get beaten kalf to death by that hellcat Yvonne he muttered furiously. fo
In Shawn''s mind, if Xander hadn''t run for it, Yvonne absolutely would''ve ttened him. And now, after all that pain, Xander dumped him without a backward nce.
"Did you just call her a hellcat?" came a deep, gravelly voice behind him.
Shawn froze, a chill running down his spine. No way. Could his luck get any worse? He''d barely whispered it, and already someone had overheard.