FINISHED & SUBMITTED: Hot Mess 9

HOT MESS 9

coming January 31st

Lany

Life doesn't always ask us what we want. I knew that was true when Sal announced he wanted a divorce. I was devastated, especially considering I had no idea why, and he refused to speak to me except through his lawyer. When my world continued to go to hell, I had to wonder if someone had it out for me.

Salvador

Life doesn't always ask us what we want. I knew this was true when someone sent me undeniable proof that Lany had been sleeping around on me. I was devastated, especially considering I had the proof on video. When my world continued to go to hell, I had to wonder if someone had it out for me.

http://www.stormyglenn.com/hotmess9.htm

EXCERPT

Lany

"I want a divorce."

My heart stuttered in my chest as I stared at Sal. For a moment, I wanted to laugh, but then I wanted to smack him. "That's not even nice to joke about, Sal."

"I'm serious, Lany. I've already packed my stuff and moved it out."

I shouldn't have believed a word Sal said. We'd been married for years. We had six kids. We'd built a life together. There was no way he'd divorce me.

I still couldn't keep from scanning the room. I started to frown as I realized I couldn't spot anything of Sal's in the bedroom. None of his clothes littered the floor. There was no coffee cup on the nightstand, no watch, not holster hanging near the bedroom door. I couldn't even see any of his shoes sticking out from under the dresser.

"Sal, what—" I gasped when Sal tossed a large manila envelope at me. I caught it before it fell to the floor. "What is this?"

"Divorce papers," Sal snapped. His voice was cold, bitter, a tone I had never heard aimed at me before. "I've already signed them. All you need to do is sign them and send them to my lawyer. He'll file them after that."

"Sal, I don't—" I couldn't breathe. "I don't want a divorce."

I loved Sal, adored him. He was my reason for breathing. He owned my soul. Nothing on Earth could ever convince me to divorce the man.

"What you want is no longer my concern."

I whimpered as daggers stabbed me in the chest. Sal had never spoken to me like this.

I didn't like it.

"The kids, Sal."

Sal nodded. "I want joint custody, but I think they should stay here with you for now. Their lives will be chaotic as it is with me moving out and all. It's important for them to have something familiar. We can work out a visitation schedule through my lawyer."

Sal grabbed his jacket off the end of the bed and laid it over his arm before looking at me once again. "I'm giving you the estate. I don't want it."

"Sal—"

"I'd prefer all future correspondence to go through my lawyer. I want no further contact with you."

I was dying. That was the only explanation for the agony exploding through every part of my body. "Why are you doing this?" I whispered. Tears flooded my eyes then spilled down my cheeks. "I love you, Sal. Whatever is wrong—"

"Whatever is wrong?" Sal snarled.

I stumbled back when he stormed toward me. I had never been afraid of Salvador Delvecchio a day in my life...until that very second.

"What is wrong is that you're a conniving, backstabbing little bitch and I've just been too dumb to see it before now."

I had always been able to see the love and adoration in Sal's copper colored eyes when he looked at me. This time, when his gaze scorched down my body, I felt like hiding.

"I don't know what—" I whimpered and turned my head when Sal leaned in close to me. I could feel his warm breath blow out across my cheeks.

"You should get a medal. You're very good at fooling people. I know I bought your innocent act for years. I'm just surprised you were able to keep up the pretence for so long."

Sal's fingers threaded through the hair at the nape of my neck before fisting. I winced when he pulled my head back, pulling at the smaller hairs. "So sexy. So innocent. How many men have had you, Lany? Ten? Twenty? A hundred?"

What?

"Sal, I would never—"

Sal's upper lip curled back in a snarl. "You think I believe anything that comes out of your mouth? You've been lying to me since the moment we met. Was that even a coincidence or did you plan for me to find you in that bar?"

Sal's gaze swept over me, making my skin crawl. This wasn't the way it was supposed to be. We were married, through good times and bad. We had made a commitment to each other. I wasn't supposed to feel like my skin was peeling off when Sal looked at me.

"Sal, please."

"You beg so nicely, Lany. It's an art form for you, isn't it?" Sal's eyes flashed with something I couldn't read, and frankly, I didn't want to. It was very dark. "I loved you so much. I would have happily given my very last breath for you, and you...it was all just some game for you, wasn't it?"

Sal's fingers tightened in my hair.

"What was it you were after, Lany? Why play your game for so long?" Sal's eyes narrowed. "Or was it just that you can only stay faithful for so long before you give in to your need to fuck anything with a pulse? Is that it? You tried the whole monogamy thing and found out it wasn't for you?"

I swallowed tightly before replying, "I have never been unfaithful to you."

Why would I? Sal was everything I had ever wanted.

Sal snorted. "Still playing the game, Lany?"

"No, I—"

"I didn't believe it at first. We've been married for years. I couldn't believe that the man I promised to spend eternity with would fuck around on me, but the clues just kept stacking up. First it was the pictures then the videotapes. I thought they had to be fakes, that someone was fucking with me, but Burke sent them to his forensics lab and had them authenticated."

"What pictures?" I asked. "What videotapes?"

What in the hell was Sal talking about?

"But it was just you fucking with me all these years." Sal pushed me back until I hit the wall, putting space between us. "Well, I'm onto your little game now, Lany, and I don't want to play it anymore. Go find some other stupid bastard to play with." Sal let out a bitter laugh that chilled me down to my soul. "Oh wait, you've already done that."

Sal picked his jacket up off the floor and draped it over his arm again. I hadn't even realized he'd dropped it. He walked over to stand next to the bedroom door. "Tell everyone else whatever you want to about the divorce, but for the kids' sake, I listed irreconcilable differences in the divorce papers. No one but us needs to know what a faithless bastard you are."

 "Don't do this, Sal. Whatever is going on, we can work it out." I couldn't let him walk out the door without trying to save my marriage. I wasn't sure I could survive without Sal. "Please, Sal. If our marriage ever meant anything to you, don't—"

Sal snorted. It was a very rude sound.

"I've banned you from the bunkhouse and blocked you on my cell phone. If there's an emergency with one of the kids, either send a message through my lawyer or your uncle. Other than that, I don't want to hear from you, see you, or receive any type of communication from you."

I wrapped my arms around my waist when Sal's gaze raked over me once again. I had never felt more exposed or my bruised as I did in that moment.

"As far as I am concerned, you're dead to me."