This Game Called Life (Kingdom Book 4) (14 page)

Surprised that someone
was visiting so late at night, Jason raised an eyebrow in enquiry.

Standing behind
Ronson was a tall woman.

“Hello Jason, from
the stunned look on your face anyone would think you weren’t pleased to see
your wife.”

Chapter 20

Shit
, Jason thought, the day had just gone down as one of the worst days
of his life. Farrah’s appearance didn’t unduly concern him. Aviva’s reaction to
the title she had announced was what caught and held his attention.

“Aviva?” Ignoring
Farrah, Jason spoke her name hoping she would look at him and not at the woman
who was moving into the room as though she had every right to be there.

“Aviva,” Farrah
drawled. “What a cute name and aren’t you just the sweetest little thing!”
Looking Aviva up and down and seeming to find her of no consequence, Farrah
turned back to Jason.

“It seems you have
quite a big problem, Jason. As I understand it, having two wives in the state
of New York is a criminal offense, and I’ve decided to stick around.”

The stunned
silence in the room didn’t bother Jason in the slightest, and he laughed in the
face of Farrah’s outlandish announcement. The closer she came, the more he
laughed. When she was standing directly in front of him, all signs of amusement
abruptly disappeared, replaced with a look of steely determination.

“Whatever you have
in mind by turning up here isn’t going to work. Therefore, you need to turn
around and leave without saying another word!”

Jason knew Farrah,
and he knew the one factor that drove her was money. He also knew she had nerves
of steel. As much as he knew her, she knew him. That was what he was counting
on to get her out of their home. Maybe the years that had passed since they had
parted company had dulled her memory about him. If that were the case, he would
have no problem reminding her.

Ignoring him, she
took her time looking at each occupant of the room. “Wow, you sure have a good
looking family, Jason, how about an introduction to these hunks?”

With his heart
pounding in his chest, Jason wanted nothing more than to take Aviva by the hand
and pull her out of the room. His mind refused to let go of the thought that if
he didn’t explain Farrah’s existence, he was going to lose his angel. Shifting
his attention back to Aviva, he willed her to look at him, but her attention
was fixed solely on his first wife.

With an unreadable
look on her face, Farrah directed her next comment to Aviva. “By the shocked
look on your face, I’m going to hazard a guess that
our
Jason didn’t
bother to mention that you are wife number two.”

“My name is
Jackson Kingdom, and you will refrain from speaking to my daughter-in- law.
What do you want, money, is that what this is all about?”

“It’s a pleasure
to meet you, Mr. Kingdom, or should I call you, Dad?”

The outrageousness
of her question brought about a change in Jackson that he rarely displayed. He
was furious, and it was all directed towards the usurper in their midst.

“This is the last
time I will ask this question, what do you want?” Jackson reiterated.

“Well now, the
last time Jason and I were together he sure didn’t have his daddy to fight his
battles for him. As I recall he didn’t need him to either, so I sure would like
it if you stayed the hell out of my marriage!”

“You will leave my
house immediately!” Jackson raged.

“Well, that was
said with just the right amount of menace, dad. The only thing you guys need to
remember is; if I don’t get what I want, the minute I walk out that door, I’ll
be on the phone to the cops. It will only take one call for your long lost son
to be doing some jail time for bigamy! Your choice... dad.”

While Farrah had
been speaking, Josh had moved behind her. As soon as she finished, he ran his
fingers through her hair. Startled, Farrah attempted to turn, but Josh held her
firmly in his grasp.

“The other men in
my family are gentlemen. I, on the other hand, will have no problem in wringing
your neck. You do not get to come into our home and talk trash. Do I make
myself clear?

Farrah nodded indicating
that she understood. At the same time a noticeable shiver passed through her
body.

“Good, now that
you grasp your precarious position; answer my father’s question!” Josh demanded
through clenched teeth. Taking his time, Josh released her and stood back.

Jason continued to
ignore Farrah as his gaze remained fixed on Aviva; who still refused to look in
his direction.

“I don’t want any
of your money. All I want is my husband back.”

The ridiculousness
of her comment finally caught Jason’s attention. About to speak, Aviva beat him
to the mark.

“By your own
admission, you’re not interested in money, and as you can see, Jason’s already
taken. Therefore, I suggest you turn around and leave!”

“Well now, aren’t
you a feisty little thing!” Farrah smirked.

Aviva’s words of
possession galvanized Jason into retaking control of the surreal situation.
Having his family’s support pleased him, but they didn’t know Farrah the way he
did, she didn’t scare easily.

“Okay Farrah, your
sudden appearance has done some damage but nothing irreparable. I have the
divorce papers, so what the hell is going on here, who put you up to this?”

“Ah, about those
papers, well you see Jason, it’s not worth the ink it took to draw it up.”

The smug look on
her face had Jason reaching deep within to hold on to his anger. “What are you
saying, Farrah?”

“What I’m saying,
lover
,
is it appears that the divorce lawyer you used didn’t have a license when he
took your money. Well, you can imagine my surprise when I found that out. The
great Jason King, excuse me, Jason Kingdom, left a stone unturned. I know you,
Jason, so why don’t I wait until you go check.” Strolling calmly over to one of
the big sofas, Farrah took a seat and crossed her long shapely legs. “How about
a drink, boys?”

Without comment,
Jason looked over at Aviva, and the expression of hurt in her eyes twisted his
gut. Stretching out a hand, he silently willed her to take it. By the fleeting look
that passed across her face, he knew she wanted nothing more than to slap it
away, but, she didn’t. Instead, she slipped her much smaller hand into his own.

Farrah, who was
still without a drink, looked over at them with an outward show of amusement.
“Such wifely devotion. It’s a shame she isn’t... your wife I mean.”

Neither Jason nor
Aviva reacted to her jibe as they left. Yes, he wanted to check on the lawyer,
but more importantly, he wanted a chance to explain why he had never mentioned his
first marriage.

**********

Aviva felt as
though she had been trampled by a herd of stampeding cattle. From the moment
Farrah made her announcement; a buzz had started inside her head that grew in
intensity by the minute. When she fully comprehended the other woman’s meaning,
she thought she would pass out.

That Jason
believed he was divorced was apparent. That he omitted to tell her that he had
been married before, was what hurt her more than she could have imagined.

As soon as the
door closed behind them, Aviva attempted to pull her hand out of Jason’s grasp.
She didn’t want him to touch her. As far as she was concerned he was a
deceitful bastard who had just humiliated her before his family and a stranger
whom she hadn’t even known existed.

Unable to
extricate herself from his grip, she thought about putting up a fight to get
her way. Although the thought crossed her mind, she didn’t act on the childish
impulse and allowed him to lead her away.

Now inside, Jake’s
office, she again attempted to tug her hand away. Jason didn’t let go. Instead,
he reeled her into him until she was flush against his hard chest and wrapped
his arms around her.

Turning her face
away, Aviva refused to look at him.

“I love you, my angel,
you know that, right? You know that I would never deliberately do anything that
would cause you pain. Please tell me you know that.” Jason pleaded.

Aviva didn’t
struggle, nor did she respond to his passionate plea as silent tears ran
unchecked down her cheeks.

Holding her
slightly away from his body, Jason looked at her. Aviva knew how he would react
at the sight of her tears, and she didn’t care.

“Oh God, Angel.
Don’t cry, please don’t cry. I’m sorry you had to find out this way. I should
have told you about Farrah. I’m sorry, please forgive me.”

“Please let me
go,” Aviva whispered through her tears.

“I’m sorry, Angel,
but you know I’ll never do that.”

“Jason, get your
hands off me!” Aviva demanded her anger on the rise.

Without
hesitation, Jason responded to her demand for release. “No! Not until you let
me explain.”

His comeback was
so typical of Jason; Aviva knew if she wanted to put some distance between
them, she wouldn’t achieve her goal by making demands. Swallowing back her
anger she tried again.

“I’ll hear you
out. I just need some space to process what just happened.” Looking up at him
for the first time since they entered the office, Aviva imbued her eyes with as
much assurance as she could.

With a nod, Jason
released her, but his big body remained between her and the door.

Certain that he
tracked her every step, Aviva slowly made her way to a chair and sat down. “I’m
listening.”

**********

The dispassion of
those two words worried Jason much more than her anger ever could. Her anger at
least meant she was feeling some form of emotion.

“I’m sorry I
didn’t tell you that I had been married before.”

“You said that
already.”

“I’ll keep saying
it until you believe me, Aviva. I know you need to know why, I didn’t mention
it.” Jason paused, expecting a reaction, but received only a blank stare. “I
didn’t mention it because I didn’t think it was important. My marriage to
Farrah happened long ago, and lasted for such a short time, I felt it was of no
consequence.”

The derisive laugh
Aviva emitted, set Jason even more on edge.

“I hear you,
Jason. Let’s flip this for a minute. Say I had been married before, and you had
asked me repeatedly if there was anything else you should know about my life.
Consider if you will, that in response to said repeated question, I said no.
Then one day a stranger walks into our home and announces that I am a bigamist
and that you are not legally married to me, tell me how the hell you would
feel, Jason?”

“I’d kick his ass
right out the front door. Then I would continue to love you and know that you
are my wife, and the only woman I have, and will ever love. Can you do the same
for me, Aviva?”

The sight of her
renewed tears, and knowing that he was the cause broke Jason’s heart. Going to
her, he knelt on the floor and brushed a loving hand across her cheek.
Collecting her tears as he went, he leaned in close and touched his forehead
against hers. “I’ll make it right, Angel. I promise, I will make this right.”

“Tell me about
your inconsequential first marriage,” Aviva said as she leaned away from his
touch.

Rising to his
feet, Jason pulled up a chair and positioned it, so he was facing her head on.
Deciding to get the telling over with, in as few words as possible, he began to
speak.

“I was nineteen
years old and completely out of control. I’m pretty good with numbers and even
at that age I had already made a lot of money, but I wanted, no I
needed
more, a lot more.

I came up with a
plan. That plan took me to Vegas. Armed with my fake ID, I worked the casinos
and the Blackjack tables. I knew what I was doing, and I won a lot of money. I
managed to stay under everyone’s radar for a while. Just as the casinos started
to catch on to me, I met Farrah. A native Las Vegan, she worked in one of the
clubs. As best as I could tell she was employed to look pretty and encourage
the punters to play big.

One night when I
was leaving the casino, she approached me with a warning that I was being
watched. She was a good looking older woman; I didn’t mind the company, so we
hooked up.

She introduced me
to certain games that enabled me to win the sort of money I had come to Vegas
looking for. The types of games that are conducted in back alleys, and where
nobody asks too many questions.

I was drinking a
lot back then, and when Farrah suggested we get married, I didn’t put up much
of an objection. I guess we were together for about eighteen months. Married
for ten of them.

When I was ready
to move on, I found a divorce lawyer, got a quick divorce, and gave her some
money. She came out of the marriage way better than when she went in. That was
it. Today is the first time I’ve set eyes on her in almost fifteen years.”

Aviva smiled at
Jason even as fresh tears filled her eyes. “You are the most caring man I have
ever met, and I love you.”

“Don’t say it,
Aviva,” Jason warned. Her words were those he never grew tired of hearing, but
her expression belied them.