“You and your control issues. We’re going to have to work on that.”
As we climbed the stairs, I had a nagging thought. “In the interest of full disclosure, how did you meet Jamal, and where did you learn to use a gun like that?”
“There will be plenty of time for me to tell you all about it.” He kissed me in the soft curve of my neck as we made it to the top of the staircase. He walked a few more feet to his bedroom and kicked the door open. “Right now, my focus is getting you out of this damn dress.”
Brody and Gina’s story doesn’t end here. It continues Summer 2017.
LaShawn Vasser’s It All Begins Today COMING October 2017
Check out a sneak peek below!
It All Begins Today
Chapter 1
Imani Hadley was furious. She stood in front of her soon to be ex-husband with her hands on her hips and steam coming from her ears. She was fit to be tied. “Why do you keep doing this? You are prolonging the inevitable! Sign the papers.”
Garret had no intention of signing anything. He was determined to drag this process out for as long as it took for Imani to change her mind. He leaned back in his chair and steepled his fingers together as if in deep thought, then tapped them against the bottom of his chin.
His words were deliberate when he responded. “Did you have an appointment? I didn’t see you on my schedule.”
“You sonofabitch!”
He dropped his hands and sat up a bit straighter. “Lower your voice. My employees don’t need to know about our personal problems.”
The sarcasm dripped from between her full lips. “Really? Do you honestly think I care who hears me? Like they don’t already know.”
Garret ignored her little temper tantrum. “Your anger is misdirected. If your lawyer was worth anything, we’d already be divorced.”
Rage radiated from every pore of her body. “No! We’d already be divorced if you weren’t purposely dragging this out.” Imani ticked off every point on her fingers. “I don’t want the homes, the cars, your money, not even the gifts you bought to pacify me. I’m happy to leave with exactly what I came into this marriage with.” Imani’s voice was getting more elevated with every word spoken. “I. DON’T. WANT. ANYTHING. Not one red cent! Every time . . . ” She slammed her fist down on his desk. “Every time, I speak with my attorney he tells me you have some new demand which is laughable considering you’re the one who screwed up.”
“I messed up? Me?” Garret pointed towards himself. “You’re delusional.”
A lock of her dark brown hair fell over into her eyes. Frustrated, Imani swiped it away. “Yes . . . you – whatever.” She waved her hands as if swatting his words away. “It doesn’t matter. The bottom line is this process should be easy since I don’t want anything, not even your sorry last name. I’ll proudly claim Imani Jones again.”
Garret had to reach deep within himself to exercise a level of control he’d never known he had. “You have a lot of nerve barging into my office ranting and raving like a lunatic. Your righteous indignation never ceases to amaze me. You should thank God I’m a patient and forgiving man. I’ve asked you to lower your voice. Lower it and calm down, Imani.”
“Don’t tell me to calm down, Garret! You're unreasonable. Just sign the papers?” She threw a fresh copy at him, and they flew across his desk.
He caught them just before they smacked him in the face. Garret’s self-control was now razor thin as he battled down his frustrations.
Over the last several months he’d gone through a variety of emotions. Shock and anger had been at the top of the list when Imani had him served with divorce papers. To say he was surprised was an understatement.
They had problems – significant problems in their marriage and for a brief period Garret was so blinded by anger it was hard to look at her. Initially, he’d thought her offenses were unforgivable and contemplated getting a divorce but ultimately decided against it.
Marriage was supposed to be for better or for worse. Things couldn’t be much worse than they had been between them, but still, Garret never imagined it would have dissolved into the mess they found themselves in either. He meant his vows and thought with time they would be able to forgive each other and move on.
Garret needed to switch gears. Imani was too angry for anything he might say to break through. “All your anger is not okay for you or the baby.”
Imani was doing everything not to completely snap. “Now, now you care about my baby and me.” She took a couple of calming breaths. “You're ridiculous.” Aggravated, she rubbed her forehead. At the end of the day, Imani just wanted a divorce. The marriage was over, and she needed the pain of the last year to go away. All she wanted was a fresh start.
Exhausted from her anger, she whispered. “What do you want Garret? What do I have to do to end this?”
He hated to hear the desperation in her voice and that she actually wanted out. He wasn’t a man to give up easily and he for sure wasn’t ready to give up on his marriage. Time to put his plan in motion. “Do you want to know?”
She could no longer hide her hopelessness. “Yes.”
He pierced her with his hazel green eyes and placed both his hands on his desk one over
