Wife's Bitter Revenge Against Neglectful CEO Husband-Chapter 93: Stubborn Men

"Come on, honey, wake up." Bea nudged my shoulder.

"Go away." I rolled over and covered my head with the quilt. "I don’t have anywhere I have to be. I can sleep."

"Alec is here."

"Send him away."

I was in no condition to face Alec yet. I was barely in condition to face Bea.

"I tried. He wouldn’t go. Now Min and Jake are torturing him."

I sat straight up in bed. Bea handed me the clothes she’d gathered for me. I started changing.

"What do you mean by they are torturing him?"

"Go see for yourself." Bea shoved a coffee mug into my hand while I ran fingers through my hair to calm the bedhead. It would have been worse if Jake hadn’t poured me into the shower last night and then stuck around to comb my hair out afterward.

Bea rushed me out of the room and down the hall. Father DiMarco pressed two pain relievers into my hand as we passed him.

"You’re stronger than you think you are." Father DiMarco called after us.

When Bea threw open the church’s double doors, the situation became clear quickly.

Min and Jake stood shoulder to shoulder in front of the door. They had Alec kneeling in gravel with his hands over his head.

"Don’t move, boy. You made Teela cry. We warned you. Either treat her right or leave her alone. You didn’t listen, so now you pay the price."

Alec nodded, "Do whatever you want to me. I deserve it. As long as Teela will talk to me, it’s worth it."

At least he admitted it. I gave him credit for that.

"What’s going on here?" I asked.

Min said, "We are protecting what we care about. Something Alec needs to learn."

"Through some medieval torture. Alec, get up while you can still walk."

"I’m fine, Teela. I’ll stay until Min and Jake are satisfied. I messed up. Badly."

"Min, Jake, tell him he can get up."

Min said, "You’re not in charge this time, Teela. Go back inside. We’ll make sure there’s no permanent damage this time."

Over head, lightning struck, and large wet drops spotted the church steps.

"Aw, come on, guys," Bea said. "Seriously, you’re going to leave him kneeling in the rain?"

Jake held a hand out as if testing the rain. "It’s just water, and it’s a warm day. Go see what the boys are doing. Better yet, they need school clothes. You two should take them shopping."

Bea said, "You do know it’s a little condescending to send the women folk shopping, right?"

Jake said, "I didn’t mean it that way. You’ve seen how I dress. Who do you think is more qualified?"

"Jake makes a good point, Bea," I said. "I should stay here. Take Stiff."

"If I take Stiff, the boys will come back in three-piece suits and Rolex watches on their wrists."

"Then take Father DiMarco or call Ben. He’s closer to the boys in age."

"Ben should be awake by now. He worked last night," Min said.

"Oh, a day out with Ben and the boys sounds like fun. Teela, you sure you don’t want to go?"

As the rain turned into a steady downpour, I grabbed an umbrella from the coat rack and ran out to provide shelter for Alec.

"Okey dokey," Bea said. "She’s sure."

"Teela, come back inside," Jake said.

"No. I can’t make Alec disobey you, but I can offer him shelter."

"The longer you pamper him, the longer he’ll stay there."

"Let him up. This is my business, not yours."

I appreciated the sentiment behind the actions, but for the first time ever, I was pissed off at Jake and Mon.

Jake said, "You are our business."

"No, I’m not. The boys are your business, and Ben and King are Min’s."

Min said, "Not anymore."

"What do you mean?" 𝓯𝓻𝓮𝙚𝙬𝓮𝙗𝒏𝙤𝒗𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝒐𝓶

"As of last night, I’ve been assigned to you."

"What? Why?"

"King reassigned me to your personal security detail."

"I have people for that! You go back and tell King—"

Alec put a hand on my thigh to get my attention. "Let him stay. I’d feel better if he was around. Where Dad is involved, there is no such thing as too much security."

The downpour picked up intensity. A river of water flowed over my feet and Alec’s knees.

This so wasn’t cool.

I yelled to be heard. "I’ll ask one last time. Please let him up."

Min checked his watch from the shelter of the doorway. "It’s been an hour. Not long enough."

I nodded. "Fine." I was soaking wet. So was Alec. I shut the umbrella and tossed it toward the door. Then I dropped to my knees next to Alec. It was like tacks were stabbing into my flesh. I could only hope what Alec told me about pain lessening as I grew accustomed to it was true, or I’d be crying like a baby in no time.

I raised my arms and closed my eyes against the rain.

What a way to start my day. Stubborn men would be the death of me.

Alec said, "Tee, no. This is on me. Go inside. Jake, stop her!"

I heard the slap of feet in puddles a second before strong hands grabbed me around the middle and picked me up. I fought Jake as he toted me back to the church.

To say my language was colorful was an understatement, but Jake’s wasn’t any better when my fist made contact with his man bits. That’s when he shifted tactics and threw me over his shoulder. Jake swatted my bottom for good measure.

"Calm down before you get hurt. We’re not hurting your boyfriend."

He sat me down inside the church, where Father DiMarco waited with dry towels.

Father said, "Go change into something dry. I’ll watch over the boy."

"But it’s not right."

"I’m siding with Min and Jake on this one. Alec needs to realize actions have consequences. He also needs to see that we protect our own."

I wiped the rain out of my face. "I don’t like this one little bit. I’m not some petulant teenager mooning over some bad boy. And you guys aren’t my dad or my big brothers.

I’m a grown-ass woman. I have the right to deal with my relationship my way."

Stiff sat down in a nearby pew. "I told you she wouldn’t take this stunt well. Don’t be surprised if she locks you out of your bank accounts until she feels you’ve learned your lessons."

Jake said, "She threatened to move out because of this guy, Stiff."

"No! I didn’t. Besides, I was drunk."

Stiff said, "You’ve got to stop drinking."

"Maybe, but stunts like this make me think moving out isn’t such a bad idea."

Jake said, "You’re not moving out."

"Bite me!"

I sneezed, and goosebumps rose to the surface. Fine. They wouldn’t listen. I wasn’t doing Alec any good here, so I sloshed off to my room.

I changed quickly as I called Angie for backup. No answer. I wasn’t about to worry Mother Chen, and calling Eugene Crest was just asking for trouble.

When I left my room, Stiff was mopping my water trail. He nodded to a stack of clothes on the table. "Those should fit Alec. We can’t control Jake and Min, but we can prep for when he’s free.

"I’ve made a fresh pot of coffee. There is leftover soup from last night. It will warm up fast. You’ve got the clothes. Ah, the first aid kit is under the sink in the bathroom."

"I thought you hated Alec."

"I do, but he’s important to you, so what can I do but support you?"

Impulsively, I kissed Stiff’s cheek.

"What was that for?" Stiff asked.

"For being a good friend."

"Do you kiss all your friends?" Alec asked as he entered the room with one towel draped around his shoulders and another over his head.

"Are you okay?" I asked, ignoring his question.

"A little stiff. I’ll survive. The priest said you’d show me where to change."

I picked up the dry clothes and led Alec to my room.

Stiff called after us, "Don’t mind me. I’ll mop the floor I just mopped again without so much as a thank you."

"Thank you. I owe you," I called back.

"Yes, you do. You can pay up by making baked ziti for dinner tonight."

"Not tonight. Too upset, but soon."

Alec looked around my room as if it were an art gallery. "This is your room?"

"Yes. You can change here, or if you want to shower, I can show you to the bathroom. Let me find you a dry towel."

"This is fine. Don’t bother."

Alec towel-dried his hair while toeing his wet socks off. I found him a laundry basket to put his wet things in. When I turned around, Alec was facing me and struggling to pull his wet shirt over his head.

I tried not to stare.