Filthy Rich Santas

42. Lana

42

LANA

My mind reels with shock, and I push Wade away from me with a gasp, my hand flying to my lips.

At least, I try to push him away. His smile never wavers, and he keeps a tight grip on my arm that locks me in next to his side.

“What are you doing? ” I hiss quietly, barely able to comprehend the reality of his presence at my parents’ Christmas party.

Instead of answering me, Wade turns toward the room at large, his voice cutting through the din of the party.

“Everyone, if I could have your attention please!” He flashes the million-dollar smile that used to make my heart flutter, but now it just makes my stomach churn. “For those of you who don’t know, I’m Wade Bradshaw, and Lana just asked me what I’m doing here.”

Friendly chuckles surround us. He’s playing to the crowd, knowing damn well that just about everyone here thinks he’s my still boyfriend—although none of them have any idea that he proposed to me and then dumped me.

“Lana has been more than understanding about my work obligations,” he goes on. “But I couldn’t bear to miss this party, because we have a big announcement to make, and I can’t think of a better time or place to share our good news.”

Ice spreads through my veins as I stare up at him in shock. We did have a plan to make an announcement together at this party, but that was before he dumped me. So there’s no way he?—

“Lana and I are engaged!” he announces exuberantly, snatching a glass of champagne from a nearby waiter and lifting it high.

Someone tries to shove another one into my hand as the room erupts in cheers and congratulations, but I’m frozen in place and it almost drops to the floor.

I don’t even notice if the waiter saves it or not over the heavy thumping of my heartbeat. Adrenaline surges through me, but I still can’t move. I feel like I’ve been dropped into an alternate reality as my parents rush forward, my mother’s eyes brimming with tears.

“Oh, sweetheart! This is wonderful news!”

“I couldn’t be happier, son,” my father adds, clapping Wade on the back. “We’ve been hoping for this day.”

My parents’ joy is like a splash of ice water, but instead of freezing me in place this time, it finally snaps me out of my stupor.

“What are you doing?” I repeat to Wade, louder this time.

He wraps an arm around me, pulling me close against his side. His smile never drops as he leans in, speaking low enough that only I can hear.

“I know we hit a rough patch, baby, but hearing your voicemail the other day? It reminded me why I fell in love with you in the first place.”

I blink. “What?”

“You sounded so happy, so carefree,” he murmurs. “It reminded me of why I loved you, and what a good partnership we’ll make now that you’ve come out of your slump.”

I stiffen in his embrace, my mind racing. Then it hits me—the accidental call I made to him on our road trip. The butt dial where he heard a recording of me laughing with Tristan, Ryder, and Beckett.

“My slump?” I ask, narrowing my eyes.

He brushes my cheek, then tucks a stray piece of hair behind my ear. “You have to admit you’d stopped being any fun before our unfortunate break, but I’m willing to move on from that. It’s why I’m here, just like we originally planned.”

He beams at me again, like he actually expects me to accept that as a compliment and just fall right in line with his pompous, unasked for grand gesture.

I pull back slightly, meeting his gaze. There’s not a shred of doubt in his eyes, no sign that he’s stopped to consider my feelings or wonder why on earth I was in a “slump” in the first place.

He’s right that I sounded carefree and happy the day I accidentally called him. It was because of the three men I’ve fallen for.

“Smile, Lana,” Wade says softly, but with a hint of bite in the words. “Your parents are taking pictures.”

The shock I’m in suddenly gives way to a kind of fury I’ve never felt before. Wade doesn’t want me. He doesn’t even know me. He just wants the version of me that will look good on his arm, and he honestly thinks he can just waltz back into my life, pick back up where we left off, and pretend the breakup never happened.

Judging by the smug look on his face, he thinks I’ll be grateful for it.

A flash goes off nearby, and Wade leans in as if he’s going to kiss me again.

I jerk away, my chest tight.

“What the hell, Wade?” I snap, backing away from him. The room falls silent, all eyes on us.

He reaches for me, his smile turning strained. “Come on now, baby, I’m sorry for showing up late, but the important thing is that I’m here now.”

I knock his hands away and straighten my spine, meeting his gaze head-on.

“No, the important thing is that you’re full of shit.”

“Lana!” my mother gasps.

“Don’t make a scene,” Wade says tightly, finally lowering his voice a little. “You’re embarrassing your parents.”

He’s wrong. I’m pissing my parents off. He’s the one who looks embarrassed. And while in the past, either one of those things would have made me instinctively shrink down to appease everyone, right now, I just don’t care.

The old Lana might very well have gone along with this farce, just to make other people happy.

But the woman I am now sure as hell won’t.

“You want to talk about making a scene?” I ask, holding his gaze as I raise my voice. “What do you call showing up uninvited and announcing an engagement that doesn’t exist?”

Gasps and murmurs ripple through the crowd. Wade’s face flushes, his composure slipping. “Lana, please?—”

“No,” I cut him off, my voice clear and strong. “I’m not marrying you, Wade. We broke up, remember? You dumped me. You told me, and I quote, chubby girls aren’t wife material .”

“Lana,” my mother hisses again, her gaze darting around the room as twin spots of color bloom on her cheeks. “Keep your voice down.”

“No,” I tell her simply. “My ex-fiancé just told everyone here a lie. Don’t you think he’s the one you should be chastising right now, Mom?”

“I’m sure it’s just a misunderstanding,” she says tightly. “Isn’t that right, Wade?”

“Of course it is, Mrs. Reeves,” Wade says, a muscle starting to tick in his jaw as he glances around the room. “I even brought Lana something special for Christmas?—”

His hand goes toward his pocket, but I’ve had enough. I take another step back, holding up a hand to stop him. I’m done shrinking myself to fit others’ expectations or going along with their plans for me.

“I don’t want anything from you, Wade. I don’t want you anymore. We’re over.”

The room goes dead silent other than my mother’s quiet gasp, so even though Wade lowers his voice again, his words carry to everyone.

“Lana,” he hisses. “You’re overreacting. Let’s just talk about this privately.”

I huff a laugh, shaking my head. “We don’t have anything to talk about.”

The charming facade crumbles, replaced by a look of anger and wounded pride. “You can’t be fucking serious.”

He takes a step toward me—but one step is all he gets before three large figures materialize in front of me, forming a protective barrier between me and Wade.

Tristan, Ryder, and Beckett stand shoulder to shoulder, their stances resolute.

“Oh, she’s definitely fucking serious,” Beckett growls, his voice low and dangerous.

Tristan’s voice is calmer, but no less firm. “You heard Lana. It’s over.”

Ryder glares at him. “And since you weren’t invited in the first place, that means it’s time for you to go.”

Wade’s eyes widen. “Who the hell are you?”

The men don’t answer him, but I can see the wheels turning in Wade’s head, connecting the dots.

My ex’s face contorts with a mixture of disgust and fury as his eyes zero in on me past Beckett’s shoulder. “These are the guys I heard you on the phone with, aren’t they? The ones you were traveling with?”

“Don’t talk to her,” Beckett bites out, shifting his bulk to block Wade’s view of me. “Don’t think about her. Don’t even fucking breathe in her direction. She’s made it clear she doesn’t want to see you, and I believe Ryder just told you to get the fuck out, so I strongly suggest you do that. Now.”

I move to Beckett’s side, putting a hand on his arm and feeling the tautness of his muscles.

I love the way they’re standing up for me, but I want to stand beside them right now.

“He’s right, Wade. It’s time for you to go.”

Wade’s eyes drop to my hand on Beckett’s arm.

“So this is why you don’t want to get back together,” he sneers. “You’ve been fucking one of them, haven’t you? Is that what this is really about? Which one was it? This guy?”

He makes a rude gesture toward Beckett, and Beckett’s muscles flex under my hand.

Ryder lets out a dark chuckle.

“ One of us?” He arches a brow, his tone filled with amusement but his eyes hard. “Oh, buddy. You should really have more imagination than that.”

Wade’s jaw drops, his face flushing an angry red as the implication of Ryder’s words sinks in.

“Lana,” my father grits out between clenched teeth, his voice carrying over the low buzz of titillated gossip springing up around the room as my parents’ guests watch the drama unfolding here.

“Lana?” I repeat incredulously, turning to my father. “Don’t you mean Wade? The man who showed up, lied to you, and is currently causing a scene at your party?”

My father’s eyes spark with anger, but Caleb steps up next to him and says something under his breath, stopping whatever reply Dad was about to make.

Caleb doesn’t look any happier than my parents do, but I don’t have the bandwidth to deal with my family right now. Not when the men I… I care for are in a tense standoff with my ex, the tension in the air like a powder keg.

“Please leave, Wade,” I repeat, squeezing Beckett’s arm as I turn my back on my family.

“Are you going to let this guy talk about you like that?” Wade sputters instead, jabbing a finger at Ryder.

Ryder crosses his arms over his chest and gives Wade a cold smile.

“Just… go,” I whisper.

“I’m not going anywhere.” Wade’s eyes narrow, zeroing in on my left hand. “Where the hell is your engagement ring? I gave you a three-carat diamond!”

“Oh, that little thing?” Tristan says before I can answer, his dry tone laced with steel. “Guess it must have fallen off while she was busy screaming our names.”

Wade’s eyes bug out as he looks between the four of us in disbelief. Then, as the room falls silent again—everyone clearly reading into that exactly what Tristan meant—Wade’s face turns a shade of purple I’ve never seen before.

“You’re not taking me back because you’re fucking three men at the same time?” he snarls, all pretense gone. “Are you fucking serious right now?”

“She told you to get the fuck out,” Beckett says in a low, deadly voice, his muscles bunching under my hand. “Last warning.”

Wade ignores him, his eyes raking over my body as his lip curls in disdain. “I see you’ve put on even more weight since I dumped you. Hell, everyone can see it in that dress. Is that because you’re eating for four now, Lana, or do you just need the extra cushion now that you’ve decided you’d rather have a gang bang than be in a respectable relationship?”

Beckett growls, shaking my hand off his arm, then slams his fist into Wade’s jaw.