Chapter 37

Kipp

We've barely stepped out of the courtroom before shit hits the fan.

A hand digs into my shoulder, pulling me backward. I step to catch my balance and come face to face with my ex-wife.

"How fucking dare you!" Jessica's high-pitched voice wails before I feel a hard sting on my cheek.

My hand immediately flies up as the heat radiates from where Jessica slapped me. Grady takes hold of her arm and gently pulls her away from me.

"What is your problem, Jessica? Do you need an assault charge as well?" he asks.

"She's your child, your own flesh and blood, and you're standing against her. It wasn't bad enough that you threw our marriage away so you could stick your dick in a man, but now you choose this little trollop over her." Jessica steps forward, shoving Olivia backward, causing her to stumble and fall, hitting her head on the wall. Barbi giggles as she watches the show unfold.

"What the fuck is wrong with you?" I growl at her.

Grady leaves my side to rush and check on Olivia. If Jessica has hurt one hair on her precious head, it's going to take everything in me to keep my cool.

Jessica continues to scream in my face but I ignore her, my eyes focused on the two people I love. Grady's kneeling beside Olivia as she cradles her head with her hand. Out of the corner of my eye, I already see a police officer making his way over.

"I need everyone to calm down," he orders as he steps up beside Olivia and Grady. "Ma'am, are you okay?"

"Yeah, my head's pounding, but I don't think it's anything that some Tylenol can't take care of." I can hear the pain in Olivia's voice and see the slight wince on her face as she moves.

"Can someone please explain why you're screaming and I had to witness you push this young lady?"

"Because he's letting that man in the courtroom accuse my precious daughter of rape." She reaches back and takes hold of Barbi, pulling her close to her side. "Does she look like someone who could rape another person? A man at that," Jessica scoffs.

"Ma'am, that's not for me to decide. If you're here, then there's obviously court proceedings. What does concern me is your actions." It's then he looks up and sees my face, a huge red handprint across my cheek. "Did she do that as well?"

"Yes, sir."

"Do either of you want to press charges?"

"Press charges?"

"Yes, ma'am, you assaulted them," the officer says bluntly.

I stand there for a minute, debating what I want to do.

"Kipp seriously!" Jessica squeals. "Not only did you leave our baby in jail, but you come to her trial with them? Barbi told me you're sleeping with Olivia now. That's even lower than when you cheated on me with Grady. You'd seriously press charges against me for standing up for my daughter when you didn't or wouldn't."

The officer sighs heavily, obviously already seeing what I've known. Jessica is the biggest Karen there ever was.

"For the last time, I didn't cheat on you, Jessica. We were separated and going through divorce proceedings when I met him. You're delusional. But as for your question? No, officer, I don't want to press charges as long as she leaves us alone."

She raises her hand to hit me again, but the officer steps in, taking hold of her hand and pulling it down. "While he may not want to press charges, I am arresting you for assault and attempted assault."

"What?!" she yells and Barbi begins to cry.

"Daddy, you can't let him arrest her. Has Olivia brainwashed you so much that you don't even care about your family anymore?"

"And when did you care about me, Barbi? I only suited you when it came to my money, which you no longer have. You're my daughter and I will always love you, but the person you've grown into is someone I don't want in my life. You made your bed, now lie in it."

"Barbi's mom assaulted both Kipp and myself," Olivia says.

"You little bitch," Jessica hisses as the officer places her in cuffs.

"You and your daughter deserve every piece of misery you get in life. Make note you touched what's mine. Your daughter did it when I wasn't around, but you did it right in front of me. It won't happen again. Stay away from my men," Olivia snaps. "Thank you, officer, for your help, but we are going to leave now. I know you are arresting her, and I wish to press charges."

I swear my dick jumps to full mast. Who knew her standing up for me against my ex-wife would do it for me? But it's not that, it's that she called me—no, she called us—hers. Her men.

The officer nods and she steps over to me, linking her arm with mine as we move down the hall a bit so we're not in his way.

At that moment, Van steps out of the courtroom with the DA, not knowing what's been taking place in his absence.

"What's going on?" he asks.

"Jessica slapped Kipp and even talking to him breaks the no-contact order, so hopefully that nice officer can add that charge as well," Olivia tells him.

As we wait for the elevator, Olivia turns to Van. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah. I'm good. We were just going over what will happen after the jury is back and the options if it's guilty or not. But it seems like the three of you were facing more hell than me."

We all laugh at that, as Jessica's and Barbi's cries echo in the hallway. That's not our problem now.

"You still wanna grab some food and a drink while we wait?" Grady asks.

"Do you ever not think about food?" Ollie laughs.

"I can't help it, I'm a growing boy," Grady jokes, causing us to chuckle.

"Yeah, let's go eat. It might not even be tonight that they get back to us."

This is the family I want. I'm so glad Olivia and Van came into our lives.