“You mean, what your sister and mother tried to prevent me from having?” She shook her head. “I want nothing to do with it.”
“That’s not how it works, sweetheart,” Sean pointed out quietly. “You can donate it all to charity, but it’s still yours.”
“What use is it to me? It’s blood money. My whole life’s been a lie because his mother was insane enough to…to...” To what? She closed her eyes. “I don’t even know what happened.”
Andrei elbowed Sean. “Do you know?”
Edward clenched his jaw. “Is this really appropriate?”
“You’re innocent in this, aren’t you?” Andrei demanded. “Don’t you want to know why the fuck your family did what they did?”
“I don’t know much,” Sean countered. “Because I’m close to Sascha, CID closed ranks on me pretty quickly. They don’t want to jeopardize their case; especially not against two very high-profile members of the nobility.” He shrugged. “Can’t blame them.”
“Who’s CID?” Sascha questioned, confused by the term.
“They’re the detectives in charge of the case.”
Andrei asked, “What do you know?”
“That Arthur was very happy with his new wife, and happier still with her being pregnant. That your father was in his bad graces, Edward, and that Arthur was looking into changing the way the estate was passed down. Your father had been arrested for drug possession.” Sean wriggled his shoulders with unease.
“Arthur wanted to see if that voided the terms of the estate, so he could hand down its entirety to… well, Sascha. Your mother would have lost everything if Arthur died after changing his will. Then, even though the will wasn’t changed, the estate would still have split between Sascha and your father, Edward. Hence Arthur’s desire to hide Sascha in plain sight.”
Edward, gulping, fiddled with his coffee cup. “My father wasn’t the best man in the world. He did a lot of stupid things. Apparently, my mother did too.” He closed his eyes, burrowing his free thumb and pointer finger into them as though trying to rub away the ache.
She knew how he felt. Though the headaches from the concussion had wound down somewhat after the week of no sex and no strenuous activity, the tension from this situation wasn’t exactly easy on her.
To Sascha, he murmured, “According to the information your birth father tucked away in the safe deposit, Elizabeth poisoned your mother. It triggered a premature labor that ultimately killed her. You were lucky to be born.”
He turned to Edward. “The man your mother hired to run Sascha down, was actually someone who had helped her before. He’s confessed to smothering Arthur and to obtaining the poison that killed your biological mother on Elizabeth’s dime, sweetheart. He was one of Arthur’s caretakers. It seems they were having an affair.”
“Why did he confess?”
“For a lighter sentence,” Sean told her softly. “He handed himself in after the accident because Elizabeth doesn’t handle mistakes well. His hurting and not killing Sascha had him fearing for his own life.”
Though Sean’s words had her feeling numb, the tech magnate’s hand was shaking as he raised his coffee cup to his lips. The sound of the mug rattling against its dish had Andrei murmuring softly, “I’m sorry, Edward. That can’t be easy to hear.”
The other man shot him a look. “I’m the one who should be apologizing.” His jaw firmed, the skin bleeding white. “She always was a perfectionist. Nothing was ever good enough for her standards.” His gaze switched to Sascha, then down to the joined hands where she and Sean were clutching at one another. “I know how important Sascha must be to you—what my mother did was unforgivable, and I can’t blame you for passing that hate onto me.”
Sascha’s shoulders straightened at his statement. Did he know about the men’s proclivities?
Hell, it wasn’t exactly a secret. One of their first partners, Janna, had sold her story, after all. Although they’d managed to put a clamp on the story, some kind of injunction, news still leaked. And if his security detail was as efficient as it seemed to be, well, Edward knew.
“This is too weird,” she mumbled under her breath as the desire to escape overwhelmed her utterly. “I don’t want to be here.” When she made to get to her feet, Sean pulled her to a halt.
“Edward has things he needs to discuss.”
“Then get on with it,” she snapped. “I don’t want to sit here listening to you talk shop for the next forty minutes because it’s awkward. There’s no way to make this situation any less awkward than it already is. We just have to deal with it quickly so that I can get out of here.” She was breathing hard by the time she finished speaking.
Sascha wanted Edward out of her house. Now.
It didn’t matter that he hadn’t had a damn thing to do with any of this mess. He was a reminder, and that was the last thing she needed.
From a briefcase he’d brought with him, Edward drew out several sheets of paper and returned it to the chair. What looked like booklets were spread out on the table before her.
“I’ll leave these with you for you to read, Sascha, but basically, they’re rundowns of…” He gritted his teeth, and she knew it pained him to carry on, “My attorneys have been investigating the situation ever since news came to light of your relationship to my family.
“My father inherited one-hundred percent of the family fortune. Technically, I should have inherited fifty percent of that, and my sister the other half. However, my father liquidated a large portion of the estate to invest into the company when I was just starting out.” His smile was tight and pained as it flashed once more. “At my mother’s encouragement. Eighty percent of the estate went into my company. Forty percent of which belonged to you.” His nostrils flared. “The remaining twenty percent of the whole estate remained intact to ensure things like maintenance of the family seat, etcetera.” He shoved a piece of paper forward. “This is what you’re entitled to. Legally.” That last word came out a low growl.
She stared down at the digits, unable to credit how many zeroes were there.
Raising a shaky hand, she pressed it to her throat.
“However, I have to…” Edward’s jaw worked. “Plead with you over this matter. The only way I can give you that amount of money is to withdraw it from the company, but if I do that, I’ll destabilize it and leave us wide open for a hostile takeover.” His fear of that was evident in the pinpricks of his eyes. “Andrei knows how under siege we are the moment. If I add to the imbalance, it will—. I-I’ll transfer forty percent of the family-held stocks to your name immediately. But I’m begging you not to cash them in.”
It was a startling moment in Sascha’s life to have one of the world’s richest and most powerful men pleading with her.
What did that make her?
One of the world’s richest and most powerful women?
“I don’t want it.”
“It’s legally yours,” Edward said dismissively. “I can’t not ensure you receive it, Sascha. You have to claim it or it will wind down and revert to the government.” His eyes widened in distress. “That would be disastrous for the company.”
Sean held up a hand to stall him. “We need to talk about this alone, Edward.”
He stiffened but nodded. For a man who, until last week, had been in utter control of his world, she had to figure having the rug pulled out from under him was something that was happening frequently of late, and he didn’t appreciate it.
Edward cleared his throat as he got to his feet. “Sascha,” he murmured with a polite nod, and Andrei, rising too, guided him out of the kitchen and the house. On their way out, Andrei pressed a hand to her shoulder and squeezed, trying to imbue some semblance of comfort, she supposed.
It didn’t work.
“There’s nothing to talk about,” she said softly when they were alone, and she could hear faint rumbles of conversation overhead.
Only faint, though. These walls were soundproofed. So much so, she wondered if she
was imagining the noise. Hypersensitive because that man was here, on the way out, but still somewhere in her house.
Worse than that was the fact he was working with Andrei on an ongoing project.
A notion that had her skin crawling.
So much of what had happened to her recently, as well as right at the beginning of her life, was encapsulated by a numbness deep inside her. It wasn’t overtaking her. Not yet. She believed it couldn’t, wouldn’t because of the men she had in her life. But the emptiness in her core was disturbing her because she’d never felt like this before.
When her mother had died, the bone deep chill that had pervaded her was the only thing she could liken this current feeling to. Except in this, she was an adult. Without the confusion of a child to worsen the situation.
Now, she had the rationale to understand what was happening, but it was like her brain was closing in on itself to protect everything that made her Sascha Dubois.
“Hey,” Sean murmured softly. “Where did you go?”
She blinked at him, then jerked her head to the side, edgy with nerves. “I’m not sure.” Sascha stared down at the mug of coffee in front of her. She hadn’t touched it; the black liquid still rimmed the brim of the cup. “I don’t like him.”
“Jacobie? I don’t either particularly. Although, the evidence does state he didn’t have anything to do with recent events. If that eases things for you.” His matter-of-fact tone should have rubbed her up the wrong way, and maybe if it wasn’t Sean, it would have done.
But he was always cool. Always calm. And always competent. Managing to get down to the heart of the matter in seconds, to strip everything bare and leave it so she couldn’t hide from the truth. She was so tired of the truth, she realized on a sigh. But she was also tired of lies. Which put her right in the middle of a fucked-up situation.
“I don’t trust him,” she blurted out.
“Then your instincts are right on the nose. He’s a shark. A very unhappy one at the moment, though.” A short laugh escaped him. “His reaction to having to hand over forty percent of his company was rather enjoyable.” He toyed with her fingers. “You’re a very wealthy woman, Sascha.” He raised her hand, lifted it until he could kiss the tips of her fingers. “I’ll be your gigolo.”
Because she hadn’t expected him to say anything like that, she froze. Then, barked out a laugh.
He grinned at her. “There’s my Sascha,” he said softly after a moment, letting her laughter fade into a wide smile that immediately wobbled at his words.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered, ducking her head.
“Don’t be. There’s nothing to be sorry for. In fact, I wish you’d stop saying sorry. It makes me feel like…”
She noticed the tension in his jaw and frowned at it. “Makes you feel how?” she prompted.
“Like we’re your employers. You’d apologize to employers. Not to your lovers.”
She shook her head. “No. I don’t think of you as my bosses anymore. I haven’t since…” Sascha pulled a face. “You won’t like it, but ever since you told me about my mom dying a few months after my birth.”
“Jesus, Sascha. It’s taken you so long to feel that way?”
She shrugged. “I can’t help how I felt. But I don’t feel that way anymore. Still, it doesn’t mean I shouldn’t tell you how much I appreciate your thoughtfulness. Because I do. I’m so grateful for all your support. It’s so much more than anything I’ve ever had, Sean. You have to understand why it’s... Why you are precious to me.”
He accepted her remark with a begrudging smile, then his gaze flickered over to the staircase. He jerked his chin up. “You’re going to stop working with him now, aren’t you?”
Andrei appeared in her peripheral vision and sighed as he took the seat Edward had just vacated so she was surrounded by her men at her left and right. “Yeah.”
She tried not to feel relief at that, but failed.
“It’s a shame too. We were getting somewhere, but…” He wriggled his shoulders. “It’s never wise to work with the enemy.”
“I’m sure your grandfather would disagree,” Sean pointed out ruefully.
He grunted. “Very likely. But I’m not him. Although, don’t forget, Sascha, he wants to meet you. Maybe a trip out of town will do you good. Get you away from all the shit happening here.”
She stared at him, feeling a little surprised at his tone. “Are you okay?”
Maybe the question was out of the blue, but it felt right at that moment. They’d been so concerned about her, wondering if she was okay that she’d been selfish and hadn’t asked how they were doing.
Andrei looked angry and Sean, tired. Now she thought about it, Kurt did too. His eyes were worn, rimmed with shadows. Sawyer was his usual pissy self, and Devon was as blunt as ever, but they all wore the strain of the recent past.
How had she not seen that?
Andrei frowned at her. “Of course, I am.” He reached for her hand, clenched her fingers. “As long as you are.”
The amendment had her swallowing. “You look angry.”
He sighed. “Why wouldn’t you expect that?”
“I don’t know. I just… I’m sorry,” she whispered, bowing her head. “I’ve brought so much crap to your world.” Her chin trembled. “I’m as bad as Janna.”
Her half-wail had both men straightening in their seats. Andrei used his grip on her hand to tug her up onto her feet. Though she tried to avoid the momentum, he wouldn’t let her. His hold was inexorable as he urged her to come around the table and to sit on his lap.
Before moving into this house, the last time she’d sat on anyone’s lap was before her mother’s death.
She could still remember the wonderfully horrible memory.
In the oncology unit, Natasha had one of those bandannas covering her bald head where once there’d been riotous dark gold curls. Her arms had been frail, bruised and pocked from the needle marks that came as part of her treatment, and seeing her mom’s weakness, her fragility, had made Sascha cry. Natasha had tucked Sascha onto her lap and cuddled her into a tight hug.
That was the last time she’d been strong enough to hold her so fiercely.
The memory had her stomach diving and she burrowed her face into the side of Andrei’s throat. His clutch on her was just as ferocious as her mom’s had been, and God, it felt good. Like what she needed.
“You are nothing like her. Do you hear me?”
His words were a low, seething hiss. She bit her lip, but nodded against him, feeling the clammy kiss of her forehead to his throat as their skin cleaved together.
He shook her a little. “Do you, Sascha? Do you know that?”
His urgency pulled at her, but she had to whisper, “I read the articles. She was a bloodsucker.”
She was more than that. Janna had been the first woman they’d ever shared, and she’d used her position in their house to skim information from Devon as well as blackmail the men into keeping their proclivities secret. Bitch didn’t cut it.
Andrei shook his head. “Janna was hungry for money, Sascha. She had nothing, was loaded with student debt, and saw an easy way out. She was one of those women who had brains and beauty, and rather than use her brains to get anywhere, she preferred to use her beauty.” He shrugged. “Each to their own.”
“She blackmailed you,” she hissed.
“I know she did, and she hurt us in doing so, but you aren’t her. You’re nothing like her, dammit. You make me happy. You make my heart smile. She didn’t care if I ate well or if I didn’t sleep enough. She used us for sex, and then when that became too much for her, she disappeared like we meant shit to her.
“Which is exactly it. We meant nothing to her.
“That’s not the way of it with you—you love us, and you show us that love every day. Do you hear me? Do you see the difference?” He sounded so Russian at that moment, she couldn’t bear it.
Her hand came up to knot in his white blond hair. It was closely
shorn to his head, but long enough to spill through her fingers. The silk was delicate against the digits and she held tight to yet another connection. Forging yet another bond.
“You make me happy, and you make my heart smile,” she repeated the words, a sigh of relief escaping her as he loosened up a little underneath her.
“Then I never want to hear you talk like that again,” he commanded, the sounds of the Baltic making his words harsher, the demand more definite somehow.
“I don’t want you to feel trapped,” she whispered. “This changes things.”
She didn’t have to see Sean scowl to know that was exactly what he was doing. “How does it?”
Sascha waved blindly at the documents on the table. “How can that not change things?”
“Does it matter to you?”
“No.”
“Then why should it matter to us?”
“Because I’m suddenly a fucking billionaire, Sean. How the fuck am I supposed to react? How are you supposed to?” She fisted her hands. “I want things to be how they were.”
“They can’t be,” Andrei told her softly. “Things will never return to how they used to be, but why would you want that? How do you know that all of this didn’t have to happen, in the exact way it has, for us to come together as we have?”
She gulped, processed that. “Do you really believe that?”
“I really do,” he told her softly.
She peered at Sean who solemnly nodded. She tugged at her bottom lip with her fingers, then sucked in a breath.
If they believed that, then she had to as well.
* * *
Later that night, Sascha climbed into Andrei’s bed.
She’d been sleeping in her room with Sean since her Dad arrived in London. When the news had broken about her ‘heritage,’ dubious though it was, she’d retreated to the lounge.
Why Andrei?
She didn’t know. Why choose to sleep with any of them in particular?
Hell, why be with any of them in any particular?
She didn’t have an internal radar that alerted her when one of them was feeling under the weather or down. She just had to go off what she saw and intuited.
Hers To Keep: THE QUINTESSENCE COLLECTION I Page 48