by Dani René
“He understood what we needed to do.”
“I want you and him to rot in hell.”
“Scarlett,” grandmother gasps in surprise at my vicious words. “That’s no way—”
“What? No way to talk to a criminal. Or to my grandmother who lied to me my whole life?” I push away, the chair sliding back an inch or two as I step into Lycan’s hold. His strong hands grip my shoulders, and once more, I’m grounded in safety. “If I never see you again, it will be too soon. Don’t try to contact me and never fucking come near me. You or my father.”
This time she’s on her feet, making her way toward me when suddenly Darius is in her face, his hand wrapping around her throat. “Did you kill my father?” The question is a low growl filled with pure hatred. I’ve seen Darius splattered with blood when he clearly murdered a man. I’ve imagined him killing someone, but I have never been more afraid of him than I am right now.
Grace Bardot is outmatched right now. It’s the first time I’ve ever seen my grandmother falter. “What?”
“Tell me the fucking truth. Did you, and that bastard you married, kill my father?” he asks again, and with every moment that passes, Lycan’s hold on my arms gets tighter. He’s afraid, worried about what she’ll say.
If she did, I don’t doubt Darius will kill her. He would squeeze his fingers, and her neck would snap with a crack. My stomach rolls at the thought of seeing someone die right in front of me. It’s not the fact that it’s my family, my blood, but more that I’ve never seen a dead body. Not even when my grandfather died.
I wasn’t allowed to go into the viewing room where his corpse laid. My mother kept me sheltered all my life and I wonder if it’s because of that, I’m scared of this moment.
“I… I loved him,” Gran says, her voice croaky from not being able to breathe properly. Her face turns a bright red as she claws at Darius’s hand. “H-h-he meant t-the world t-t-to me.”
“That’s not what I fucking asked you, bitch,” Darius rumbles, the words a low, venomous whisper that drips with the threat of him holding her life in his hands. “If you don’t answer me, I’ll just torture you, over and over again until you find it in your fragile old mind to recall the moment Conall Shaw took his last breath.”
Silent moments pass.
My lungs struggle as we wait for her answer.
The thrumming of my heart in my ears is loud as blood rushes through me. Anticipation coils in my stomach, and my hands tremble when I think about two boys, two young men losing their father because of my grandmother’s inability to be honest.
“M-my h-h-husband didn’t like him,” she speaks finally, and it’s as if my breath has been knocked from my lungs. She doesn’t need to continue because what’s she’s already said makes it clear what happened. Darius releases her throat, and her hand flies up to massage the wrinkled skin as she locks her gaze on the older Shaw brother. “Randolf and Conall had an argument one night.” She shakes her head, lowering her eyes to the ground before she speaks again. “I told Randolf to leave it be. He found the notes that Conall had written in the books in the library. I gave all but one back to Conall. I wanted so much to have one last memory of a time I was happy.”
Silence hangs in the air when Gran falls silent. That explains why all the books were here in the Shaw library and I only found the one in my gran’s home. I can’t imagine why my grandfather would’ve gotten jealous over notes. But then again, I wouldn’t like it if Lycan had memories of his exes.
But that still wouldn’t push me to kill.
“I don’t understand why he would’ve killed Conall,” I speak up. “There’s jealousy, and then there’s what you’re trying to say Gramps did. It doesn’t add up.”
She looks at me then. Her eyes locked on mine, and I notice how she doesn’t veer from me. She doesn’t look at Darius or Lycan. And something clicks in place in my mind. As if a puzzle piece just slides into place.
“You were pregnant,” I whisper, realizing that my grandfather may have gotten angry, and possibly jealous, but to kill someone, there had to be more to the story. So much fucking more.
And when she nods, it’s as if the room fills with ice.
20
Lycan
No. No. No.
If Grace Bardot was pregnant all those years ago, just before Dad died, it would’ve meant that he had been with her not long after our mother died. He would’ve told me. We were close. Betrayal hits me hard as Grace confesses to learning about her pregnancy.
My hold on Scarlett tightens. I don’t want her to think I’m angry, so I pull her closer. The softness and warmth of her keeps me somewhat calm. And if she weren’t here, I would’ve lost my control, restraint would’ve been a thing of the past if my wife wasn’t near me.
“I didn’t want to tell him about it, but I had no choice. He saw the test. He locked me in our bedroom and told me he was going to sort it out and when he came back, he was calm. There was still anger simmering in his eyes, and I knew something had happened.”
“And you didn’t ask him about Conall? I mean, our father was the love of your life for a long time. And the fact that you cheated with him means you still had feelings for him,” I whisper as my mind tries to make sense of what could’ve happened.
“He told me he didn’t want to raise another man’s child.” There’s an edge to her voice when she says this, not the anger I expected, but guilt. Her gaze flicks to Darius, then back to me. “It was one of the most horrific nights I spent with the man I married.”
“What happened?” Scarlett’s voice is nothing more than a murmur, and I’m shocked Grace can even hear her. The fear in my wife’s tone is clear, she doesn’t want to know what had occurred that night, because we all have an inkling without Grace saying the words.
Scarlett shakes her head.
I want to step forward, to pull my wife away from the news she’s about to receive and keep her safe from the atrocities that her family has done over the years. But no matter what I do, I realize I can’t shelter her forever. She told me she’s strong. But this is far beyond anything either of us imagined.
“I’m sorry, Scarlett,” Grace says in a low whisper while I pull my cellphone from my pocket and hit dial on the number. Three rings, and I end the call. It’s time to put a stop to this and keep my wife safe. “I didn’t mean for you find out about this. I did things I’m not proud of and I accept my fate, but don’t blame your father for this.”
“Don’t blame him?” My wife’s voice turns loud, filled with shock that Grace can even request that of her. She shakes in my arms, her body trembling, and I can’t imagine what it must be like to realize your family never truly loved you. “He fucking sold me! Do you even understand what that means?”
Grace tips her head as if she doesn’t care. Her chin jutting out in defiance as she pins her granddaughter with a stare. “It doesn’t look like you’re too angry since you married him,” she snips before tipping her chin in gesture to me. “I think you did rather well. Lycan is wealthy, can give you children, I’m sure. And when the time comes, you’ll live a comfortable life without ever having to work again.”
If anger were an entity, it would be beside my wife right now. I release her when she pulls free from me and stalks toward the old woman. I’ve seen her angry a few times, when I took her for the first time. When I saved her from the woods and brought her to my house. But those moments have nothing on this.
She gets in Grace’s personal space, she’s inches from her, before Scarlett speaks. “Don’t you ever talk about me or my husband like that. I was pushed into this life, yes, but I made sure it was something I wanted. Do you even understand what it’s like to have your choices taken away from you?”
When Grace doesn’t answer, she merely watches her granddaughter, and for a moment, a split second, I’m sure I see pride in her eyes as she takes the younger woman in.
Scarlett continues, “You had a choice a long time ago, and you chose wrong. You could’v
e righted those wrongs, but you didn’t. You could’ve raised your son properly, but you didn’t. I’m sorry to say, but you failed us, me, Dad, and even mom when she joined the family.”
Grace nods slowly, and I can see the wheels turning in her head. She can’t deny it anymore. And she most certainly cannot tell her granddaughter that she’s in the right because she isn’t.
“I know.” Two words and it’s almost as if Scarlett deflates. The breath is whooshed from her lungs, and I have to step in, pulling her toward me, wrapping my arms around her protectively. “I did things because I believed they were right. At the time. But now, looking back, I’ve made stupid choices. And I will pay for that. There is no doubt that I will, and I go willingly.”
Even though Darius and I were at odds for a long time, we still did shit because we cared. There was anger, guilt, and rage that would flow from our words, and yes, he did shoot me, which we still need to hash out, but when I glance over at him, relief washes over me at him being here, by my side to take this family down for killing our father.
It doesn’t take long for the doors to fly open after my call and the suits to walk in. They make a beeline for Grace. Her gaze locks on mine. She knows I was the one who called them, and she doesn’t put up a fight as they lead her out of the room.
Before she disappears from sight, she looks at me, then at Darius. “I’m sorry for my hand in what happened to your father. I should’ve stopped it, but I was weak. I never wanted to lose him or the baby, but fate had other plans.”
It’s time for Darius to step forward, and he quickly closes the distance. “Don’t you ever think about him. Don’t fucking shed a tear for him because you did this. Not your bastard of a husband, you.” The anger in my brother’s tone is chilling, and I’m certain if I left him to handle Grace Bardot, she’d be dead right now.
Second later, she’s gone. Scarlett is still shaking as I wrap her in my arms. The dining room door closes, and I can’t help but breathe a sigh of relief. Grace is in for hours of questioning, and when they’re done, she’ll be locked up, the key thrown away. It’s what she deserves.
Darius glances at me, the knowing expression on his face that we’ve finally gotten justice for our father makes me smile. It’s small, a mere quirk of the corners of my mouth, but it’s enough for my brother.
Scarlett turns to me. Her eyes wide. “Is it over?” Her question has me taking her in my arms and nuzzling my nose into her fragrant hair. So sweet and so mine.
“Yes.” It’s the only thing I can voice, because I’m still shocked at the revelations that came to light today. I knew the proof Darius showed me was real, that it was the Bardots who killed Dad, so I’m not as shocked as I would’ve been if I didn’t trust Darius.
“I’m sorry,” Scarlett whispers, her hand cupping my cheek as she stares up at me. Before I can say anything, Darius is behind her, his hands on her hips and my inner beast roars with possessiveness. “I’m sorry.” This she says when she looks at him.
She’s so tiny between us. The thought of the past sitting behind us is calming. I turn my attention to Kahn, who’s now moving around the table as he watches us, a smirk curling his lips, and I want to tell him it’s not what he thinks, but I’d be lying.
I thought long and hard about it, and it’s happening. Without a doubt it is because I recall the pleasure, the passion, and I can’t deny us that.
“I’ll be in the office. We’ll sort out Lorenzo,” Kahn informs me, still grinning as he arches a dark brow at me. He knows what’s going to happen here tonight. I want to make Scarlett forget about her fucking grandmother.
We still have her parents to sort out. I want to ensure that Horatio knows exactly what he did to his little girl while being more concerned about his life than hers. And her mother, she’s also in for it, because I’m going to let Darius loose on her. And I can’t wait to see the aftermath of that.
Kahn leaves. It’s only the three of us, like it will be for a long time to come. But for now, Scarlett will be ours to enjoy, and this evening, she’ll learn what it’s like to be loved by the two Shaw brothers.
I lift my gaze to his. A small, glimmer of a smile on his mouth. We know who killed our father, and I hope Darius and I can finally put the past behind us. I owe him an apology. I never believed him when he told me the MC didn’t hurt Dad. It’s my fault he had to live with the pain for so long. Away from our childhood home.
21
Scarlett
My emotions are in turmoil.
Anger and sadness are at the forefront of my mind though. After hearing Gran’s confession, I’m still reeling.
The sun shines down on my skin as I lie on the lounger in an attempt to read a book, but I can’t focus. I wanted to relax, to try to forget everything that happened and focus on my future, but we haven’t yet spoken to my mom and dad.
I have to.
I can’t ignore the fact that my father paid money to Darius and signed my life over to Lycan. It’s as if he doesn’t care about me. It’s almost as if I’m not his child, and anything that happened to me didn’t faze him.
That thought hurts.
With Lycan and Darius gone to meet with Kahn, the house is quiet. The silence forcing my mind to whirl with images of my grandmother being taken away, with the wedding, the shooting, everything that happened over the past few months is slowly taking its toll, and I want to forget. Just for a night. Which brings my thoughts back to this evening and the promise Lycan offered Darius.
Both of them want me.
It’s intoxicating knowing two powerful men want to be with me, at the same time. Even the few scenes I had with Lycan will not compare. I realize they won’t. I’m so new to their world, and the thought of even just having them both touch me at the same time sends heat coursing through my veins.
Sighing, I set the book down and push to my feet. The warmth of the day will soon disappear, and I’m eager to learn what Kahn found out about the convent and Father Lorenzo. I pray he’s got some answers and hopefully knows if his sister is alive and well. I can’t imagine the pain of losing family you love and care about.
When I reach the bedroom, I find my phone vibrating on the nightstand. Picking it up, I swipe to answer the call.
“Little Red,” Lycan’s deep timber rumbles through the speaker, and my earlier thoughts about him and Darius’s promise about tonight hits me full force. “I want you to prepare for tonight. I want you to have a long, hot bath. There are some essential oils in the cabinet, relax, and try to clear your mind as much as you can. We’ll be back in a couple of hours, and we’ll both be ready to play.”
“Yes, Lycan,” I whisper, my thighs already squeezing together and the thoughts that are racing through my mind.
“Good girl.” He hangs up before I can respond, and I’m left trembling in the middle of our bedroom. I head to the en suite to find the oils he mentioned and quickly plug the bath before turning on the hot tap and trickling some lavender oil into the water.
As the tub fills, I step into the warmth and sigh as relief washes over my muscles. I settle back, allowing my head to dip under the water, and everything around me goes silent. The world falls away, and I’m lost in the warmth, and the quiet of the water. It’s serene under the surface, and I enjoy it for a long while until I need to take a breath.
I lather up with the liquid soap and take my time shaving. After about an hour of soaking, I get out and towel off. In the bedroom, I open the closet and take in each of the outfits Lycan purchased for me when I was first brought to the manor.
I choose a short, bright red dress which has a scoop neckline and non-existent back. It’s beautiful and very sexy, and it will drive them both crazy. I can’t help but smile at the thought as I take it into the room. Setting it on the bed, I moisturize with my rose-scented cream, dry my hair and straighten it until it’s sleek down my back. I keep my make up natural, but dab some dark crimson lipstick on, which makes my lips look plump.
By the time I
’m done, I check the time and realize I’ve been getting ready for two hours. I quickly slip my dress on and find a pair of black heels which have thin straps that wrap around my legs, all the way to my knees.
The hemline of my dress hits me on my upper thigh, and if I were to bend over, my black lace panties would be visible. The idea of teasing them makes heat pool at my core, and I’m pretty sure by the time we finish dinner, I’ll be soaked with arousal in anticipation.
But that’s what Lycan wants. He loves when I’m needy for him, and to be honest, it happens more often than not. Even when I hated him, I wanted him. It was unfair of my body to betray my mind, but I had no control.
I hear noise from outside the bedroom. Pulling the door open, I step out into the hallway, ready to take on whatever tonight will bring. As I walk down the hallway toward the staircase, my heart leaps into my throat, thudding wildly when I hear both Lycan and Darius’s voices carry toward me.
The moment I step into their sight, I realize they’ve seen me because all conversation halts, and I swear I hear them pull in a breath of shock and desire. I turn, my hand on the smooth, dark wood railing as I take a few steps down. My fingertips brush along the wood, and even the cool surface doesn’t calm my nerves.
“Little red,” Lycan murmurs, his voice thick with lust, and when I lock my gaze on his, I practically burn up from the desire that burns in those green orbs.
“Shit.” This comes from Darius, and his equally warm stare sizzles over my exposed flesh, and there is a lot of it, as he takes me in from head to toe and back again. Both men seem speechless as they stare at me and I take this opportunity to gracefully descend the staircase until I’m in the entrance foyer where they’re frozen in time.
“Hi,” I greet, walking up to Lycan and placing a soft kiss on his stubbled cheek which earns me a low growl of approval. I leave him, and move to Darius, who I offer the same kiss to. His beard is a bit longer than Lycan’s, but the tingles that shoot through me from the almost innocent gesture is the same.