Oh yeah, and disappear all weekend, just a quick call once he’d already left to inform his parents.
He could have been dead in a ditch until they’d gotten that call.
Keir smiled darkly to himself.
The stepmom bitch wasn’t getting rid of Bastion that easily. When Bastion’s father knocked off to hell, the wicked stepmother was going to have to split the wealth. If her beleaguered stepson hadn’t found a way to get more than his fair share by that time.
Bastion’s stepmother certainly tried with all those hand-picked girls she sent Bastion’s way.
Give me half his money and I’ll marry you to a prince.
Keir wondered if they signed contracts in blood. Nothing would be too much for the chance to be with Charming.
Bastion couldn’t even tarnish his reputation for fear his father would agree to his stepmother’s demands to control his trust until he was twenty-five.
“Should we get the driver to let us off near a bus stop?” Tess asked, displaying second thoughts.
Her water bottle was almost full. The time to take a few sips was all it took for her to figure out this was a trap.
“No!” War bit out. “You only travel in cars, for your safety,” he explained, moderating his tone better.
Kade shook his head. “Tess didn’t you hear everything we told you this weekend? It’s too dangerous to just go anywhere you want like before.”
Tess swallowed thickly. She put her water bottle between her knees and took a deep breath instead of drinking.
“Like, I’m imprisoned?” she asked.
Was that what she thought?
“You’re not a prisoner,” Keir said. “We’re all taking precautions, like how we discussed earlier. Let’s wait until we’re alone to discuss it further.”
Tess looked over at the dividing window sectioning them from the front of the car and the driver.
“Privacy?” she questioned.
“There’s a speaker and microphone,” Bastion explained.
He pushed a button. “Cameron? Do you want to tell Miss Sinclair if she is an invited guest to my house? She’s thinking about getting off early.”
There was a cough, and then the driver put down the window instead of using the speaker.
“All of your friends are invited to a small afternoon tea, sir.”
Tess looked nervous. She crunched the water bottle between her knees and then grabbed for it as she forced her legs to relax before the water that was left in it came spurting out.
“Afternoon tea party? Is it too much to hope for rain?” Kade joked.
Tess shot his brother a quick look and then focused her gaze back on Bastion.
“Am I dressed right for afternoon tea?” she asked.
“You look beautiful,” War replied.
He was looking right at her as he said it, eyes sweeping her jeans and t-shirt like she was wearing the latest Dior.
“My stepmother kidnapped you from the airport. There’s nothing wrong with what you’re wearing for a flight. She’ll have to get over it if she’s invited over friends for a party. The guests probably weren’t meant for us. My stepmother’s always entertaining, right, Cameron?” Bastion asked.
The last was shouted over his shoulder to the front of the limo.
“Yes, there are many lovely entertainments, sir.”
Tess giggled. It was a bit inappropriate. Keir wasn’t sure if it was nerves until she mouthed, ‘sir’ at them.
Bastion arched a golden brow at her and stuck his noble nose in the air.
“I’m wearing jeans too,” War reminded her.
Tess shrugged. “Okay, but please introduce me as your tutor. Do you have a school sweater you can lend me?”
Smart thinking to get covered up so Bastion’s stepmother would hopefully overlook Tess.
Of course, Keir could have told her that her efforts would be wasted. Just the fact that Bastion was bringing a girl to his house, even if he had little choice, was enough to warrant all of his stepmother's attention.
“There’s no point in playing the tutor,” Bastion told Tess. “My stepmother and father are well aware that we're coming directly from the airport since they sent the limo to pick us up there. She already knows your name. Dad did mention the tutoring once. Nothing escapes my stepmother’s attention, especially pretty girls hanging around with me.”
“How would your stepmother know what I look like if I've never met her?” Tess asked, finding what might seem like an obvious discrepancy.
She really didn't understand how the wealthy did things.
Even their father had looked up Tess’s old school and checked the rankings through a family friend to ensure he wasn't being hoodwinked by a pretty but destitute young girl looking to tutor his sons.
Rich parents had to protect their investments. That was exactly how some of them thought of their children.
Ruby and Grayson were exceptional. Then again, so was War.
“She would google you first. If that didn't turn up any dirt on social media, then she would have to ask one of my father’s business associates to help.”
Tess looked more confused by Bastion’s explanation.
War took pity on her and explained it in layman terms.
“They keep private investigators on retainer. It's a common practice amongst people that are dealing with large amounts of wealth being transferred for personal and business reasons. Payment of these investigators can be more easily written off as a business expense. Hence, Bastion’s referral to his stepmother’s investigator as a business associate. It would be the same guy that would do corporate-spy jobs.”
“You used a business associate to investigate me?” Tess asked, her voice rising as she drew the connection to the investigator that Bastion had hired when he first met her.
“No,” Bastion denied. He gave a quick glance over his shoulder. “I never use my father’s people for my own business. They can only give their loyalty to one person.”
Tess relaxed back in her seat, although she still looked shaken up.
“Just smile. Keep your answers short. Pretend to be smitten,” Kade advised.
Keir thought it was good advice.
He tended to treat his own father the same way. Keeping the interaction focussed simply on whatever was necessary to get out from underneath his father’s watchful eye. The less evidence he presented his father, the less arguments that could be made against him.
Tess leaned forward, elbows on her knees.
“I am smitten with Bastion,” she admitted.
Bastion spilled a little of the water he was drinking, getting it on his chin and shirtfront. He coughed and choked a little, although Keir thought it had more to do with Tess’s admission than the water.
“Try not to react like that in front of your stepmother,” War whispered across the seats. He kept it quiet enough that the driver was unlikely to hear him. “You’d better be as good as Tess was in front of her dad when you make your stepmother believe Tess is unimportant. If you want, I'll introduce her as my girlfriend.”
Bastion shrugged. “What do you want to do, Tess?”
“Maybe War’s plan is better. Does anyone else know, other than Mr. Saxton, that I promise not to date my new tutoring students?”
“All I said to my father was ‘tutor’ and he tuned me out. It's not my fault that he assumed you were male,” Bastion said.
Keir laughed.
“Oh, that is rich. I can't wait to see your stepmother's face when she meets Tess and figures out she is the tutor you've been spending all your time with after school.”
“Well, it’ll be soon. We’re here,” Bastion announced.
Tess sat back in her seat again like she wanted to be glued to it. A pry bar might be needed to get her out of the limo.
“We’re joking, Pumpkin,” Keir told her.
She’d already been googled and investigated by Bastion’s stepmother, no doubt. He didn’t remind her again.
; “Bastion is going to deal with his stepmother first. We’ll all hang back and have some tea and cakes. It’ll be like a fancier version of the tea parties you had when you were three,” Kade said, voice coaxing.
He put an arm around Tess’s shoulders and hugged her close to whisper something that Keir couldn’t make out.
Whatever it was, Tess laughed.
Keir smiled.
His brother's happiness was a gift. Keeping Tess amused was easy enough. She was good-natured and resilient, the seeds already there for happiness. All Tess needed was a little loving care to sprout.
The bounty was this joy that had been missing from their lives for too long.
“I’m not eating little iced cakes, even to be polite,” War said. “We had enough sugar with all those marshmallows and soufflé.”
The limo driver parked in the circular driveway and opened the door for them to get out.
Keir bit back his response to War that some of them had also indulged their taste for sweet strawberries. Tess already was riding the edge of her nerves. Keir didn't want to push her over with a raunchy comment in hearing of the driver.
Kade would give him the same sucker punch he had delivered to Bastion if he dared messed-up what his brother had fixed with a few sweet words in her ear.
“They always serve coffee and biscotti for the men,” Bastion said, nonchalantly.
“How about cucumber sandwiches?” Tess asked, displaying some interest in food.
There was an impolite scoffing sound, followed by the voice of Bastion’s stepmother. “I suppose the Scots didn’t stuff you full of haggis? I’ll have Henry bring out a dinner plate for you.”
Damn.
Bastion’s stepmother had ambushed them, coming around from behind the car.
“It’s lunch. I hope you have more than soup and finger sandwiches. You dragged us from the airport before we could stop for something to eat,” Bastion said. “Make five dinner plates and our own table set up in the garden. We're not ready to speak civilly to any of your guests until our appetites are satisfied.”
“Welcome home, Kit,” Bastion’s stepmother greeted.
She nodded to a servant behind her. The ancient-looking old lady gave her a slight bow and turned slowly, cane in hand, to go make the arrangements that Bastion had requested.
Bastion bared his teeth at his stepmother in a sharp grin.
“Marla, these are my friends. You know all of them except for Tess Sinclair. War’s girlfriend and my new tutor.”
He actually had complied with Tess’s and War’s request for her introduction. That was surprising. Not that Bastion was incapable of following the direction of others. He just preferred to be the leader, which meant he usually twisted requests to what he thought was best.
Bastion must have agreed protecting Tess from his stepmother was more important than getting one up on his parents by revealing the cute girl they paid to tutor him was also sucking his dick for free.
A girl Bastion’s stepmother had absolutely no claws in yet to manipulate.
Tess’s importance to Bastion skyrocketed. Keir had already figured that Bastion had fallen for her fast and hard. This was further evidence.
“You’d better change first,” Marla told Bastion.
“Nice to meet the rest of you, again. Kit should have some spare clothes. I’m not sure he has something in your size, Mr. Stewart.”
Marla looked at War with a glare most women reserved for creepy, crawly bugs underfoot.
“I’ll have a servant bring a dress and heels for Miss Sinclair. None of mine will fit, but we can scrounge something up from one of the servants. Size ten dress? And what about your shoe size?”
“As pleasant as always, Marla. We’re not changing,” Bastion icily told his stepmother.
“You can’t wear jeans to an afternoon tea,” Marla insisted.
Only War and Tess were wearing jeans. The rest of them were dressed in smart casual that could be worn at work, when out for drinks, or simply to an afternoon tea.
Tess looked down at her sneakered feet.
“I’m a size seven shoe. Eight for the dress, but a ten will do and let me eat more cakes. I hoped they’re iced. That will keep War from gobbling them all. He’s got a cookie-monster sweet tooth.”
Keir had worried that Tess let Marla get to her already. That little speech containing concession and a cute comeback together had been golden. Tess had even gotten in a little poke at War about liking sweet things.
All of them knew Tess had a stereotypical girly-love of desserts and chocolate as they had discovered over the weekend.
“Keir and I will save you some cakes,” Kade promised.
Keir supposed that meant they would have to face whatever party Marla had going on first. As long as his brother was with him, it couldn’t be too bad. They were experts at taking on the world as a pair.
Tess had reminded them of their strengths together.
“I’ll bring you upstairs to my room to shower and change,” Bastion offered.
“There plenty of guest suites—”
Bastion cut his stepmother off. “I wanted to show Tess my room. War, do you want to come up as well? Marla is a stickler for proprietary. Can’t let me have a nooner with your girl while the rest of you sip tea with your pinkies out.”
Tess blushed at Bastion’s vulgarity.
War coughed his initial response back.
“I’m Scottish. We donna drink ‘tea’ unless there’s whiskey in it. Then it’s in mugs that need two hands to hold it up for swigging. Are you serving the good tea, Mrs. Wilkinson?”
He let his accent roll on purpose, not above antagonizing Marla. They knew each other well enough to realize they each hated the other.
“Why bother with tea? It’s almost noon. I’m sure I’ve got a tin cup around here somewhere to make it authentic for you,” Marla retorted.
“A flagon will do,” War answered back. “Unless you only have a wee dram in the cupboards.”
Marla wrinkled her nose in disgust. She probably didn’t even know the word for a jug-like container or that a ‘wee dram’ was a shot of whiskey. Unlikely that she would admit that out loud.
Instead, she would take refuge in making War feel unwelcome.
How could she snag the best girls for Bastion if she had real competition present?
“Get inside. I have to get back to the tea. Twins, come with me. You’re presentable, at least.”
“Keir and Kade,” Bastion reminded Marla.
“I’ll never remember who is who,” she snapped back, turning on her heel.
The red-sole flashed at them as she climbed the steps to the house and took a sharp right towards the garden-side entrance.
“Fair enough. I can never remember if she’s talking out of her mouth or her ass,” Keir said to the rest of them.
“Let’s go. She’s liable to lock the gate and forget about us. I’m hungry,” Kade complained, following Marla with a sigh.
“Does this count for brownie points?” Keir asked Tess before he followed, giving her a puppy-dog look with a pout.
Tess wrapped him in a quick, surprising hug.
“Yes. Double, Trouble,” she whispered in his ear.
She released him, adding a pinch to his ass.
His dick hardened.
“No dilly-dawdling with your other boyfriends. We’re crossing into enemy territory for you,” Keir said, backing up. “Don’t agree to anything that starts with Bastion tying you up.”
Bastion pulled Tess back into his embrace. He rested his chin on one of her shoulders and gave Keir a deviant look that promised a lot of delay.
“This is the first girl I’ve brought up to my room. Don’t ruin it for me.”
War coughed again.
Keir narrowed his gaze at Bastion. “You’re kidding, right?”
Tess wiggled in Bastion’s hold. “Seriously?” she asked.
“Technically,” Bastion responded.
“Now march ah
ead of me. I want to watch your ass in those skinny jeans as you walk up the stairs. I’m going to be thinking about the last time I spanked you over them.”
War gently took one of Tess’s hands and tugged her out of Bastion’s embrace. He tucked her arm into the crook of his own and started escorting her towards the main entrance.
“I won’t let Bastion play any games until we’re all together.”
Keir figured that would have to do.
He better hurry up so that his twin wasn’t left to fend for himself.
Wouldn’t it be ironic if they escaped the gang of thugs only to be done in by a party of women at an afternoon tea?
Tess
The wicked stepmother witch was a redhead with nary a freckle. Completely unnatural.
Tess was lucky that War claimed her as his girlfriend in front of Marla. If there was a dragon to battle to get Bastion out of the castle, it was his stepmother. That was a fight she didn’t relish.
Bastion’s father remained to be seen, but Tess hoped he wasn’t as threatening. She already came face-to-face with Mr. Saxton and Grayson.
Why couldn’t her guys have normal football-loving, beer-belly dads?
Of course, she couldn’t really complain about their fathers when she had Greg. He beat everyone’s else’s dads for worst father.
Bastion’s home was as intimidating as War’s mansion. It didn't really matter which one was bigger, given they were both massive homes.
This one wasn’t conveniently in town. The outskirts on the lake was where most of the rich houses were located despite the drive. Close enough to have city utilities, but far enough away for bigger lots and the privacy that came with them.
No buses would drop Tess off here.
It was such a simple way to separate the rich from the poor. They had driven through an iron gate at the entrance of the cobblestone drive. Tess had gotten a glimpse of it once she exited the limo.
Keep Out!
Except signs weren’t really necessary.
She felt out of place. The gate protecting the drive wasn’t meant for people like Tess to pass. That was what Bastion’s stepmother had implied: Tess wasn’t good enough for her tea party.
Duplicity (Victory Lap Book 2) Page 25