by Sam Crescent
“I hate to break this to you, Drake, but I’m not going anywhere. If I can still be friends with you, and us have this fun, then you’ve got me for a lot longer. A parent calling me a slut or whore, or whatever it was they called me—it’s gone a little fuzzy—I can handle it. After all, I did handle your bullying for a long time. Don’t forget that.” She stepped up close to him, wrapping her arms around his waist.
“You’re a lot stronger than I give you credit for,” he said.
“Don’t underestimate me. I’ll surprise you.”
“You always fucking surprise me.” He stroked her cheek.
“You’re going to have to go again, aren’t you? You can’t stay here.”
“I bet your parents would allow Sean.”
“I know. I’m sorry he ruined everything. You were right about him the whole time.”
“I did warn you.”
“And I didn’t listen because I’d never seen that side to him. I messed up. I’m sorry. I hope you can forgive me.” She rested her head against his chest again, listening to his heartbeat. She smiled, loving the erratic sound.
He stroked her hair and for a few short seconds, she truly felt happy. Pushing all of their problems to the back of her mind, she closed her eyes and enjoyed the feel of him surrounding her.
“I loved every single second of our weekend together.”
“You have no regrets?”
“None. I wish your parents hadn’t come, obviously, but there’s nothing I can do to change that.” She tilted her head back and offered him another smile. He cupped her cheek and she pressed her face against his hand. “You’re going to have to go soon.”
“I will. I just needed to see you, to know you’re still okay, and you’re alive, and well, that you’re safe.”
“It kind of scares me how worried you are about your parents.”
“You have no idea what they’re capable of.”
“I’m starting to get an idea. You think they can kill me?” she asked, joking around. One look at his face, and she knew this wasn’t a joking matter. “I was kidding.”
“I wish I was. You know, I didn’t care about them for a long time, or worry. I lived my life and I knew they already had a plan, then you came along, and now, I can’t stand them. I want nothing to do with them, and there’s nothing I can do to stop them.”
“We can.”
“I doubt it.” He pressed a kiss to her lips.
“Don’t be so negative.” She couldn’t deny how afraid she was that he was right, but there was no way she was going to believe they couldn’t be together because of his parents’ say-so. There had to be a way for them.
She heard movement downstairs and she groaned. “You’re going to have to go.”
“Or I could stay here. Do you think they’re going to let Sean leave? It’s late and I can already see them pushing the two of you together.”
“I will never love Sean or be with him. He was my best friend.”
“Was?”
“I don’t know how I can be his friend after what he’s done. It’s not fair.”
“I hate to break this to you, sweetheart, but life isn’t fair.” He pushed some of her hair back.
“I know but friends shouldn’t do that to each other.” She put her hands on his chest, feeling his heartbeat. “I don’t think you’d understand.”
“I have friends.”
“Friends don’t sleep with each other’s friends, and they don’t step out on you like that. There is a code.”
“Ree’s not your friend then.”
“I don’t want to know what happened between you and Ree.”
“Nothing happened because she wasn’t important to me. You are. You matter to me.” He pressed a kiss to her lips. “I love being with you and I had no idea I could feel this way. To think I could have fucked this all up with how much I’ve been mean to you.”
She smiled. “You don’t have to go. Sean’s not coming in here. I don’t want you to leave.”
“I don’t want to go.”
She wrapped her arms around him, holding him close, and he pushed off his shoes.
He removed his jacket and she put it in her closet in case her parents walked in. She doubted they would.
Chapter Twenty-One
Never wanted to leave
Drake knew deep down this thing he had with Pru would be coming to an end. All his life, he’d bullied her. Pushed her around, and for what? To fall in love with her and to lose her just as fast. He’d been a complete dick to her, and there was no turning back from what he’d done.
Stroking back her hair, he watched her sleep, knowing there was no way he was ever going to stop loving her. She was everything he had ever wanted in his life and only realized it recently.
“I want to love you for the rest of my life,” he said. She was fast asleep and wouldn’t be waking any time soon.
When she did wake, he’d need to leave. Her parents had already gone to bed. He’d been frozen in place as one of them had lingered outside her door, but they had clearly thought better of entering. They had left her alone and he didn’t know if it pissed him off more to know they weren’t even going to try to make things right. No one had a right to speak to their daughter like his parents had, but they’d been too cowardly to speak up.
This was all his fault. If he hadn’t taken her away, or if he’d been even more careful in seeing her, she would still be in his world now.
He held a piece of her hair, running it back and forth through his fingers.
“I never thought I could care for anyone the way I do you.”
She let out a sigh and snuggled up closer to him. He pressed his lips against her head and knew he couldn’t fall asleep. Not yet. After another hour of holding her, he finally eased out of bed. He got dressed, all the while watching her as she slept through his movements. He didn’t want to wake her up.
With his clothes back on, he walked over to the window, lifted it up, and climbed out. He had to find a way to get his parents off his back and away from Pru. They could run away, but it wouldn’t work. They would find some way to manipulate all the people around them, and have Pru pay the price. He wouldn’t allow her to be hurt any more than she already had.
Dropping to his feet at the bottom of the tree, he then walked off her property and headed home. Once he arrived at the gates of his house, he stared at the large building, hating it on sight.
People always admired the large mansion, but it was all lies. His life wasn’t easy in this place. It was a fucking nightmare, and it was only now he realized how much he hated it. Shoving his hands into his pockets, he entered his home.
No one was waiting and he listened. There were no cars parked out on the driveaway. His parents weren’t home. They’d given him an instruction and expected him to abide by their rules. He would never do as he was told again. Instead of going to his room, and as there was no way he could sleep, he went straight to his father’s office.
Entering the room, he glanced around at all the traditional décor. His father had always been a little bit of a traditionalist. It hadn’t stopped him from screwing the women in charge of decorating, though.
The large mahogany desk spread out near the windows. The black chair was more suited to being in a company as a CEO’s chair or something like that. He’d watched his father sitting at the desk, looking like he was king of the world when it was the furthest thing from the truth. His father got off on hurting those in his way, of crushing them.
Both of his parents did.
Moving behind the desk, he took a seat and put his hands flat to the surface, staring across the room. Sitting back, he looked at the drawers and started to try to open them. None of them would open. A little lock on each corner kept him out.
He’d never taken the time to think of his father as a person, or where he’d hide keys. Getting to his feet, he looked around the room.
There were several large pieces of artwork. His father was a bit of a c
ollector, but again, he didn’t see the appeal. He touched one piece and it didn’t move. With the next, it tilted forward and the keys spilled out of the bottom, dropping onto the floor.
It all seemed a little … easy. There was no way these were the keys to the desk, but as he tried one key and gave it a turn, it didn’t move. He checked the other five drawers, and it was the last one at the bottom of the opposite side that sprang open.
It was empty.
Using the other keys, he opened up the desk. There was nothing in most of the drawers. Papers and pens in another. No letters. No evidence of the monster in control.
Sitting back, he tapped his fingers on the desk.
Maybe the evidence he needed to hurt his parents wouldn’t be lying around in the office as it was the most obvious place to look. Getting to his feet, he left, heading upstairs to his parents’ suit. They didn’t share a room and hadn’t for as long as Drake could remember.
The first room had to belong to his mother. It was too floral and perfect to be his father’s. The moment he entered the right room, he knew it was his father’s. It had a brand-new bachelor feel, which would have been exactly what he organized to have.
His father liked the idea of being a free man, but he wasn’t, not really. Like his father before him, they were all trapped.
He didn’t sit down but spun around, wondering if this would be where any delicate information would be stored. He had no doubt there had to be evidence here of some kind. His father was too paranoid to not have something close by.
Drake knew there would be information in safety deposit boxes, offices, with lawyers, and trusted assets, but it wouldn’t all be in one place. The darkest shit had to be closest to him.
There was only one way to truly find out, and he moved toward the closet, opening it. The suits were all neatly lined up. It looked like a true, modern-day businessman’s wardrobe. All pristine, orderly, and perfect.
Drake didn’t know when it happened, but he had grown to hate perfection. Being surrounded by it for all of his life, he only saw how toxic it was.
Pushing the pants to one side, he knew there was no point in checking them. His father would never be so foolish as to leave pants lying around for anyone to see. No matter where he turned. There didn’t appear to be a single clue to help him or Pru.
After leaving his father’s bedroom, he entered his mother’s. He never came to this room. The last time he did hadn’t been pretty. His parents liked to present to the world a united front but behind closed doors, they despised each other. It often surprised Drake how they were able to have a child in the first place. Their hatred for one another knew no bounds.
The heavy scent of perfume hung in the air, and it was almost too strong to even stand.
Where his father wouldn’t be stupid enough to leave evidence lying around, he hoped his mother was too … trusting and conceited to even think of hiding her true self. He would love to see her face when the world saw her.
If only she kept video proof of her indiscretions.
He walked over to her vanity table and looked over the contents. Perfumes, makeup, hairbrushes, and combs all were placed on the surface. He didn’t dare move one, in case she suspected someone was snooping.
Drake sat down at the table and slowly opened each drawer, finding underwear. He moved it gently to one side, hoping to find something, anything to use on them so he wouldn’t have to abandon Pru.
The vanity table was clear. Next, he moved toward the closet. Unlike his father’s pristine display of clothes, his mother was messy. Clothes were strewn all over. She never wore the same outfit twice, so why would she even need to keep anything neat and tidy? In the far corner, he noticed a couple of plain cardboard boxes. They didn’t appear to be anything important and he pushed some of her clothes to one side to get a better look. Opening the boxes, he saw some old letters and photos. He pushed them to one side and found a locked safe. Lifting it, he inspected the box and frowned. It didn’t look like something his mother would own. It even looked a little cheap, which got his suspicions rising.
In order to have complete control over his own life, he needed to know what was in the box. It could be nothing, but he couldn’t allow his parents to know he’d even been snooping.
Pissed off that he’d hit a dead end, he glanced around the closet. With the size of the thing, it was almost another room. It certainly was big enough for a bed and someone to live here. Before he took his time getting to know Pru, he was exactly like his parents. Always wanting the best and looking down on those who had so little.
Pru had opened his eyes a great deal, and he didn’t want to lose her or what he’d gained in the process. His parents and their ideals were the monsters, not him. He’d changed and there was no way he was going to live the rest of his life bowing down to their needs when they weren’t his own. He would fight them at every single turn. He wasn’t afraid of them. What he needed to be was smart so his parents wouldn’t know what he was up to.
At the bottom of the box, he saw a single key. He couldn’t believe his mother would leave a key in plain sight. It wasn’t like her.
Sliding the key into the lock, he flicked it open.
There was no way it could have worked. Opening the lid, he stared inside. At first, he wasn’t sure what he saw. There was a single folder. Plain cream and it had his name written on it. He pulled it out of the safe and glanced over it. Turning over the front cover, he saw files and pictures pinned to the back. He removed the metal clasp, looking up and flicking through the paperwork.
He didn’t understand it.
His name was on the form and so was his father’s. Sitting down on the floor, he read through the official medical letter, nibbling on his lip as he read the letter.
Regret to inform you you’re unable to father children. The words were right there in black and white.
“I should have known you would try to look for something.”
Drake turned his head to see his mother sitting on the bed. He hadn’t heard her come back inside. She hadn’t tried to kill him and she didn’t look angry.
“What is this?” he asked.
“You know exactly what it is. As you’ve been trying to tell us for some time, you’re not stupid.”
Right at that moment, he wanted to be stupid. “This doesn’t make any sense.”
“Oh, come on, Drake. It’s not hard to see. Your father can’t have children. He’s fucking useless. Can bang as many bitches as he sees fit but will never be a father.”
“But, how is that possible? I thought he’d … fathered children.”
His mother burst out laughing. “He hasn’t fathered anything. Can’t do anything with a bunch of blanks and that is exactly what he has to offer. Blanks. He’s useless. There’s no way he can continue his bloodline.”
“If what this document says is true then why are you still with him? You’re thirsty for money, power, all of it. Why do you still continue to stay married to him?” He didn’t get it. There was no way his mother would marry a man she couldn’t stand or stay with him. It just wasn’t possible. Something wasn’t adding up.
“Your father and I got married long before we realized he was hopeless in that department. Believe me, there’s no way I would have stuck around if there wasn’t an option.”
“How can there be an option? Without another heir, his fortune gets passed on.”
“To what? To a bastard child?”
“None of that matters to anyone,” he said.
“Oh, please, you fickle child. It still matters. No one wants a bastard.”
“But if I’m not my dad’s, it’s exactly who I am.”
“Please, you’re your father’s child, just not completely,” his mother said.
“What the fuck does that mean?” He didn’t want to play riddles, but it would appear his mother did. None of this made any sense. If he wasn’t his father’s son, then the fortune had to go to the next person in line. He didn’t recall any livi
ng uncles or aunts. There was no way his mother would allow for that kind of power.
Think, brain, fucking think.
His mother just sat there on the edge of the bed, looking at her nails as if this was all just a boring show. He hated her on sight.
“Are you done trying to scrabble your brains and pretending you care?”
“Who am I?” he asked.
“Your grandfather was a frisky devil. Did you know that?”
“What?” His grandfather had died a couple of years ago, but whenever he took the time to visit, he was always … around, smiling at him. Wanting to know about his life and who he was with.
“So you don’t get confused, I will try to dumb it down. When your grandfather discovered your father couldn’t have kids, there was no way he would allow his empire to pass on to no one. So he intended to do anything to make sure his pathetic waste of a son didn’t screw this up.”
Drake didn’t know if he should trust what she was saying. “What does this mean?”
His mother laughed. “It means, my sweet little boy. Your father is not your father. He’s your brother.”
Drake couldn’t believe it but why would she have any reason to lie to him? “No, it’s not true.”
“Oh, it is. I couldn’t divorce your father. We’re a powerful couple and hearing the unfortunate news of his inability to father a child, well, your grandfather wasn’t going to stand for that. So we made sure this company wouldn’t be in the hands of just anyone. No, it would be a son of his, and he’d be around as long as he could to guide that son, but he did have a heart attack, and well, die. Your father has been doing the best he could ever since.”
“There’s no way you could have kept this secret. Not from prying eyes. You had to have known the mistake you were making.”
“I didn’t have to deal with anything other than giving birth to you. It was my only job to do. Last I heard, the doctor who knew the truth met a very sad ending. He ate rat poison or something like that. Died painfully. There was nothing that could be done. No one could help him and he was all alone when it happened. He did die a rich man, though. So sad.”