AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“You haven’t, and I’ll tell you anything you want but only with Dorian’s blessing.”
I nodded, starting to leave.
“I am curious, though,” he said, causing me to turn his way. His head tilted. “What exactly were you going to ask about that summer?”
It felt silly now. Odds were, Dorian had blown things completely out of proportion. I tugged my bag up my arm. “He said when you blackmailed him, you threatened his mom. He also said you got him arrested to teach him a lesson after, and that just…” I paused, my hand lifting. I didn’t continue, feeling too embarrassed. This was probably all just a miscommunication, and here I was in his house saying such things.
“Just what, Sloane?” Callum asked, surprising me, and I had to say, he didn’t look as insulted as he probably should. The things I’d said would insult me.
I eased back into the room. “I guess I was just going to say doesn’t sound like you.” I shrugged. “And I know Dorian. I know him a lot, and he tends to see things the way he wants to see them sometimes.”
“This is true about my grandson. He has quite a temper on him.” Shifting, Callum gazed out of the window. He had snowy views of an expansive property out there and seclusion like at the glass house he got for Bru and me. His place was in another section of the rolling hills surrounding Maywood Heights. “He’s a lot like his father in that regard. Always angry. Vengeful.”
That didn’t sound like Dorian’s dad. He was serious, but never mean, angry.
“My son Royal has always been angry. Angry at me for ruining his life and being so hard on him coming up.” His lips pinched together. “It seemed Dorian took away from some of that.”
I approached his side, staring out the window too. This family seemed to have so much pain, and I know Dorian did.
“It’s a shame Dorian feels the way he does about what happened last summer,” he continued. “And you’re right. He does tend to see things the way he wants to see them.”
It didn’t feel right talking about him like this, and I started to say that when Callum touched me, his hand on my arm. It took me off guard, and I jumped, easing my arm away. “What are you doing?”
It wasn’t the fact that he’d touched me. It was why. It’d come out of nowhere.
His hand returned to his cane. “I was just seeing something.”
“Seeing something?”
His nod was subtle yet firm, and he panned outside again. “I suppose how easy you’ll make this. Painless. I’ve been watching you for a while, Sloane, and though you don’t necessarily make things easy, you are quite logical.”
“I’m sorry. Watching me?” I shook my head. “What are you talking about?”
“Watching is a strong word. More like aware. I’m aware of you, Sloane.” He looked at me. “Are you aware of me?”
I didn’t know what he was asking me, but it felt weird. Wrong. I backed up. “I think I need to go.”
My stomach clenched tight, I headed toward the door but stopped when I noticed we weren’t alone. Lucas stood at the door, his hands together. He completely blocked the way out, and I screeched to a stop on the wood panel floor in front of him.
“Lucas is merely here for you to hear me out, Sloane.” Callum’s voice was closer, and instantly, my body locked up, my lungs tight. I wasn’t getting in much air, and I didn’t know why until a large shadow darkened the wall in front of me. It was bigger than mine, taller. “You hear me out, and you’re free to go. I’d never make you do anything you didn’t want to do.”
I really couldn’t breathe now, my swallow hard. Lucas, in front of me, gestured a hand right, but when I didn’t move, he crowded me until I did.
“Take a seat, Miss Sloane,” he said, making sure I did. Callum remained behind me, and I didn’t see him until I did take that seat. He still had his cane in his hand, and though he might need it that didn’t make him appear any less intimidating. He was a large man and built just as solidly as his grandson and son.
And I wasn’t in the room with just him.
Lucas was here too, and he was just as big. I sat in a chair. “What’s going on?”
I made that sentence sound confident as hell, steady but inside I was screaming and even more so when Callum chose not to sit but stand. He did so right in front of me, Lucas behind my chair. I didn’t know what the fuck was going on here, but I definitely didn’t want to hear whatever this was.
“First thing’s first. Hand your phone over to Lucas,” Callum stated and casual about it. He strode over to the fireplace, the flames casting shadows over his face. “Wouldn’t want any disturbances while you listen to my proposal. I assure you. It suits both of us, and by the end, I hope you’ll see that too.”
I took my phone out with a shaking hand, basically tossing it at Lucas. While I did, I scanned the room. There were several doors, but they might not lead to exits. There was a window, but we were several floors up. “What’s going on, Callum?”
A short smile tugged his lips. “I thought a lot about this day with you. What I’d say.” His smile deepened. “But I suppose, what I first want to say is, thank you.”
“Thank you?”
