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Her expression is grim and a few feet behind her is a furious looking Riley. The look in his eyes is dangerous and I can very well imagine this man to be Debra’s rock in the face of a storm.
The clergyman fumbles with a bunch of keys and before I can urge him on, it’s Elise who says shortly, “Can you please hurry up?!”
His movements increase and he finds a key that fits.
As soon as the door is unlocked, I’m pushing the frightened man aside and shoving my way into the room.
My eyes fall on the three women and the man, standing there, the latter looking pale at my forced entrance.
My mother is a frail looking woman with mousy brown hair and light blue eyes. Her eyes are red and her face is smeared with tears. Her right cheek is an odd shade of color that I can’t make out under the light. Debra is standing in front of her, protectively and she’s holding her right arm in an odd position. Grace is flanking her, fear on her face.
On seeing me, my mother nearly collapses onto the ground with relief. “Lucas!”
Riley rushes over to his fiancée and mother-in-law.
I step towards the man who takes a step back. “What the fuck are you doing here?”
My father isn’t a very tall man but Debra and I have inherited his eyes. That sharpness in ours, flickers in his right now as he looks over my shoulder where Elise is standing, holding Sophie.
I don’t like the considering gleam in his eyes as he gazes at them and I immediately block his line of sight.
My action doesn’t go unnoticed and Leon turns his attention back to me.
Behind me, I can hear the clip of Elise’s short heels as she makes her way over to Debra and my mother.
“This has nothing to do with you, son!”
Debra tears herself from Riley’s arms and growls, “He barged into the bridal room, and I told him he wasn’t invited. Mom tried to diffuse the situation but I didn’t want him at my wedding. He got angry and threatened to go to the news with how he’s being mistreated by our family and said that he had some interesting stories about Mom and you,” Debra keeps speaking without catching a breath and her face is red. “Mom got upset and told him that he shouldn’t threaten his children. He called her a two-bit whore. When I intervened, he grabbed my arm, twisted it and threw me down. And then when Mom tried to push him away, he punched her!”
I am now nearly growling at her words.
Her chest is heaving as she continues, “He wanted us to give him money to keep his mouth shut over things he says he knows about you. Otherwise, he said he won’t let this wedding happen, that he’ll object in the ceremony.”
Her words make no sense, Leon’s threats sounding even more baseless. I have a feeling I know what he’s talking about; an incident I was involved in twelve years ago. But the FBI handled that matter, very discreetly.
I see the way Debra is holding her arm and the bruise blooming on my mother’s cheek, and my blood runs cold with rage.
Elise is supporting my mother and we exchange a look.
Without hesitation, she begins leading my mother out of the room. Grace follows her after Debra nods to her.
“You, too, Deb,” I state quietly, my eyes fixed on Leon’s face.
His crafty gaze moves over my sister to her fiancée. Then, he says in a mournful tone, “I was only trying to defend myself from you, Debra. You got so wild. You have no idea what your mother has done! You mustn’t believe her lies. Riley, son, talk some sense into—”
I raise my fist and punch him in the face.
The force of my fist is enough to make him stumble backward.
“Riley, take Debra and go.”
Debra relents and lets Riley guide her out.
The sound of the click that indicates the door closing fuels my rage and my menacing voice grows even softer, “Why don’t you tell me what you’re really after?” I step towards Leon.
He flinches but that scheming look in his eyes doesn’t disappear. “I don’t—?”
I cut him off, “Disrupting Debra’s wedding is of no benefit to you, Father.” I use the title mockingly. “The flimsy accusations that you threw around here can be ripped apart in seconds. You’re not a stupid man. So, what are you trying to achieve by all this nonsense?”
