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Lexi
Hunter was right. His family is toxic, mainly his mom, who is difficult to take. It’s no wonder he only comes here once a month, and that’s more than they deserve, in my opinion. I made light of my past, but it still cuts deep and I doubt I will ever get past the damage my parents caused.
Chase is the only person alive who understands what it was like, and he’s all I’ve got. We have protected each other all our lives and without him by my side; the world is a very frightening place.
Now the man by my side is conflicting with my judgment. I want to hate him and I want to push him away because I can’t let anyone in. Especially not someone like him, a man with no regard for people’s feelings. A man who has everything he wants and doesn’t look outside his gold-lined cage. I don’t want this life and I try to tell myself that I don’t want him.
Then again, the way he looks at me like a lost kid in an amusement park with a sense of panic as if I’ll leave him. A hopelessness as he wants something but doesn’t want to keep it. He is as lost as I am and I can see that abuse has many forms, because Hunter Blake has been abused all his life by the woman who should have kept him safe. The way he stiffens up when she speaks. The pain in his eyes that he uses harsh words to distract from. He is struggling to deal with the cause of his inner struggle and I know a lot about that.
We head inside and I am seated on his father’s left, with Hunter on the other side. His mom is at the opposite end of the table next to Willard, who looks as uncomfortable outward as I feel inside. I don’t miss the nervous looks he throws Hunter’s way, which are nothing like the looks his brother sends him. Adam Blake is jealous and any fool can see that. The way he checks me out like his next meal, just to irritate Hunter. The lazy way he tries to prove he’s the better son by the memories he talks about where he’s the hero and Hunter the fool. I don’t miss the family dynamics playing out around the table and yet mainly Hunter ignores them all and only the tightening of his grip on my knee from time to time reveals how much they affect him.
Once the main course has been cleared away, Bea coughs and says slightly nervously, “Hunter, maybe you could take Willard aside after dinner.”
“Why?” Hunter openly sighs and I kick him sharply. To his credit he doesn’t even react and Bea says quickly, “Willard is hoping to start a hedge fund and would be interested in discussing some suitable investments.”
Hunter drags his dark gaze over the shivering Willard who once again is trying to blend into the wallpaper and says loudly, “Request denied.”
“But...” Bea is lost for words and his mom says icily, “Hunter, you will not deny your family a moment of your time; of course you will help Willard, it’s what families do.”
“He’s not my family.”
“Hunter.” His mom hisses and I swear the butter curdles on the table. “You will help Willard out of courtesy to your sister. God knows you need to give something back to this family and any help you can give Willard benefits your sister too.”
“Why, what’s in it for Bea?”
Bea almost shrivels in her seat as her mom announces proudly, “Willard has asked your father for Beatrice’s hand in marriage and he has delightfully accepted.”
I stare across at Bea, who looks a little uncomfortable and just smiles briefly before looking down and Willard looks around as if he’s just secured a government contract.
“Then you have my sympathies, Bea.”
Hunter shakes his head and I could curl up and die on the spot as Willard looks alarmed when Hunter fixes him with a dark gaze and his words come out like machine gunfire designed to cause the most damage.
“Firstly, why should I help you just because you somehow made my sister agree to marry you? Secondly, I would think far more of you if you worked for what you want, rather than expect it to be handed to you on a silver platter. Thirdly, if you want to be respected by the very people you seek to do business with, you will cut your hair, grow some balls and shorten your frankly ridiculous name to Will. Stop dressing like a frat wannabee and try to form a few sentences in company instead of trying your best to remain invisible in a den of vipers. My sister deserves better than you and my parents are fools for agreeing to this sham of a marriage.”
Willard looks as if he’s about to pass out under the vicious onslaught of words directed at him and Bea looks as if she’s about to cry. Adam appears to be enjoying this way too much but Hunter’s parents are so angry I can almost taste it, so I jump in and say loudly, “What a great idea, Hunter. Shortening names can be so much fun. Do you remember when we tried it with yours but had to abandon it when I kept on mistaking the H for a C.”
Once again, the disbelief sits in the air grabbing handfuls of popcorn while it watches the show and suddenly Mr. Blake starts laughing so loudly, it’s impossible to concentrate on anything else. He shakes his head and says in a loud voice, “I love you, Lexi. You are a worthy woman to sit beside my son.”
He turns to Willard and says bluntly, “Hunter’s right about one thing. You need to find your own way. No one in this family has ever been handed anything they haven’t worked for and I don’t expect you to be the exception to the rule. First thing tomorrow morning come and see me in my office. If you want to learn about investments, you can start where Hunter did and learned the foundations before he started tiling the roof.”
Mrs. Blake opens her mouth to speak and Mr. Blake says tightly, “Arrange dessert, I have an urgent conversation that’s long overdue with both of my sons.”
Hunter tenses beside me, and Mrs. Blake nods as if she knows what the hell he is talking about. Maybe she does, but I saw the look in her eye when he raised the subject and if she knows what he’s about to say, I’m not an assassin.
I think the only reason for keeping us here is that Hunter is intrigued to hear what his father has to say. The rest of the meal is spent in awkward silence despite his mom trying to keep the conversation going about the various committees she’s on and faceless people she knows.
By the time we leave the table, I want to grab Hunter’s hand and race back to the helicopter and never see these people again, but instead I use the time wisely and try not take it personally and get my head into business. It’s obvious that any one of these people could have a vendetta against Hunter and that’s even more shocking because they’re his immediate family. Once again, I wonder about this man because so far, the only person I’ve seen him have time for is Harry.
As we head into the living room for after-dinner drinks, his mom says loudly, “I received a call from Mrs. Dominguez, remember, the mother of the girl you were seeing just a few nights ago.”
She stares at me with a cold leveled look and I see Adam look at me with a smirk. For some reason the thought of Hunter with this woman makes me so jealous I can’t register anything other than that, but Hunter just says icily, “Amber was my date for the night as a favor to her father. She stood by my side and we parted company soon after. If you think you’re scoring points against me mother, then think again. You know nothing about my life and that’s just how I like it. If Amber’s mother is calling you, it’s because she’s exactly like you and trying to arrange a soulless union for her offspring. Take Bea and Will what’s his name here. They’re not in love, any fool can see that, so don’t try to manipulate my life like you have theirs.”
He turns to his father. “If you want a word, I can spare you ten minutes because we’re leaving.”
“Hunter!” Once again, his mom looks as if she wants to drive a stake through his heart and his father says quickly, “Adam, follow us. This conversation can’t wait.”
As they head from the room, my heart sinks. Great, quality time with mommy dearest and a sister who is trying everything she can to create distance from her fiancé. Thank God I only have my brother. Life is certainly simpler when you have no ties.
