AllFreeNovel
Share Us
That’s one thing I knew for sure about her. She wasn’t big on beer or liquor, but she loved wine. Red being her favorite. I don’t drink the stuff, but that doesn’t mean I don’t know wines. It’s one of the businesses my family dipped their toes into. The winery is my mother’s passion, her baby, just as it was my grandmother’s.
I shove the thought away before I can end up down that damn rabbit hole. No way do I need to think about anything to do with my family right now. Not until after I get things sorted with Bristol. My brother showing up at the garage the way he did, not only was it to piss me off but he was sending a message. One that was very clear to me. He’s going to fuck with me and try and get me back in the family fold. That shit’s not about to happen. I left that life for a reason. I don’t fit in it and won’t return to it. I’m not a hotshot, and I don’t do suits and ties. I also don’t do conference rooms and board meetings. Fuck that. I prefer to get my hands greasy and handle things with my fists.
I step to the side, and both women outside barge right in, Bristol’s mother huffing. Slowly, I close the door, taking in the three women.
“What can I do for you, Mom?” Bristol asks, sounding void of all those emotions I know her to have.
“You can start by telling me why I’m just finding out you bought a house. Then, you can move on to other things. Are you trying to embarrass this family?” Bristol’s mother snaps, planting one hand on her hip, the other waving erratically around the space in front of her.
“Mother, calm down,” the other woman says, softly holding her fingers in front of her. Eyes cast slightly down in front of her.
“I will calm down once I have answers.”
“I suggest you calm your ass down or you’ll be back out on your ass, and the cops can see you off the property then,” I state, moving from my position at the door to stand next to Bristol and curling her into my side.
The two of us might have issues to work out, but she’s not about to take these two on without someone at her back.
“You will do no such thing. This is my daughter’s home, and she will not do anything. Considering she used the money from her trust for this house, I have a say in this as I didn’t agree to it.”
The hell does that mean? Bristol’s trust?
“I didn’t buy my house with the money from my trust fund, Mom,” Bristol announces, sounding annoyed. “I saved to be able to buy my house, and for the record, Dad knows I did this and is proud of me for doing it all on my own.”
“Your father is an idiot. He doesn’t know what’s best for you or this family,” the woman snaps, narrowing her gaze. “It’s time you come home. I’m done playing these games with you. You have a duty to this family, and I won’t see you embarrass us further. Your sister has done as she was told. She married the man we chose for her. Your brother is working and is courting the woman chosen for him. Now, you need to do the same thing and finally accept the proposal and marry the man we arranged for you.”
Seems Bristol and I have a hell of a lot more to discuss than I thought.
“You mean the man you picked for me,” Bristol snaps. “I told you I will not be doing anything of the sort. I will not live a life where I’m not happy. If that’s all you came here for, then you need to leave.”
“I will not.”
Done with the bullshit, I drop my arm from around Bristol’s shoulder and step forward. “Bristol’s told you to leave. If you don’t, I’ve already told you what I’ll do, and don’t think I won’t.”
“Come on, Mother,” Bristol’s sister says softly, placing a hand gently on her mother’s arm. “We will finish discussing this when you’re calm. I’m sure Bristol will listen to reason when we do so.”
“Not a chance.” I hear Bristol utter sarcastically, but the others don’t hear her.
“Fine,” her mother sneers. “You best be at the dinner party this weekend.” The woman shoots me a harsh, calculating glare and storms out of the house.
Bristol’s sister stops at the door and looks back. “Please make sure to come to the dinner party, Bristol. You know how Mother can be. But I promise to try and talk to her. Maybe Dad can talk to her.”
“Like you talked her out of the marriage you entered?” Bristol huffs and steps forward. “I can see the bruises you’re trying to hide, Giselle. I won’t follow in your steps because I know who it is she wants me to marry, and I won’t do it. Where your husband only beats you, that best friend of his would kill me, and you know it.”
I stiffen at the conversation between the two of them and hate it. I notice the tears in Bristol’s sister’s eyes and know she knows Bristol is speaking the truth.
“When you’re ready to get out of that life, Giselle, you’re Bristol’s sister, and my club will help you.”
Giselle stares at me for a long moment and then looks back at Bristol. “I’ll see you at the dinner party,” she whispers and closes the door behind her.
Letting out a breath, I shake my head, unable to wrap my head around all this.
“You might as well leave also. I’m tired and ready to go to bed. I don’t need any more drama tonight,” Bristol states, drains the wine in her glass, turns, and makes her way toward the sink.
With the open space, I can track her movement and watch her ass sway as she walks. Just watching her move has my cock throbbing, but her words just piss me off.
“I’m not leaving, Bristol, so don’t try to bullshit emotionless void me,” I grumble, stalking in her direction and ignoring Jagger. I still can’t believe she’s got a cat she named fucking Jagger. I’m not a big cat person, but even I could tell the cat was pretty cool with its intense-looking eyes, even as a kitten still.
A thought hits me, and that hit goes straight to my gut. That day in the hospital, she’d given the emotionless void look to me when she told me to leave, and I fucking did.
