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“His father doesn’t approve of me. I’m not wealthy like he is. I live halfway across the world… The odds are stacked against us. We probably wouldn’t have worked out in the long run. Maybe this whole fiasco with that Calloway woman was a sign.”
Lincoln shook his head. “Charlotte Brooks backing down from a challenge… I never thought I’d see the day.”
“I have to protect my heart,” I returned.
If Jamie and I moved forward after this, it was only a matter of time before his father lashed out or some other hindrance arose. Maybe it was best if we left things as they were. Jamie and I were good together for a while… We were perfect. However, perhaps we should leave well enough alone.
34
JAMIE
I walked into Dad’s home office, barely holding my fury in check. My father had done some fucked up shit over the years. Hell, he was the major cause of me carrying the heavy burden of guilt because he convinced me that I killed my mother. But this… this took the cake.
After Charlotte hung up on me yesterday and I recovered from my shock, I processed what she said about speaking with Gwendolyn Calloway. Since I’d never officially met the woman, I wondered how she even got it into her head to go to my place. Then it hit me…
Dad wasn’t pleased that I was with Charlotte and not a woman he chose. He’d called me several more times after our first chat and expressed concern about the Winchester legacy being tarnished.
I’d say that I was pretty smart since I’d grown said legacy to new heights that Dad never could, yet I couldn’t comprehend how my being with the woman I loved would tarnish it. If Charlotte and I had children, they’d still be Winchesters… so what the fuck?
I looked up Gwendolyn Calloway, who I hadn’t even crossed paths with yet because she spent so much time in Europe. When I paid her a visit, she took one look at me and broke. I’ve been told plenty of times that I can look terrifying when I fully transform into “ruthless bastard mode…” I believe those were Alex’s exact words.
Gwendolyn confessed to everything. Dad encouraged her to “get rid of” Charlotte who was a danger to our possible marriage. Gwendolyn was inclined to go along with Dad’s scheme because her family’s wealth had dwindled significantly, and it was imperative that she marry someone like me.
I’d listened with disdain as she prattled on, apologized, and then had the nerve to throw herself at me. I had then—not subtly—told her that if she even dared to cross my path again, her daddy’s dwindling bank account would be the least of her worries. I didn’t get off on scaring women—or anyone for that matter—but I was fucking livid.
Today was Dad’s turn to receive the brunt of my anger. He looked up from whatever he was reading at his desk and plucked his glasses off his nose.
“James, I expected you.”
“Mhmm.”
He smiled slightly. “You’re angry. You tend to speak very little when you are. We’re alike in that way.” He gestured to the chair in front of his desk.
I ignored the invitation and strolled over to the pictures of my mother adorning his wall. I stared at the smiling woman who had tightly curled strawberry-blonde hair and sparkling green eyes. She was beautiful, not just on the outside but on the inside too. I could tell by the warmth projected from her eyes when she smiled. Every day, I wished I’d gotten the chance to know her. My heart constricted, but I tore my gaze away from my mother’s image and lasered in on Dad.
“I might look like you, Dad, but I’m nothing like you, so don’t say we’re alike in any way. I think I inherited everything else that counts from my mother because I’m not a wicked, conniving, son of a bitch.”
Dad’s nostrils flared. “You will address me with respect, son.”
“And you will shut the fuck up and listen to me for once in your life!” I roared.
I inhaled and exhaled, getting a grip on my temper. I’d never spoken to him like this, but I was done with his bullshit and I needed him to know that.
Dad’s jaw slackened and despite my rage, I felt a sliver of amusement. He’d been on his high horse for so long that he probably didn’t know what it felt like to be defied. And maybe I played a part in making him feel so powerful, but I’d remedy that soon enough.
“I had an interesting chat with Gwendolyn. She told me what you did.”
He at least had the decency to look a little guilty. “James, what I did was for the best?—”
“I believe I told you to shut the fuck up, old man.”
The way his eyes bulged and his face reddened… I hoped he didn’t have a cardiac arrest. My intention wasn’t to kill the old goat, just to put him in his place once and for all.
“This is my fault,” I said. “You thinking that you can control my life is on me, and I’m taking accountability. Since I was a kid, I’ve done everything you demanded of me because I felt bad. You were a miserable bastard when Mom died, and I carried the guilt of thinking that I ruined your life. But it’s time I let all of that go. And you know what? I forgive you for being an awful parent who psychologically tortured me by blatantly blaming me for her death.”
Dad went pale as he stared up at me as if I’d just driven home how fucked up he was and he realized it for the first time. However, I didn’t care much what he was feeling, just as he never cared about my feelings.
“I’ve let you get away with a lot, even thinking that you still run this Winchester show.” I waved my hand to encompass his office, which was in a sprawling mansion. “But let’s be honest, I’m in charge now. You know it… everyone knows it. When you go out of your way to ruin the one great thing I had in my life… You just fucked yourself epically, Vincent.”
