Chapter 21 #2
I haven’t been to the estate properly since my father’s funeral, and a part of me wishes I had, just to make this moment less public. The marquee is full, and people spill out onto the manicured grounds. It looks like something out of a movie. Only in my head, it’s a horror film.
Businessmen, most of which I despise, nod their heads at me in greeting. My parents were respected in the property business, and now that I sit at the helm of it I’m expected to smile and greet them with the same professionalism my father showed.
When I took over the company six years ago, I knew I wasn’t going to be a pushover like mine and Elliot’s fathers were. They were the nice guys, and now we are the assholes, but also the assholes that sit at the top of all the competition.
All eyes follow the five of us through the crowded marquee as we make our way to the bar. Charlie orders a round of drinks, and I scan the crowd.
“Anyone see the girls?” Elliot asks, standing a solid two inches above me.
“No,” I deadpan, turning to retrieve my drink.
“I’m going to go find them,” he says, disappearing back the way we just came.
Ellis will be in the house, and I want to go and see him, but I feel safer out here.
Where the fuck is everyone?
I text Nina asking her where she is.
She told me she would be here, Ellis too, and now Elliot has fucked off.
“Mr Lowell Jr.”
I exhale on a deep sigh, looking to the ceiling before turning. “Mrs Mills.” I smile, turning to her husband. “Fred.”
“Good to see you, Mason, great evening you’ve put on tonight,” Fredrick says, shaking my hand. “Did you see Millerton have moved in on Berkley’s territory. I knew they would but not this fast.”
Fuck my ever-fucking life.
“I did. Doesn’t surprise me one bit, they always have been greedy in their market.”
“Well, your father would’ve been outraged. It was these very movements Anthony put a stop to.”
“Anthony isn’t here anymore, Fred.”
“I know, but—”
“Excuse me, I see someone I need to speak with. You enjoy your night.”
I’m almost clear of the bar and back to Lance, Charlie, and George when Rupert Hemmings intercepts me.
I shouldn’t be here.
I don’t want to be here.
“Mason, how are you, son?”
“Rupert.” I nod, shaking his outstretched hand.
“I haven’t seen you in years. I’m sorry to hear about your father.”
Rupert Hemmings was one of my father’s biggest competitors for over thirty years.
When a scandal sent his company into bankruptcy, he decided to start asking my father for financial aid.
Like I said, my father was the good guy, so he helped him.
But when I took over the company, I put a stop to it and had him pay back the money he owed.
There’s no place in business for family and friends.
The old man isn’t doing bad for himself either, he had more than enough money to pay us back. If I remember rightly, he made the call from his yacht in the Maldives. Had his PA do the transfer. Safe to say old man Hemmings had his priorities in all the wrong places.
“No, it has been a while… I don’t think I saw you at the funeral.” Not that I’d know if he was there or not, but something tells me he wasn’t.
“Uh, no, I was away. Business trip.” He shrugs glumly.
“Ah, of course.”
“Lowell!”
I turn as a hand slaps me on the back. Cooper Hemmings greets me with his signature over the top pretentious smile. The prick hates me, and I hate him.
“Cooper.” I nod.
“Have you heard the news, Mason?” Rupert asks. “Cooper will be taking over the firm as of next year.”
“No way?” I recoil in shock, a smile tugging at my lips.
“Yeah.” Cooper glares at my obvious smirk.
“Well good luck to you, Coop.” I tip my chin up. “I look forward to seeing what you’ve got.”
He places a hand on his father’s rounded shoulder, tipping his chin as his lip curls. “I have one of the best to learn from.”
“Indeed.” I give him a tight-lipped smile.
Cooper and I went to college together. He flunked his final year and had to stay behind to repeat. The prick never got over it.
“What’s this I hear about Montgomery taking over the Savale account?” Rupert asks. “Anthony always worked with them.”
My eyes flick to his, then back to Cooper and I wonder if they are intentionally trying to piss me off. My hands clench in my pockets, the need to punch the smirk off Cooper’s face too strong.
“Gentlemen.”
I whip around, my eyes landing on Nina.
Everything drifts the fuck away.
Every thought of my parents, my business, and the pricks who bait me, it all disappears, my world stepping up and carrying me away.
Every word I have in my brain seems to die before they can pass my lips. And it’s a good thing because they wouldn’t be coherent.
She’s wearing a black lace dress. It’s tight to her body and barely covers her tits. It’s too fucking tight and leaves nothing to the imagination.
Fuck!
Ellis sits on Nina’s hip, wearing a tux that matches my own. He throws himself at me and I gladly take him.
“Mase,” she says softly, gripping my arm with her dainty hand. “Sorry we’re late.” To anyone watching on, it would seem like a simple apology. But to us, it’s Nina placing the shield up and telling me she’s here.
I fucking adore this woman.
Cooper steps forward. My eyes are trained on him from the moment he takes the first inch towards her. “Who’s this delicacy?”
“Mine,” I announce on a growl, wrapping my hand around Nina’s waist whilst placing Ellis on my other hip.
“Oh,” he muses. “Mrs Lowell, it’s a pleasure.”
“It’s Anderson,” she corrects, and my eyes fly to hers.
She looks up at me with an innocent look and shrugs.
“Cooper Hemmings,” he introduces himself. “And this is my father, Rupert.”
“Mr Hemmings.” She nods to Rupert politely.
“I heard you had a kid. But nobody told me his mother was such a fine beauty. A dance later, Miss Anderson?” His eyes rake down her body, pausing on her chest for a second too long.
“Mason, can I have a minute with you?” Nina asks with a smile. “In private.”
In my head, my fist is already on the side of Hemming’s jaw, but as Nina squeezes my hand and pulls me to the bar, I begin to relax a little.
“You know it would be extremely rude to beat your own guests,” she tells me.
“They aren’t my guests,” I grit out, my anger subsiding as I look down at Ellis. “Hey, mate.” I lean in and kiss his head.
“He’s super tired. I’ll take him to bed in a little while,” Nina says, rubbing his back.
“I thought Vinny was doing it?” I signal for the barman then bring my eyes to Nina. My throat catches as I take her in fully. “You look fucking beautiful, Angel.”
She tries to hide her blush from me, dropping her head then lifting it and saying, “I said I would do it so Vinny can enjoy himself. He deserves a night off and I don’t mind.”
“And I said you look fucking beautiful, Angel.”
Her lips twist up into the sweetest smile, and my heart somersaults in my chest because I put it there. “Thank you.”
“Do you want a drink?”
She nods.
“Who invited Cooper cunting Hemmings?” Elliot tsks, sliding up to the bar along with Lance, George, and Charlie.
“Elliot!” Nina scolds.
“Shit, I forgot about Baby Ell.” He lifts Ellis from my arms and sits him on the bar top. “I think he looks more like you today, Lowell.”
“He looks exactly like Mason,” Nina corrects.
“Nah, he has your lighter, brown eyes. It’s that frown he does with his brows that’s Lowell to a T.”
We all chuckle as Ellis frowns harder. Exactly like me.
“That’s fucking funny.”
I lean in, taking Ellis and shaking my head at Elliot. “Watch your mouth,” I warn.
“Here she is!” Elliot grins, pulling Scarlet into a tight hug as she nears with Megan in tow. “The brains and beauty of the family.”
“I need a drink!” Scarlet huffs. “I feel like if I stop I’m going to fall asleep at this point.”
“Everything is perfect, Scarlet,” Charlie tells her, leaning in and kissing her cheek.
Lance hands her a drink and then throws her a wink.
Then she turns to me, and I worry it will be awkward but it’s Scarlet and she doesn’t allow it, pushing her arms through mine and around my back she pulls me in for a hug.
“They would have loved this tonight,” I whisper into her ear.
“Yeah?” she asks.
“Yeah. Mum was all about this kind of thing, and Dad lived to entertain.”
“Thank you for coming, Mason.”
“I wouldn’t have missed it for the world.” I squeeze the tops of her arms and let her pull away to stand beside me.
“Where’s Luce?” I ask, looking around the group, feeling better now that everyone is here.
Elliot raises his glass in a toast, ignoring me altogether. “To the gang.”
We raise our glasses, mine and Nina’s eyes meeting across the group. She shakes her head, telling me with her eyes that she’ll explain later.
It’s half an hour later when Ellis starts to get fussy and I watch Vinny sweep in and offer to take him to bed himself. I roll my eyes on a laugh, knowing how much Ellis means to him.
Nina watches on at the entrance of the marquee as Vinny carries him up through the grounds until they’re out of sight.
She smooths out her hair and takes a moment, breathing in the night air.
I stand perched at the bar, my eyes trained on her and unable to look away, as I wonder what she’s thinking.
Picking up her dress, she turns and walks back into the marquee. She strides straight over to me, making my shoulders draw back and my chest expand as I tuck her into my side. “Vinny couldn’t resist, huh?” I whisper against her temple.
“Nope.” She laughs.
Her eyes bore into mine as she gazes up at me, her hand running up my back under my jacket. “You okay?”
“I’m fine,” I tell her, taking a sip of my drink.
She grins up at me, her dimples set deep in her cheeks. “That smile,” I admire.
“I’m just happy, Bossman.”
“Guys!” Megan summons from the other end of the bar. “Shots!”
“Here we go,” I huff out, following behind Nina as she slides out from my side and makes her way to our friends.