Chapter 57
EVE
I took Silas’s hand like a life raft. He was what kept me sane, kept me safe. I’d known my father was up to something. Cheney, too. Except I never imagined this. In fact, it was downright crazy. And completely freaking me out.
“That’s absurd,” my father sputtered, but he was turning an unhealthy shade of purple.
“Is it?” Silas asked. He was as calm as ever. Composed. In his dark suit, he looked amazing. There were dark shadows under his eyes, as if he’d slept as badly as I had, but I was the only one who noticed.
Silas was in his element, and I was thankful for it.
“Those gambling debts were pretty hefty,” he continued. “Until Cheney paid them off.”
My father looked around, clearly hoping no one else was listening in.
“Vance, what–” my mother began, looking at her husband with surprise and confusion.
“What’s wrong with helping out a friend?” Cheney asked, rubbing a hand down his tie.
“When he gives his daughter to the friend to marry in exchange for payment, I’d say there’s a shit ton wrong,” Silas continued.
I blinked. First off, my father gambled? Cheney paid off the debt to marry me? By the look on my mother’s face, she had no clue.
“We’re not married, so obviously that’s a lie,” Cheney replied.
“She’s married to me,” Silas snapped, the possessiveness impossible to miss.
It was the first time he showed any heightened emotion.
He looked to my father. “As for lying… you didn’t expect your daughter to have a mind of her own, did you?
” Silas’s hand slid up my back to rest on my shoulder.
I was tucked into his side now, as close as possible without being in his arms. “Thought she’d give up well before now.
Settle down with Cheney and marry. Except she didn’t.
That’s why you made him executor of her trust fund. ”
WHAT?
I stepped out of Silas’s hold, but I wasn’t sure if I should face my father or Cheney. All this was my father’s doing, so I got in his face.
“What happened if I didn’t marry Cheney?” I asked.
Sweat dotted his temples and his face was now pale. His lips pinched. He wasn’t going to say a word.
“Vance, what are they talking about? Gambling? I mean, really,” Mother hissed, glancing left and right so no one picked up on the Hunter family drama. It was their party, after all. They wanted to be the center of attention, but not this way.
I kept my gaze squarely on my father. “You’ve been using me for a long time. All you’ve wanted me for is money.”
It hurt. A lot. I knew my parents’ love was conditional. But this was taking it to a whole new level of selfishness and–
“Cheney’s bleeding your trust fund dry,” Silas said.
I heard his words. Felt them like a knife.
Cheney only smiled. Shrugged. “You wouldn’t marry me, so your father owed me something else. The only money left is yours.”
My mother gasped. “We’re broke? But we’re at the country club.”
Oh, so my parents were out of money. Not me and my protected trust. I never touched it except to start up Steaming Hotties.
Didn’t buy fancy cars or live a posh lifestyle.
I’d survive without the trust fund, which sounded as if it might be empty because Cheney was a fucking thief. My parents though? My mother?
“It wasn’t to drive me back to you, you taking over my trust. It was to empty the account,” I said to Cheney, finally understanding everything.
Cheney shrugged again, ran his hand down that stupid tie. “You were the prize all along. The Hunter money you offered. Until I learned about your father’s debt. Then it all slid into place. Much easier to force someone’s hand when they’re in over their head. Except for you.”
“I was never going to marry you,” I spat.
Cheney glanced over my shoulder at Silas. “And I don’t take sloppy seconds.”
I heard Silas growl. Like a bear. A pissed off bear.
But I wasn’t letting him near Cheney. Oh no.
This asshole was mine. I curled my fingers into a fist, reared back and punched him. Hard.
His head rocked back, and I heard his nose break.
“What the fuck!” he shouted, his hands flying up to cover his nose.
He hadn’t expected the punch. Why would he? We were at the country club among civilized people. String quartets. Trays of hors d’oeuvres. A woman didn’t throw down in the Teton room.
Except I wasn’t civilized. Not now. Not when I found out no one in my family ever gave a shit about me.
My mother only cared about appearances and her lifestyle.
My father was a lying, gambling-addicted asshole who sold off his own daughter.
And Cheney? He was scum, willing to marry me to get my bank account.
“Evelyn!” my mother cried.
Now everyone in the room knew shit was going down.
“There are more Hunters than just me and my parents. In fact, one Hunter is the sheriff and he’s going to put you in jail,” I hissed, breathing hard. My hand hurt, but it was worth it.
Silas stepped close, wrapped an arm around my waist from behind. I wasn’t sure if it was to restrain or comfort me. “Nice one, kitten.”
The whispered compliment made me smile.
Cheney’s face was red, his eyes filled with hatred as blood streamed from his nose and splattered onto his white shirt and the green fucking tie.
“James,” Cheney said, looking to Silas and calling him by his last name. “I don’t mean Eve’s sloppy seconds from you. I mean from all the men she’s cammed for.”
My mother put her hands on her pearls, clutched them until her knuckles were white.
It was my turn to gasp. How did he know about that?
A sly smile spread across Cheney’s face showing bloody teeth.
“Yeah, your woman here likes to slum it with random men on the computer. Virgin librarian.” He huffed, rolled his eyes.
“As if. Wouldn’t want you to tarnish the James good name and all of James Corp with a slut like her.
CEO of a company whose wife likes to take off her clothes for strangers.
That stock’s sure to plummet. The deal with Hyport… ”
He didn’t finish because he made his point quite clear. If he spread the story, it would be bad.
I could ruin Silas and his family. And his company. I knew this because I’d already blown the Hyport Hotel purchase.
Now we had an audience. The entire party stood in a circle around the five of us.
Nibbles forgotten. The music had stopped.
This was the best gossip the town would have all year and they were witness to it.
No doubt someone was recording this with their phone and it would be all over town and the Internet within ten minutes.
“Cheney,” I said, begging almost slipping from my lips. Panic set in, my fingers tingling, my heart pounding. I wouldn’t see Silas hurt further from me. “How do you know about that?” I whispered. My voice wasn’t coming out any louder.
“How else would you get any money? Your trust fund paid for me to do some digging. It wasn’t too hard checking out your emails, your computer usage. Direct deposits from a porn chat site.”
He’d invaded my privacy. Broke laws. It didn’t matter. Not now. Silas was going to–
“Oh, I know all about Eve’s screen time,” Silas said, calm as a fucking cucumber.
I was slowly dying inside of mortification.
“It’s our thing.” Silas winked at Cheney, seemingly proud that now everyone knew we were having sex, and kinky sex at that.
“Eve and I. Being watched. Nothing wrong with a little kink in the bedroom, right, kitten?”
He kissed me in front of the entire roomful of people.
Oh my. His lips were soft and gentle while the tight hold on my hip told me and me alone how much he needed me.
When he lifted his head, he didn’t look at Cheney as he continued, but met my eyes. Held them. “In fact, so does Mr. Hyport. He was… amused at how my wife and I stay connected when we’re apart. As for the deal, the papers are signed. Eve’s the proud owner of half of Hyport Hotels.”
My mother gasped.
I gasped.
The sale went through.
He did it.
“Ready to get out of here, kitten?”
I blinked, took in his pale eyes. The ones that only saw me. That told me so much.
“She’s always wanted the money,” Cheney said. “That’s all she was ever after.”
I’d been after my money. I didn’t give a shit about Silas’s money and he knew that all too well. Silas kept his eyes on me. Waited.
I smiled, turned to Cheney.
“You forget, Cheney. I married Silas for his big dick.”
My mother didn’t just gasp this time but started coughing.
Looking to Silas, he grinned.
“I’m done.”
With a nod, he took my hand. “Then let’s get the hell out of here.”