Chapter 31
Ren
Nash wrapped his arm around my shoulders as we walked up to my dad’s house for dinner. But my mind was still stuck at Wayward.
After my confrontation with Christov, Sabastian had come back to the room with an emerging bruise on the side of his face. He hadn’t wanted to talk about it. In fact, he had asked me to leave, while gathering the pictures and shoving them into my arms before pushing me out the door.
My heart ached for Sabastian, despite the guys not liking or trusting him. Unless he was in contention for an Oscar, he was just as in the dark as I had been. Now more than ever, I wanted to know what lies he’d been told.
I glanced over my shoulder at Marcus, who was right behind us, ever the perfect guard. Our eyes met, and I decided to ask a question he might answer.
“How did you and my dad meet?”
Marcus smirked. “We grew up together. I lived five minutes away, and I can hardly remember a time that we haven’t been attached at the hip. From childhood, to Wayward, and then after, when he gave me a job.”
“So, you’re best friends?”
“He’s more like a royal pain in my ass, but sure, let’s go with best friends,” Marcus said.
I smiled.
“I have one of those called Liam,” Nash grumbled. “He’s extremely annoying.”
Marcus chuckled. “I’m sure he finds you just as delightful.”
Nash snorted. “That’s a given.”
The door opened as we were about to go in, and Vicky appeared in a long black gown, a matching coat, and her hair swept up in a twist. She was dressed like she was on her way to a gala.
“Well, looks like I am leaving just in time,” Vicky said, stepping out and around us.
“Vicky?”
She turned in a flourish and glared at me.
“What?”
“You look beautiful.”
Vicky’s face shifted from haughty to confused, then back again. She smoothed out her coat and lifted her chin as she scrutinized me.
“Yes…well, you don’t,” she said, and marched off toward one of the waiting limos in the driveway.
Nash moved to confront her, but I grabbed his arm.
“Don’t, she’s going through something.”
“Yeah, it’s called being born a bitch.” He looked down at me. “How do you do that?”
“Do what,” I asked, stepping into the house that had begun to feel like home.
“Remain so calm when she speaks to you like that? I want to choke the shit out of her,” Nash growled.
Marcus chuckled. “You’re not the only one.”
Nash helped me out of my coat and hung it up.
“I guess because I’m starting to understand her. Vicky is a lot like you, Nash.”
Marcus laughed, and the rich, happy sound earned him a glare from Nash.
“Take that back or I’m putting you over my knee,” he grumbled.
I rolled my eyes. “The only difference is that you had the guys and me in your life. You chose to deal with your emotions in a more constructive way.”
Nash arched his brow.
“I’m serious. Think back to how you used to treat me, hell, treat anyone. How many broken hearts litter the road of your past? I bet you’ll find more similarities than you want to acknowledge.”
Nash took my coat from me as I looked at the closed door.
“I feel for her…I think she’s lost and hurting, but too proud to ever admit it.”
“That is very astute of you, daughter.”
I turned around to see my father standing at the bottom of the stairs.
“And I agree. Victoria has much pride and pain. Those two emotions never marry well,” he said, stepping forward and opening his arms.
With a smile, I hugged him tight and was once more reminded of how thankful I was to have him in my life.
“And it is your compassion, reginette, that is your greatest strength. But only if you remember not to let it become your greatest weakness,” he said, pulling back and staring into my eyes. My heart warmed as I nodded.
He held out his hand for Nash to shake.
“Good to see you again, son.”
“You, too, sir.”
“Is it just the two of you? I thought everyone was coming to dinner,” Dad said, looking genuinely disappointed.
“Myles will be along for dessert. He’s at Golden Oak having dinner and a catch-up with Lip. Theo, Blake, and Liam are checking on Ethan. He’s still not doing well,” I said as Eddie guided us toward the den.
“Yes, I’ve reached out, but he’s hurting and still very closed off. I might have to rethink my approach,” he said, sitting down in one of the large chairs.
Nash and I took the couch, while Marcus stood by the door.
“Well, since it is just the four of us, why don’t we take our meal in here at the small table. No point in eating in the dining room. It’s too large and ostentatious and without the warmth of a crowd it feels more like a museum.”
“Sure. This is actually my favorite room in the house,” I said, and Dad chuckled.
He looked at home in the wingback chair, fire crackling behind him, and a sprinkling of snow sticking to the windows.
I couldn’t help but picture what Christmases would’ve been like if we’d been able to stay together as a family.
What would be different, what would be the same, and who would still be alive, or not?
“Sounds about right. This is the only room in the house that Patricia never bothered to remodel. She rarely spent time in here, said it was too small and stuffy.”
That didn’t surprise me. The more I learned about Patricia, the more I understood Vicky. But what I couldn’t understand was how Dad had managed to stay married to her all this time. Deal or no deal, I would’ve dug a very large hole and pushed her in by now.
A server walked in with a decanter and a glass. She poured my father a drink and handed it to him.
“Penelope, we will be moving dinner in here for the evening,” he said.
“Yes, Mr. Genovese,” she said with a nod of her head before she disappeared.
“Marcus, for god’s sake, come sit down. You’re always looming like a shadow in corners.”
Marcus smirked, and it made me smile to see their friendship.
“Are you sure? I can leave you to— ”
“Nonsense, you’re family.”
“In that case, pour me a drink,” he said.
Dad laughed and grabbed the decanter while Marcus took off his long coat.
Two guns were in a leather holster hooked over his shoulders like in a mobster movie.
I shouldn’t have been surprised to see multiple weapons concealed, but it brought home the reality of just how much danger we were always in.
“Before dinner is served, I would like to talk to you about my behavior the other day. I should not have barged into Wayward the way that I did. It was a very emotional moment for me, and I’m ashamed to say I handled it poorly,” Dad said.
“I thought it was awesome,” Nash said, getting a laugh from Marcus.
Dad waved his hand at them.
“It was a show of strength, yes, but the repercussions run much deeper, I’m afraid. Not only have I lost the element of surprise, but I have put Paul in some hot water with the Curators.”
I shifted forward to the edge of the couch.
“Is he going to be okay? They won’t go after him, will they?”
He tapped his glass.
“I don’t it, but it has put me in a much weaker position. It may have looked awesome, but I shot myself in the foot.”
I pulled the letter from Vadin out of my purse and held it out.
“This came for me a few days before Vadin arrived. I didn’t share it with you because I never thought he would just drop in the way he did, and I didn’t want to start anything.
I was under the impression that he wanted me to call him, and I’ll be honest, I was tempted.
But I’m sorry that I didn’t keep you in the loop, and I feel responsible for Vadin showing up. ”
Dad took the letter and read it over before handing it to Marcus. Then he stood and walked over to the fireplace.
I swallowed the dryness in my throat.He took a moment, staring into the flames, before slowly turning to look at me.
“I don’t want you anywhere near him. I understand your curiosity.
You were either not born or too young to remember all that happened.
I can also accept why you want to believe the words he sent.
But he is a liar, before anything else. You cannot trust what he says.
The man is not capable of love how you know it.
There are always strings, conditions or blood attached. ”
The pain that my father kept locked up tight burned as brightly as the reflection of the fire in his eyes. I left Nash on the couch and went to my dad.
“What happened between you, Mum, and Vadin was a long time ago. What if he’s telling the truth and feels regret for what he has done?”
Eddie’s lip curled up in a snarl, but he was calm when he spoke.
“There are some things in this world that will never change, like the sun rising in the east and setting in the west. Vadin is one of those things. His entire life, he has betrayed, stomped on, and crushed his opponents to get what he wants. Companies fold at his feet, families have been destroyed when they stood up to him, and he’s never had an ounce of remorse.
Not for them, not for stealing Renata from Dimitri, and certainly not for what he did to his daughter—your mother. ”
He set his glass on the mantle and placed his hands on my shoulders.
“Your grandfather did not wake up one morning and regret all that he has done. I know you want to see the best in people, but this is one of those moments where your kindness can be your weakness. I do not say this to hurt you. I say it because I’ve kept an eye on his dealings and nothing has changed in all that time. ”
My gaze dropped to the floor as I processed this additional information.
“Then why is he here? He didn’t know you were my father. So what does he want, if not to reconnect?”
Dad’s hands fell away from my shoulders.
“That I don’t know. My guess is that it has something to do with Christov. They are plotting again. I can feel it in my bones.”
“Speaking of him…”
Dad was immediately alert, and I noticed Marcus shift as well.
“He showed up at the school today. Not to see me, but we ended up having words.”
“Did he hurt you?”
His voice was calm, but there was a lethal edge underneath.
“He thought about it, but I put him in his place,” I said, and heard Nash swear behind me.
I hadn’t told the guys about the altercation yet. They would’ve jumped into protective mode, and that wasn’t what I needed.
“I’ll have him banned from the property. He is in many ways worse than your grandfather. Do not trust him, and if Sabastian is defending him, then do not trust him either,” Dad said, still discreetly fuming.
“I know you all think that Sabastian is the bad guy, but he’s not.”
“I don’t trust him as far as I can throw him,” Nash said, and I looked over my shoulder at him. “What? I don’t. I said that I would give him a chance, but that doesn’t mean I’m not suspicious of him and everything he does.”
“He didn’t even know that Mum wasn’t his mother. Christov has been lying to him this entire time. He is as much a victim of the lies as I am.”
Dad polished off his drink.
“That may be the case, but you’re also proving my point. We don’t know what he believes and what he doesn’t. We don’t know whether a grudge is brewing under the surface or if he just wants answers. Until we know for sure, Nash is right, you can’t fully trust him.”
I crossed my arms and paced the room as I thought.
“I have an idea,” Marcus said.
“I never like your ideas,” Dad said, rolling his eyes.
“Perfect, why change anything now?” Marcus smirked and gave me a wink. “Why don’t we have a family meal? Invite Vadin at least, if not Vadin and Sabastian.”
“You’ve officially lost your mind,” Dad said.
“I like that idea,” I said, earning the identical have-you-lost-your-mind look from Nash and Eddie.
“Marcus it right. What better way to question them than under the guise of a meal? I’m sure you’re able to be covert with your questioning.
We are safest here. It is easy to fortify, and they can be patted down for weapons before entering.
You have full control of the situation. If Vadin just shows up somewhere else, when I’m alone or with the guys, who knows what can happen.
Besides, you also said that Paul was in hot water, won’t this look like you’re trying to mend fences? ”
“See, Lilya gets it,” Marcus said, taking a sip of his drink, smirk firmly planted on his lips.
“It’s not a terrible idea,” Nash said. “The guys that work for me will be here as well. We can have them scouting for Vadin’s soldiers.
Their age gives them an advantage. They look like friends hanging out.
And maybe if we get Vadin and Sabastian in the same room, without Christov, we can poke and see if they’ve been in contact over the years. ”
Nash stood and walked over to me, his hand slipping around my waist.
“And I can promise that nothing will happen to Ren. I’ll always protect her with my life.”
“I’m sure Dimitri would love to attend,” Marcus said, chuckling.
“I see you’re aiming for full fireworks,” Dad said, making Marcus laugh louder.
“We need a little excitement in our lives. Your birthday is coming up, or we can do it over Easter. Dealer’s choice.”
“Your birthday is coming up,” I asked, kicking myself for not knowing. “When is it?”
“March eighth,” Dad said, just as the servers walked in with plates under covered domes.
They set the table and were gone again in a fast and efficient manner.
I grabbed Dad’s hand as we sat down to eat.
“Until we know what is going on, we will never be safe. So why not take the bull by the horns?”
His lip twitched.
“You are as persuasive as your mother,” he said, making me smile.
“Alright, I’ll think about it and get an evening booked.
But until then…you stay away from Vadin and Christov.
Undoubtedly, Vadin will reach out again and try to draw you outside of Wayward.
He is dangerous, Lilya. I don’t say that lightly. ” I nodded. “Okay, let’s eat.”
I wouldn’t do anything stupid, that was how people got kidnapped and killed, but I wanted to know things. Things that only Vadin knew.
Nash preached that information was power. It was time that I took that to heart and found out a little information of my own.