Chapter 35 Theo
Theo
“Theodore.” I turned to see my stepmother, Grace, sauntering toward me in my father’s study. Like my father, she always addressed me by my full name. He thought it sounded more dignified.
But when Quinn said it, it felt different. It didn't bother me anymore.
Like she’d taken the power back from them.
Grace was in a tight dress that was too short for a woman her age who was supposed to be burying her husband today. I hadn’t seen her all that upset since she called me. She was cold on the phone, delivering the news like it wasn’t her husband she was speaking about.
We weren’t close, I hadn’t seen Grace in almost six years.
I wasn’t fond of her, and she didn’t like me either.
She married my father a few years after I was born, never met my mother and never spent more than a few days with me.
I didn’t care. I didn’t need a mother and after we settled Warren’s estate, there was no reason for us to see each other again.
“People are arriving. You need to come down.” She didn’t wait to see if I would join, she turned and walked away.
I looked back over my father’s desk. I’d only been to this house a handful of times and almost every time I had, it was in this room. It was where he died too. But I wasn’t in here to be sentimental, I would not miss that man.
I needed to know if he had the files on Quinn’s dad. I needed to know who else knew about them or had access to them.
The first thought I had when Grace called was that maybe I was free. I could go to Quinn, beg her to forgive me for hurting her and walking out, beg her to be with me. But I couldn’t do that if I wasn’t sure she was safe.
Jaxson had gotten more information than I ever could have and now Will was running things but he needed to work faster, I needed to protect her from any fallout. After she was safe, I was prepared to grovel, but it didn’t mean she would forgive me.
After my forced conversation with the guys, I realized that I couldn't let my fear of losing her win.
That Noah had been right, I'd been running scared but to fuck with that. Being without her wasn't working for me. My life was infinitely better with Quinn in it. I’d arrived back in Calgary a few days before I got the call about my father. I just needed to be near her, in the same time zone as her, even though I couldn’t see her. Not yet at least.
I made my way down the stairs of my father’s home, although nothing about it seemed like a home. There were marble tiles covering the floor, white walls with minimalist expensive art and none of the furniture was welcoming. Hardly a place to raise a child.
The only thing I liked about this house was its location right on the water. Beyond the pool, patio, and manicured lawn stretched the endless expanse of the Atlantic Ocean. The property was massive, unnecessary for the three people that lived here.
People were already filling the main room of the house, milling around, talking quietly.
I bet five of the people here actually liked my father, the rest were business associates or people who wanted something from me now that he was gone.
Some might’ve just come for the expensive food Grace was serving.
The second my feet touched the floor people started coming toward me.
I spent the next half an hour being talked to by people I didn’t care about who just wanted to talk about business.
No one even tried to pretend that they cared about the man we were here to put in the ground.
I hadn’t even made it to the damn bar yet and despite it being the morning, all I wanted in my hand was a scotch.
“Mr. Knight.” A man stepped forward as soon as the last one left. “Harvey Grey.” I shook his hand holding back my annoyance. “I’m sorry for your loss.” There was no emotion in his voice, it was a formality, one that everyone had said before launching into whatever it was that they wanted.
“Thanks,” I replied and looked over his shoulder as he started talking about the ways I could handle my father’s stocks, mentioning that there were rumors that I was already working to buy up my father’s shares in his business before his death.
I ignored that question. It was true but no reason to add fuel to that fire now.
This sunken room was full of people, but I could see the doors that opened to the lobby, teasing an escape I couldn’t take. Harvey, like every other god damn person here, was vying for his money, including Grace.
She may have been his wife, but I made all decisions for his business and his estate now.
I wasn’t surprised, the man didn’t like me, the feeling was mutual, but we both knew I was the better businessman.
He’d only left her enough money in his will to survive, which was still more money than most people would ever earn in their life.
I hated these people. I would’ve rather settled his funds and walked out as quickly as possible. My plan was to donate a good portion of his estate to the Maria Knight Memorial Fund just to spite him.
At least the rest of the guys would be here soon. I needed them today.
Almost like my thoughts summoned them, I saw Noah, Jaxson, Will, and Oli step into the room. The gratitude I felt for my brothers being here was immediate, some of the weight of responsibility lessening in my chest. They would help me tackle the room and get through the day.
But when they stepped aside, I almost fell to my knees.
Quinn and Asher stepped up beside the rest of them, creating a line as they looked over the room.
I blinked a few times to make sure I wasn’t hallucinating her presence. I wanted her here, even just for the light and peace she brought me, but I knew I couldn’t ask that of her after everything I’d done.
She looked fucking beautiful, like she always did.
And as much as I’d been trying to forget what she looked like these past few weeks, I knew my memory had her right.
She tucked a piece of that red hair that I loved to twirl around my fingers behind her ear.
Her black dress was subdued but still looked extremely sexy on her.
I moved without thinking. Ignoring the questions from Harvey, I made my way through the crowd as she came to the bottom of the steps. I stopped when she noticed me, only a few feet standing between us. I knew Asher was saying something but I ignored him.
“You’re here.” My voice had more bite than I intended it to.
It’s how I’d been speaking to people since the moment I left her behind and it just slipped out. I’d gotten used to my post-Quinn asshole self.
“Sorry.” She looked like she wanted to turn around and leave. “I wasn’t sure—”
I didn’t let her finish. Closing the distance between us quickly, I pulled her into my arms. She stiffened for a moment before her arms wrapped around me, hugging me back. She fit so perfectly against my chest.
“I fucking hate the people in this room,” I said into her ear before I pulled back and she stepped away from me, looking at the ground instead of at me.
I hated that she seemed uncertain, she never looked like that with me. And as I tried to get her to meet my eyes, I thought I saw some moisture there. It gutted me that I did this to her, to us. But right now, I didn’t have another choice.
Part of me thought I shouldn’t even try and win her back, because there had to be someone out there that was better than me. Someone who wouldn’t hurt her the way I have.
“Fucking vultures,” Asher grumbled as he looked around the room in disgust.
I wanted to pull Quinn into my side and have her next to me but another man in a suit was already joining our group. She moved out of the way but stopped beside me, looking up, her eyes a careful clear mask that I hadn’t seen on her before. I couldn’t tell what she was thinking. I fucking hated it.
“I’ll go get you a scotch.” She sent me a tight smile and moved away before I could say anything. I tried to keep my eyes on her, but I lost her as another idiot came over and pulled my attention away.
It wasn’t long before her hand pressed against my elbow. She put a cold drink in my hand. This girl knew me better than I knew myself. I was lost in my thoughts, and she was gone before I could even thank her.
Over the next while, she would appear at my side with a fresh drink when I needed one then left me without a word.
It was comforting knowing she was watching me, but I hated not being able to stare at her all day to savor it before she left me.
I finally removed myself from another mindless conversation and turned to lean against the bar with my back to the room.
“How are you?” Quinn slid up next to me, careful not to touch me.
I hated it because all I wanted to do was reach over and pull her in, breathe in her scent that I’d been fucking longing after for weeks.
But since I couldn’t do that, I decided it was best to be an ass. Blame it on the crowd, the scotch, my own insecurities and the fact that I still didn’t know if she was safe.
“How do you think,” I grunted out and finished my drink in one shot. I was well on my way to being drunk now, which was really the last thing I needed.
“Sorry, I guess I didn’t need to ask that.” She watched me with a worried look as I signaled for another drink.
“You shouldn’t have wasted your time coming here.” Sober me never would have said that. Well, I would’ve at least been more eloquent. I even told her earlier I was happy she was here, and I was, but my father didn’t deserve her presence. That’s what I should have said.
“You should drink some water,” she said as she shoved her glass in front of me. I was a desperate enough bastard to take it just to have my lips where hers had been. But I didn’t say anything, letting the silence grow between us.
She should have been at work not taking time off to deal with my shit. I wanted her here because breathing was easier when she was around, but I fucked up the right to have her. My ultimate plan was to beg on my knees for her forgiveness, but I knew I might never get it.
Hell, I wasn't even sure I deserved it.
My mind was a fucking mess, going back and forth on what the right thing was. The alcohol clouding my judgement.
“I just thought…” I didn’t look at her, keeping my eyes on the scotch glass in my hand instead. “You know what. It doesn’t matter. I’m sorry.” I don’t even know what she was apologizing for but as I looked up and saw tears in her pretty green eyes, I almost broke and told her everything.
But I couldn’t yet. Because I needed to be certain that even with my father gone, she wouldn’t get wrapped up in the fallout of what her dad had done. I went to reach for her but she turned on her heels and started toward the back door.
Before I could move, I was blocked by Noah and Will.
“You realize that she might not forgive you if you keep acting like this,” Will said gently. I ran a hand through my hair as Noah took the glass out of my hand.
Despite they’re unwavering support in helping me deal with this mess, it had been hard to convince them to keep Quinn unaware. It helped that she wasn’t speaking to them, or at least I thought she wasn’t. They were cagey with information about her, but I devoured any scraps they gave me.
“I’m well aware,” I grumbled and watched as she slipped out to the backyard.
“Do you?” Noah asked. “Because it sure seems like you want to make sure she never comes back to you.” He’d made his anger at me known these last few weeks.
“I know what I’ll lose.” My voice raised, and I took a step toward Noah. “Don’t you dare try and act like I don’t.” The anger that had been fueling me since I left her in bed and walked out was eating at me. I was ready to fight someone, I didn’t care that it was Noah.
Will stepped between us. “Noah, go cool off and then check on Quinn,” he said in his lawyer voice, the calmness of it always irritated me.
“You don’t seem to understand that we’re losing her too. You brought her into the group and now we’re all attached, but she isn’t even fucking talking to us either.” Noah glared at me for another moment before walking away.
I knew they all cared for her like a sister, but I didn’t expect her to shut them out. Just me.
Will turned to face me. “He’s not wrong. You only have to hold on a little while longer. I have my side almost sorted. But she’s hurting. You hurt her today, she was so unsure about coming here. My advice, don’t talk to her again unless you’re level-headed and have had a litre of water.”
“Because hugging her then brushing her off isn’t doing her any good,” Asher added as he came to stand next to Will, likely hearing everything that had been going on.
“It’s killing me,” I said in a rough voice.
“I know. But it’s killing her too. And she doesn’t know the real reason, you do.” I let out a breath and took the water that Will passed me.
They were both right, I couldn’t do this to her again. But what I could do was fix this shit and then grovel. I needed to do it now before it was too late.