548
NOAH
“Mother and I have to meet father downtown. Will you be alright by yourself, Noah?” Damian asked as I was leading Delane to the door. My mom stood close behind us, digging through a few drawers.
“I’ll be fine. I have plans,” I answered, one hand firmly placed in the small of Delane’s back, easing her towards the opening.
The escape.
“Are you sure, sweety? Is Mr. Thorne coming over?” My mom asked while gathering her purse and coat.
I cringed. I knew my mom meant well, but shit, poor timing.
“He could cancel if he wants, right Noah?” Delane loudly questioned, her fists clenched. “Then you could go with your family, right?”
Clearly, she was taking the opportunity to try and prevent the meeting. I grit my teeth. “No, Delane. This business must be taken care of immediately.”
“But–” she persisted.
“What business?” Damian asked with a narrowing of his eyes.
Christ.
“Stocks,” I blurted, needing to give him something to believe so that I could get Delane out.
“Why don’t you let me be a part of that meeting with you?” Damian suggested, like the wannabe father he was, always needing to meddle and thinking that I couldn’t handle situations myself.
“Should I lay out some food?” My mother added in, and now the whole household was about to be here to greet Silas, and I doubted that would deter him from cashing out on his deal with me.
I was stressed.
“No, I can handle it myself, I know what I am doing,” I addressed Damian and simultaneously told my mom, “I don’t think he’s hungry.”
The irony of this statement made me cringe again.
“Why do you need to confer about stocks?” Damian continued, now refusing to let the topic go. “And with Silas? You are aware of father’s opinions regarding some of the deals his uncle engaged in, aren’t you?”
I braced for impact. Delane looked hopeful. I glared at her.
Before I could speak, my mother vouched for me. “Now Damian, you know as well as I do that we can’t go blaming every Thorne family member for the faults of Jace and some of his business…ventures.”
Bless her heart.
“I just don’t see the practicality of Noah engaging further with them.
” Damian urged, crossing his arms. “And since when did you invest with stocks at Pinnacle?” He continued to try and catch my line of sight, but I kept my head down, something I’d gotten pretty good at when needing to avoid sticky situations.
“I’ll see you guys later.” I gestured to my mom and Damian quickly before pushing Delane out the door and slamming it shut behind me.
I just prayed they would leave before Silas got there.
DELANE
“What the fuck are you trying to do exactly? Don’t you know that this is for your own safety?” Noah shouted as we made our way down to the car he had waiting for me.
“This is so wrong. You’ll be hurt. This guy is a monster,” I urged.
“It’s my life, Delane,” he answered harshly.
I wanted to rip my hair out. I couldn’t believe Noah was so nonchalant about this. But in a way, he was right. What did I know? This was his choice and he already made it. There wasn’t much more I could do.
“You make me so–”
Noah’s face suddenly turned pale, and I stopped, fear bubbling inside of me.
“Oh, fuck,” he muttered.
I turned, seeing what he saw: A bright white Rolls Royce pulling up in the driveway right next to the car waiting for me.
He emerged as the doors opened, his brunette hair glistening in the setting sunlight.
He made his way up the winding walk that led to the mansion, his face stone and menacing.
He wore a grey coat, buttoned up his body that trailed in the wind behind his body.
“Damnit, Delane,” Noah murmured, pulling me to his side. My shock immobilized me, and I didn’t fight him.
We began to descend the hill towards him, essentially meeting him at the halfway mark to the vehicles. We all stopped in front of each other, saying nothing. I wondered who would speak first.
Those grey eyes shot to me, and the hair on the back of my neck stood on end. I stiffened next to Noah, wishing I could sink closer into his side. He had himself angled slightly in front of me. My shield.
“Hello,” Silas acknowledged, tipping his head down slightly to align his eyes more with my own.
He didn’t receive any reply from me.
With a smirk toying at the edges of his lips, he raised his hand out towards me. “I do believe we’ve met before,” He gave Noah a quick sideways glance. “Delane,” he purred.
At the sound of my name leaving his lips I shuddered. I tried to convey with my eyes just how much I detested him, and how I would never, ever shake his filthy outstretched hand.
He seemed to have received the message, because he lowered his arm and chuckled. “I see she still holds a grudge. That’s fine.”
I steadied myself, the tension in the air was making me feel unstable on my feet.
Silas took a quick look over his shoulder to the cars. “Is she leaving so soon?”
“Yes,” Noah answered firmly, without wasting a moment.
Silas smiled. “Well then, she should get going.” He looked back down to me. “Isn’t that right, Delane dear?” he taunted.
I felt a sharp jab into my back—Noah’s hand urging me forward. “Go,” he ordered.
I didn’t waste any time. I sprinted to the car, despising Silas’s harsh laughter from behind. Once I reached the vehicle, I turned back, disgusted that he was standing so close to Noah. He thought he had won, and it repulsed me.
But he had won.
I didn’t know why, but I felt the impulse to run back to them.
My body was fighting against my departure like two magnets facing similar poles, repelling the other.
Noah’s expression conveyed to me how much he wanted me to get into the car.
I shook my head, and without further consideration, opened the door and slipped inside.
Before the driver pulled out of the driveway, I took one last look back.
Noah seemed pleased, his features relaxed.
Then I looked at him.
Silas lifted his hand in a little wave as the car drove off.
NOAH
Problem number one: Damian and my mom still hadn’t left.
The entire walk back to the house and I was trying to plan an elaborate way to cover all of my lies. It was getting a bit difficult to keep up with what my excuses were.
“My mom and Damian are here.” I explained to Silas as we rounded the corner to the main entrance.
“Oh, family night?” Silas queried with a sneer.
I glared at him from the corner of my eyes. “You know what I mean. You know why you’re here, and well– until they go, we can’t–” I stumbled on my phrasing. Silas watched with enjoyment as I awkwardly beat around the bush of what he knew we were about to do.
“What am I to do with that information, Noah?” Silas inquired with sarcasm. “Figure something out and get them to leave.”
Problem Two: Silas was useless.
“What help are you, huh?” I scoffed, turning the doorknob and ready to face the bullshit. Apparently alone, since Silas didn’t care.
Silas snorted.
“My goodness, Mr. Thorne, hello!” My mom gushed, her overdramatic kindness not to be outdone by anyone. She was practically waiting at the front door for us.
Damian stood off to the side, his signature expression of skepticism on full display, including the crossed arms of parental disdain.
In the blink of an eye, Silas’s chivalrous businessman persona took effect. “Good evening, Mrs. Hansen, you’re looking lovely as ever.” He approached my mom with a respectful dip of the head, taking her hand and giving it a gentle kiss.
My eyes nearly twitched.
“It’s been a long time,” my mom chirped excitedly, ogling him. “Oh goodness, you’re all grown up now.”
“Yes ma’am.”
Damian narrowed his eyes at me and I had to remind myself to fix my face.
It was like I was in an alternate universe.
Silas interacted with my family on a level that hadn’t really happened since we were younger.
In my head, I kept hearing the phrase, “He’s literally here to fuck” and he was mingling with my family like he was here for the holidays.
The whole situation was absurd, and if I didn’t get it together, Damian was about to see right through me.
“Okay, mom, can I use the conference room while you and Damian head out?”
That comment perked Silas’s attention.
Before mom could speak, Damian interjected. “Mr. Thorne?”
The atmosphere around us shifted. Everything became more tense. My mom faltered, but she didn’t cut Damian off. She stood back, allowing my brother to address our guest, effectively ignoring my question all together.
And now I was shitting bricks.
Silas’s pleasing smile didn’t disappoint nor waver. “Mr. Hansen, hello.”
Damian approached us, offering Silas his hand for a shake. “Noah says you two have business?”
I swallowed hard.
“That we do,” Silas confirmed, accepting his gesture and shaking his hand. I could feel the sweat forming between my shoulders from the nerves.
“So, what exactly are you encouraging him to invest in? We weren’t aware that Noah was interested in buying stocks,” Damian said.
Shit. That’s what I had forgotten. Brief Silas on the plan.
“Stocks, huh?” Silas asked with a little smile pointed in my direction. I bit my lip, and gave him a brief nod of confirmation.
“Is that correct?” Damian persisted, eyeing Silas from top to bottom. “You don’t seem prepared to discuss a business deal.”
My mom looked horrified. “Damian!” she chided.
“I’m always ready to make a…transaction,” Silas returned. He was having way too much fun with his metaphors for my liking. “But mainly here today to go over…options with Noah.”
Damian’s eyes shot to me.
“Nothing too serious, right?” Silas added with a smile pointed in my direction. “No need to label things just yet.”
I was stunned into silence.
“What options?” Damian was not stopping.
“Hon! We’re going to be late, let’s go,” my mom finally prompted, touching Damian’s arm. “Noah is perfectly capable of handling his own business here. He knows not to invest without some background and information.”
Damian rolled his eyes. He didn’t believe that for a second, and to be fair, he was right not to. I didn’t have a clue about stocks or investing. Just spending.
My mom turned to Silas, “You’ll help him with that, right Mr. Thorne? Educating him on some of that?”
“Oh, I’m happy to educate him,” Silas assured. The blood began to circulate down to my lower half, as I was perfectly aware he wasn’t in any way referring to monetary education.
Damian stewed for a minute, and I could see he was conflicted. Honestly, he was way too smart for any of us, and it was sheer luck he hadn’t knocked Silas on his ass for his audacity.
“Be sure to close up the conference room when you’re finished,” Damian advised with a swift nod, before leading my mom to the front door.
“Thank you for your hospitality,” Silas murmured, his face a foxes’, cunning and ready for trouble. He side eyed me, the glint in his eyes revealing a hunger I knew I had to satisfy.
“Noah,” Damian said in the same breath, “Call me if you need me to help with any questions you don’t understand.”
“Right,” I agreed.
My brother stood there for a few moments longer, observing us. My mom tugged at his arm again, ushering him to the door. “We’ll see you in a bit, Noah.”
Damian was hesitant, but he followed her out.
And with a sickening slam, there we were. Alone.
Silas took a quick look around. “So,” he said, “Shall we take this…business…somewhere more comfortable?”
I took a shaky breath and turned towards the stairs, completely bypassing the conference room. I knew Silas would follow.
We hadn’t said a word to each other as we ascended up the winding staircase. The house was empty, silent. I was just glad that Delane had left. I hoped she would be happy now. And safe.
Now, it was time to pay my dues.