Brutal Obsession (109)

No other reason is necessary.

I haven’t been stealing from the senator. That’s a nice little twist on an ugly truth: that he’s been giving her the cash to get high. And who knows what she moved onto after my prescription ran out. Who knows what sort of people she’s been with, and in what sort of situations… drug dealers aren’t exactly known to be safe people.

I hate that for her. I really do.

And the guilt follows me a second later, because now I’m left to wonder if I should’ve seen the signs. Could I have prevented this?

How, though? With no idea that she went behind my back to get my medical bills paid for, and then took it a step further to blackmail the Devereuxes. I thought insurance took care of my hospital expenses and that she had a job she liked.

And Grey? Does he believe this? Because right now, the senator is painting a picture for his son, and I’m the villain. I’m the leech, the gold digger. The one who wanted payback on their family and continually lashed out.

His father would like that, wouldn’t he? Just to have everything neat in a bow.

Maybe I should just cut and run now.

I risk a glance at Greyson, and his arm tightens on my shoulders, as if he senses where my thoughts are going. I have a desperate need to flee, but there’s a man guarding the door. My biceps ache from where he grabbed me earlier—and he still has my phone.

“Elaborate,” Greyson says stiffly, unmoving.

I want to scream at him that it’s not true. That this final manipulation is an effort of his father to break us apart once and for all.

Why? I haven’t done anything to them.

Grey’s father steps closer to him. “It was Violet’s idea to file a lawsuit. She wanted to ruin us.”

“I wanted my medical bills covered,” I say quietly. “Because my career was over.”

His upper lip curls. “And then you leaked your story to the press. But threatening a countersuit wasn’t enough, was it? I’ll admit, it was my mistake not to have your mother sign the nondisclosure agreement. And once I realized, it was too late.”

“I was just trying to get what I was due,” my mother spits. She jabs her finger at the senator. “Your boy destroyed us.”

I flinch. How did I not see this? Was I that blind to her fury? Right now, she’s trembling and red and the angriest I’ve ever seen her. Maybe she hid this from me while I was recovering, and living with her as I relearned how to walk correctly, when I was navigating around in a boot. Between now and then, though, her fa?ade broke.

“How did it destroy you?” Grey asks. His tone is stoic. Uncaring. Not even curious. More like he’s trying to poke holes in their stories, one question at a time. More will come, I’m sure.

Mom stiffens. “You took—”

“Violet’s career,” he interrupts. “Which we’re rectifying. But you… you had a daughter who needed your support, and instead you extorted us for money?”

She throws her head back and cackles. I shiver. I’ve never seen her like this. Angry, sure, but also unhinged.

Senator Devereux raises his eyebrow at his son. “This is what you’re inheriting,” he says. “By cutting ties with me, I’m wiping my hands clean of this problem. You’ll deal with the fallout of her threats, if they come to pass.”

I snort.

All our focus comes back to me.

“Sorry, Senator, but she’s your problem. Unless you’d like to explain to your voters how you funded a drug addict for the last six months?” I shake my head. “I’m sure any article that comes out about you would be national news. Right, Mom?”

My mother’s eyes light up. She knows a cash cow when she sees one—and right now, the senator is in her grip. There’s nothing Senator Devereux can say to that either. He knows I’m right, but he was probably hoping we’d miss it. That would’ve been a solid deal, passing off two problems—my mother and me—onto his unruly son.

I take Grey’s free hand and tug at it. “I think we’re done here, don’t you?”

“I do,” he murmurs.

We leave them in silence, and I pause in front of the bodyguard. I glance at Greyson. “He has my phone.”

Grey’s expression darkens.

The guy lifts his hand to his breast pocket, retrieving my phone and holding it out to me. As soon as it’s in my grip, I take a step back.

Grey has other ideas. He lunges at him and snaps his fist forward. His knuckles smash into the guy’s face, skating across his cheekbone and nose. The guard stumbles backward, covering his face, but Greyson follows him. He fists the front of his shirt and shoves him into the wall.

“Don’t you ever fucking lay a hand on her,” he says in the bodyguard’s face.

He holds out his hand to me again, and I take it. He squeezes twice, and we walk out the door. As soon as we’re in the hall, I let out a breath. But he doesn’t slow. He tows me down the stairs and around the corner, out of sight.

Good. I don’t want to even think about seeing them again.

“Holy fucking shit,” Grey breathes. He pulls me into an alcove and spins me against the wall.

My back touches the concrete, and I tip my head back.

My heart is going a million miles a minute.

“That was crazy.” I run my hands up his arms. “I mean… yeah, no. Crazy is all I’ve got.”