Hollywood Heir (Westerly Billionaire #4)(48)

Delinda sighed. “It was this or fly everyone here, and I didn’t want to inconvenience anyone.”

Spencer coughed.

Alessandro chided him to be nice.

Gathering her courage, Delinda raised her chin and said, “I asked you all here because I need your help. This is an intervention of sorts.”

Reggie frowned. “Hang on, is this about Sage Revere?”

“It is,” Delinda answered.

“Who is Sage?” Alessandro asked.

At the same time, Reggie raised both hands. “I’m out of here.”

Delinda grabbed his arm as he was about to turn away. “Wait. You don’t understand.”

“I understand enough to know that I want no part of this. I have been kicking myself for convincing Eric to see you. One day with you and he looks like he was hit by a Mack truck. Count me out.” Reggie tried to shake himself free of Delinda, but she held on.

Rachelle said, “Grandmother, why do you think Eric needs an intervention? He looked like he was doing so well.”

Still gripping Reggie’s arm, Delinda said, “The intervention is for me.” She released Reggie. “I’m the one who needs help.”

“What did you do, Grandmother?” Brett asked.

Delinda lowered her eyes. “I was concerned for Eric, but I may have overstepped.”

“May have?” Reggie asked.

Throwing her hands up in the air, Delinda said, “Okay, I did. I went too far. I’m not perfect. I don’t have all the answers. I’ll probably drive all of you away again and die alone.” She paused for emphasis. “Or you could help me fix this.”

“Why don’t you start from the beginning so we know what you’re facing?” Hailey asked.

“You know why I’m in London. I know you all think that one visit to a clinic solved Eric’s problems, but we don’t know what he might still be struggling with. All I wanted to do was make sure we would know if he started to slide—so I hired someone to follow him.”

“Not that Alethea woman again,” Alessandro groaned.

“No. No. I learned my lesson with her. This was someone who would just follow him and report back about what he did.”

“Only . . . ?” Rachelle covered her face with one hand, as if what she’d heard caused her pain.

Magnus interjected, “You had reason to be concerned for your grandson.”

“Exactly,” Delinda said. “Rachelle, your arrival in London might well have saved his life. I wanted to do my part.”

Reggie sighed dramatically. “But you didn’t stop there.”

“No.” If there was anything Delinda hated, it was admitting she was wrong. She’d grown up in a household where weakness was not tolerated. “I found out he was seeing a woman of questionable morals and got involved when perhaps I shouldn’t have.”

“Grandmother,” Brett asked, “this woman you’re referring to . . . Eric spoke to me about her. He cares for her.”

“He shouldn’t. She’s after his money.”

Reggie shook his head. “No.”

“I have it on good authority that she targets rich clients, then fleeces them. She does it all under the guise of being able to communicate with plants,” Delinda said.

Reggie folded his arms across his chest. “Your authority is an idiot. I followed this woman before and after Eric asked me to. Everyone likes her. Her old clients have nothing but good to say about her. Trust me, I’ve spoken to several of them. Tops, they paid her a couple hundred dollars, and in return they say she filled their lives with plants and happiness. I don’t know what the hell she tells these people, but they all say they were at a low point before they ran into her. You tell me if that isn’t worth a couple hundred bucks.”

“Her mother is a horrible, grasping social climber,” Delinda snarked.

Reggie shrugged. “We can’t choose our family, can we?”

The room was dead silent.

Michael stepped into the room and went to stand beside Delinda. “Sometimes we can and we’re better for it.”

Delinda’s heart swelled. If she were the type to hug, she would have embraced him then. He was very much a part of her family, and she was grateful to have him. That conversation, however, would wait for another day.

Reggie stubbornly held to his opinion. “I don’t care who her parents are. I like Sage and who Eric is becoming since he met her. She’s good for him.”

Delinda searched the faces of her grandchildren and saw only disappointment. She saw the same in Alessandro. The battle went out of her. “I was wrong.” When no one jumped up to assure her that she hadn’t been, she snapped, “So intervene already. I threatened her, her parents, and told Eric she was after his money, just like Jasmine was. How do I fix this?”

In the stunned silence that followed, Magnus asked, “She is joking, isn’t she?”

Rachelle shook her head. “No, she is not. Grandmother, how could you?”

On legs that suddenly felt unsteady, Delinda moved to sit in a chair. “I was afraid I would lose him the way I lost my Oliver. I wanted to protect him.”

“Who was Oliver?” Reggie asked.

“Our grandfather. He killed himself,” Brett said quietly.