Burned by Passion(51)
He knew then who was behind all the shit he’d been going through. Losing his job and getting this beat down that made it feel like he needed a hearse, not a hospital. One name came to mind and it rang through him like a bell.
Blake Carter.
When he’d beaten Kira up all those months ago in his blind rage, he’d never guessed his ‘rival’ had been Blake Carter, Bretton Carter’s son. He’d only realized the truth when Kira married Blake soon after. He remembered coming to his senses after his act of violence. Our of fear of being arrested, he’d taken an assignment overseas hoping to lay low in case Kira pressed charges. But she never did and he figured neither Kira, Blake, nor his father had wanted any scandal. Months went by and Terry had thought he was safe. He’d told himself the cheating bitch had deserved it. Thought she was too good for him, right? He’d convinced himself that he’d given her a well-deserved lesson. But like that man had said, Terry shouldn’t have thought he’d get away with shit like that. He should’ve known his time would come and damn, people were right. Payback was such a bitch.
Epilogue
Bretton Carter replaced the receiver, a small, grim smile on his face. Hearing the report that his instructions had been carried out to the letter gave him deeper satisfaction than anything had done in a long time.
He could still remember that afternoon, the day after Kira had come out of hospital and she’d told him what Terry had done to her. Blake had come to see him, and they’d talked. It was one of the most in-depth father-son conversations they’d ever had.
“You know what he did to her,” Bretton had said expressionlessly. “Are you going to do anything about it?”
Blake’s face had darkened with fury. “Once he gets back from that overseas assignment, I intend to tear him apart with my bare hands.”
Bretton had smiled a little. “My sentiments exactly. And yet I think now you should focus more on Kira. Devote more time to winning her heart. She’s been hurting, physically and emotionally for a long time and you’re the only one who can heal that hurt.”
Blake’s wrathful expression had grown confused. “What are you saying? Are you asking me to forgive Terry for what he did? Dad, he not only risked Kira’s life but the life of my unborn child...”
“And my grandchild,” Bretton said calmly, while his grey eyes flashed with menace directed at a certain Terry King. “And I’m not saying he’s going to get away with it. I’m asking that you leave him to me. Let me deal with him. My way. I want to take care of this.”
Blake scowled, staring at his father for several moments before he expelled his breath in a harsh gust of air. “Anyone else ask me that, and I’d tell him to go jump off the nearest cliff. But then...”
Bretton knew how hard it had been for Blake to entrust the matter in his father’s hands. But finally, he had. And Bretton would make sure he didn’t disappoint his son. Terry King had hell to pay, and this was just the beginning. Bretton was going to take a lasting pleasure in bringing Terry King to his knees. And Bretton wasn’t going to stop until the debt had been repaid in full.
Bretton’s eyes strayed to the photographs on his desk.
They were the new ones he’d placed next to Blake’s graduation picture. One was of Blake and Kira, smiling up at each other against a background of blue sea and mountains. That was from their summer vacation in Santorini, Greece. And the other frame was of his incredibly lovely grandchildren, boy and girl twins, Ashton and Kayla. It had been so mischievous of Kira and Blake to hide from everyone the fact that they were expecting twins, no one finding out until the babies were born. Bretton had felt like the proudest grandfather alive that day and the feeling hadn’t ebbed even months later. Amazing how much he loved them all.
He only hoped he’d shown it in enough ways, especially to Blake, that he meant that. Over the months they’d bonded and Bretton knew they were both on the road to healing after the time they’d lost from Blake’s childhood.
Bretton wasn’t a man who liked excuses so he never gave any. But even he knew he’d messed up as a father and he wasn’t averse to taking all the blame for the way his marriage ended. One thing Bretton was proud of; was the way Blake turned out. Blake was exactly the man Bretton would have wanted to be if circumstances hadn’t set him on a different path. Blake’s mother hadn’t understood him nor had she wanted the baggage of Bretton’s extreme drive to succeed in the business world.
He’d known Sophie would be happier without him, so he’d regretfully let her go. But did all this success and all the money make up for what he’d lost in his young wife and only son? Bretton needed no one to answer that for him. He hadn’t wanted Blake to grow up anything like his father and that was why Bretton let Sophie raise their son alone. She made sure she kept Bretton far away from them, only sending pictures and sometimes letters telling Bretton about Blake’s progress.
Now that Bretton had not only Blake, but Kira and his grandkids, he began to wonder how he could’ve settled for so little contact all those years. How blind he’d been.
He rose from his desk a few minutes later, preparing to make his way home. It was lonely staying in that big old villa by himself, but it helped to know that his son and his new family lived not too far away. Bretton knew a man like him couldn’t ask for more – only that God would keep him alive long enough to make up for his mistakes – and long enough to show how grateful he was for being blessed with so many people he loved.