Deception (Infidelity #3)(61)

Suzy’s chin fell to her chest. No doubt she already knew the information that Alton was sharing with me.

“I-I don’t understand,” I said.

“He couldn’t wait,” Alton went on, each phrase louder than the one before. “I told him to wait. I told him to have faith in Alexandria, but he panicked.”

Bryce’s chin rose rebelliously. “I didn’t panic.”

Alton crossed his arms over his chest. “You imbecile. You have no idea of the mess you’ve made.”

My thoughts spun. How could what Bryce had done be worse than the mess with Melissa? Yet never had Alton chastised Bryce in front of me during any of that—the accusations of abuse, rape, or even her disappearance.

“What did you do?” I asked Bryce, not confident enough in my innocence to ask Alton.

He shrugged. “Apparently, I fucked everything up. I don’t know what everything is.”

“Bryce, language,” Suzanna reprimanded.

We all turned her direction.

Really? Your son has been accused of rape, abuse, kidnapping, and possibly murder and you’re going to correct his language?

I didn’t say that, but from the look on both Alton’s and my face, I was certain we were both thinking the same thing.

“No, Suzy,” Alton said, “Bryce’s account is accurate. He fucked everything. I don’t just mean an eighteen-year-old coed or Millie Ashmore or any other willing or unwilling partner. I mean everything that we’ve all strived to achieve.”

Bryce leaned back against his chair, his arms crossed to mirror his father’s. “Maybe if you’d tell me what everything means.”

“It means your marriage with Alexandria.”

Bryce’s hands came down, slapping his palms against the table. “You don’t think I’ve tried? I have. I tried while she was at Stanford. I went to California. I watched her, waiting for the right time to step back into her life. I asked her—no, begged her—to help me with the Evanston police, the deposition, the charges regarding Melissa.

“She has moved on. She’s with Demetri now and won’t even talk to me.” Bryce stood and resumed pacing. “I can’t go into that courtroom without some kind of defense. I need a credible alibi, a reason to disprove everything that Melissa’s parents’ attorneys throw our way.” He turned toward Alton. “It’s what the Montague legal team told me to do.”

“And I told you that Alexandria was your person.” Alton glared. “I told you that people would believe that story. You’d dated for years when you were younger. I said I was working on getting her home.”

By doing what? I wanted to ask, but I couldn’t interrupt their verbal back and forth.

Bryce shook his head. “Believe me, I’d force Alexandria if I could. But I can’t get within fifty feet of her.” His eyes narrowed. “And neither can you. So don’t act as if this is all my fault. You’ve been saying she’ll be back, but guess what? Melissa is still missing. The case is building. I didn’t have anything to do with her disappearance, yet I’m at the top of their list of suspects.”

Suzy and I turned back to Alton, our lips held tightly together as if respectfully watching a tennis match.

“How? How did you even learn about this… this business?” Alton asked.

Bryce lifted his brows knowingly. “From Melissa.”

“She told you?”

“Yes. She wanted out of it. She said if we were together she could get out.”

As the room fell silent, I found my voice. “What business? What are you talking about?”

When neither man spoke, finally Suzy volunteered, “It seems that Bryce purchased a companion.”

I opened my eyes wide. “You bought a prostitute?” Then I thought some more. “So what?”

Both Alton and Suzy looked at me.

I went on. “So what? I mean, I’m not happy about it. Alexandria won’t be happy, but really, who cares? Compared to abuse, rape, kidnapping… well, soliciting prostitution seems rather unimportant.”

“Bryce didn’t purchase a woman for a night,” Alton explained. “He purchased her for a year.”

Suzy nodded as my mouth opened.

“A year?” I asked. “You can do that?”

“It isn’t sex, per se,” Bryce said. “It’s companionship. It’s a ready-made relationship with a backstory that will provide the perfect alibi for my defense.” He sat back down. “Alexandria would have been ideal, in more ways than one.” He turned his gaze on me. “You know how much I’ve always loved her? But I can’t wait, and frankly, I don’t think waiting would do any good.”

“There are things in the works,” Alton said.

“Why?” Bryce asked. “Why is this such a big deal?”

“Bryce,” Suzy began, “you know it has always been our dream for our families to unite…”

As she spoke, I stole a glance toward Alton. He was still on the edge of rage, on a warpath. Why? This could be his out. If my theory was correct that he’d intended to sabotage Alexandria and Bryce’s wedding, this could be what he was looking for. Why then did he seem so upset?

Thoughts and theories continued to churn. If Alton hadn’t been the one to tell Bryce about this company, then I suddenly worried that I wouldn’t be able to prove Alton was responsible for the children not fulfilling the terms of my father’s will. Could I have been wrong about my theory?