Page 60 of The Master

And, if I was being honest, I wasn’t sure how much ‘consent’ could really be involved in a situation where money and sex were being exchanged. I wouldn’t go as far to say that she’d forced me, but I couldn’t say I’d actually wanted it either.

She took me into the library. It was one of those old-school libraries, not like mine. Massive wooden bookshelves built right into the walls. Books meant to be admired and not read, every one of them. Leather chairs and fancy tables. Expensive lamps. Everything in here was to be admired.

Especially her.

She sat in her favorite chair, crossing her legs and settling her hands on her lap. I didn’t wait for her to ask me – or tell me – to sit. Instead, I sat down in the chair opposite her rather than on the couch where she’d usually had me sit when we’d been in here. The couch where she’d have me jack off while she watched. I would burn that couch before I’d sit there again.

“You look like you haven’t slept well recently. I hope you’re not sick.”

“I would say I can’t believe that you would stoop that low, but that’s not the truth.” I wasn’t going to let her pretend this was some nice visit where we were going to catch up.

She smoothed down her skirt and gave me the polite, empty smile I’d seen her use hundreds of times. Ignoring my statements, she spoke as if we were having a polite conversation. “I sold the villa in Versailles. I prefer to use the money from the estate to support charities.”

I knew that was a lie, but I didn’t particularly care to call her on it. If she wanted to pretend that she was a good-hearted philanthropist, that was her business. I was here to discuss our once-private business.

I wasn’t going to waste any more of my time. “You need to leave Ashlee alone. You’ve done enough damage already.”

She tilted her head, an innocent expression on her face. Her eyes, however, had a familiar predatory gleam. “I’m afraid I don’t follow the gossip columns.”

I gritted my teeth and reminded myself that she was trying to get a reaction out of me. She’d always loved seeing how far she could push me. “I’m not stupid, Isti. The details about you and me could’ve only come from you.”

“I’m sure you remember all the details too, Nathanial. I’m not easily forgotten.”

She was right about that, but not for the reasons she thought. “We didn’t part on the best of terms, I know, but we’ve pretty much stayed out of each other’s ways for years. Why now?”

Her smile disappeared. “I wish you’d stop bringing up irrelevant things. We haven’t seen each other for so long, and all you want to do is complain.”

“Dammit, Isti, stop acting like this is a fucking reunion!” I didn’t shout, but I didn’t soften my voice either. “Why are you coming after Ashlee? You know damn well that I’ve been with plenty of women since we broke up and you’ve only ever sent letters to me before.”

Her mouth twisted into something sour as she sneered at me. “You want to talk about this? Fine. My letters to you were to remind you that I could have you back with a snap of my fingers. And, yes, I know you fucked around, but that’s all it was. One conversation with those three women, and I knew that it was different with this little redhead.”

That answered at least one of my questions. I hadn’t known whether or not the reporter had put the pieces together independently or if Isti had talked to one of the others.

“You’re spending time with her like you’re actually a couple and it’s not just sex. I’ve seen the pictures in the news. You look at her, and you’re smiling, laughing.”

At least Isti wasn’t trying to hide anything anymore. She let all of that bitterness and jealousy show.

“You made a fool of me and lost the best thing that ever happened to you. There’s no way in hell I’m ever going to let you be truly happy.”

I glowered at her. “I was happy the moment I walked out of this house knowing I’d never have to touch you again.”

“That’s not true!” Her voice rose with the words. “You were on the street, and if it hadn’t been for my bleeding-heart brother, you’d still be there, turning tricks to earn enough money for food.”

I shook my head, confused. “What?”

“Oh, he hasn’t told you?” A strange smirk curled her lips, and there was so much evil behind the expression that the hair on the back of my neck stood on end. “Well, let me break the news then. Finley, your ‘savior’ didn’t take you on out of the goodness of his heart. He did it to spite me because he’s my father’s bastard.”

What. The. Fuck.

Forty

Ashlee

Mom wentto get the door, and I pressed my sweaty palms against my jeans. What had I been thinking, agreeing to go along with this? I needed time to prepare. Except this was exactly why I hadn’t allowed myself more time to prepare. I would’ve called it off.

Then Mona came inside, and I forgot to be anxious. Mom had said that Mona was dying, but I hadn’t truly believed it until now.

Patches of steel gray hair showed the skin of her scalp, and the whites of her eyes were tinged yellow. Her naturally dark skin had a sallow, jaundiced look to it, and her normally pristine nails were cracked. She’d always been average height and weight, but now I could see her bones jutting up into sharp points, and she seemed smaller than I remembered. Two years older than Mom, they’d never really looked any different age-wise, but the woman shuffling into the house wouldn’t have been guessed at anything less than her mid-sixties.

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