Page 151 of Lovers' Dance

“Do your worst, Matthew. I’m looking forward to what you have planned. I’m running out of things to do to fill my time, and Portia is always lurking around me. I swear your father didn’t have a grain of sense in his head when he married her.”

Matt ignored Grumps’s dig at his mother. The relationship between the two of them had been strained since before his birth.

“Right, then,” Matt said decisively. “I’m going downstairs to have a chat with Mum, and convince her to take an extended holiday with Dad. Maybe a few months somewhere warm. You do know what will happen then, don’t you Grumps?”

Grumps narrowed his eyes at Matt. “You wouldn’t.”

Matt continued, a smile slowly growing across his face. “Hannah will take good care of you while they’re gone. Don’t worry. I’m sure you’ll adjust to living with her and Stuart for a temporary period of time—”

“You wouldn’t.”

“The girls will be excited.” Matt arched an eyebrow at his grandfather, who looked like he’d swallowed something bad. “Natalia and Nicole will probably spend all their time fussing over you. They never stop talking. Ha, imagine when they have their friends over—”

“You treacherous bastard,” Grumps said. “How can you joke about something like that? I’m an old, feeble man.”

“Feeble, my arse,” Matt said dryly, grinning at his grandfather. He would talk now. The threat of being around Terror and Trouble for any length of time was enough to make the hardiest of Bradley men quake.

Grumps scowled fiercely at him for a full minute before his own face cracked into a smile. “I see you haven’t forgotten everything I taught you.”

“Strike where you know your enemy is at their weakest?” Matt drawled without remorse. “No, Grumps, I haven’t forgotten. Now, please. What did you say to her? She was upset.”

Grumps sighed loudly and avoided Matt’s penetrating gaze. “I did it for your own good, Matthew. You know I love you dearly.”

Matt was touched at his grandfather’s words. William Bradley, Sr was not an affectionate man. Growing up with a man like him as your grandfather meant you were taught that displays of emotion were the greatest folly. A stiff upper lip at all times, anything else was a sign of weakness. He had taught that behaviour to his son, who had, in turn, taught it to Matt and his siblings.

“I know,” Matt replied sombrely as he took his seat once more.

Grumps sighed again. “Don’t get too angry with me, Matty.”

Matt’s eyes widened. He could count on one hand the number of times his grandfather had used his childhood nickname. Fucking hell.What had the old man done?

Twenty minutes later, Matt’s head was in his hands while an awkward silence filled the room. He raised his head slowly, eyes flashing with barely restrained rage. No wonder his sweet poppet had kept it secret. It was humiliating and past hurtful the things his grandfather had admitted to saying to her.

“You. Will. Apologize,” he grated out coldly as he stood and towered above the man who had played such a vital role in shaping him into the success he was today. “You will beg her to forgive you.”

“Matthew.”

“No,” he said in a hard, frigid voice. “How dare you say those things to her? How dare you belittle her in such a manner? I bloody love her, more than anything in this goddamned world and you have the nerve to humiliate her like that?”

“Matthew—”

“I swear,” Matt said coldly. “I will never speak to you again unless she forgives you. Do you understand me, Grumps? I am going to walk out this room and you won’t see or hear from me again until she has forgiven you.”

“Now look here,” Grumps began to splutter, His skin pale from shock at Matt’s outburst.

“I don’t want to hear your excuses.” Matt held a hand up in disgust. He had a moment of pity for the look on Grumps’s face. They had a special bond, and Matt had never railed at him like this before. But that pity disappeared when Matt thought of Madison being subjected to what his grandfather had put her through. Grumps had virtually called her a gold-digging slut, and Matt would not tolerate it. The manipulative bastard had even discussed babies.

He lowered his voice further. “She loves me, and I love her. I don’t care if you approve or not. This is my life, and she’s going to be in it.”

Grumps swallowed hard, a pained expression on his face. “I had no idea you felt so…quite that…I had no idea, Matthew.”

“Now you do.” Matt turned on his heels and headed for the door. He paused when he opened it, saying over his shoulder, “I meant what I said, Grumps. You’d better fix this.”

Matt shut the door and took a few deep breaths to calm down. God. His family was fucked up. Unable to cool the burning anger coursing through him, he strode to the lift. He needed to get the hell out of here before he did something foolish.

“Matthew—”

He heard his mother’s voice calling as he hurried down one of the hallways that would take him to the front doors.

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