Page 72 of Bitter Heat
“Of course, I’m open to that as well, if he’s important to you.”
Janus swallowed a strange lump that came up in his throat. “Yes. I think he truly is. Important to me, I mean.”
Ray chuckled. “I got that.”
The timer was about to tick over again, and so Janus ended the call. He needed to get back to the corner where he and Kerry had agreed to meet once his in-laws finally set him free. Janus thanked the phone controller and wiped his sweaty hands on his newish pants before heading out into the morning sun.
He hoped Kerry was all right and surviving whatever interrogation his in-laws gave him over breakfast. Most of all, he hoped his instincts about Lukas Monhundy were correct and that Kerry was going to be safe from any further interference from them until the baby came.
At that point, once the child arrived, Janus knew all bets were off.
After a nightof untold bliss, breakfast was sheer misery.
Kerry poked at his eggs for a few minutes, until, catching Monte’s suspicious gaze, he began to fork them heartily into his mouth. He did the same with the jam and toast, the bacon, and a heaping bowl of oatmeal. By the time he’d finished, there was no way they could say he wasn’t eating well or that he showed signs of ill health. In fact, after the fucking he’d had the night before, the mirror across from their table showed that he was positively glowing. With a blush of embarrassment perhaps, but still.
“So,” Monte began as soon as Kerry had put down his fork. Of course, now that he was through eating, interrogation was fair game. “Who was that alpha last night? How did you really meet him?”
“In the lobby,” Kerry said, wiping his mouth with his napkin and striving for a suitable tone. He wasn’t sure if he should be nonchalant, bashful, or defiant. Somehow, he felt like he came across as a mixture of all three. “Just as he said. And I believe he said his name was Jared or Jordith? Well,somethingRiggs. I was a little too busy to catch much more.”
Monte turned the color of his hair, and Lukas chuckled under his breath.
“And what does he do for a living?” Monte finally said once he could breathe again.
“I’m afraid I have no idea. What do alphas tend to do? Business things, right? Maybe he owns a business.” Kerry frowned, thinking it over. “He did say something about the ‘ride’ being as smooth as a brand-new motorbike, and I think he meant it as a compliment.” Monte almost choked on air at that, but Kerry went on as though he didn’t know better. “Perhaps he owns a motorbike company? Maybe the Sabels know him? Why does it matter? He was a single night—a pleasant memory already in my rearview mirror. Nothing more.” He thought he sounded convincing.
“Dr. Rose told us this morning that there was a good deal of enthusiasm coming from your room last night. His was next to yours,” Monte said with a vicious expression, clearly hoping to embarrass Kerry. And he succeeded, but Kerry wasn’t going to let him know that.
“Oh, yes. Mr. Riggs was very good. The best I’ve had, probably. If he hadn’t already left on the train this morning, I’d be tempted to ask him for another night.” Kerry shrugged. “Oh well. Isn’t that the way of it? I suppose it’s for the best. We wouldn’t want feelings to develop. I have duties, after all.” He smiled at them, and he knew it was an ugly one. He didn’t care. Fuck them for doing this to him.
Now that he better understood Lukas, he didn’t see any point in faking enthusiasm for being on their team any longer. Let Wilbet’s father feel guilty for what he was doing. At least one of the two of them should. Kerry wondered, avoiding direct exposure to Monte’s flushed and enraged face as he sipped his coffee, whether Wilbet’s lack of conscience came from his pater. It seemed likely.
Lukas came to his rescue, though that seemed a bit too chivalrous a word for it, given everything. “Leave the boy alone, Monte. It isn’t his fault things turned out the way that they did. It’s Wilbet’s.”
The name, as always, was like a bomb in the middle of the table. Monte froze, his smile like a knife, and Kerry exercised his complete disregard for it by taking up his thus far untouched glass of orange juice and sipping it like nothing untoward had been said.
“Isn’t it partlyhisfault, though?” Monte hissed, his eyes going dark with impotent rage. “If he’d been more suited to Wilbet’s tastes, if he’d liked the same things, then maybe Wilbet would never have sought out those prostitutes. It could have been something they enjoyed together.”
Lukas stared at hisÉrosgápewith a pale face. “Are you saying, love, that if Kerry had liked Wilbet hurting him, then none of this would have happened?”
“Yes.” Monte nodded firmly. “I’m sure he didn’t even try to like it.”
Lukas blinked rapidly and then rose from the table. “Stand up. Now.”
Monte swallowed hard.
Lukas’s jaw clenched. “Would you like to test it? See if you can ‘try to like’ being hurt? Perhaps we should see just what you think about that when we get home.”
Monte’s chin wobbled and his eyes filled with tears. “Don’t be angry, love. Please. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean, I just—he’s—please, Lukas.”
“Does my disgust with what you’ve said hurt?” Lukas said, balling up his napkin, which he still held in his clenched fists. “Try to like it. Because it’s not going to change anytime soon.”
Conflict betweenÉrosgápecaused intense emotional pain, Kerry knew, but seeing the way Monte crumbled in the face of Lukas’s rage was still incredibly satisfying. He sipped his orange juice again and waited.
“I’m sorry,” Monte said, panting, as several fat tears fell from his eyes. “I just—”
“I don’t want to hear your excuses. Apologize to Kerry, and then we’re leaving.”
Monte seemed to balk for a moment at that, but then he turned to Kerry with wet eyes and a red nose. He didn’t look at him, though. Instead, he stared off over Kerry’s shoulder. “I’m sorry. That was a horrible thing to say. It wasn’t your fault. It was…Wilbet’s.” His voice broke. He ducked his head. “It was Wilbet’s fault. I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.”
