Page 50 of Shattered Souls
Bertram waves a dismissive hand toward the doorway. “Running late, as usual.”
Plates of steaming food are placed before us, and I’m beginning to wonder if Lydia even intends to make an appearance when I hear the clack of heels against tiles before she enters the room.
“Apologies for my tardiness,” she states, not sounding the slightest bit sorry about potentially leaving her daughter alone with her abuser. She scans the room, and when she spots me sitting beside her daughter, a coy smile curls her lips, and her steps slow, her hips swaying in what I can only presume is meant to be a seductive swagger. It only makes me grateful I hadn’t eaten anything yet. It would be incredibly rude to barf at the dinner table in front of my future in-laws.
Well damn. Now, I wish I had eaten so I could see their faces when I ruined their pristine tablecloth. What a first impression that would be!
Riley digs her elbow into my ribs, giving me a quizzical look, and I realize I’m smiling.
“This is Riley’sboyfriend,”Bertram informs her, presumably answering a question I missed.
“Boyfriend?” Lydia muses, grinning far too lasciviously. Instead of moving around the table to shake my hand, she leans across it, shoving her tits right in front of my face. Despite the inappropriateness, there’s an astuteness to her gaze as it rakes over me. “Who knew my daughter had such good taste in men,”she practically purrs before her gaze snaps to Riley. “Riley, you never told me you had a boyfriend.” While she goes for teasing, there’s an unmistakable chastisement beneath her tone that makes me wonder if she suspects I’m the one responsible for the lawyer’s letter she received. Of course, she can’t blatantly say as much—not with Bertram in the room.
“It all sounds very…new,” Bertram states, appearing unperturbed by his wife’s promiscuous behavior as he sips his wine. “Logan is a senior at Halston, so I doubt it will go anywhere beyond his graduation.”
Ha. You shitstain, I plan on marrying this girl one day, so fuck you.
Instead, I give him another one of my classic cocky smirks as I lean my arm over the back of Riley’s chair. My fingers play with a loose strand of her hair, and my smirk grows when Bertram’s focus zeros in on that little bit of contact.
“I dunno. Riley’s a pretty special girl.”
His smile definitely resembles more of a grimace as he tears his eyes away from where I’m entwining Riley’s hair around my finger while she delicately picks at her meal, like touching her is something I do all the time. I mean, it is, but I fucking love seeing that realization settle in Bertram’s eyes.
“That she is,” he agrees between gritted teeth. “But you’re an Astor, right? I assume you’ll be joining your family’s marketing business.”
“Actually, I’ll be staying right here in Springview. I’ve got a spot on the Timberwolves ice hockey team, and I’m looking forward to seeing my girl in the front row of every game.”
Riley’s head whips to mine, questions dancing in her eyes.Yup, baby, I will be right here for the next three years while you finish college.Except, that’s a conversation best had in private, so for now, I merely wink at her before returning my focus to the two pythons in the room.
“A hockey player.” Bertram scoffs, seeming to relax for the first time all evening. “You’ll barely be here for half the year, and even when you are, you’ll have those… what do they call them? Puck bunnies? Climbing all over you after every game. You’re young, believe me, you’ll realize there’s an entire world of opportunities out there. No need to tie yourself down so quickly.”
Riley tenses beneath my arm, but I merely shrug. Not seeing the point in arguing with him—‘cause I truly don’t give a fuck what this guy thinks, and despite whatever insecurities he might have poked at in Riley, she knows how much I love her—I take a bite of my food.
The first course is soon replaced with the second. Bertram seems to have checked out of the conversation, his attention either on his glass of wine or Riley while his wife asks me various verging-on-inappropriate questions about me and the Halston U hockey team. When she suggests joining Riley at our next home game, I merely give her a tight-lipped smile and make a mental note to ensure security never grants this viper access to the stadium.
It’s only when the plates have been cleared from the table that Bertram leans forward, interlocking his fingers and pinning Riley with a stare that has her squirming in her chair.
“Riley.” His sharp tone demands her attention, even as he flicks his gaze to mine. A flash of what looks like sympathy enters his eyes before he reverts his attention to Riley. I know this asshole isn’t capable of feeling fucking sympathy, and I’m instantly on edge, wondering what’s about to come next. Riley, who has been mostly silent throughout the entire meal, goes eerily still. “The whole point of this dinner is because, well”—another apologetic glance my way that has my hackles rising—“we’re worried about you.”
“Worried about me?” Riley queries, sounding as confused as I feel. “Why?”
“I have spoken with your advisor, who has informed me that your grades have slipped this semester. That, and your landlord tells me you haven’t been staying at your apartment.” Bertram’s features crease in faux concern.Damn, this guy is good!“I don’t know how much you’ve told Logan, but given your history...” Riley physically flinches, and my teeth grind, hating how this fucking pissant is getting to her. “We’re worried you might be slipping back into… unhealthy habits.”
“Unhealthy habits?” I’ve never heard Riley’s voice so small, and it snaps the end of my restraint.
“What the hell are you talking about?” I demand, moving my arm to rest on Riley’s shoulders so my fingers graze her arm.
Sighing in a way that makes it seem like this is the last thing he wants to be doing, Bertram shifts to face me. “I don’t know what Riley has told you, but she is a very troubled child.” His face is the perfect blend of sympathy and grief. “She has a history of attention-seeking behavior, and I fear she’s heading down that path again.”
“Because her grades have slipped slightly, and she’s been spending her nights with me?” My eyes narrow, ensuring he knows I’m not buying his bullshit. Unfortunately, there’s nothing I can do to counter her lowered grades this semester. What the fuck else would one expect when their daughter is effectively missing? Of course, he can’t fucking know that… “Everyone’s grades slip during the second semester,” I counter instead. “First semester eases you in, then they up the ante. Plus, students can take a while to settle into an effective routine.”
Shaking his head, Bertram all but dismisses me, focusing his attention back on Riley. His eyes flare with something that looks uncannily like triumph. “Regardless, we have decided it’s in Riley’s best interest to move back home.”
If I thought Riley was tense before, she turns to fucking stone beneath my arm, and my first thought is to get her thefuckout of this house before Bertram literally locks her up in a room.
My gaze flicks to Lydia’s, catching the shock on her face before she disguises it.Interesting, so she wasn’t aware of her husband’s plan. Not that that means she’s innocent in any of this. She’s far from fucking innocent!
Focusing back on Bertram, I scoff. “That’s absurd. Riley’s a grown woman.”
