Page 50 of Wicked Deceit
“It’s good to see you again too, Mrs. C,” he says, clearing his throat and focusing on her.
The joyful smile on my mom’s face lights up the whole damn world right now. If only she knew what we were about to walk into. If onlyIknew what we were about to walk into. It's still a fucking mystery to me. The boys have reassured me over and over that it's just a normal rich person event. But I don't think it is. Something about this entire charity event stinks like fish, but we haven’t been able to figure out why. We dug through Cushing’s computer and found nothing. We've dug through Shaw's computer and found jackshit. We've come up empty handed in every area we've searched. Yeah, shits about to go down. If only I knew what kind of shit.
“I told you before,” she says through a grin, squeezing his shoulders again. “Call me Mercy,” she chastises him, looking his suit up and down with approval.
Chase wears a black suit, looking handsome as ever. I even batted my eyelashes and somehow convinced him to choose the baby blue bow tie to match my lace dress.
It took a whole Saturday of miserable, anxiety induced shopping to find the perfect dress for this event. My sister snickered at me when my mom had fussed over every dress and begged me to put them on. But every piece of fabric scratched against my skin, and I practically broke out in hives until we found the right one. And it was perfect, not a scratchy piece of fabric found anywhere. Soft blue powders the dress, mixing with the sparse floral design and transparent lace. The back buttons up from my waist and tightens around the base of my throat but offers enough coverage.
A deep throat clears from behind us, far too close for comfort. My heart leaps from my chest when Chase scrambles to look at me with wide eyes, flaring with panic.
“Oh! I’d like to introduce you to my husband.” My mom’s chipper voice echoes through the room like a death bell.
I frown when imagery of Chase’s bloodied head on a table after a meeting with a guillotine comes to mind. Shit! I can’t think like that right now. My father would never murder my boyfriend like that. Would he?
Chase’s hand tightens around mine, and his eyes go wide, giving Bodhi and Dex a full look at the terror he’s feeling. My brother raises his glass with a chuckle, and Dex’s face pales in sympathy.
Almost in slow motion, we turn around, still clutching to one another. My father eyes Chase’s hand with narrowed eyes and purses his lips in disapproval. His face tightens into a predatory smile. Dear God, my family is enjoying this torture way too much.
My handsome boyfriend shrinks back from his gaze, and his eyes dart toward the front door, looking to make his escape. His focus strays from the predator lurking in front of us. His trembling hand clasps tightly onto mine, cutting off my blood supply.
“It’s nice to meet you, Sir.” Any trace of my fun-loving, charismatic boyfriend vanishes. Instead, he is replaced by the trembling puppy dog standing beside me, hanging onto me like I might help him stay afloat in the river he’s about to drown in.
My father eyes Chase, stopping at his feet and meticulously making his way back up to his pale face. Internally, I see him picking him apart, piece by piece. Sniggers sound behind us from our very amused audience, who don’t hide their merriment. I side-eye the laughing buffoons, and they laugh harder, turning red and doubling over. Ugh. Why was I blessed with these people? Couldn’t I have been an only child? My mother croons at them to hush, but it’s useless. Chase gulps again as my father moves in on him.
“So, you’re the boyfriend?” he asks in a gravelly voice.
Chase straightens his back, jutting his chin up. And with one last big breath, he finally calms his nerves and shakes them away.
“Yes, Sir,” he says with a nod. “I’m Chase Benoit. You worked with my dad years ago. Amazing work, by the way. The writing, Sir, is fantastic.” My dad raises a brow, amusement sparkling in his ocean eyes.
“So you read my books?” His voice dips dangerously low, and only I can tell he’s preparing to fuck with Chase.
Chase’s eyes widen, panic spiking the throbbing vein in his neck. “I—uh—er, maybe,” he sputters out, panting for air.
My dad cracks a grin, slapping a rough hand on Chase’s shoulder. “I remember you, kid,” Dad says, slapping him again, jostling Chase’s stacked body straight into mine. “You were a good boy back then. Always polite on set—hell, you even entertained Kaycee.”
“Ah, yeah—I—uh—thanks!” Chase beams with a smile. His voice comes out in breathy relief, and every muscle in his body relaxes as he stares up at my father, eagerly awaiting his next words.
A devious smirk pulls at the edges of my father’s lips, and he steps forward again, bringing them chest to chest. Chase swallows so hard it’s heard all around the now silent room. My eyes widen when my massive father, who stands at 6’4, looks Chase directly in the eyes and puts on his meanest scowl.
“But remember this—” My father’s voice drops low, seizing Chase’s shoulder in his massive grip. “Kaycee is my baby. Treat her with respect and treat her right or…” A wolfish grin takes over his face when he affectionately slaps Chase on the shoulder. Stepping back, my father nods to everyone else, taking off toward the front door. My mother giggles at him with so much love in her eyes I want to puke. As she passes to follow my father outside, she glides her fingers over Chase’s pale face.
“I think he likes you,” she coos and exits the house.
The moment my parents are outside, the house erupts in so much laughter I can’t help but crack a smile.
Chase nods mutely at no one, staring at the front door in shock. His rigid muscles don’t relax, and his breaths pick up before he turns to me and shakes his head.
“Likes me? A-and what the shit doesormean?” he squeaks, grasping my hand again. He turns to me with wild eyes, searching me over in his frantic state. “Sunshine, seriously! Don’t laugh at me! What does he mean by ‘or’?” he hisses, walking us toward the front door.
I snort, trying to cover it with my hand, but I can’t help myself when a full-blown giggle attack takes over, and my face turns red from the lack of oxygen.
“I officially hate you all!” Chase gripes, pulling me toward the front door.
“Welcome to the family, Little Benoit,” Bodhi says through a massive grin, slapping Chase on the back. “You’ll fit right in. But I can’t wait to see the look on my father’s face when he realizes you’re not the only one!” Bodhi cackles out the front door, leaving us in the dust where Chase abruptly stops.
He grins as my sister, and her boyfriend pass us by, leaving us alone in the large, rented house.
