Page 50 of To Believe In You
Her dress squeezed her ribcage, and she exhaled. He’d only come in hopes of earning a commission on The Captain’s Vista. She should’ve spun back around the moment she’d spotted him. She shouldn’t have come out at all. She stepped backward. “No, Shane. There’s no room for anything.”
He followed her step. “You weren’t blameless, either.”
“What?” She hated the word as it slipped out, but she had to know what he faulted her for.
“You were dependent on your grandma, and she never liked me. I couldn’t open up to you, knowing the two of you would turn on me.” He grabbed her hand. “You said you loved me, but I think I always knew it was conditional. You let your grandma have too big of a say in your life. She disinherited her own son. I never stood a chance.”
Lina shook her head. Had she been too close to Grandma? Too reliant on her opinions? Should she have been more forgiving?
She found Matt watching her intently, ready to step in, but her face burned at the thought of him having heard all that.
“I don’t want to do this.” She pulled to free herself.
Shane’s tight grip kept their hands together, despite her effort. “The past is the past. You said you forgave—”
“Let her go.” Matt’s command snapped through the foyer as he crossed the space.
Without taking his stare from Lina, Shane lifted his free hand in a signal to hold Matt off. “You were just a puppet, weren’t you? You would’ve done anything to end up with all the money, including break up with me at the first hiccup to keep your grandma happy.”
She yanked her hand.
His grip held with bruising force. “You’re a greedy—”
Before Shane could finish the slur, Matt swatted down the hand Shane had lifted to stop him. Shane let go of her, rounded, and landed a punch.
Matt reeled backward, holding his face, Shane in pursuit.
“Shane! Stop.” She reached out, but Matt found his footing.
He lowered his hands, fists formed as blood ran from his nose. He ducked Shane’s next punch, then threw his shoulder into her ex’s stomach.
Shane crashed backward into a table. The flower arrangement toppled away from the tiled entry and onto the blue carpeting. The table thudded onto its side, and Shane slammed down after it.
He groaned and, with halting movements, rolled off the table to a sitting position between the protruding legs—one of which was broken.
Staff rushed up as Shane wiped his mouth, starting to move with more fluidity. He’d be on his feet in seconds, and then—
Warm, gentle fingers touched her arm. “Are you okay?” Matt panted, blue eyes swimming with concern, though he was the one with blood dripping off his chin. Crimson already stained the crisp white shirt beneath his jacket.
“I’m so sorry.” She opened her clutch and offered him the tissues she’d packed. They wouldn’t last long, but they were something.
“Sure. Run to your new boyfriend.”
Lina’s shoulders tensed, and she turned on her heel.
Shane had picked himself up. Other than his flushed face, he appeared fine, but she’d seen the way he’d fallen. He’d have bruises tomorrow—and probably a desperate need for a chiropractor.
Matt faced him, edging in front of her like a shield, leaving her to look over his shoulder.
Veins corded in Shane’s neck. “Look out, man. She’s keeping her own father from his inheritance. He sent me to talk some sense into her, but Little Miss Perfect thinks she can sit in judgment on everyone else. If you think this is going to work out for you, it won’t.” He stabbed his finger through the air like a knife.
Dad hadsentShane? Was Shane’s visit Dad’s so-called gift?
As her mind spun, staff added another layer to her human shield.
Shane scoffed, waved his hand in exasperation, and stormed out.
The largest of the staff members turned toward Matt. “Can we have the valet pull up your car?”
