Page 16 of Keep Me (Rebel Hearts Heists 2)
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Sloane
I come from a middle-class family and when I first started dating Pierce and hanging around Sasha’s professional football player boyfriend, I thought I saw the way rich people live.
You know what? I saw shit, I think as we stepped into a stunning tropical garden that not only is located on the top floor of the hotel, but offers the illusion of complete privacy to the diners as every table is surrounded by lush trees and bushes that create a natural and stunning partition.
We’re ushered toward the edge of the terrace where the tables also offer a breathtaking view of the harbor of Monte Carlo.
And if I thought that all this was impressive, I still have a lot to learn about the way the top one percent does things, because when I don’t see any other diners, the maître d’ informs us that the restaurant and bar have been closed to all the other guests for the evening to allow for our family event. We don’t have time to sit down at our table because the happy couple arrives and introductions are made.
“Oh my baby! We haven’t seen each other for a whole year. I’ve missed you so!”
Blaine’s mom is a stunning brunette in a shimmery silver floor-length gown and as I stare into a pair of grey eyes that closely match her son’s in both color and shape, I think that she could easily pass as his sister. Alicia must be in her early forties but looks two decades younger with luscious black hair, smooth skin and a body that would be the envy of a Victoria’s Secret angel. She hugs Blaine tightly and to my surprise, he doesn’t let me go when his mother surrounds his neck with her arms but actually tightens his grip on me. The embrace lasts only a short moment and as soon as Alicia takes a step back, her silver eyes land on me.
“And who’s this stunning young lady you brought with you?” she asks, extending a perfectly smooth, manicured hand but not shaking mine, it’s almost as if she expects to have her hand kissed. Who does this woman think she is, the Pope? I think in disbelief as she introduces herself.
“Alicia Montgomery De Bois Barrington, soon to be Van Der Beck.” I’m about to introduce myself when River blurts from my other side. “Well shit, that’s quite a mouthful!”
Blaine directs a withering look toward my ‘brother’ and then introduces us both to his mother. “Mom, this is my girlfriend Sloane and her brother River.”
“Oh my goodness,” she gushes, resting a hand laden with the biggest diamond ring I’ve even seen on her perfectly tanned chest. “A girlfriend? But that’s amazing! You know, my Blaine has never brought any of his girlfriends to meet his family, so having you here tells me how much you mean to him. And to be honest, I’m not surprised that he must be smitten with you, because you’re drop dead gorgeous.” I don’t reply to her comment, noticing how Alicia’s eyes aren’t at all on me but are fixed on River the whole time.
I immediately recognize the lust in her gaze and a fit of jealousy makes my blood literally boil. How dare she? I still feel way out of line being jealous as I’m with each of the guys, but as we established back in Seattle, they’re ok with letting me explore each connection right now but they aren’t interested in anyone else. I’m basically the fucking bachelorette, folks.
Blaine mumbles something about never having anyone worth introducing to his mom before me and that seems to appease her and she finally moves on. “Royce …”
She air kisses her stepson on both cheeks and he mimics the gesture but I can feel the temperature dropping by at least twenty degrees in the room as they quietly look at each other for a brief but intense moment. Royce wasn’t lying when he told me that his relationship with Alicia had always been polite but cold. But the resentment Royce harbors toward his stepmother is evident in the tick in his jaw and the rigid set of his broad shoulders.
And as if going down a receiving line, Alicia stops in front of Kaden. He introduces himself simply as Kaden Vance and when no further reason for his presence is offered, Blaine explains that he hired Kaden as a bodyguard as we’ve had some problems with a stalker.
To my surprise Alicia and her fiancé don’t ask for any further details and Casper Van Der Beck takes a step forward to shake my hand and greet the guys. I can feel the tension radiating from the brothers but I’m surprised by the tycoon’s rather relaxed attitude. He treats Royce and Blaine like two godsons rather than like the guys whose father he framed for his own crimes and whose mother he’s about to marry in a lavish ceremony in less than two weeks.
But I’m not fooled by Van Der Beck’s good manners and apparent friendliness, I see straight through it and my guts wrench with an ominous feeling: I know this guy is dangerous. How do I know? His eyes. Van Der Beck is almost as tall as Royce and almost as broad. In his late forties, the billionaire is in perfect physical shape and with his totally bald head and light blue eyes, he reminds me of Mr. Clean. He’s definitely an attractive man but I know immediately that he's dangerous from the fact that his smile doesn’t reach his eyes. And when his gaze settles on me, I recognize that same cold, glassy light that I saw many times in Pierce’s gaze.
But while my ex-fiancé could barely conceal the violence that bubbled under the surface, Blaine’s mom’s fiancé has an almost perfectly fabricated polite, confident and almost jovial exterior.
I try to put aside my unease as we sit down. The dinner is a delicious and very high-end five course affair and champagne flows liberally. I don’t miss some tension in the happy couple as we chat about our imminent college graduation and the guys’ football victory in the State Championship. I begin wondering what’s the matter, when after the dessert plates are cleared and a special reserve brandy is served, Van Der Beck clears his voice.
“Ok, let’s cut to the chase, shall we?”
For a second, my insides clench in terror, fearing that the reason for our presence here has already been discovered and almost expecting some goons coming to take us away like in a gangster movie. But I couldn’t be farther from the truth.
“Blaine, your mother has been agonizing about this for months and I know that she’s been hesitant to ask for fear of being refused but I want my bride to be happy so … would you consider walking your mother down the aisle to give her away at our wedding? It would mean a lot to the both of us and it would start our life as a family on the right note.”
I see Blaine tense up but before he can reply, Casper Van Der Beck continues: “I know our overall relationship has been tense since the events that went down a couple of years ago, but just be reassured that I bear no grudges and I don’t hold you and Royce responsible for your father’s mistakes.”
This man must be a fucking great liar, because if I didn’t know that he framed Royce’s father for his own crimes, if I didn’t believe the guys when they swear that that’s what happened, I would completely believe in his ‘honesty.’
Again, Blaine opens his mouth to speak after meeting Royce and Kaden’s eyes for a millisecond but this time it’s his mother, the one who interrupts, blurting out: “And I’d love it if Sloane could be a bridesmaid. I was gonna have just my two goddaughters Elsie and Georgia, but I would love for my son’s girlfriend to be in the wedding. I know how important you must be to Blaine if he brought you here.”
To my surprise, Blaine agrees for the both of us. And normally, I guarantee you that he’d get his ass kicked for speaking on my behalf but I saw the look passing between him and the others, so I’m sure that they think this will be good for our plan.
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River
Dinner with Blaine’s mom is quite a tense affair: everyone seems to be studying everyone else and I almost can’t taste the amazing food. I’m too preoccupied with the way Royce is looking at Van Der Beck and with the feeling of Blaine’s mom’s gaze constantly on me.
