If we had to go down, he would be coming with us. Only he would be in his fucking grave.
I had to admit, it felt nice to have someone by my side as we walked into the restaurant to meet with Fletcher. Scarlett looked fucking amazing in a rather demure black dress and little peep-toe heels. It was the way she carried herself that had me enraptured. She was my queen, holding her head up high with her light brown hair falling in perfect waves around her shoulders.
The reaper and his goddess of the night. Heads turned as we weaved through the tables after the waiter, who was showing us to our table. I never cared what people thought of me, so I ignored it.
After last night in the playroom, we were all feeling a little… brighter. It certainly showed with the way she kept throwing me these little secret smiles. Her hand tightened around mine as if to reassure me this would be fine.
It was just lunch with Fletcher. I’d had them countless times before. However, something was off. He’d been incredibly insistent and wouldn’t tell me why he wanted to see me. After he’d blabbed to my parents about Scarlett, I wasn’t feeling particularly charitable, but curiosity had got the better of me. And I should have fucking known not to trust the cunt.
The moment we arrived at the table, my eyes narrowed on the second occupant. Now I knew exactly why he’d wanted me to come here. I had a hard time holding in my anger.
Sat there looking like my fucking older double was my father. Oscar Ackley. The man I hated almost as much as Stuart Carver himself.
Scarlett put her other hand on my arm when she saw him as if she couldn’t believe her eyes. Of course, she remembered him, but it would be pretty fucking impossible not to notice we were related. Oscar might have greying hair at his temples, but his indigo eyes and dark hair mirrored mine. If he stood up, we’d be matched evenly in height. I hated it, but you didn’t get to choose who you got your genes from.
“You came,” Fletcher said, getting up and walking around to me. “It’s nice to see you again, Scarlett. I’m glad he brought you.”
The way he leered at her had me gritting my teeth. I’d already warned him about the way he’d been staring at my woman before. Now, I was plain fucking pissed off. At him. At my father. At the whole fucking situation.
“What is he doing here?” I asked, keeping my voice low.
Making a scene in a restaurant was not my style. And yet, the rage building in my gut needed an outlet. By fuck did I want to smack that smug smile off Fletcher’s face.
“I told him you didn’t want to see him, but he insisted.”
I stepped closer to him, staring down at the man with no small amount of hatred.
“You know what, I don’t have a good reason not to walk out of this place.”
“Drake.”
Scarlett’s voice cut through the tension between me and Fletcher. My head whipped to her. She was giving my father a rather venomous look as if she couldn’t believe he had the audacity to turn up here. I had told her what kind of man he really was.
“We don’t have to stay if you don’t want to.” She looked up at me then. “You don’t have to hear either of them out. You don’t owe them anything.”
I could have kissed her in the middle of the busy restaurant right then. Everything inside me screamed at me to do so. The gnawing urge grew stronger until I was unable to resist pulling her closer. She understood. She knew. And she wasn’t going to force me into speaking to my father.
My hand curled around her face, tipping up towards me.
“My little wisp,” I whispered, leaning closer. “Love of my life.”
Then I kissed her in full view of everyone, not caring in the slightest about the level of PDA as my tongue slid into her waiting mouth. She gripped the lapels of my jacket, letting out a small mewl of pleasure as if she couldn’t help herself.
When I let her go, her cheeks were flushed and her pupils dilated. I smiled, knowing I’d done that to her. Made her fucking weak at the knees. Well, she affected me in the same way, but I wasn’t about to show it. She knew the power she had over me. How she could make me do what she wanted with her words and her body. I’d followed this woman down the rabbit hole willingly and I was never coming back out.
I swiped my thumb over her mouth before releasing her. Then I walked over to my father, who hadn’t risen to his feet. He stared at me like he’d never seen me before. I was a changed man now I had the woman I loved and my three best friends who’d all promised me forever.
“I remember telling you I never wanted to see you again, Oscar,” I said, keeping my voice fairly calm and even.