“No, it’s quite all right,” he interrupts my father. “A Lady needs to have some fire in her if she’s going to succeed.” His eyes slide over to Ryat.
I swallow nervously at those words. I forget that I have to prove myself to the Lords, not just my husband. I have a feeling they’re going to be much harder to sway than a man I fuck.
“My name is Abbot Archer,” he announces proudly, and my stomach sinks.
Fuuuccckkkk.
“And I’m your father-in-law.” He stands from the recliner and walks over to me. I look up at him through my lashes, and he reaches out, taking my left hand. I hold my breath when he runs his thumb over my wedding ring. “I’m guessing you didn’t sign the papers.”
“What?” My eyes widen. “How did you—？”
“She threw them in the fireplace,” Ryat answers, interrupting me.
My head snaps to look at him, sitting at the other end of the couch, but he’s typing something on his cell.
“Good,” Abbot praises.
I look back up at him. “I don’t understand …”
“You passed your first test of initiation.” My father-in-law nods his head once, letting go of my hand, and it slaps my bare thigh.
First test of initiation? I thought I was going to get a text with a name, time, and address? No one said I’d be tested multiple times. How many tests will there be? Ryat said I threw them in the fire. I did, but he had already left.
“How did you …？” I trail off, trying to piece together everything that has happened over the past twenty-four hours. I thought my mind was clear, but I was obviously mistaken. I look around the large open living room and out the floor-to-ceiling windows that showcase the dark night. He must have cameras here. Of course, he does. I should have known. Matt said that they are always watching. He made up those papers and got in a fight with me. He needed an exit strategy and then once he left, he sat back somewhere and watched me.
“You set me up,” I say to Ryat, turning my body on the couch to fully face him.
He’s still typing away on his phone. Reaching over, I snatch it from his hands and toss it across the room. The sound of it hitting the glass fills the room, and I secretly hope I broke the damn device. His eyes narrow on mine. “Blake …”
“I’m fucking talking to you. The least you can do is pretend to listen!” I snap.
“Oh, I like her.” I hear Mr. Archer whisper to my father.
I stand, glaring down at Ryat. “So, everything you said to me in the room earlier was a lie.” How am I supposed to know what is true anymore?
His jaw sharpens, and nostrils flare.
“You tricked me. Made me think you wanted a divorce. What if I would have signed them?” Then what? That would have been considered a failure. Would he have come home and killed me right then?
“You wouldn’t have.” He snorts, like it’s impossible for me to walk away from him. I guess the fact that I burned them proves his point.
“What if I had, Ryat? Then what?” I shout.
He takes the two steps, closing the distance. Reaching up, he places his fingers under my chin and runs his thumb gently over my parted lips. “If you thought for one second that I’d let you walk away from me, then I need to remind you who I am … again.” A smirk tugs at the corner of his lips.
My breathing picks up, and I pull away. The touch and words feel too intimate for our audience. Especially since they’re our fathers. “But you signed them,” I argue.
“I had to,” he growls, giving me his back. “It was an order from the Lords …”
“The Lords?” I give a rough laugh. “How long will they control our life, Ryat?” I snap, and he spins back to face me. “Huh? What will you do when they tell you to leave me?”
“They won’t.” He shakes his head.
“How do you know that?”
“Because they won’t!” he yells.
“I don’t believe that!” I shout back. “And your loyalty lies with them. Not me.”
“Blake.” He sighs, running a hand through his hair. “You don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Test me,” I say, holding my hands out wide. Let’s get this over with right now. He can give me a test from the Lords, and when I pass, this’ll all be over.
“I can’t,” he growls through gritted teeth. “Not in that way.”
“Are you serious?” I snap. “Everything has been a fucking test since the moment I ran into you in the hallway at Barrington, and all of a sudden, you can’t. That doesn’t make any fucking sense, Ryat!”