Deception (Infidelity #3)

Nothing could calm Alton’s rage once it was ready to unfurl, and in my heart, I knew Bryce would be no different.

Quietly, unnoticed by the other occupants of the room, I slipped into my chair at the large table with my glass of wine firmly in hand. As if my entrance had opened a valve allowing some of the pressure to release, each participant slowly followed suit: Alton, Suzy, and finally at his father’s prompting, Bryce.

I wanted to ask what had happened, what everyone else in the room knew, but I was better trained. I would learn when it was my turn to learn. This was Alton’s show, and it would progress on his terms.

“I don’t understand—” Bryce began.

“No!”

Suzy and I both sat taller at Alton’s reprimand. Though I’d heard that tone directed at both Alexandria and myself, never had I heard him speak to Bryce with it.

Somewhere between a kicked puppy and a stunned shark, Bryce stopped, his gray eyes wide as he stared the length of the table.

Alton ran his hand through his thinning hair and stood, simply unable to contain his anger. His chest expanded and contracted. The sound of his labored breathing filled the office as we sat watching and waiting. I looked again toward Suzy.

Once again, our eyes didn’t meet. Hers were downcast as a trail of tears made its way down her pale cheeks.

Confident of my innocence, I considered speaking. Before I could utter a word, Alton poured Cognac from a decanter into a crystal tumbler. One finger, two, he kept pouring. I bit my tongue as he took the glass to his lips and drank. His Adam’s apple bobbed as the fiery liquid undoubtedly scorched his throat. He didn’t stop.

Once the glass was empty, he turned and threw it into the fireplace. Everyone took a collective breath as shards of crystal fell like snow, littering the hearth. Had there been a fire, the reflections may have been beautiful; instead, they fell to the ashes, their luster extinguished.

“Maybe we should have told them.” Alton spoke to the room.

Suzy’s eyes met mine for the first time this evening, as they swirled with a combination of sadness and confusion.

No one dared speak.

“I can’t even find the fucking words,” Alton began as he sat with an exaggerated huff. “Bryce has taken it upon himself to secure a…” He shook his head searching for the right word. “…relationship.”

Suzy’s chin fell to her chest. No doubt she already knew the information that Alton was sharing with me.

“I-I don’t understand,” I said.

“He couldn’t wait,” Alton went on, each phrase louder than the one before. “I told him to wait. I told him to have faith in Alexandria, but he panicked.”

Bryce’s chin rose rebelliously. “I didn’t panic.”

Alton crossed his arms over his chest. “You imbecile. You have no idea of the mess you’ve made.”

My thoughts spun. How could what Bryce had done be worse than the mess with Melissa? Yet never had Alton chastised Bryce in front of me during any of that—the accusations of abuse, rape, or even her disappearance.

“What did you do?” I asked Bryce, not confident enough in my innocence to ask Alton.

He shrugged. “Apparently, I fucked everything up. I don’t know what everything is.”

“Bryce, language,” Suzanna reprimanded.

We all turned her direction.

Really? Your son has been accused of rape, abuse, kidnapping, and possibly murder and you’re going to correct his language?

I didn’t say that, but from the look on both Alton’s and my face, I was certain we were both thinking the same thing.

“No, Suzy,” Alton said, “Bryce’s account is accurate. He fucked everything. I don’t just mean an eighteen-year-old coed or Millie Ashmore or any other willing or unwilling partner. I mean everything that we’ve all strived to achieve.”

Bryce leaned back against his chair, his arms crossed to mirror his father’s. “Maybe if you’d tell me what everything means.”

“It means your marriage with Alexandria.”

Bryce’s hands came down, slapping his palms against the table. “You don’t think I’ve tried? I have. I tried while she was at Stanford. I went to California. I watched her, waiting for the right time to step back into her life. I asked her—no, begged her—to help me with the Evanston police, the deposition, the charges regarding Melissa.

“She has moved on. She’s with Demetri now and won’t even talk to me.” Bryce stood and resumed pacing. “I can’t go into that courtroom without some kind of defense. I need a credible alibi, a reason to disprove everything that Melissa’s parents’ attorneys throw our way.” He turned toward Alton. “It’s what the Montague legal team told me to do.”

“And I told you that Alexandria was your person.” Alton glared. “I told you that people would believe that story. You’d dated for years when you were younger. I said I was working on getting her home.”

By doing what? I wanted to ask, but I couldn’t interrupt their verbal back and forth.

Bryce shook his head. “Believe me, I’d force Alexandria if I could. But I can’t get within fifty feet of her.” His eyes narrowed. “And neither can you. So don’t act as if this is all my fault. You’ve been saying she’ll be back, but guess what? Melissa is still missing. The case is building. I didn’t have anything to do with her disappearance, yet I’m at the top of their list of suspects.”

Suzy and I turned back to Alton, our lips held tightly together as if respectfully watching a tennis match.

“How? How did you even learn about this… this business?” Alton asked.

Bryce lifted his brows knowingly. “From Melissa.”

“She told you?”

“Yes. She wanted out of it. She said if we were together she could get out.”

As the room fell silent, I found my voice. “What business? What are you talking about?”

When neither man spoke, finally Suzy volunteered, “It seems that Bryce purchased a companion.”

I opened my eyes wide. “You bought a prostitute?” Then I thought some more. “So what?”

Both Alton and Suzy looked at me.

I went on. “So what? I mean, I’m not happy about it. Alexandria won’t be happy, but really, who cares? Compared to abuse, rape, kidnapping… well, soliciting prostitution seems rather unimportant.”

“Bryce didn’t purchase a woman for a night,” Alton explained. “He purchased her for a year.”

Suzy nodded as my mouth opened.

“A year?” I asked. “You can do that?”

“It isn’t sex, per se,” Bryce said. “It’s companionship. It’s a ready-made relationship with a backstory that will provide the perfect alibi for my defense.” He sat back down. “Alexandria would have been ideal, in more ways than one.” He turned his gaze on me. “You know how much I’ve always loved her? But I can’t wait, and frankly, I don’t think waiting would do any good.”

“There are things in the works,” Alton said.

“Why?” Bryce asked. “Why is this such a big deal?”

“Bryce,” Suzy began, “you know it has always been our dream for our families to unite…”

As she spoke, I stole a glance toward Alton. He was still on the edge of rage, on a warpath. Why? This could be his out. If my theory was correct that he’d intended to sabotage Alexandria and Bryce’s wedding, this could be what he was looking for. Why then did he seem so upset?

Thoughts and theories continued to churn. If Alton hadn’t been the one to tell Bryce about this company, then I suddenly worried that I wouldn’t be able to prove Alton was responsible for the children not fulfilling the terms of my father’s will. Could I have been wrong about my theory?

The reason Alton was enraged had to be the codicil.

If Bryce and Alexandria didn’t marry, no longer would all of Montague holdings go to Fitzgerald Investments, as per our original agreement. With the codicil they’d go into probate. Alton could lose everything. Bryce would be left with nothing. The rightful heirs would succeed.

I worked to calm my excitement. Our salvation was in sight.

“There’s more to this that you should know, Laide,” my husband said.

Since he’d used my name, I assumed Suzy was already privy to the additional information. I tried to concentrate. “Okay?”