Page 101 of Risk

“Scarlet.” He shoves his hands in his pockets. “You’re making a fool of yourself right now.”

Her cheeks are as red as her name implies.

“You are the most selfish fucking prick in the family,” Jackson snaps at me. “You didn’t want her. And now that I get her, you want her back? Typical Mason. Always wants, always gets, gets, gets.”

I can tell he’s been drinking. I also know what my brother sounds like when he’s scared. To the rest of the world, he might sound like a manchild, but I know better. I grew up in the same house he did. I know what happens when one of us disobeys orders or embarrasses an authority figure in the house.

“That’s right,” I say cautiously. “I am selfish. I want a lot of things, and I’m not afraid to go after them.” Flicking my gaze to Scarlet, I add, “No matter the cost.”

“Let’s take this conversation somewhere private.” My dad tries ushering his wife off the stage and fails.

“You’re a disgrace,” she says to me. “A disappointment to the family name.”

Her words don’t affect me. Not anymore. “I can live with that.”

Whatever she’s about to say next must wedge in her throat.

“What I can’t live with is being tied to someone I don’t love. To be indebted to a family who I didn’t choose.”

Scarlet’s eyes widen with indignation. “How dare you!”

“Money isn’t everything, Mother.” I point to Leah, who’s escorting Nicole towards the lobby. “See that woman back there? She’s worth more to me than every dime the Finch family could ever make. She’s fucking priceless to me.”

She cackles. “That bitch isn’t worth the toilet cleaner she uses to scrub the shit off your porcelain.”

“Jesus, Scarlet.” Tom steps back from her.

“What? I’m only stating facts, Tom. She’s nothing. She’s worth nothing. She’ll always be nothing. If Mason would have just done what he was told and married Nicole, none of this would be an issue and I wouldn’t look like the bad guy here. But of course, it’s all my fault. Everything is always my fault.”

I lean in and get inches from her face. “If the Jimmy Choo fits.”

A hand brushes my shoulder, and I look over to see Leah.

She’s come back to me.

Holy hell, she’s on this stage, in the middle of this nightmare, and I want to shield her from all the vile, toxic vitriol my mother is spitting. “Wait for me outside.”

“I’m not leaving you.” Her words are so firm, I know there’s no persuading her otherwise. “I’m right where I belong.”

I’m speechless.

“Everyone deserves love,” Leah calmly says. “I’m sorry if that wasn’t a priority for you, Scarlet. Maybe you didn’t have a choice, just like you tried to take the choice away from Mason, and for that, I’m also sorry. But don’t do this to your kids. You said you’ve been friends with the Greystone family for forever. Are you really willing to match Nicole and Jackson?”

Scarlet looks like she was just slapped in the face with a cold fish. “This is none of your concern, girl. This is Finch family business.”

“I’m not family anymore,” I shoot back. “You disowned me.”

“You did that to yourself,” Scarlet huffs.

“Yeah, I did. And I have zero regrets.” I shake my head. “What are you going to do, Scarlet?” She flinches when I call her by name. “When Grace is matched with someone who hates her. Or worse.”

She knows what I mean. We once housed the wife of a senator who beat her so badly, she had to have plastic surgery to fix her bone structure. After recovering, she went back to the monster out of obligation. My mother cried her eyes out every night for a month over it because that woman had been her best friend. I heard mom once say to Grace, who was only thirteen at the time, that her and Dad might not love each other like the couples in the movies Grace was obsessed with, but he never hit her so, that’s good enough. She said Grace should hope to find a man as gentle as her father and count her blessings.

It made me sick to hear it.

“We’ve only ever wanted you to be happy, son.”

“He’s. Not. Our. Son.” Scarlet steps back. “Leave now, before I call security and have them drag you out."

---