Page 90 of Wicked Heiress

Bastian took a swig from his glass and set it on the table. “Viktor sent intel that proves Pierre Moreau is the group’s leader. Your father was never involved with The Lucaya Group. His only downfall was your mother. He wasn’t willing to let you or her go, and Fitzy tried to detain him on Skull Island.”

I sat back and curled up beside Cole, needing his warmth. He tightened his grip on me and traced the infinity symbol on my palm to calm my nerves. I once told him that it was something my adoptive father did to soothe me.

“I’m not telling you this to upset you,” Bastian said after a brief pause. “But you need to know what you’re walking into tomorrow.” He waved his hand around the room. “We’ll be with you at the wedding. So will other Knights. But your father will show up, and we can’t predict what he will do once he sees our grandfather.”

“Do you think he’ll hurt me?”

He shook his head. “No, we don’t see him as a threat. His information about The Lucaya Group checks out. We have no reason to believe he’s lying to us or will be violent. He only wants to see you again. And in exchange, he will give us information about Fitzy.”

My heart clambered in my chest, pounding so hard it felt like it was about to break through my skin. I had dreamed of my father for the past thirteen years. And now that I knew what happened on the day my mother died, I wanted to see him again. He wasn’t a bad guy, only a father trying to get back to his daughter.

“Does any of this have to do with the Elders key?”

Bastian rolled his broad shoulders. “Fitzy believes your father stole the key from him. That’s why he made you the beneficiary of his will. Viktor blackmailed him into doing so. And once the old man is out of the picture, I’ll show you what the key opens.” He gave me a tiny smile. “It will change your life, Grace. I hope you’re prepared for what comes next.”

Chapter Fifty-One

COLE

Grace hadn’t spoken since we left the Salvatore Estate, breathing harder than before. She kept sighing and staring down at her feet as we walked toward her bedroom at Fort Marshall.

“It’s going to be okay, Grace. I won’t let anyone hurt you.”

“My grandfather will kill me if this plan goes wrong,” she said, her body shaking from fear.

“It won’t,” I assured her.

Grace dropped my hand and entered the room, plopping down on the bed with a sigh.

“What are you thinking?” I moved in front of her and slid my hand beneath her chin when she didn’t respond. “You can talk to me, Grace.”

Eyes downcast, she blew out a deep breath. “Rhys wouldn’t have sent a sex tape to my grandfather if I hadn’t given him the ammunition. This is all my fault. I wanted so badly to experience life that I didn’t consider the consequences of having freedom.”

She’d never been free a day in her life. As long as her grandfather was alive, she would always have to follow the rules.

“Hey, don’t blame yourself.” I sat on the bed beside her. “None of this is your fault.”

Grace wrapped her arms around her middle and sobbed. “It was selfish of me to think I could have it all. That I could have two men without paying the price.”

While I wasn’t fond of sharing her with Rhys, I would have done anything for her.

Caressing her cheek, I stared into her pretty blue eyes. “Listen to me. You did nothing wrong. It’s okay to want things. Your grandfather took every life experience from you so you would be miserable like him. If you want to blame someone, it’s Fitzy.”

“And Rhys,” she bit out. “He manipulated me. Made me think I mattered to him.” She looked at me with watery eyes and rubbed her nose. “No bad deed ever goes unpunished with my grandfather. He knows about us. What if he tries to hurt you, too?”

“I can handle him,” I lied to keep her from beating herself up. “Don’t worry about me.”

Grace climbed onto my lap, and I held her against my chest, running my fingers down her back to calm her nerves. “Until this summer, I hadn’t seen my grandfather for ten years. No calls on my birthday. No Christmas presents. Not a single word from him. And now, the Colonel is on an extended mission, and my life is slowly falling apart.”

I cupped the back of her head, staring into her pretty blue eyes that captured mine. “I promised to protect you. And I will continue to do that until I take my last breath.”

“Cole,” she whispered, her lips inched from mine. “I need to be with you.” She clawed at my shirt, pulling me closer. “I think you need this, too.”

I pressed my lips to hers, wanting to lose myself with the girl who stole my heart. She was the only person with the power to hurt me. We explored each other’s bodies, taking our time. I tugged at her clothes as she removed mine until each piece of fabric dropped to the floor.

I rested my forehead against hers as my hand slipped between her legs. “Are you going to come for me, brat?”

She licked her lips and nodded. “I like it when you call me that.”

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