Page 4 of Bound in Debt
“I didn’t,” I repeat. “You waltzed in here like you own the place.”
“She sort of does,” Liam interjects smugly. “Her family practically funds half this school. They probably pay your salary, too.”
I snort. “Well, tell them I deserve a raise for having to chase kids who badly need lessons out of my classroom. I’m definitely going to be putting in overtime if half my students play at the same mediocre level as you, Miss Waldorf. Maybe I should save us all the misery and just cancel the class now.”
Her face falls at my cruel words. To be fair, I don’t actually know that she’s awful. Give her a song to play that I didn’t write and it would be a fair assessment, but, currently, I’m unimpressed and irritated as shit.
“Might be a sign, Vee,” Liam replies to Victoria. “Your mom hates that you want this degree. And you won’t need to play anyway once we’re married.”
She shoots him a loaded look and it’s the first glimpse I get that she may actually have something resembling a backbone. “I’m not going to give up my violin. Like I give a shit about what my mother wants me to do.”
Liam rolls his eyes dramatically. “C’mon, Vee. Next summer?—”
“Stop.” She holds up a palm as if to block his next words and I see fury glimmering in the blue depths of her eyes. “I didn’t agree to anything. Not for next summer or the one after that.” She straightens her spine and breathes deeply, clearly reaching for an inner calm. “We should go.”
“We’ll talk more later.” My nephew is obviously disgruntled that she’s not jumping for joy at the prospect of marrying him. I can’t believe my nephew actually wants to get married. He’s only twenty-one and still has plenty of time to swing his dick around without much consequence before he needs to worry about settling down. “And we’re not going to argue about it.”
Victoria tsks and shifts her hold on her instrument case. “You can talk about it, Liam. I’m not having this conversation again, especially in front of your uncle.” She sends me an apologetic look. “I’m sorry, Professor. I hope to change your mind about my skillset.” A weak grin forms along her lips. “Welcome to Thronewood.”
Then she pivots to leave, abandoning my nephew. If only she had done me the favor of taking him with her. I might have been willing to give her a few brownie points for that one.
“Don’t you have a keg party to go to?” I pipe in, interrupting my nephew’s mumbled complaints about ungrateful bitches.
“Not until later.”
I point to the door. “Off you go then.”
“I need her to marry me.”
My brows pinch together. “Why?” I probe.
“My trust fund doesn’t kick in until I’m twenty-five,” Liam replies sourly. “And Vee’s family is loaded now.”
I scoff because of course Liam isn’t trying to marry for love. He’s more like Marissa than I could have ever dreamed. “What does her family’s money have to do with you?”
Liam averts his gaze and inhales a deep breath. “I’m in some…debt.”
“What kind of—” His head snaps over to me with a glower.
“None of your business,” he clips.
“Your father was an investment banker, and by all accounts he was very good at what he did. His portfolio should have been fat enough to keep you and your mother happy for years.” Something isn’t adding up here.
“It doesn’t matter. Ma’s good friends with Vee’s mom and they made a deal. I’ll marry Vee so I can get my debt paid and I won’t have to worry about money until my trust fund hits. Then I’m done.”
“Done?” I repeat. “You’re going to leave that girl brokenhearted because?—”
“Don’t act like you give a fuck about her,” my nephew sneers. “You were a total asshole to her. And it’s not like you haven’t used women before.”
“What the hell does that mean?”
“Gabriella DeM—” My fist flies into Liam’s jaw before I can even think about it.
Liam stumbles back a few steps, immediately nursing the side of his face, but I don’t regret clobbering him. Not even when I feel the familiar sting in my knuckles.
I only wish I would’ve done it sooner.
“Get the hell out of my classroom,” I seethe. “And don’t bring your problems to me. I don’t give a shit what you and your mother did with my brother’s money. If you spent it, you’re fucked.”
