Page 4 of Indecent Villain

“My niece is the owner of this house, which means she is your employer. If you value your position here, I suggest you treat her with respect. She needs to eat, not starve. Do I make myself clear?”

“Yes.”

“Yes, what?”

“Yes, sir.”

Tiberius snorts. “Go.” He turns to me. “I have no clue what I am supposed to do with you.”

“You could ignore me, and I will ignore you.”

He grins, which surprises me. He has to be the most handsome man I’ve ever seen. “You’re too pretty to be ignored, and I’m too big and loud.” He frowns. “Others will be moving into the house with me. You need to stay out of their way.” He points his fork in my direction. “They are dangerous men. I will only give you this warning once. You understand me?”

It’s a good thing I’ve eaten all my food, as my appetite suddenly disappears. “I understand.” My mind whirls, wondering who they are and why he has dangerous men living with him. My outlook is certainly looking better. Maybe I won’t be bored anymore. Tiberius is a large man with an equally large personality.

As my eyes rove over his features, I realize I don’t consider him my uncle. How could I when I’ve never known him? My curiosity about him is piqued, and while he seems slightly more approachable than he has been in the past, I decide to ask my questions.

“Are you married?”

His gray eyes shoot to mine. “No.” He smirks. “Are you?”

“Considering I’m seventeen, I would have thought the answer to that question was obvious.”

“If you ask me personal questions, then expect the same in return.” He grins, mirth dancing in his gaze. “What else do you want to know?”

“Why have we never actually met until now?” I sit back in the chair and try to appear relaxed. I certainly feel better than I did before. Maybe I just needed something proper to eat, or what I do not want to admit, company. I’m not sure how I feel about Tiberius. That’s a lie. The man with silver eyes causes parts of my body to come alive. Butterflies flutter in my belly. Maybe it’s the way he looks at me. I have his sole attention, and I want to keep it.

“There are things that your mother chose to keep from you. I need some time to decide whether or not I tell you what they are.”

I watch him, my curiosity stronger than ever. “Would those things change anything?”

He sits forward with his hands on the table. He intertwines his fingers. “The secret Anna and Jude kept would change everything,” he says in a deep voice, his eyes blazing. “One day, I may tell you.”

I frown. If I’m not mistaken, I catch something within his gaze, as though he is scared to speak of it. I’m more determined than ever to discover what my parents kept from me.

“Not today?”

“Maybe not ever.” He stands and tosses his napkin on his plate. “If I do tell you, just remember they are the ones who kept you in the dark.” With that, he moves toward the large doorway. He pauses with his hand on the knob and glances over his shoulder. “I will be here from this evening.”

“You!”Martha hisses the moment the large front door closes behind Tiberius.

To my horror, my legs tremble at the confrontation I know is seconds away. Martha has always been an evil woman. As soon as Tiberius spoke to her, I knew she would be on me the moment he left. And here she is.

“How dare you complain, you ungrateful little bitch!” Martha charges forward, and I stumble into the wall behind me. She follows and slaps me hard across the face.

Tears fill my eyes as I cradle my throbbing cheek, too stunned to react.

“You think it matters to me that you own this house?” she scoffs. “You know nothing.” Her eyes glow with unleashed anger. “I would be careful of who I become friends with, Kinsley,” she sneers. “Beckett is?—”

I watch her closely as her mouth pulls tight. My heart pounds in my chest while I wonder how to break free of her hold. Martha has never laid a hand on me before, but now the woman before me is finally showing her true colors. I pull myself up to my full five-foot-five height and glare at the woman.

“Do not touch me again,” I say, clear and precise. “Next time, I will fight back.”

Her eyes narrow. “You are brave all of a sudden.” She scowls and looks out of the window. “I may not like you, but if the rumors about Tiberius are true, then I fear for you.” Her arm shoots out and holds me against the wall. She is stronger than she appears. “No more whispering into that man’s ear about me, or you will be very sorry.” With one last shove, she turns and leaves.

I gasp and give into the tears that have been threatening to fall throughout the whole confrontation. My cheek stings as I place it against the cold window and watch the dark clouds roll over the grounds. My stomach is in turmoil. I don’t understand what is going on. The one fact that I do know is that I am the ward of Tiberius Beckett. Why him? I have no idea why my father did that. Although I do not trust Martha, her words have me concerned. What does she know about the man to fear for me?

Something else has become apparent. My father knew he was going to die. The changes to his will were completed three weeks before his death. The weight of my new responsibilities as Tiberius's ward settles heavily on my shoulders as I consider the implications of my father's foresight. The realization scares me.

---