Page 98 of Every Silent Lie
“Hi,” I say, stepping forward, holding my hand out, praying to God that Dec’s father doesn’t go all continental on me and move in for a kiss, because it’s just occurred to me that I haven’t brushed my teeth. “Nice to meet you, Mr. Ellis.”
I shouldn’t have worried. He turns away, pointing his fancy cane back at me. “What’s this then?” he asks. “Another one?”
I recoil, dropping my hand, since it’s dangling uselessly in front of me.
“Are we done?” Dec asks tiredly, not at all bothered by his father’s disrespect.
“No, we are far from done, my boy.”
“I am not your boy,” Dec grates, a flash of anger sparking from his eyes.
“Like it or not, I’m your father.”
“You’re the man who contributed to the biological side of my making. Nothing more.”
Jesus, are we really doing this in front of me? “I’m just going to make a call,” I say, thumbing over my shoulder, dying on the inside. Dec wasn’t kidding when he said he hates him.
“No need.” Dec comes to collect me and walks me to a stool, sitting me down. “He’s leaving.”
“Tell me it was you,” his father demands, smacking his stick on the floor as Dec goes to the coffee machine and pulls a cup of coffee off the stand.
“It was me. Happy?” Then he sips, oh so casual, as his father starts to visibly shake, his face going an alarming shade of red.
“What the hell are you going to do with a failing whiskey empire?” he yells. “You hate whiskey.”
“What am I going to do with it?” Dec asks. “Oh, Dick. From a man of your stature, that’s a really dumb fucking question.” Dec sets his coffee down. “I’m going to break down the company and sell off the distilleries, factories, land, and stores, bit by bit.”
“You vengeful bastard.”
“Now are we done?” Dec asks, taking a sip of his coffee.
Dick looks like steam could start gushing out of his ears. “Your mother would turn in her grave.”
I jump out of my skin when Dec’s cup hits the stone counter with a thwack hard enough to shatter it. It’s a miracle it’s still intact. “Never talk about my mother,” he warns with a lethal edge. “Do you understand me? Now get out of my house.”
“I assume this means you won’t be at Paisley’s engagement party.”
“You mean to fly the flag for the Ellises? Show a united front in the face of adversary? No, Dick. You don’t get my compliance so your new wife and your brats get to keep up appearances.” He points past him. “The door’s that way.”
Dick huffs, but I see surrender. He walks to the door and looks back at me. “Don’t get too cosy. Dec Ellis gets very bored very quickly.”
I laugh, insulted, and give my attention to Dec, waiting and expecting an explanation.
“He’s being spiteful. I was very active many years ago.” He slides a pastry across the island to me. “And when he says bored, he means in business. Coffee?”
“Please.” And that’s that? My lips twist, uncertainty kicking me in the gut as Dec, moody, makes more coffee. He was very active many years ago. Before his wife? Is she why he’s been celibate for nearly five years? Did she burn him that badly?
I groan to myself, suddenly more curious about her than I want to be. “How many women have you dated?” I try to sound casual. Fail.
Dec looks over his shoulder. “You want to have the conversation where you ask me how many women I’ve slept with, and I tell you it’s much lower than it actually is?”
“How many?”
“Fifteen. And that’s the truth. What about you?”
Oh God, I didn’t think this through. My gaze drops to the stone counter. “A few,” I murmur pathetically. A coffee appears in my downcast vision, and I peek up at Dec. “So what was that all about?”
“Oh, no.” He laughs. “You started this. You can finish it. How many?”
