Page 52 of Illicit Heir

My mum grabs my forearm and feigns a nervous smile, quietly chiding, "Lauren."

And all the anger I've ever felt toward Caleb resurfaces. It figures he'd come here and claim he gave us the money to fix the pub. I blurt out, "What? It's not his money. He shouldn't take credit for it."

Mum keeps her smile tight, pleading with me with her eyes to agree. She admits, "Lauren, I called Caleb to thank him for taking care of us. Now say thank you."

I jerk my head back, and the blood drains from my face. Betrayal fills me. How could she have done such a thing?

I shouldn't be surprised. Mum's always kissed Caleb's ass. It doesn't matter that she's seen his evil side.

She arches her eyebrows and nods toward him, demanding, "Express your gratitude for his generosity."

"But it wasn't him," I repeat, lowering my voice.

Caleb steps up next to us, narrowing his gaze, challenging, "No? If I didn't give ya the money, then who did?"

"It was an anonymous donor," I reply.

He grunts. "Stop being silly, Lauren. No one in this pub has more than their tab to part with, never mind the amount I left for ya."

I should drop it. I'm not in a winning situation. I need to shut my mouth and allow Caleb to take credit for it, but I can't. Maybe it's because I slept with Devin to get it.

I didn't. He tricked me and left it.

He used me as a prostitute.

This isn't the time for a trip down memory lane.

My stomach churns, and I push the thoughts to the back of my mind. I cross my arms over my chest and hurl out, "Why did ya leave it anonymously, then? If you're going to come in here and tell everybody it was you, what was the point?"

"I had more important things to do than be here. Who said I left it anonymously anyway?" he questions.

My gut sinks. "Well, there wasn't a name on it."

He scoffs. "Why would I leave my name on it? No one else has money like I do. I'm the only possible bloke who would give ya such a gift. Aren't I?"

My insides quiver. His sneer cuts into me, and even though I'm not his and free to do whatever I want with whomever, he doesn't think so. If he found out about Devin and the others coming in here, I'm scared to find out what would happen.

"Give the man credit," Paddy calls out.

I spin to face him. "Shut up and stay out of our business."

He gets up and strolls over to Caleb, giving me a dirty look. It's the same expression he's shot at me since I announced the new rules. He states, "It's about time ya showed up. Someone needs to put Miss High and Mighty in her place."

Here we go.

I knew this was going to happen eventually. I've spent the last few weeks wondering when Caleb would show up and knowing I'd have to fight him regarding this. In all reality, I'm shocked he hasn't appeared sooner.

I glare at him, but the quivering in my gut only grows. I straighten my shoulders and lift my chin, ready to stand up for myself and my pub. All I care about is ensuring that my mum's property stays respected and doesn't get destroyed. Yet I can't lie and say I'm not scared.

To my surprise, Caleb's eyes turn to slits. He directs them at Paddy and snarls, "Is there something I'm unaware of?"

Paddy gives me a smirk. "Aye. There is. This lass made new rules. Ones ya didn't approve. They go against the rules that have been in our clan for years...even decades." He glances at me in satisfaction, knowing he just put my head on the chopping block.

I attempt to not look intimidated, yet I assume I'm doing a horrible job. Paddy has me and knows it. Caleb will surely try to override my authority.

Caleb asks, "Who said I didn't approve the new rules?"

Shock fills me, and I try not to let it appear on my face. Then a new horror fills me. I don't like surprises where Caleb's concerned. He doesn't do anything without expecting something in return. There's no doubt he'll demand something for letting my new rules stand.

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