Page 45 of Fallen Legacy

Ifeel her eyes on me as I leave the room. My natural instinct was to walk over to her and kiss her head, but I fought it. I’d lain awake for hours last night, replaying the events in the car and the words that we left unspoken after she asked me where she was going to go. A silent reminder that any ring I put on her finger will be there because she is being blackmailed into this engagement. Wilbur had leverage and without that, there would be no way she’d agree to be mine. Okay, yes, part of me feels like a shit for knowing the situation she’s in and not doing a damn thing about it, but I’m a selfish bastard. Somehow Scarlet has buried deep under my skin and now I’m not willing to let her go. I will marry her knowing full well she’s being forced into this, and I’ll do it because I can. Truth is, as much as Wilbur needs this wedding to happen, I need it too if I’m to get my hands on my family’s fortune and my inheritance. My grandfather is as insistent about this marriage as Wilbur is. Why, though, I’m not so sure. It’s not like he needs the investment. He isn’t the one whose empire is on the verge of crumbling because of poor business decisions. No, his reason is because he has some daft idea that it will repair the past. That it will erase the fact that Wilbur stole his rightful bride from under his nose and it will repair the damage from our parents’ tragic pairing. But what if we are cursed? No marriage between the two families had occurred now for three generations. Both arrangements had ended in deceit and betrayal.

I watched her sleep last night. I just lay beside her and watched her, blown away by how fucking beautiful she is. Scarlet makes me feel things that are foreign to me. She makes me question myself and how what I do appears to her. I wanted to kill that guy last night with my bare hands for touching her. I’d never been the jealous type, despite many girls trying to make me jealous, thinking that if I saw them with someone else, I’d realise what I was missing and barge in there and take them back. But I wasn’t that guy, because I didn’t do feelings and I didn’t get attached, ever. She’s changing me and it scares me to no end. Scar’s a wild card and she’s thrown my carefully constructed world off kilter. She deserves better than me. Scar deserves a good guy. Not someone as twisted and fucked up as me. I know that, but that still doesn’t mean I will not make her mine. She knows it and I know it and she’ll likely spend the rest of her life hating me for it.

I strip my clothes off and walk into the shower, feeling the warm water run over my head and down my body. My mind strays to thoughts of what happened in the car. Her impromptu blow job had thrown me by surprise but fuck if I hadn’t been able to stop thinking about it this morning. Scarlet is magic with those lips of hers and she had me writhing under her complete control last night. I wrap my hands around my now hard cock and close my eyes, remembering the way she looked as she gave me head and rocked my fucking world. Fuck, I’m going to blow my load again. I can’t resist her, no matter how I try. I went out this morning and paid a visit to an old fuck buddy. Emily was surprised but pleased to see me after no contact for the last nine months. She’d invited me in and pulled me along to her bedroom, discarding her underwear as she went and laying herself out on the bed for me. I’d felt nothing. My dick didn’t even twitch in my pants. The loyal fucker was still daydreaming about our girl lying fast asleep in my bed. I’d left Emily’s apartment five minutes later, even more annoyed and frustrated than when I’d arrived. I knew there was only one girl able to give me what I need. Her.

I climb out the shower and towel dry myself. I reach for my joggers and pull out the small black box from the pocket. I pop the lid open and stare down at the white gold and ruby ring. I’m not sure how I ended up at the jewellery store this morning, but I hadn’t forgotten how she’d quietly admired this ring yesterday. Her eyes had lingered over it for a few seconds longer than the others. I always knew she wouldn’t be a diamond girl; my girl likes to be different in everything she does.

I’d told my dad the whole crazy revenge plot was over and done with yesterday. To my surprise, he hadn’t got violent or angry. He’d simply taken a drink of whisky and after a few silent seconds, he’d said. “So be it, son.”

“That’s it?” I’d asked him, the shock clear in my tone of voice.

“Like you say, the past is the past,” he’d agreed, before he picked up his mobile and left the room, leaving me standing there in shock at how well he’d taken it. This revenge plot had been all he’d talked about for the last six months since he’d known that there was an Alderman heiress. He’s talked about nothing other than how I must break her by being a cruel and unfaithful husband.

My phone rings, pulling me from my thoughts over my conversation with my dad. I frown when I see Wilbur’s name on my screen.

“Wilbur,” I greet flatly.

“Archer, son,” he replies.

“What is it?”

“I believe my granddaughter did a grand job last night. I always knew she’d be an asset to our society.”

“Is that all?” I bark, my impatience running thin.

“No. As you know, Eliza has been told to return home by this Friday. I’ve spoken with Edward, and we’ve agreed that we’ll announce the engagement two weeks from now. We’ll throw an engagement party for you here at my home.”

“Why so soon?” I ask him, frowning. “I thought you’d both said we needed to date first and be seen together. The engagement is supposed to be announced after her eighteenth birthday.”

“Yes, well, things change,” he replies haughtily.

“In other words, you don’t have the time financially to wait,” I observe. Things must be worse than I realised for dear old Wilbur.

“Remember who you are talking to, boy. I am your elder and you’ll give me the respect I demand. I am giving you a beautiful bride. At least fucking her for the next fifty to sixty years won’t be a chore.”

My hand squeezes tighter around the phone. She is nothing but a piece of meat to him. A transaction to ensure he survives. I can understand why she wants to bring him down and once I have my inheritance and I have secured my place in charge of the Savage legacy, I will enjoy breaking him down for her.

I walk back into the kitchen in an even worse mood than when I left thanks to Wilbur and his manipulative poison.

“We need to talk,” I tell Scarlet leaning on the island across from her. I’d promised her no more secrets. She studies me for a minute before she agrees with me, and she follows me out onto the large roof terrace that looks out over London. All our friends are in the kitchen, so I walk further around the terrace away from prying eyes.

She folds her arms around her chest, shivering slightly. “What’s going on Archer? You’ve been in a strange mood since last night in the car.”

I rest my arms on the glass panels that line the edge of the rooftop and look out over London. “I told you I’d be honest with you from now on, so this is me doing that. Wilbur and Edward plan to bring the engagement forward. They will announce it two weeks from now.”

She’s silent. I’m reluctant to turn and see her reaction. I’m expecting her to go postal and start shouting and calling her grandfather every foul name under the sun.

“Okay,” is her reply.

This reaction has me turning around. “Okay?” I repeat, unsure I’ve heard her right.

She comes to stand beside me, and looking out over London, she exhales. “Yeah, okay. That’s all I’ve got. It’s not like I have any control over this situation. I’m just a puppet and Wilbur pulls the strings.”

I reach for her hand and pull her to me. “That won’t always be the case. Once you have my surname, he’ll have no power over you.”

She offers me a smile that doesn’t reach her eyes. “No, you’re right, he won’t, but then you’ll be the one controlling me.”

“No,” I assure her, placing a finger under her chin and forcing her to look at me. “You’ll be my wife, Scar. My partner in life, you can have whatever career makes you happy. Of course, I’ll be a demanding and obnoxious bastard who will want your full attention, but you’ll be in control of what you do with your life.”

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