I was just drifting back off when I felt the bed dip beside me. Then Rory’s hand wrapped around mine. I didn’t crack an eye open to check what exactly he was doing. All I cared about was him being right there.
“Rest, little star,” he whispered his voice above me somewhere.
I let the weight of my exhaustion suck me under, wrapped up in Rory’s covers with his hand pressed over mine. We’d moved a step forward in our relationship. And that allowed me to be content for the first time in a very long time.
Chapter 9
I stood in the doorway of the café staring at the woman who’d fed me lies my entire life. The past couple of days had been quiet in the house. Quinn had been ensconced in his office with either Xav or Eric. Whilst Rory and I had spent some more time together, it’d only been reading together in his conservatory and little else. When I’d woken up in his bed the day things had changed between us, he’d been watching me, his hazel eyes soft and told me I’d slept most of the day away so it was dinner time. I’d stayed with Quinn that night, the next with Xav and last night with Eric. It was almost as if we were starting to fall into a routine of who got to spend time with me. Though I expected things wouldn’t remain so easy for long. They never seemed to between the five of us no matter how we felt about each other.
Quinn had wanted to bring me here himself, but I’d told him it wouldn’t be a good idea. It was already enough I had to see her in the first place. This was just something I had to do by myself. Instead, he’d taken me to Viktor’s house and one of his men had driven me here since the man himself wasn’t at home. His name was André and he was fucking huge. On the way over here, he hadn’t really said very much, but that didn’t bother me. When I’d spoken to Viktor yesterday, he’d told me André would protect me as if I was one of his own. I had my own suspicions that he was mafia, but I kept those thoughts to myself. At least I wasn’t near Viktor’s older brother, Gregor. He scared me, especially knowing he’d held a gun to Eric’s head. When I saw him again, which was likely since he was my uncle, I’d have a few choice words about his behaviour towards one of my men.
“Would you like me to sit with you?”
I almost jumped at the sound of André’s voice next to me.
“You seem hesitant.”
I turned my face up to him.
“No, it’s okay. I need to do this alone. Maybe just order me a tea… please.”
The things I had to ask my mother were delicate. I wasn’t sure what Viktor had told her about this meeting, but I was sure as hell ready to get some answers.
André gave me a nod and I set off towards Isabella, swallowing hard as my palms began to sweat. So much for being brave and standing up for myself. Seeing her made me nervous as hell.
When she saw me, she stood up and put her arms out. I flinched, putting my hand up. There was no way in hell I would be hugging her right now. Not after the lies and secrets. Her face fell but she put her arms down.
“Ashleigh.”
“Mother.”
I sat down across from the seat she’d vacated. After a moment, she sat down again and placed her hands on the table.
“I wasn’t sure you’d come.”
“I stick to my word. You, of all people, should know this.”
She looked away, clearly unnerved by what I’d said. Did she think I’d make this easy on her? Never.
“When Viktor told me he’d been in contact with you, I wasn’t sure what to think. He wouldn’t tell me where you were. I’ve been so worried about you.”
I almost scoffed but kept my expression neutral. I placed my handbag in my lap and took out a single sheet of paper André had given me earlier. Pushing it across the table towards my mother, I waited for her to look down at it.
“I know who he really is.”
Might as well put it all out there. Her eyes scanned the page and the blood drained from her face. It was the results of the paternity test.
“When… when did you… how?”
“When you asked Viktor to come to see me at the Syndicate, he worked it out. So we did the test to make sure. That’s how. What I don’t understand is why you would make me think I was Frank’s daughter my whole life?”
She sat back and fiddled with her coffee mug in front of her. Today her blonde hair was slicked back in a high ponytail and she was wearing all black. Her Gucci handbag hung off the back of her chair. Her red nails clacked as she tapped the mug, the sound irritating me.
“It’s hard to explain.”
I cocked my head to the side. Everything in our lives had been complicated from start to finish. It didn’t surprise me this was as well.
“I came here for answers and I expect you to give them to me. It’s the least you can do after all the lies. I know the truth about how you made it possible for Quinn to abduct me. So let’s not beat around the bush here.”
I’d decided it was time to stand up for myself when it came to my parents. Well, at least when it came to Isabella and Frank. Viktor was a different matter. We were forging a relationship which I hoped would be on an equal footing.
“Is that where you’ve been? With them?” she asked, bitterness lacing her tone.
“Do you even care where I’ve been? Why bother
