Page 83 of Royal Desire

It’s Owen Deacon. The man who has abused Payne his entire life, treated Tallie like shit, and functions on alcohol and evil.

He also hates me.

He looks me up and down in a way that makes my skin crawl. “What the fuck do you want?”

I cross my arms and try to peer around him to see if Sadie is here, or at the very least Tallie. “I’m on my way to see Payne at school. He needs a coat with the change in the weather. Is Sadie here?”

He hesitates for a beat before opening the door wide. “Come in.”

I step inside, but I don’t stop. “Don’t mind me. I’ll just get what he needs and be on my way.”

“Wait a second. There’s something we need to discuss.”

I stop in the middle of the vast entryway that acted more like a roller rink when Payne and I were little. “Maybe another time. Payne is expecting me.”

“Payne can wait.”

I pull in a breath and try to regulate my heart that speeds in my chest. “Um...”

He motions toward his office and will not take no for an answer. “Ladies first.”

The way he said ladies, I don’t think he meant it the way the rest of society means it.

I look from the front door, that he already flipped the lock on, to his office. “Okay, just for a minute. I need to get Payne’s coat and be on my way.”

“Yes, you do.”

I step into his office and stand between the leather sofa and desk. Payne and I used to sneak around every room of this house when we were little, and this room was no exception. But never when Owen was here. When he was home, we stayed far, far away, and for good reason. I’ve seen the bruises he’s given Payne through the years and know how he treats Tallie, even though I’m not her biggest fan. She walks through life with a stick up her ass, but she puts up with Payne’s father. That in and of itself would do anyone in.

When Owen shuts the doors to the office, everything in me screams that I should’ve run out the door and bought Payne a new coat with all the money I don’t have.

Owen stands between me and the only exit. He slides one hand in his pocket and rubs his jaw like he’s trying to decide what to do next.

“Where’s Sadie? Payne said she’d be here.”

He continues to stare at me like I’m an experiment he’s trying to solve. “I sent her home early.”

“Oh. I’ll just say hi to Tallie then.”

He tips his head as he studies me. “She’s gone too.”

Shit.

I clear my throat and pretend this is a high school performance when my nerves would go haywire. “So, um, what did you want to talk about?”

Owen drops his hand. “My son, Ruby. I want to talk about my son, his future, and the fact that you’re not going to be in it.”

My stomach drops. “Excuse me?”

“I have been patient with Payne, which has done me no good. He still has time to transfer to a real school and change his focus so he can work in the family business someday. But do you know why he won’t do that?”

I know what this is about.

Payne is my soulmate and I’m his. This isn’t the first time I’ve heard this conversation. It may be the twentieth, I’m that familiar with it.

I stand my ground. “Maybe he won’t do that because it’s not what he wants to do. He wants to be a lawyer.”

Owen takes a step toward me. “No. He wants to spite me and fuck you on the side. He’s doing a bang-up job at both as far as I can see.”