Total pages in book: 96
Estimated words: 91809 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 459(@200wpm)___ 367(@250wpm)___ 306(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 91809 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 459(@200wpm)___ 367(@250wpm)___ 306(@300wpm)
“Nonsense. She’s a Burkhardt.” My door flew open. “She’s too strong to let anyone or anything defeat her.”
Astoria Burkhardt walked inside my room and, without so much as a glance behind, shut the door in my mother’s face and locked it.
“How dare—? Open this door, Astoria!” Bang! Bang! “I said open the door.”
I goggled at her as she ripped the curtains open, stinging my eyes with blinding lights. She tsked. “Look at the state of you, child. What is all this misery and woe in aid of?”
“Excuse me?” Something akin to rage crushed my chest. It was hard to tell amid my never-ending sorrow. “What the hell are you talking about? My father just died. Your son!”
The corner of her mouth twitched. “I’m well aware of who died. I’m the one who, after having harsh words with him, faced my child again on a cold mortuary slab. I buried him. My youngest boy. My baby.” She pulled up a chair, resplendent in a cream pantsuit and large Chanel tote bag. She looked like she stepped off the runway. I looked like a gargoyle. “So, I am here, asking you why you are in this bed... when you should be making that little monster pay?”
My lips parted, but nothing came out.
“It was Everleigh Starling, yes? She did this? She killed my Alistair?” The mask slipped—revealing the first true, honest emotion I’d seen on her face. Any thought I had of accusing her of coldness fled. “Well?”
“Yes,” I croaked. “She killed him by using his weakness. Me.”
Astoria turned away, lips pressed tight. It was a minute before she spoke. “I’ve tried for a week to speak to you. Your mother said you weren’t ready for visitors, but this can’t wait. I hear the Wilson boy is still missing, and everyone knows those four Rogue boys are locked up, waiting for the FBI to transfer them heaven knows where. If you’re to do something to save them, you must do it now.”
“Me?” I barked a sharp, short laugh. “What can I do? How can I help? All I do is get people killed.”
She kissed her teeth, shaking her head. “Now, stop all that self-pity. You don’t have time for it.”
“Why are you even here?” I screeched, shooting up. “You’re Astoria Burkhardt. One of the most powerful, richest women in the country. Mother of the future president. You could make the charges disappear and pay any ransom ten times over. More than that, you could’ve helped me when I asked for it! Now you’re here wondering why I don’t get off my ass? Look in the mirror, you hypocritical old witch!”
Astoria arched a brow. “My dear, I appreciate a young woman with fire, but I am your grandmother. You will speak to me with courtesy and respect. Apologize.”
“Are you seri—?”
“Apologize,” she said, tone sharp. “Now.”
“I...” My jaw worked. My life falls apart, and she scolds me like a little kid. How... normal. “I’m sorry.”
She bobbed a nod. “Better. Back to your point, yes. I could make the charges disappear, and I could offer to pay a ransom—though I doubt the Wilsons need our money. But the kinds of deals, brides, and people I’d have to mix with to make that happen, are not suitable for a Burkhardt. If discovered, my son’s political career is ruined. Our business image destroyed.”
“And that means more to you than helping Victor, Rafael, Cato, Lucien, and Wilder?”
Astoria looked me dead in the eye. “Why wouldn’t it? I hardly know them.”
I blew back—stunned. Did this woman have to be so blunt?
“Fine,” I said softly. “Then I’ll ask you this. Does it mean more than Alistair?”
“No.”
I searched her face. Once more, I saw no trace of a lie. “Then why didn’t you help me when I came to you?”
“Because I exercised poor judgment. I saw an opportunity to save my granddaughter from making a mistake and I took it.”
“Marrying Victor isn’t a mistake,” I said hotly.
“Marrying into a family that uses and tricks you is.”
I wanted to snap back. Nothing came out. Damn it, if I wasn’t finding it hard to argue with her. Thor knew I already had a low opinion of Martha and John for what they did to Adonis. Discovering why they were so eager to marry off their eighteen-year-old son and snap me up certainly didn’t help.
“It wasn’t the way to go about it,” she continued. “I see that now. I’m afraid I’ve gotten so used to tricks, deals, and doublespeak it didn’t occur to me to simply talk to you. Getting justice for Alistair is worth draining my bank account. It’s worth blowing up the business and burning down the shining Burkhardt reputation.
“If it was just me, I’d do just that. But it’s not,” Astoria said, looking away. “I have another son. Another granddaughter. And a husband who is hurting. I can’t carry out the thoughts I have running through my head against a nineteen-year-old girl.