Forbidden Fate (Crowne Point 3)

That guy used to win in fight nights at Rosey.

Lottie placed her hand on my elbow. “Grayson, please.” Desperation weighed Lottie’s words. For the first time, I looked outside my anger, at the reception.

My grandfather, whose tux was wrinkled and eyes were hard. Yeah, I’d hear about this all right. Past the press, who would be paid off not to write this story with some other steamier piece, to the crowd. A crowd filled with cameras, vicious smiles, and a desire to sate whatever bullshit following of a few thousand sycophants they had.

A crowd who could not be paid off.

“This wedding is a fucking disaster.”

“It’s all anyone is talking about now.”

“We said lay low.”

“And you punched him.”

Multiple family members were whispering at once. My mother, Mrs. du Lac, my grandfather, her father…all saying basically the same thing: What was I thinking?

Lottie’s mother and mine, her father and my grandfather, stared at me, waiting for an answer I couldn’t give. How the fuck did I explain this? I’d heard West is a rapist. Was I supposed to just let that slide?

But it would devastate Lottie. And I’d already devastated her enough for a lifetime.

I rubbed the back of my neck, finding Lottie’s eyes only.

“Lottie…”

“If you say you’re sorry—” She broke off, then shook her head on a scoff. “You couldn’t even go one hour without making it about her. All that ‘I’m your husband now’ stuff was just bullshit. When she appears, you don’t see anything but her.”

Lottie went back to our table.

I dragged my hands through my hair, watching her leave. I reached into my suit pocket, retrieving a sucker, slamming it into my mouth.

Somehow I’d fucked up everything with Lottie and yet still hadn’t done enough for Story.

“I have been planning this day for years.” I glanced to the side, surprised to find my grandfather hadn’t left with everyone else. “Since before you were born. This was the start of a new era. We’d have not just a kingdom, but a dynasty, a world in which everyone bows to the Crowne."

“Do the du Lacs know that's what you've planned?” I gritted.

“You know I still remember your father’s wedding night,” he responded instead. “It was also very…memorable.”

He was much too calm. This was the time he should be threatening me. Reminding me he could send Story to jail. Instead he reminisced.

“He also left your mother high and dry,” he continued. “Something about a pregnancy. He was so…” Grandfather took a breath, sounding annoyed. “So unreasonable.”

I narrowed my eyes. “The triplets weren’t born until years later.”

“I wasn’t talking about the triplets, Grayson. For her sake, I hope you wore protection.”

The lemon sucker seared my tongue, biting. “Excuse me?”

“Your father barely got away with it the second time.”

“You might have had to threaten me into this marriage, but I’m here n

ow. Unlike you and Father and every other goddamn male Crowne, I will honor my vows.”

Grandfather laughed. “Funny way of honoring her.”

He patted me on the shoulder; then, adjusting his tie one last time, he affected a smile and joined the reception. I stared after him long after his body had disappeared into the crowd, his real meaning falling over me like ice water.