Brutal Heir (Court University 1)

“It was very nice.”

I nodded, setting the photo down. “Didn’t know you called. Sorry. I’ve been out all day.”

“Mhm, I know that.” He took a seat on my armchair, gesturing for me to do the same. I had a matching set across from my personal fireplace, most of these rooms did. Gramps’s head tilted behind his mustache. “I got a call from Dr. Silvera today. He said you went by to see your mom?”

I frowned, Dr. Silvera my mom’s main doctor. “He did? Why?”

My grandpa tilted his head back and forth. “I’m always in talks with him about your mom’s care. Since the nursing home hadn’t seen you in a while, he just thought to inform me. Found it curious.”

It shouldn’t be. I shrugged. “She’s mom.”

“Yes, son, but you haven’t made much of an effort to see her lately.” Because he was right, I said nothing. He frowned. “Any particular reason today?”

I obviously couldn’t tell him about Greer. He shouldn’t know about Greer at all considering she’d been here that night with Bryce, and though this scenario had no relation to that one, I didn’t want to take the chance. “No, sir. Just went to see her. Like you said, it’s been a while.”

Grandfather’s hand moved over his cane, his eyes sad. “I’ve actually been talking with her doctors more and more recently. You know she’s unchanged.”

I did, nodding. My mom’s prognosis hadn’t changed in the years since she’d been in the dark, no hope, at least told to me anyway, that anything would change. It’d been something I’d long accepted a while ago. But still, her being my mom, I’d never wanted to give up hope, still didn’t.

Grandfather reached over, gripping my shoulder with the hand that shined his own Court ring. He squeezed. “I think you’re of the age to make the decision yourself, but you might want to start considering what’s next for her. You’re twenty-one now and… those decisions need to be made.”

I knew that, knew that ultimately it would be me to call it. But still, even thinking about it…

The thing whole made my stomach sick, my head shaking, and Grandfather squeezed my shoulder again.

“I won’t pressure you,” he said. “Never would. I just want what’s best for you. Best for her too. She was married to my son, and I’ve always loved her.”

He had, all of us really close. I nodded. “Can I think about it?”

“Of course,” he pulled back, this discussion hopefully over now, and I was grateful when I later escorted him back downstairs. As it turned out, since he couldn’t get a hold of me, he’d decided to come over, check on me personally after hearing I’d seen Mom today and I appreciated that.

“Be sure to let me know if you ever come to town again? To see her?” he asked by the door. He smiled at me. “I’ll always go with you. You know that.”

And I’d needed that for sure way back when, those early days when I’d been a fucking mess and couldn’t see the world right. I’d wanted to destroy everything in sight, so angry.

I nodded again, opening the door and started to walk him outside before we both had to stop. Someone else was on the other side of the door.

And she looked scared to hell.

Greer

I’d been in my dorm room about two seconds before I realized I’d left my notebook in Knight’s car. I guessed I could have called him about it and probably should have.

I supposed I had just wanted to check on him.

I didn’t know why really and for whatever reason, I found myself in a ride share instead of picking up my phone and texting him. I should have texted him, texted him for many reasons and the main one being the look he gave me the moment the door blew open and spotted me in front of it. His expression transformed into one of the wild, an unfurled anger of increased intensity the longer he stared at me. He left the door in an instant, a man standing behind in the distance. I was unable to see him long because Knight had me by the arm, dragging me off the frat house steps and down the way I came.

“What the hell are you doing here?” Like stated, wild the way he stared at me. His expression appeared maddened, completely crazed. He threw me away from him, basically like trash. “What right have you—”

“Son?”

His eyes twitched wide as he turned, that man I could see now. Older, he had a presence and familiarity about him I’d recognized from the past. This man was Gerald Reed.

This man was Knight’s grandpa.

The older man stood upon the frat house porch like an emperor, one overseeing his kingdom and the actions before him. He frowned. “Knight, son. Who is this?”

My eyes twitched wide, the man clearly not recognizing me. Though I wasn’t surprised. I’d been only a kid the last time he’d seen me, and I had been surprised Knight had even recognized me when I’d been at that party. We’d recognized each other, both of us like lantern to its light. We’d found each other.