Savage Little Lies by Eden O’Neill

Chapter Twenty-Five

Dorian

What am I doing?

Sloane fell asleep. We were both good about that shit when we were together. We did stupid shit together.

I peeled myself away from her, sitting on the edge of the bed. I scrubbed my face before gazing back at her.

Who are you?

Most importantly, was she lyingto me? Wolf sure didn’t seem to think so.

Wolf.

I didn’t know if something happened between them. I didn’t know a lot of things, but I had been drunk last night, and things with Wolf had gotten out of hand. I’d been sick about it. Sick enough to come over here and ask her about that of all things.

Why did you?

My stomach tightened, clenched to fucking hell. This girl was playing me, and I was letting her.

Fucking obsessed.

Sloane had a leg out of the sheets, golden, luscious. Her ass was outlined by the silk, and I wanted to rip it off her and shove my cock inside her. I was hard for her, even now, and that made her so dangerous. I didn’t know a damn thing about her.

But I wanted her.

Being inside her… being close to her only reminded me of how it’d been before I’d left. She maddened me, drove me crazy, and her sassy-ass mouth only made me want her more.

She’s playing you.

Shaking, I got up. This, what had happened here in her bed, should have been some kind of fucked-up triumph. It should have been me showing what I could do to her.

“You’re still in my fucking head,” she’d said, and what I’d so obviously done this morning showed her place in mine. She was tearing my whole world apart. Helen of Troy caused less bullshit.

I scrubbed my face, getting up. I put my clothes on, then made my way downstairs. Her front door was still broken, something I’d done.

Get the fuck out of here.

I could. I should, but I was here. I was in the Sloane household, and maybe something here might tell me something. It’d tell me who Sloane was, she and her brother. It’d let me know something about my grandfather. He’d paid for this house, all this his stuff.

I told myself that was what I was doing, searching through mail and other things to find out dirt about my grandfather. I needed to dig into the devil’s lair, and anything I found out about Sloane herself was just a byproduct. I told myself this. She was secondary.

But that didn’t feel like the case as I searched, my hands flying through mail and shoving shit around. A desperation backed me, opening and closing cabinets and drawers. I just kept hearing words in my head, her words playing back. She said she’d been worried about me, me and my family.

Swallowing, I ended up in the kitchen, forcing shit open. I wasn’t being careful at all, messing shit around and making too much noise.

“Do you normally go through people’s private things, grandson?”

I stiffened, my back ramrod straight. I whipped around, and my gaze clashed with an old man.

Grandpa Prinze was in a suit, his fingers laced and sitting at the Sloane kids’ kitchen island. He had a curious look about him as he stared at me, and I instinctually cut my gaze across the room. There was a set of kitchen knives readily available, a meat tenderizer.

I studied them both, but Grandfather’s smirk stole my attention.

“So ready to try again, my boy?” He placed a hand in the direction of the knives. “Please. Since you’re so obviously ready to kill me.”

I was ready to kill him. I was ready to do what I had to do.

I’d done it once, hadn’t I? At least, I thought I had.

My grandfather found my lack of action amusing. Chuckling, he tilted his head. “I thought so.”

“Well, don’t think shit,” I growled, my voice low for some reason. I didn’t know why I cared if Sloane knew this conversation was happening. Especially if she was in on whatever this shit was with my grandfather. I stood tall. “And how are you alive?”

I placed the poison in his tea myself, watched him drink it. The poison should have took and quickly. Especially with his age.

He smiled, almost coy about it. “You mean, how did your last attempt on my life fail so poorly?” His hands opened. “You always check the body, son. What’s the point in starting the job unless you’re going to finish it?”

He said it like a seasoned pro, like this wasn’t his first rodeo with death, murder.

I wouldn’t put it past him.

His hand touched the island. “Someone got to me in time. I have call buttons all over the house for emergencies.” His head lowered. “Managed to get to one before it was too late.”

And escape death, my grandfather immortal. He seemed to be able to escape all kinds of fates. He definitely should have served life for that shit with my aunt Paige.

Grandfather folded his hands. “I’d like to say I didn’t know you had it in you. But then again, you are my grandson.”

“Take out a few bodies yourself, then?” I smirked. “You’ve definitely covered up a murder.” I didn’t mask the growl in my voice.

Grandfather’s chin lifted. “I was protecting my son then, your father.” He pointed at me. “Though he obviously doesn’t feel the same way.”

“Well, considering that’s his wife’s sister,” I said, my throat tight and constricted. I shook my head. “You’re a monster.”

“Some may think that.” He nodded. “But whenever I act, it’s necessary. Just like you, I can imagine, with me and your failed attempted.”

“I’m nothing like you.”

“But aren’t you?” he asked, my eyes blinking. He waved a hand. “You saw an obstacle and what you felt was a threat to your family, and you attempted to take care of it.” The smile graced his lips again. “And how is my son and his wife? I can imagine Royal is going stir-crazy at that cabin, seeing as how he’s a workaholic just like his old man.”

My mouth dried.

He grinned. “Of course, I know where they are, Dorian.” He sat back. “I even know you’ve had people tailing me. Well, you and your friends can rest knowing that my stay here will once again be short. I don’t have a place here in Maywood Heights anymore, as I’m sure you know.”

The way he continued to trivialize what had happened to my aunt had me snarling.

Grandfather’s head cocked. “Fortunately, I’ve been able to create a new life for myself. A handsome one with privacy and no ridicule from this town.”

“Hence your new name.” My eyes narrowed. “Montgomery?”

His chuckle was light. “Yes, an old family name actually,” he said, his lips pulling in. “Something you’d know if my son ever bothered to tell his own son about his family history. The Montgomery name is tied to my mother’s side. I merely took it up again. It allowed me to start over with no retribution. The name wasn’t classy, you see. Left behind, but never forgotten.”

Thatcher had said it came from some bootleggers—not classy as my grandfather said.

“And so a Prinze becomes a Montgomery.” My laughter dry, I braced my arms. “And right. You really had to start over with all your money, your power?” My eyes narrowed. “I’m sure that was so hard for you.”

He studied me, and the lack of emotion in his eyes shouldn’t surprise me, but it did. This man was a vault, showed even less emotion than my father. Dad had obviously gotten it from this man.

“You roll through here like a fucking freight train,” I said. “Destroying lives, and boo-hoo, you have to start over.”

He let me go off on my rant, entertaining it. He appeared to find me and this whole conversation amusing.

“I told you. I do what needs to be done for my family. To protect my family, even if they don’t agree with how I go about it.” His brow lifted slightly. “Who knew what that Mayberry woman would have done after you and your friends kidnapped her. You’re eighteen, son, and though you may feel you’re above the law, it’s best not to test it.”

He said this so casually, and I stiffened.

He nodded. “Yes, I took care of that too. Didn’t take much. I told you the woman had enemies. I just had to direct them where to go.”

My stomach soured, suspecting this. “You did that,” I said, gut turning. “And the police coming to get me?”

“That was a warning.” Grandpa’s eyes narrowed. “I forgive you for that situation at my home. You believed your family was threatened, and I understand that, but going forward, nothing like that is ever to occur again. Ever, grandson.”

“But…” I started, blinking. “I tried to kill you.”

He appeared casual about this, his hand lifting from the table. “Like I said, I understand. You were trying to protect your family and no one gets that more than me.” His lips tightened. “And I’d never hurt your father, Dorian. I’d never hurt my son nor you.”

“Only my mother.” I hated how my voice shook, that this asswipe affected me.

His head shook. “I act when I need to. I don’t go by emotions. Something you yourself can learn from.”

I swallowed.

“Anything I ever do is to protect you. And anything I’ll ever do will.” He sighed. “I don’t wish to be at war with my only grandson. I merely wanted to get to know him. You may not believe it, but those last few months I had with you I enjoyed immensely. I’m getting along in years, boy. These moments are all I have, and I have no interest in harming your mother.” His head tilted. “Truly. I just wanted to get to know you.”

He made himself sound like an aging man with innocent desires, not the cruel bastard who not only threatened my mom, but used to beat my father. Where had his protection been then?

Where was it now when it came to me?

“And is using Sloane to do your dirty work part of that plan?” I asked. “She helped you with my arrest, right? Told you where I was?”

Again, my grandfather’s poker face was a great one. His cane rested against the island, and he braced it. “Why would you think that?”

This fucker was playing with me too much. I sneered. “You admitted to getting me arrested.”

“But I never said Sloane had anything to do with it,” he said, my eyes blinking. He gazed around. “Where is Sloane anyway? I’ve just come from seeing her brother. He said she’d be here…”

I had no words at the moment, completely fucking confused.

He faced me. “And why are you here, grandson? It’s very early and not exactly a decent hour. She expressed to me you’re just friends, but if my grandson is anything like his father and his father before that—” He almost laughed, arrogant about it. “Is something going on between you and Sloane? If so, this is a surprise. My grandson and my ward. Very interesting.”

None of this made sense. He had to be fucking with me, lying.

“You said I couldn’t trust her,” I forced out. “You said that at the fucking police station—”

“What I asked is how well you knew her. I asked how close you were, and that’s a question you should always be asking outside of family.”

My pulsed pounded, the blood charging through my veins.

Grandpa Prinze frowned. “I feared my son had spread more of his weakness in you, which is why I said what I had. He’s always been too trusting with his friends.” He waved that off, pulling out his phone. “Only a Prinze can truly be trusted. Family. It was merely a lesson I was trying to say, and no, Sloane wasn’t aware of your arrest. In fact, I was quite surprised when she plead to me about you the way she had. She really does seem to care about you, son.”

My throat tightened, my mind dizzy.

“Who is she to you?” I breathed out. “Sloane and her brother. Who are they to you?”

He’d been studying his phone, like this conversation was just another of many for him.

And I felt sick, so fucking sick before he gazed up.

“Sloane and Bru’s father used to work for me.” Graying eyebrows pulled in. “I mentioned that in the car.”

“And what? You’re just, out of the kindness of your heart, looking after them?”

His nod about that was casual, and my brow jumped. His head cocked. “He was a trusted associate. A good man.” He pocketed his phone. “What’s with this line of questioning?”

My questioning was that my grandfather didn’t have a kind fucking bone in his body. He was a monster. Point-blank. “You yourself said you don’t do anything unless you need to. Why would you care for a bunch of strangers to you? Orphans…”

Sloane.

My hands shook, and I steadied myself on the counter. If my grandfather noticed, he said nothing. He wet his lips. “Like I said, grandson. I knew their father and well. I was honored to watch over them. Bring them here for a new life? They’ve both had it pretty rough, and I was happy to give them an opportunity to start over.”

I said nothing, my mouth dry.

“I thought Maywood Heights would grant that opportunity for them. It’s a smaller town, and they could blend in.” His head lifted. “Unfortunately, in order to do that, I had to conceal who I really was to them. They couldn’t know. They’d be ridiculed. I’m not a favorite in this town, as you know, and I didn’t want that for them. They’d both had enough with the loss of their father.”

I couldn’t breathe.

“Though I’m sure you’ve noticed Sloane isn’t aware of who I am to this town. To you?” His eyes narrowed. “But what I don’t understand is why you haven’t told her.” He pointed a finger. “Why you lied? I figured I’d have to deal with that after you left the car that day.”

He should have had to deal with it. It should have come out.

“In any sense, I can’t see why her peace should be upheaved now.” He leveled me with his gaze. “She and her brother live a very nice life. A quiet life, and I’d like to continue to provide that for them. No need for the noise, and if you and your friends are worried about me, you don’t have to be.” He moved his cane. “Sloane and I have an agreement. She and her brother take care of themselves, and that works for me anyway. I’d like to continue living my quiet life and do plan to return home after my visit. I’m only here now because her brother is sick, and I came to see about his care.”

Wolf had mentioned that Bru was sick. Said Sloane had said that.

I just hadn’t put much stake in it.

I gripped that counter now, the world tilting on its axis.

“Might be too late for the truth now anyway.”

I focused on my grandfather after what he said, his fingers folded.

He nodded. “I mean, you lied to her. Lied to her about me and who I am to you.” He opened his hands. “I can’t imagine that will sit well with her. She should be able to trust you. Her friend, should she not?”

And how the tables had turned. He’d made me the liar.

And I’d let him.

He’d created a world in which he now looked like the hero, and I was the bastard who’d fallen into the trap. I was the liar who looked for secrets in all the wrong places. My grandfather had been up to something, and with my help, he’d gotten it. He now had a place in Sloane and her brother’s life.

I’d given it to him.

“Callum?”

Sloane entered the kitchen, my grandfather between us. She’d gotten dressed, her hair up and out of her face. She flashed her tight little waist with one of her bare midriff tops, a hoodie she’d cut off well above her hips. Her head tilted. “What are you doing here?”

She asked the question, but there was only a mild curiosity there. This wasn’t unusual to find my grandfather here.

My stomach twisted, her attention focusing on me next. A heat hit her eyes, and in a manner of seconds, she placed distance between me…

And moved closer to him.

“What’s going on?” she asked, and my grandpa stood from his chair.

He smiled at her. “Just talking to Dorian here,” he said and so coolly. “We ran into each other. Didn’t we, son?”

My grandfather obviously wanted to continue his ruse.

His smile stretched. “I was just telling him how I’ve come from seeing Bruno at the hospital. He’s doing well this morning, which is good.”

The… hospital.

I really hadn’t been listening. About so many things, I hadn’t been listening.

“What’s wrong with him?” I asked, but out of the two, only my grandfather shifted in my direction.

He frowned. “The boy’s been sick, but he seems to be coming around,” he said, and Sloane’s response to that made my stomach crawl. She flushed all over, cradling her arms. She stayed near my grandfather, clearly comfortable with him.

I was well aware of her distance and her body language, and her reaction to me when she came in versus my grandfather was definitely telling. She trusted him. She was comfortable with him.

And definitely not with me.

“Bru said you were at the house, Sloane, which was why I stopped by. I hoped to catch you,” my grandfather continued. “The school informed me your tuition bill was sent here, and I wanted to pick it up and take care of it.” My grandfather’s sight fell on me. “Dorian, did you say you saw it? The mail?”

I twitched.

How long had he been watching me?

Obviously, for a long enough time to watch me circulating the house. My jaw locked. “By the front door. The hallway on the table.”

Grandpa smiled a little at me, a knowing smile. This was a test.

I guess I passed.

I didn’t give a fuck about my grandfather’s secrets. I didn’t care about his lies, but I did care about Sloane.

Even if I had been too fucked in the head to realize it.

My buddy, not long ago, had said I’d been blind. He’d said I couldn’t see, but it wasn’t because I didn’t.

It was because I hadn’t wanted to.

The reality was this now. My grandfather had moved his way in, and now, I was the idiot.

I was the one she didn’t trust.

Calling my grandfather out on the carpet now would just make things worse. He had her too invested, and her reaction to me today stripped me of all my power when it came to her. I had no validation when it came to her.

I came forward. “Sloane—”

“Dorian was just leaving,” she said, effectively cutting me off when she hugged her arms. “He wanted to talk, and we did that.” She wet her lips. “Did you get what you wanted out of it all?”

A dagger could have dug less. She obviously felt I’d used her, gotten her to fuck me, and why shouldn’t she think that? That was basically exactly how it looked. We had talked. We had fucked, and when she woke up, I hadn’t been there. I’d been going through her house, sneaking around.

I was the liar.

I started to say her name, but her head whipped in my grandfather’s direction.

“Are you going back to the hospital?” she asked, dismissing me and my presence here.

My grandfather nodded. “Eventually. Just want to take care of that bill so you both don’t have to think about it.” Bracing his cane, he studied me. “Good to see you again, Dorian. Maybe we’ll run into each other in the future.”

He didn’t want to say such things to me, my knuckles digging into my palm.

Sloane faced me. “Goodbye, Dorian,” she said, and my grandfather’s manservant/driver chose that opportunity to enter the kitchen.

Lucas (the guy was still a gorilla) had his billed hat on. He took it off. “Is everything all right, sir? You told me to leave the car running, so I thought I’d check.”

I didn’t miss Lucas’s glance in my direction. My grandfather’s manservant was his safety net obviously.

He’d probably been watching me too.

I had three sets of eyes on me in the moment, but out of all of them, my attention stayed on Sloane. I didn’t want her anywhere near my grandfather.

Lucas’s hand on his jacket let me know that may not be my choice today. I wet my lips. “I’ll see you at school.”

My grandfather was joking if he thought I actually believed what he said about his presence in Sloane’s life. My grandfather had an agenda, and win today or not, he wasn’t going to do that another time. He wouldn’t have her, and I wasn’t going anywhere.

Sloane appeared confused about what I said, but I meant the words. I wouldn’t be returning to my parents’ cabin. I wouldn’t be leaving Maywood Heights.

I shouldn’t have left the first time.

My phone was in my hand the moment I hit my car. Thatcher and Wells were still at the lake with the families, but they’d come back today once they heard from me. We all needed to be here, but I didn’t even think about contacting them until I heard from Wolf. I needed to talk to him the most and for obvious reasons. I’d fucked up when it came to my brother, and I could only hope he hadn’t given up on me, that he had more trust for me…

Than I clearly had for him.