Chapter 32 – Responsibilities
Gray came down in the morning to see Lyla and Aisha laying out the breakfast. Usually, he would take the time to kiss Lyla and whatever the new girl he went to bed with, but today, there were far too many problems running through his head.
First, he needed to extract every possible information from Aisha about Montrea’s betrayal. And then, worst-case scenario, he’d have to call the duke’s daughter for help. There was no other choice. He also has a meeting with Atena, and that girl would come to meet him in some time. To make matters worse Lyla also announced the tax keepers would survey the town in the evening, which meant one of those bastards was coming to his house to check his income.
And I fucking hate it!
He sat down at the breakfast, where he started the first job for the day - interrogating Aisha about her mother.
Apparently, the girl had spilled out all there was to it. It was her father’s plan, and somehow Aiden had gotten himself cucked just to secure his future. And that meant Gray was dealing with someone dangerous. Showing his wife’s infidelity was the key to breaking Julius, but if Aiden already knew about it, and wanted it, that meant Gray didn’t have any leverage.
Except…
His eyes moved to Aisha, who was calmly cutting a piece of chicken. He had her. Last night the girl had been a demoness in bed. Each time he pounded into her she took it with grace, kissing and cuddling into him as he went round after round in her. And he never used the power of the tattoo either.
But why the hell is she in love with me so much?
“When are your parents coming home Aisha?” he asked.
“In three days time.”
“Do you like staying with me?”
She dropped the cutlery and looked at him, face beaming. “Nothing would make me more happy. Last night…you were so amazing! I know you love me.”
She glanced at Lyla at the last few words, but Lyla just rolled her eyes and continued with her meal.
“And if there was a fight between me and your father who would you pick?”
“You, obviously. My old man doesn’t know a damn thing about me! But you! You are my child’s father.”
Gray nodded. That was enough. He couldn’t trust her, but if the worst happened, he could use the tattoo easily.
Aisha finished her meal early and went for a bath, which gave Gray and Lyla some much-needed privacy.
“We need to talk about her,” Lyla came and sat beside Gray. “She’s dangerous Gray.”
“She’s eighteen. Too naive. An idiotic girl in love. But her father and mother, now those two are dangerous.”
“Don’t underestimate the nobility. You remember what happened when you thought Andria was letting you escape?”
Gray grunted. He hated how Lyla had to remind him of that. It was still etched in his memory. But that in turn led him to be the owner of a fortune. He was living his dream life. Fucking women and living rich.
Without responsibilities….
“The baby kicked.”
Gray choked on the food. “What?”
Lyla kept a protective hand on her belly. “I felt it. You want to?”
“No…” Gray withdrew away. “I…I think I’ll leave now. Breakfast is nice as always Lyla. But I’ll hire a new maid soon, now that you are getting-”
“Don’t run away from the problem Gray. You are always avoiding me when it’s about the child-”
“Lyla,” Gray touched her hand. “I love you. And when you asked for a child I gave you one. And you know I will never let you raise him on your own. I’ll give you the money needed to raise the child. What else do you need from me?”
She frowned, something Gray wasn’t used to in a long time. “My child needs a father!”
“Oh for god’s sake!” he snapped, standing from his chair. “You never mentioned that when you seduced me.”
“Seduced you? You could have always said no!”
“Right, what kind of man could say no when a woman’s breasts are sticking to his back? Please, just raise the child alone, and forget about me. I mean, Sia never had a father.”
The moment he said it he knew the wrong words escaped his mouth. Lyla’s brows furrowed. Her arms clenched on the plate she was carrying, and she stood up, slowly but steadily.
“Yes, she didn’t. Her father was a barman who got me drunk and then left me with a child after having his fun. I’ve never told that to her. And I had to work in this house for eighteen years to pay off that debt and make sure she was raised to be a proper woman! I don’t want that to happen to my other child. All I ask for is a loving father whom they could be with.”
She turned, and marched out of the room, not looking back.
Gray groaned and kicked away the chair. Just when he starts finding solutions to his problems something new comes crashing down. And out of all of the women he fucked, Lyla had to crash it onto him.
He walked out of the house and found Jones slurping in the garden.
“Jones! I need you to run an errand.”
He quickly got up. The poor bastard looked dazed. “Where to, my lord?”
“Bellhedge Province. To the house of the duke.”
His face fell. “A-are you sure my lord?”
Gray gave him the card Jenna provided. “Ask for his daughter, and schedule me a meeting with her today.”
*
A few hours later Atena arrived, carrying a larger knapsack than normal women carry. Gray wondered what was stored in there. But what he found surprising was the little girl who came with her. She was the complete opposite of her sister. She danced and beamed while her sister looked like she wanted to murder somebody.
“I told you to come alone,” Gray said. With all the child support cases he was getting, seeing a child was like seeing a hungry wolf about to rip his guts out.
“My sister was living in the military quarters for orphan children,” Jenna grimaced. “And you were right. Pissing off Ruthfort was a bad idea. They kicked out my sister last night. And I quit along with her.”
Gray looked at the girl. Despite beaming she had soot on her cheeks, few bruises on her hands, and eyes that looked that of a lost kitten. While Atena and Gray were talking she looked at a distant food stall and rubbed her stomach.
Oh fuck me, I’m getting soft.
“Come inside,” he said. “There’s enough breakfast remaining for you and your sister.”
“Oh, food!” The little girl jumped up and down.
Atena only nodded, which Gray was getting used to. Gratitude must have been a foreign thing to her.
Gray watched them walk inside. And then he followed, wondering the best way to ask Atena for sex, and preferably make her wet this time.