father plans to do. He’s been after that coin since the day of that funeral. He plans to use it to get a majority stake in Crowne Industries.”
“He must have been pretty fucking pissed when you gave your coin to me,” I said.
West looked away, but quickly looked back. “I assume your grandfather is planning the same.”
I held in a scoff. Of course my grandfather was going to do that. All that New Era of Crowne was bullshit—they were doing the same fucking thing that divided them years ago.
“Once he’s secured Crowne Industries, he plans for me to marry Gemma as a final fuck you to Beryl Crowne.”
I folded my arms. “Gemma has been engaged for almost a decade.”
West shrugged a shoulder. “Beryl has a habit of marrying his children and grandchildren off for stability. It’s my father’s belief that we’ll offer a more enticing package: a piece of his old kingdom.”
My grandfather tried to marry Abigail off, he succeeded in marrying me off, and he’d had Gemma engaged for years. Yeah, he had a habit, all right.
Gemma’s fiancé wasn’t a great man, but he isn’t terrible. He was just your average, run-of-the-mill privileged rich asshole. But West?
I saw red, had West’s collar beneath my fists before I blinked. “Stay the fuck away from my sister.”
West gripped my hands over his collar. “I don’t fucking want your sister. You know my end goal.”
“Story? She doesn’t want you either. You have no stake in this battle, du Lac.”
“Maybe, but I’ll fight all the same.”
I laughed, bitter and caustic. “You raped her—” West flinched, and I paused, focusing on that reaction. That split second where his mask slipped. “You don’t like hearing that?” I asked softly. “That you raped her?”
West shoved me off. “Dunno, Crowne. Are you proud of the way you treated my sister for over a decade?”
A stalemate of silence passed. As the fire dwindled, West’s features were shadowed and hardened. For a moment, he looked a little like the older kid who’d once pulled me from my bed in the dark of our dorms, slamming me against the icy window.
Why the fuck was my sister crying?
I ground my teeth. “It’s not the same thing.”
West laughed, waving a hand in the air like whatever. “Now you. Give me a secret.”
“My grandfather—”
“Nope, my choice, and I don’t want information on your grandpa. I want info on Story. What does she like now?”
I guess that was the problem with inviting a snake into your bed.
They slithered.
I rubbed my jaw, tense from grinding my teeth. “Pretty fucking vague question, West.”
“Fine, I’ll narrow it down. How do you get her off?”
I focused on my breathing, on the in and out of hot air from my nostrils. It wasn’t even fucking day one of this, and I was picturing slamming his head into the floor.
“I think we need some ground rules,” I said at last.
He arched a brow. “Ground rules?”
“She doesn’t sleep in the same room as you, let alone bed. No public displays of affection.”
He laughed. “So you want everyone to know we’re full of shit? Got it. I’m gonna have to touch her, Crowne.” He leaned forward. “Definitely kiss her. Maybe even fu—”
I curled his stupid-ass bow tie beneath my fist, lips a breath away. “Before I came in here, I hadn’t decided if I was going to agree to your plan, or just fucking end you once and for all. I could still go either way, du Lac. So I think I should be real clear. The only reason you’re still breathing is Story.” I curled the bow tie tighter. “The minute that changes.” Curl. “My need for you changes too.”
I shoved him back.
“You owe me a secret, Crowne.”
“You want to know how she gets off, West? With me. It’ll never be you.”
West stood taller, eyes dark. “You want ground rules? Let’s start with how we’ll tell everyone it’s my child.”
Another biting laugh left me. “I’m starting to think you’re a bit of a masochist, West.”
“She’s showing. You know our parents already suspect it—if not outright assume. Soon the world will. If you’re so sure you’re going to ride off into the sunset, then what’s the harm? Don’t make the same mistake your father did—”
“Don’t fucking talk about my father,” I cut.
“I’m not finished.”
I folded my arms, waiting for whatever the fuck else he had to tell me.
“Stop treating my sister like a villain.”
That hit me unexpectedly, and my breath got caught in my lungs like smoke.
West looked away, almost like he