Indebted - Piper Stone Page 0,43
head against the back of the chair. I would give her the wedding of the century and in turn, she’d succumb to my every need. Then we’d both return to Dublin where I would resume the throne I so rightfully deserved. As I closed my eyes, I could see my father’s face as he rotted in his grave. What a shame, Father, that you weren’t able to rise, a phoenix blasting across the sky.
“Why? Why would you do such a terrible thing?” My father raised his fist, his face reddening from the intensity of his anger.
I laughed as I swaggered closer, still intoxicated from the night before. “What do you believe that I’ve done, Father? Had a little too much to drink? Cared for a girl? What happened was a damn accident. An accident.” I could tell by the venom in my father’s eyes that he was not amused.
He slammed his fist against the hard brick of the fire, shocking the fuck out of me. The harsh action forced me to face the horrible facts of what had occurred. Everything I’d cared for was gone. My fault. Mine alone. The guilt was tremendous.
“You disgust me, Gabriel, but I have failed you as a father. I have allowed you to get away with your sins for far too long. Well, no longer. You will repent for what you have done but in my way.”
“Repent?” I heard the sound of the door opening, my brothers walking in one at a time, their faces ashen. “What is going on?” I suddenly felt sick to my stomach.
My father turned to face me, never acknowledging our interruption. My father had always been a man utilizing strict discipline, but almost never in front of the others. I was far too old for his usual choice in punishment, something I was grateful for. Besides, he had no control over me.
He slowly removed his jacket, placing it ever so gingerly on the back of his favorite chair. I watched him, curious as to what he had planned. As he rolled up his sleeves, he remained quiet. The moment he finally looked me in the eyes, I could see nothing but a cold, empty space. There was no love or hatred, no anger in any way. Just... nothing.
“I have made arrangements for you to leave the country,” he said quietly.
“Leave the country? Why? What is going on, Father?” I grew antsy, my heart racing as claustrophobia settled in.
“While I’m not certain you won’t be followed, captured there, I will do my best to shut down the evidence against you.”
“What evidence? What the fuck are you talking about?”
My father sighed, turning away from me. “You have humiliated this family. I have no choice but to remove you from the business and family documents. I have arranged for a place for you to live, but you will have no inheritance, no servants to tend to your every need. You will be required to forge your own way. Whether or not you survive is entirely up to you.”
None of this was making any sense. I was terrified and shocked, my stomach churning as acid rolled into my throat. “Father. Why? I didn’t plan on the accident happening. You have to know that. I swear to you that I wasn’t drunk.”
He laughed bitterly as he leaned over. “You had so much potential. Now you are dead to me and to your entire family.”
As my brothers approached, the two older ones gripping my arms firmly, my mind reeled from trying to figure out what horrors I’d committed. “Father. Please. What are you saying to me? You can’t mean it. I am your son. I love you.”
The sound was something I would never forget; the horrible crackling, the clang that echoed in my ears. And when he turned around, I knew that he meant every word.
“No, you can’t do that!”
Who the hell was screeching?
Jerking up, the screech echoed in my ear even as the visions clouded my mind, leaving me foggy and sick to my stomach. I gasped for air, struggling to wake up from the horrific nightmare. Another high-pitched yell was followed by one of my employees calling my name.
“Mr. Masters!”
“What the hell?” I tumbled out of the chair, wincing from the light pouring in through the open drapes. Shit. I’d fallen asleep in my office. I willed my legs to work as I lumbered for my office door, finally realizing what the yelling meant.
Alessandra was attempting to escape.
I finally managed to race out