Fallen Crest University
Page 74
Some women wore dresses. One was a sequin dress even. The men were dressed for a casual business dinner, with a few wearing dinner jackets. The whole country club vibe was resounding loud and clear to me.
I was in jeans and a white shirt. I looked down at my V-neck. It was nicer than I normally wore—thanks to Malinda, who updated my wardrobe—but it was plain, compared to the dresses the others were wearing. Not to mention, I was the youngest in the foyer. Everywhere I looked, they were middle-aged and older. No, wait. I saw a couple of others who looked like they were my age, but they were standing next to the older people. They looked like parents or even grandparents.
What the fuck?
What kind of party is this?
“Samantha.” Sebastian waved from a side room. He grinned at me above all the heads and shouldered his way to me. “I’m so glad you came.”
I was in a twilight zone. That was the only explanation. He helped beat Logan down. Mason told him to fuck off in the board meeting. Now, we were chums now?
My jaw wanted to fall to the floor, but I just nodded, flashing him a grin. “Uh-huh. Yeah. How are you?”
“I’m better. I’m better.”
He reached for my hand, but I stepped back, knocking into people behind me. A woman sucked in her breath, indignant, and a few others protested. I ignored them all, only staring at Sebastian, who stilled when he saw my reaction. I swallowed. I couldn’t look away.
How would he react?
He didn’t. His mouth froze but twitched into another grin. He cleared his throat, gesturing where he came from. “I’d like to show you around, if that’s okay with you?”
It wasn’t. I went anyway.
Sebastian didn’t touch me, only kept looking back to make sure I was following. He led the way through a living room and then a second living room. A dining room. A second dining room. We were in a third sitting area, but it was smaller than the other two. This place was ridiculous.
Finally, he stopped and looked back. His smile seemed more genuine, growing, as he gestured to another room. “In here.”
I craned my neck, trying to see beyond him. I only saw people. Everywhere.
I shrugged and shoved past some ladies wearing too much makeup. They were weighed down by their jewelry and clutching drinks that—I caught a whiff—weren’t champagne. Sebastian was standing next to an older guy. Two other men were there, but they left as I approached.
Sebastian was almost beaming. “Samantha, I wanted you to meet my grandfather.”
My hand had been reaching for him but stopped. Grandfather? “Uh…” This was a party for The Network. Dread was starting to line my veins, plunging through my body. My father would be here. Garrett was here…and he knew. He could stop this whole thing even before it came out.
I cleared my throat. “Is my—is Garrett here?”
“I don’t believe he is. Park?”
“No,” Sebastian said. “He called from the house. Sharon wasn’t feeling well. They were going to head back to Boston, I believe.”
“Ah. Well, there you have it, but no worries.” The older man raised a weathered hand. “Your father isn’t here, but your grandfather is, and you can call me Gerald.”
My eyes shot to Sebastian’s grandfather. “What?”
“Garrett’s father,” Sebastian explained, frowning slightly. “Isn’t that why you came today?”
I couldn’t look away from his grandfather. I had my own grandfather. Somewhere, that would make sense but not with my life.
“Sam?”
The corners of Gerald’s eyes turned down, and his head cocked to the side. He murmured, “You didn’t know about your grandfather?”
I found myself shaking my head.
Gerald glanced at Sebastian. “You were supposed to tell her.” His tone was disapproving.
Sebastian flushed, tugging at the collar of his shirt. He sent me a furtive look under his eyelids before lifting his shoulders high. “I thought Garrett had. He said he was going to see his daughter last night. Plus, I told you there were other issues going on.”
“You’re talking about James Kade’s boys?” his grandfather barked back. If he’d been patient, it was all used up. Sharp impatience flared up in his face, and he was almost glaring at his grandson. “I told you to deal with all that nonsense long ago. I want James Kade in. Are you telling me that you haven’t dealt with that?”
“Well…” Sebastian sent me another quick look. “I…no, I haven’t. James Kade’s sons hate me. I thought you knew that. They wouldn’t want to come in anyway—because of me.”
“James Kade was approved to come in long ago.”
“Grandpa,” Sebastian started.
“No, I don’t want to hear it. I’ll be talking to your father, but you are not above the board’s decisions.”
“I’m your grandson. They hate me, literally hate me. Mason’s the one who burned my house down last year.”
“Good.”
I stumbled back a step.
The force of that word spoke volumes. Gerald Sebastian commanded authority, and judging from this sharp exchange, he wasn’t used to not having someone do as he told.
Gerald stabbed his finger in the air, snapping at Sebastian. “That means he has initiative, and he’s someone we want in the organization. You were given an order. You have failed with that order.”
His voice kept rising in anger, but no one came to see what the problem was. Conversations quieted. People were looking over, now watching, but no one seemed surprised.
“She’s here.” Sebastian flung his arm out toward me. “I brought Ben’s granddaughter into the fold.”
“Bullshit,” Gerald grunted. “You’ve been using your sister this entire time. Don’t try to pull one over on me.”
“But—”
“Your job was to bring Mason Kade in. Through him, we were going to bring James Kade into the fold.”
Sebastian looked away, but he folded his hands together in front of him. He slightly turned away as one foot shifted backward. “Grandpa,” he said again, his lips pressed tightly together, “I think it’s a mistake. James Kade doesn’t need to be brought in. He’s attached to Analise Strattan, and everyone knows her background. She can’t be given the support The Network would be handing to her. She’s been watched. We’re all aware of how she’s acted throughout her life.”
I was in jeans and a white shirt. I looked down at my V-neck. It was nicer than I normally wore—thanks to Malinda, who updated my wardrobe—but it was plain, compared to the dresses the others were wearing. Not to mention, I was the youngest in the foyer. Everywhere I looked, they were middle-aged and older. No, wait. I saw a couple of others who looked like they were my age, but they were standing next to the older people. They looked like parents or even grandparents.
What the fuck?
What kind of party is this?
“Samantha.” Sebastian waved from a side room. He grinned at me above all the heads and shouldered his way to me. “I’m so glad you came.”
I was in a twilight zone. That was the only explanation. He helped beat Logan down. Mason told him to fuck off in the board meeting. Now, we were chums now?
My jaw wanted to fall to the floor, but I just nodded, flashing him a grin. “Uh-huh. Yeah. How are you?”
“I’m better. I’m better.”
He reached for my hand, but I stepped back, knocking into people behind me. A woman sucked in her breath, indignant, and a few others protested. I ignored them all, only staring at Sebastian, who stilled when he saw my reaction. I swallowed. I couldn’t look away.
How would he react?
He didn’t. His mouth froze but twitched into another grin. He cleared his throat, gesturing where he came from. “I’d like to show you around, if that’s okay with you?”
It wasn’t. I went anyway.
Sebastian didn’t touch me, only kept looking back to make sure I was following. He led the way through a living room and then a second living room. A dining room. A second dining room. We were in a third sitting area, but it was smaller than the other two. This place was ridiculous.
Finally, he stopped and looked back. His smile seemed more genuine, growing, as he gestured to another room. “In here.”
I craned my neck, trying to see beyond him. I only saw people. Everywhere.
I shrugged and shoved past some ladies wearing too much makeup. They were weighed down by their jewelry and clutching drinks that—I caught a whiff—weren’t champagne. Sebastian was standing next to an older guy. Two other men were there, but they left as I approached.
Sebastian was almost beaming. “Samantha, I wanted you to meet my grandfather.”
My hand had been reaching for him but stopped. Grandfather? “Uh…” This was a party for The Network. Dread was starting to line my veins, plunging through my body. My father would be here. Garrett was here…and he knew. He could stop this whole thing even before it came out.
I cleared my throat. “Is my—is Garrett here?”
“I don’t believe he is. Park?”
“No,” Sebastian said. “He called from the house. Sharon wasn’t feeling well. They were going to head back to Boston, I believe.”
“Ah. Well, there you have it, but no worries.” The older man raised a weathered hand. “Your father isn’t here, but your grandfather is, and you can call me Gerald.”
My eyes shot to Sebastian’s grandfather. “What?”
“Garrett’s father,” Sebastian explained, frowning slightly. “Isn’t that why you came today?”
I couldn’t look away from his grandfather. I had my own grandfather. Somewhere, that would make sense but not with my life.
“Sam?”
The corners of Gerald’s eyes turned down, and his head cocked to the side. He murmured, “You didn’t know about your grandfather?”
I found myself shaking my head.
Gerald glanced at Sebastian. “You were supposed to tell her.” His tone was disapproving.
Sebastian flushed, tugging at the collar of his shirt. He sent me a furtive look under his eyelids before lifting his shoulders high. “I thought Garrett had. He said he was going to see his daughter last night. Plus, I told you there were other issues going on.”
“You’re talking about James Kade’s boys?” his grandfather barked back. If he’d been patient, it was all used up. Sharp impatience flared up in his face, and he was almost glaring at his grandson. “I told you to deal with all that nonsense long ago. I want James Kade in. Are you telling me that you haven’t dealt with that?”
“Well…” Sebastian sent me another quick look. “I…no, I haven’t. James Kade’s sons hate me. I thought you knew that. They wouldn’t want to come in anyway—because of me.”
“James Kade was approved to come in long ago.”
“Grandpa,” Sebastian started.
“No, I don’t want to hear it. I’ll be talking to your father, but you are not above the board’s decisions.”
“I’m your grandson. They hate me, literally hate me. Mason’s the one who burned my house down last year.”
“Good.”
I stumbled back a step.
The force of that word spoke volumes. Gerald Sebastian commanded authority, and judging from this sharp exchange, he wasn’t used to not having someone do as he told.
Gerald stabbed his finger in the air, snapping at Sebastian. “That means he has initiative, and he’s someone we want in the organization. You were given an order. You have failed with that order.”
His voice kept rising in anger, but no one came to see what the problem was. Conversations quieted. People were looking over, now watching, but no one seemed surprised.
“She’s here.” Sebastian flung his arm out toward me. “I brought Ben’s granddaughter into the fold.”
“Bullshit,” Gerald grunted. “You’ve been using your sister this entire time. Don’t try to pull one over on me.”
“But—”
“Your job was to bring Mason Kade in. Through him, we were going to bring James Kade into the fold.”
Sebastian looked away, but he folded his hands together in front of him. He slightly turned away as one foot shifted backward. “Grandpa,” he said again, his lips pressed tightly together, “I think it’s a mistake. James Kade doesn’t need to be brought in. He’s attached to Analise Strattan, and everyone knows her background. She can’t be given the support The Network would be handing to her. She’s been watched. We’re all aware of how she’s acted throughout her life.”
