“And that’s what will happen. You must realize how untenable your situation is, Grayson. Without your inheritance, who is going to pay for her uncle’s medical bills?”

I ground my jaw. I hadn’t thought of that.

Grandpa stood back up, suddenly the picture of composure. “Where will he live without you allowing him to stay?”

“We’ll find somewhere.” Though a niggle of doubt sewed my words together.

“Stop thinking with your cock. Don’t make the same mistake as your sister. Don’t give everything up for someone who doesn’t care about you.”

I laughed. “What do you know about it? That girl asleep in my bed is the only one who has ever given a damn about me.”

My grandfather put a finger to his mouth, nodding, as if really thinking about my words. I knew better. I knew he was only formulating his next argument.

“Really? That girl up there is a user, Grayson. Her mommy taught her how to lie for years, threatening honest men with rape. What’s stopping her from saying you did the same? When this goes south, will you be a rapist too?”

She’d lie, have me lie, say I’d go to the cops and tell them they raped me.

It was. But I paid for it.

I saw fucking red.

I slammed my fists on the table. “Shut your fucking mouth. You don’t know what the fuck you’re talking about.”

My grandfather’s face curled in a sneer. “Spoiled fucking brats!” He stood up, slamming his hands next to mine on the table, until we were both eye to eye.

“I gave you everything,” he shouted. “This is how you repay me? Your sister fucks off with a guard and now you want to marry a servant? I couldn’t stop Abigail. I won’t fucking let it happen to you. You won’t ruin my name. You won’t ruin a family I spent years building.”

His hair fell across his eyes in his anger, face red. It was such a rare occurrence to see Beryl Crowne undone, like seeing my mother anything but placid.

He fixed his hair, sat back down, like he hadn’t just combusted.

“I don’t know what I’m talking about?” he asked lightly. “I know false accusations are taken seriously by the police, as is blackmail and stealing. She could get into a lot of trouble for the lies she’s told.”

I’d tell them I was their daughter. They’d pay us off not to ruin their family. Other times it was darker…

“She was a child. No one will prosecute that.”

He laughed. “District Attorney Millard owes me more favors than he can count. I’d say, fifteen years’ worth, at least.”

I made a fist so tight my nails dug into my palm.

For years I’d carried the weight of this asshole’s greed.