Heirly Ever After, Vernon, Magan [best thriller novels to read .txt] 📗

ago, after I dropped out of school to follow his gamer dreams. Then I was too distraught to go back and enroll. All you worked for and I ruined it. Left school and instead of just coming here and owning up to all of it, I brought a thief into the house.”

A small smile crossed her lips as she shook her head. “Madison, you didn’t do anything wrong. I mean, granted, we’re going to have to tell Mom about the dropping-out thing, and your ass is enrolling back in school here ASAP, but with Jacob, that’s not your place. And I think Gavin had a feeling that’s what he was here for.”

I glanced at the large door behind us that led to the bedroom. Was Gavin in there still sleeping? Or was he already in the library or his office, talking with a million lawyers about this Rodrick guy and the odd duck of Webley?

“But I brought him here. I made it worse.”

“Honey, you didn’t do anything wrong. You just fell for a guy that wasn’t totally honest with you.”

“I didn’t fall for him,” I muttered.

She rolled her eyes. “Please. I’ve known you all your life. You love that Scottish odd duck.”

A chill rang through my neck. “I don’t love him. I don’t even know him, and what I do know of him is anything but honest.”

“There’s a lot more to his story than I think any of us realize. A lot to the family history that I’ve just skimmed the surface of.”

I swallowed hard, thinking about our conversation the night before. “He says his great-grandfather is really sick.”

She nodded. “I heard that from Gavin. That’s why Jacob came instead of the older gentleman. Let me tell you, Gavin and I had a long talk about why he even invited him.”

“So you didn’t know?”

She smiled, shaking her head. “I knew he wanted to. I told him his mom would have a shit fit, but I can’t say I didn’t like seeing her a little off her game when Jacob introduced himself.”

“Okay, yeah, that was kind of funny.” I laughed, but there wasn’t any humor to it. My chest still felt like it was burning inside of me.

“But Gavin and I talked about the family history. I obviously didn’t study law, but we both knew that he might try something. That’s why the family solicitor has been around, and Gavin even tried to get me to just go down to his office and get us married legally and get everything transferred to me, so Jacob couldn’t claim anything. Though, now that I think about that, I don’t even know if that would have worked, either.”

“Really?”

She nodded. “I told him that Jacob would do the right thing. If the way he looked at you said anything, I knew he was a good guy.”

I scoffed, trying to ignore the feeling of warmth gathering low in my belly. “Just because the guy wanted to screw me didn’t mean he wouldn’t screw the family.”

She pushed a stray strand of hair behind my ear. “You’d be surprised what a man will do when he cares about someone.”

“But would a guy care enough to just change his plans like that? I mean, this is like a villain origin story.”

She laughed, shaking her head. “I don’t think there’s a villain in this story.”

I hoped so. For all our sakes.

“Now, do you want me to go with you back to your room so you don’t have to confront him yourself?” she asked, doing a once over of my outfit. “Or are you going to have breakfast in that?”

I sighed, sitting up. “No. I hope he’s gone, though. Can’t you have some guards or security make sure he never comes back?”

She pursed her lips. “If you really want to, I can, but I don’t think that’s the best strategy here.”

“I…I don’t think I can see him right now, Nat.”

She nodded. “Okay. Then you can borrow something of mine, and I’ll send someone to check in your room.”

“Thanks, Natalie.”

“That’s what sisters are for.”

Chapter Sixteen

Jacob

I should have locked my phone.

Or never sent that shite to Blair and handled things myself.

Now it was too late. The odd duck of the family had fucked up again.

I let out a breath and kept wandering around the town of Webley, my suitcase trailing behind me as I waited for some local constable to pick me and throw me into the local jail so I couldn’t stop the wedding.

I’d been surprised a horde of guards hadn’t chased me out of the manor or come looking for me as soon as I’d put my clothes back on. But there had been no one as I’d hurriedly packed and called a taxi to bring me to the train station.

Except I couldn’t make myself leave.

Perhaps some jail time would’ve been better since, as I walked past the little shops, each little thing kept reminding me of what I really fucked up. From seeing a flash of auburn hair in a window to a whiff of fresh sugar from the bakery. All of it brought Madison back to the forefront of my mind.

Shite.

I didn’t want it to happen like this.

If I would have stopped thinking with my cock, maybe this wouldn’t have happened. I should have told her everything the moment she’d been in my arms. I could have explained everything, but I hadn’t been thinking.

All I’d had in my mind was Blair’s hushed tone, telling me about Great-Grandfather. The man who’d helped raise me, who’d welcomed me back home after each of my failures. The patriarch of our family was dying, and I wasn’t there.

Even knowing I was doing what he wanted—restoring the MacWebley name—my chest panged. I should go home.

I looked up just in time to miss a baker pulling a large cart full of small pink boxes out of the shop. “Sorry, sir.”

“Oh, no, my fault. Do you need some help with that?” I grabbed the wheel, pulling it out of a wedge in