Chapter 364
Judy’s POV
“Gavin…” I gasped, not prepared for the overwhelming feeling of his body pressing against mine in the dark of the hotel suite. “Where’s Nan and Chester?”
“I sent them away so we could have a little chat,” he said, his tone lethal. “Did you really think you could keep this from me? Even if I didn’t overhear you, I would have found out one way or another.”
I swallowed the lump in my throat, his close proximity making me weak-kneed.
“I had it handled…” I told him, trying to sound confident, but failing miserably.
“Handled?” He nearly laughed without humor. “Then why is your father still in prison?”
“I’ve been paying off his debt…” I said softly. “But they keep piling on more interest… we couldn’t even afford a lawyer, and all the ones appointed to him are corrupted by the Cash family.”
“You know what could have helped you in that situation?” He asked, his eyes narrowed to slits. “Telling a goddamn Lycan.”
I flinched at the harsh tone he used. He finally pushed off the wall to create some distance between us, but the distance seemed almost cold. He turned his back on me, and I watched him brush his fingers through his hair.
“Do you know what’s even worse?” Gavin asked, breaking through the silence that started to consume us. “You allowed him into our lives… you allowed me to
allow him to marry my daughter.”
“But he didn’t-”
“But he would have!” Gavin growled, whipping around to face me. “He would have married Irene and then what? Break her heart worse than he already has? Hurt her physically and mentally? Drained her of everything she’s worth and then came after me?”
“I didn’t think ”
“No, you weren’t thinking,” Gavin snapped, interrupting me once again. “You weren’t thinking about anybody but yourself. It was a selfish act not to tell me the entire truth about what was happening. I could have put an end to it long ago.”
I nibbled on my lower lip, hating that my cheeks were flushed, and tears were brimming in my eyes. I wasn’t going to let them fall right now though; I didn’t want him to see that kind of weakness in me.
“What are you going to do with him?” I found myself asking, my voice barely a whisper.
I gasped when I felt him pressing against me once again, pinning me to the wall, though it wasn’t as rough as before, my heart still skipped a beat from his closeness.
“Does it matter?” He asked, his tone low and almost sultry as he whispered against my ear, his breath warm on my features. “Why do you care what happens to him? Do you still care for him?”
“No,” I said without hesitation, my own tone breathy. “But Irene does, despite what she might say.”
“Now you care about my family?” He asked, almost mockingly.
That was it for me; that was what pissed me off the most. How dare he think I don’t care about his family. I love his family; despite all Irene has done to make sure I wasn’t in the picture, I knew it was because of her love for Ethan that drove her to do those things. Now that she sees him for who he really is, our relationship can rebuild. But never stopped caring about her; both her and Matt had become important to me, and for Gavin to accuse me of not caring for them… caring for him… it pushed me over the edge.
I shoved him off me; typically, my strength wouldn’t be a match against his, but because he wasn’t prepared for my rage, he stumbled back a step, giving me some space.
I pointed my finger at him, rage flaring through my eyes.
“Don’t you dare accuse me of not caring for your family, Gavin. I love your family. They have become my family despite everything. I only didn’t tell Irene because I was afraid, she’d hurt herself if she knew that the man she loved, the one she chose as her mate and wanted to spend the rest of her life with, was only using her and cheating on her any chance he got. I didn’t tell you because it was my word against Ethan’s and honestly, I didn’t think you’d believe me. Not to mention my father has too much pride to ask outsiders for help, including a Lycan, and he told me that he, no matter what, won’t accept money from anyone other than his family. I thought he’d refuse if you were to pay off his debt. I was also embarrassed that we allowed something like this to happen and I didn’t want to confess to what happened to someone I was sleeping with! So, I’m sorry that I didn’t tell you, but don’t you dare call me selfish when everything I do is for everyone else—”