Hearts Break: A Dark Stepbrother Bully Romance (Wicked Hearts At War Book 3)

by Mallory Fox

  I grin and devour her lips again as answer to that until she pulls away, breathless, complaining that we’re going to be late. I don’t give a fuck about that but I let her go. If it was up to me, I’d drag her into that penthouse suite and screw her all night long. I wouldn’t give her a fucking choice.

  But tonight is Pearl’s party.

  And her game.

  She sets the rules.

  “Are you ready?” I say, offering her my arm as she gives me the once over, admiring my black tuxedo with her eyes. “Like what you see?” I can’t help tagging on.

  There’s a slight flush to her cheeks as she takes my arm. Christ, she’s fucking adorable. “Yes, to both,” she breathes out.

  We make our way to the sky garden and my eyes scan the crowd just before we step outside. All of our friends and family, business partners, and fellow students are here. And Marcel and Constance, with Odette looking her usual annoyed self, at the far end of the terrace. Romain, as expected, is nowhere to be seen. It was part of our deal that he not be involved or named.

  Royce is the first one of my family to see us arrive as we walk out onto the terrace. His eyebrows raise as I saunter past with Pearl on my arm, we exchange a brief look but then he sees Marcel watching and turns away.

  I’m so fucking disappointed with Royce. I had hoped he’d changed but his siding with Marcel lately has proved he’s still the same fucktard he was at school, jostling for a seat at the big table. He’ll never get there because he’s too far down the pecking order to ever catch more than Marcel’s passing interest. Grandfather will use him and spit him out. I’ve seen it happen way too many times before.

  And so has fucking Royce.

  Pearl notices me giving Royce a sour look and sighs. “We’re sticking to the plan, right?”

  I grab us a couple of drinks and pass her one, giving her a subtle nod. I’m not giving Royce any more chances. He lost that right the moment he shot me. We’re sticking to the plan, taking them all down, Royce included.

  For the first part of the night, just pinning Marcel for a conversation is difficult. He’s constantly surrounded. After we’ve talked pleasantries with nearly every guest, we make our way to where Marcel and Constance are, and wait until they’re talking amongst themselves in hushed tones to intrude.

  “Happy belated birthday, Mémé,” I say, interrupting them both. “I’m sorry we had to leave the chateau so quickly.”

  Constance looks up and gives me a cool smile and I leave Pearl’s side briefly to kiss Mémé’s cheek.

  Marcel is watching us with a hawkish stare. “Congratulations to the happy couple. I’m sorry to say that I’m upset to be finding out about it after the fact.”

  “We didn’t want to make a fuss,” I say, trying to keep the anger out of my voice. I settle for neutral, making my face as blank as possible.

  Marcel raises a brow. “Because you’re suing your own wife or because you’re stepsiblings?”

  Next to me, Pearl stiffens. I put my arm around her waist, pulling her closer. There’s a tightness in my own chest but I ignore it.

  “Oh, you know me, Grandfather,” I say. “I always go for the biggest risk to get the biggest reward. I learnt from the best, after all.”

  Marcel chuckles, the amusement not quite reaching his eyes. He’s still pissed at me. “Flattery, my dear boy, will get you everywhere.”

  I cock my head. “I was referring to my own parents.”

  “Seth, please,” Constance interrupts. “We are here to make amends. Marcel is sorry for how things turned out.” She says it like he didn’t try to sell Pearl to the highest bidder.

  Marcel snorts, not even fucking trying. “Your parents were useless, my daughter even more so. Now, if you’ll excuse me. I have a drink to refill.” He puts an arm around Constance’s waist and guides her away.

  “Nicole took a massive risk with Pearl’s father,” I say as the bastard retreats. “I admire her for the balls she had going after the company you were never going to your hands on.”

  It has the desired effect. Marcel stops and exhales, looking back. “My boy, Darlington was going to be mine. It was only a matter of time.”

  “You had all the time the world,” Pearl cuts in. Five years to be exact.

  Marcel’s face darkens. “My dear girl, do remember who you’re speaking to.”

  Pearl huffs but doesn’t let Marcel get to her. “There’s still a way you could get Darlington, if you’re interested.”

  He pauses. Finally. “Go on,” he says, eyes narrowing.

  He doesn’t trust us, but I outline the proposal for him anyway. Knowing my grandfather, he won’t accept a minority share in Darlington just to keep the peace between our warring families. Now I know that he knows about Sophia, I’m outraged he’s still pursuing this.

  “You would willingly give me part of your company for nothing?”

  “Not nothing. Immunity. Seth and I aren’t willing to take the same chance that what happened to our parents might happen to us one day.”

  Marcel’s eyes become slits. “What happened to your poor parents was an accident, girl.”

  “We know you killed them, but we’re willing to look past that for our children’s sake,” I snap, unable to contain my anger a second longer.

  Pearl’s eyes flash to me.

  Fuck. I jumped the gun. We were supposed to draw him out and get him to admit killing our parents.

  Marcel’s eyes flick across between the both of us. “Didn’t you say you were a risk taker, my boy? It seems to me that you have a lot of nerve inviting us here just to make accusations. Your offer is pathetic and a waste of my time. I will have the whole company or nothing at all. And if you stand against me you will lose more than just your name.” He turns around, starting to walk off, but stops. “I’d also look into getting a paternity test if I were you. Before you get into bed with the enemy. Fake marriages never last long. I should know.”

  And then he’s gone, gauntlet thrown.

  Pearl looks at me. “What now?”

  I glance at Pearl with a sigh. “We do what’s right.”

  I’m feeling relieved more than anything. It was Pearl’s idea to give him one chance to incriminate himself instead of taking down the whole family like Romain wants. But Pearl doesn’t know the old bastard like I do. He was never going to bite when he could devour the whole fucking thing. He’s a Montford, and to us, it’s all or nothing. He’s also never going to do or say anything in public that could go against him.

  We still would’ve gone to the police, but in private, giving Marcel a chance to go down with dignity and the police time to investigate the other matters thoroughly. Doing it Romain’s way, the scandal will tear every Montford apart.

  But it can’t be helped. The longer we wait, the more time Marcel has to retaliate.

  Sophia comes first.

  We have to protect her at all costs.

  Even if it means fucking over myself in the process.

  Chapter 25

  Pearl

  As the fashion show part of the evening ends, I take to the middle of the catwalk to make my speech. A nervous thrill runs through me as I look around the room at the guests seated to the front and sides.

  Marcel and Constance are watching from the VIP seats, along with Royce and Odette. Behind them are all of Seth’s extended family. True to his word, Romain’s seat is empty. He’s probably on a flight to Costa Rica until all of this blows over.

  On the other side are our friends, also seated at the front. Flick and Gabby. Charlie, and even Lottie. The Chancellor. Board members from Darlington… Peyton, Grace, Harold, and even Uncle Benji is here. And behind them are rows and rows of students from La Roche. And the press. Lots of journalists with shiny cameras.

  The whole world is about to see me screw my winter project up. Fuck it. What do I need a college education for anyway?

  I look down at my hand at the ring there.

  At that moment, Seth, blue eyes unreadable, w
alks into the room looking dashing in a jet-black tuxedo over a satin waistcoat. He kisses me on the cheek and takes my arm.

  “Is she okay?” I ask, pushing away my own jitters threatening to consume me.

  “Nervous, but she’s on board.”

  I look back to the room, Seth’s hand in mine giving me the strength to carry on.

  The fashion show has already finished. The only highlight and enjoyable part of the evening so far was Claudia walking out and her entire dress falling off. She was thrilled to be a model in my show. And I was thrilled to have every single reporter in here snap a picture of Claudia’s naked body as she hurried off the stage in mute horror. I’ll have to thank Lottie later for her amazing design skills, and for her crappy sewing efforts on that one dress.

  And now, the hard stuff.

  Behind me, the panel of four screens flicker to life as I begin my speech about the anti-slavery and anti-trafficking charity the event is fund-raising for.

  “Our fundraiser is in aid of the charities that change lives and end slavery, by preventing exploitation, rescuing victims and reforming society. But not just that. We also want to raise awareness since it’s happening right here under our noses.”

  I falter in my words when the images behind me change to a picture of the cabin in the woods. There’s a round of murmurs in the gallery as everyone is confused at why we’re looking at Marcel Montford’s hunting lodge. Marcel’s face is a picture and I haven’t even started yet.

  Okay. Deep breath, Pearl. Here it goes.

  “All of you here know Marcel Montford, the current president of Montford International, but what you don’t know is for many elite circles he procures women to be commercially and sexually exploited in a hunting game he likes to call Kill The Doe.”

  Marcel looks like he wants to kill me. He goes to stand up but Constance stops him, her mouth a thin, grim line.

  “Marcel and his men have been known to target, torment, and sometimes later sell the women he abuses into slavery, for his own personal gain and amusement.”

  Marcel, no longer content to just sit there, shakes Constance off and gets to his feet. “How fucking dare you, you little bitch. This is slander.”

  Seth’s hand gives mine a squeeze which stops me from hyperventilating. “You’ve got this, babe,” he whispers in my ear. “Take that fucker down.”

  I stare down at my tormentor, heart thudding in my chest. “I have evidence.”

  “Fuck evidence. I’m going to sue you for defamation,” Marcel growls at me.

  “Here are some examples of Marcel’s business transactions,” I say, hand shaking as I indicate for the screen to change.

  The image behind me switches to more pictures of very powerful men, rifles cocked on their shoulders, standing over or sometimes with their foot on girls, bound and beaten like trophies on the floor. Marcel’s girls. He’s not in any of photos but it’s clear they were taken in front of his lodge. And then files of details such as names and addresses, and prices next to them, most of it blacked out for privacy reasons.

  “I’m not staying for this… farce.” Marcel, red faced, starts pushing his way out of the row he’s seated in. Constance gets to her feet and gives me a cold and unreadable look, before following right behind him.

  “And now to testify, we have the girls themselves. You may have already met them. They’re the amazing models you saw tonight. Each one a brave survivor of Marcel Montford’s sick and twisted games. The first survivor is a Montford herself. His own granddaughter, Elizabeth Ebony Montford.”

  After Seth’s meeting with Aruba, true to his word he sent us a list with all the names and address of the girls Marcel had abused. It was a matter of tracking them down and convincing them to come forward, and some of them to even model for me. It amazes me he didn’t recognize a single one.

  There’s a weighted silence. And Marcel’s girls walk out, heads held high, no longer victims, looking amazing Lottie’s outfits. Beth, in her own clothes, is among them. She comes over to where we are and hugs me and Seth. I hand her the microphone which she takes with a tentative smile, her eyes misted over.

  She breathes out and turns to the room.

  “Hello everyone, I’m Beth Montford and I’m a survivor of my own father’s torment and abuse. I’m here today to tell you about a dark secret my family has known about and kept hidden all these years. A secret I’m ashamed to admit is true…”

  Seth’s arm tightens around me.

  The room explodes into everyone talking at once. Marcel and Constance are already leaving. Odette is paler than her hair, hurrying after them. Royce looks like he’s about to faint.

  And Seth… he’s smiling at me as I look up at him and we face the room full of monsters…together.

  Chapter 26

  Pearl

  Seth.

  The one person I lost the right to have is driving me home.

  He shifts gear and throttles the engine, making my head stick to the headrest as he takes each bend like our lives depend on it. Maybe he just wants to get me home as soon as possible and out of his life for good. Maybe he wants to kill us. Another car wreck.

  If someone told me Seth would be driving me home again after everything that happened, I wouldn’t have believed them. Since the end of term, when I left him the lake house and walked away from him, La Roche, and all the shit that had gone down since he’d arrived. Since I tracked him down at the sex club and all the mess that came after we went to see Marcel. After all of it, I had no idea if he would even still want me. And I can’t help but take a peep at him now as he drives me home and wonder if he still does.

  Or is it all a bloody dream? Am I going to wake up alone any minute now?

  Seth, as ever, looks divine. He’s wearing only his shirt from last night with the sleeves rolled up. But he’s so ripped these days that the material of it is stretched super tight, defining his muscular build to anyone with a pair of eyes. His dark hair is tousled and his eyes look shadowed.

  Occasionally, he glances at me like he’s checking I’m still beside him, a stormy look to his gaze. He doesn’t look like he wants to kill me or destroy me as much as he did when I first saw him in Wonderland three months ago.

  A pale orange glow is settling over the whole valley as we approach the house that’s been in my family for generations. Even if I one day lose everything, I’ll get to keep the house, because it’s not mine. Grams owns it and she’s left everything, at my request, to Sophia.

  At the thought of Seth meeting his daughter, my heart palpitates madly, and I don’t know where to look. I’ve no idea how he’s going to react. Will he be pleased? Or will he hate me all over again for hiding this from him?

  Despite how cold it is outside I have to roll down the window just to get some air. I was wearing Seth’s jacket before but that’s now draped across my lap. I took it off once we got inside his car and the heating came on. As we pull up into last lane that leads all the way up to my Gram’s house, I shrug it back over my exposed arms and shoot a look at the clock. It’s almost seven thirty a.m. It took us a few hours to get out of Paris since Seth wanted to sober up before we drove. I slept for a few hours in the penthouse suite while Seth was on the phone. Then, he was waking me up and bundling me into his car.

  I could stay here all day.

  Honestly, my favorite thing in the entire world is sitting in Seth’s car while he does ninety-five down long stretches of road.

  “Seth,” I finally say, as the house looms and Seth parks up right in view of the main kitchen window. “I should have told you earlier about her. I didn’t know how. I’m sorry.”

  His brows draw into a crease, eyes guarded as he turns off the engine. “Don’t worry, we’ll work it out.” With that, he gets out the car, leaving me sitting there like an idiot.

  Of course, it’s going to be okay. She knows her daddy is coming today.

  After consulting with Grams, we thought the best way to introduce Seth was to tell her directly and h
onestly. And also slowly over the phone first, giving Sophia a chance to adjust, just like I had to, that Seth was here to stay.

  Sophia wants to meet him. This is going to be okay.

  I take a deep breath, open the passenger side door and climb out of the car. I don’t bother to put on Seth’s jacket, even though the air is frigid outside. The wind is blowing, making my hair stream into my face. There’s a tightness to my chest that I can’t seem to shake, and my throat is in dire need of a glass of water. I catch Seth’s eye over the hood of the car but he looks away, forehead creased as he stares at my house as though the very sight of it offends him.

  It probably does.

  The last time we were here, like this, it all went wrong.

  A chill runs down my spine at the memory. Am I cursed? Is it all going to be taken away again?

  “Come on,” Seth says, stifling a yawn. He runs his hands through his hair. “Let’s get inside.”

  As I knew she would be, Grams is sitting at the kitchen snug and Sophie is with her. Sophia’s blue eyes brighten, and her face breaks out into a wide grin as soon as she sees me. “Mummy!”

  I put the hand not holding Seth’s jacket out to her and over her head as she grabs my legs wraps herself around me. “Hey, monster.”

  “Elna is making us pancakes!”

  “Eleanor is, is she?” I say, noting the cute way she still says Eleanor’s name. I screw my eyes up as a smile eases onto my face. Being suspended was a silver lining in the end. It meant I was able to spend more time with my little girl. But I haven’t been home all that much lately and the old familiar guilt creeps in.

  The intensity of Seth’s gaze makes me flustered. He’s staring at her like she’s something wonderful and I guess she is.

  Grams pulls her glasses down and gives Seth a once over. Satisfied, she grunts a nod and gets back to her needle work.

  Sophia gazes up at Seth the exact moment I start to open my mouth. Nothing comes out. Sophia on the other hand has plenty to say.