“And you think I give a damn?” was Quasar’s smooth-as-silk comeback.
“No, you never did.”
Evidently deciding to intervene before the tension between the brothers could boil over, Lilly extended her hand to Randi. “I believe introductions are in order, Quasar,” Lilly said.
“Randi, I’d like you to meet my brother and his wife, Doyle and Lilly Patterson.” He then said, “Doyle, Lilly, this is a good friend of mine, Randi Fuller.”
Doyle’s head snapped up. “Randi Fuller?” Then, for the first time, he gave her more than a mere cursory glance. “You’re the psychic. Your photo has been all over the news the last couple of days. As the future mayor of Beverly Hills, I want to add my thanks for what you did to keep Los Angeles safe. Nothing like getting the undesirables off the street and in jail where they belong,” he said, offering her his hand.
“Glad I could help.”
Instead of releasing her hand, Doyle held on to it, smiled and said, “So did Quasar bring you here to do a reading on us?”
“No,” she said, pasting a smile on her lips. “It’s Saturday. My day off. I don’t work on weekends.”
Doyle stared at her blankly, and she knew he was trying to figure out if she was joking or not. He quickly recovered and said, “I like you, Randi Fuller.”
She didn’t say anything to that because already she knew she definitely didn’t like him.
* * *
A SHORT WHILE LATER, Randi discovered she disliked Quasar’s father even more. Although Louis Patterson was a handsome man for his age and exuded an air of charismatic kindness, she could easily pick up on another aspect of his character. She could tell he was an unscrupulous SOB. Now she knew what Quasar meant when he’d said the man was controlling. It was obvious he was in command and running the show when it came to Doyle and Lilly. Randi could only surmise it had been that way once with his handling of Quasar. Tonight the man’s frustrations were quite obvious with Quasar’s outright refusal to be manipulated or intimidated.
Quasar hadn’t left her side. She couldn’t help but notice the guests steered clear of her and Quasar after polite introductions. Quasar whispered teasingly, “The reason they’re acting antisocial toward us is that now they know you’re a psychic, and they’re afraid you might latch on to their dark secrets.”
She glanced up at Quasar and smiled at the jest. Considering Quasar was the guest of honor, very few people said anything to him. “You think that’s what it is?”
“Yes, which is fine with me. I’d rather be alone with you than making small talk with any of them.”
Taking a sip of her wine, she glanced around the room, and another female caught her attention. “Quasar?”
“Yes?”
“That woman standing over there in the blue dress. Do you know her? She keeps looking over here, trying not to be obvious that she’s doing so.”
Quasar looked across the room. “I’ve never seen her before, but I understand she’s old man Carter’s new wife. He’s still robbing the cradle. I see. William Carter is older than my father, and his wife looks to be my age if not a few years older.”
Randi noticed William Carter wasn’t the only old man there with a young wife. “Dinner was great, by the way,” she said, being totally truthful.
The food had definitely been the highlight of the evening. A five-course meal had been presented by servers dressed in crisp, white uniforms with matching gloves. All twenty invitees had sat at a table set in a dining room with furnishings fit for a queen. It was hard to believe that all this wealth, elegance and prosperity had been a part of Quasar’s past. A past he’d chosen not to return to.
“Before we leave, I will introduce you to Dori, the head cook. She’s been at the Patterson Estates for as long as Barnes has.” He paused a minute to take a sip of his wine and then added, “She makes the best peanut butter cookies.”
Randi smiled as she listened to Quasar tell her about all his favorite dishes that Dori would prepare. Moments later she wondered if she was the only one who noticed Doyle, who’d been standing with a group of men, give a silent nod to William Carter’s wife. As if on cue, the woman whispered something to her husband and then disappeared down a long hall. Moments later, Doyle excused himself from the men and moved down that same hall. Hmm. Interesting.
She looked for Lilly and saw her standing across the room with a group of people. Lilly’s gaze was glued to the same hallway both her husband and the woman had disappeared down. Even from a distance, Randi could see anger flare in Lilly’s eyes.
At that moment it became clear to Randi that Lilly was very much aware her husband had invited his mistress here tonight.
CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
QUASAR GLANCED AROUND his father’s study. Other than new furniture, nothing had changed. He had the same expensive portraits on the walls and several artifacts acquired during his hunting safaris in Africa. Quasar was surprised to see that the huge painting of his mother still hung over the fireplace. She had been a beautiful woman. His mother had meant everything to him, and her death had left a void that it had taken him years to get over. He then thought about Randi. He believed Elaina would have liked her had they met.
While Quasar waited for his father, Lilly was supposedly giving Randi a tour of the place. He knew that was just Lilly’s ruse to question Randi about the true nature of their relationship. He had all the confidence in the world that Randi could hold her own with the likes of Lilly.
“There had better be a damn good reason you pulled me away from my guests, Quasar.” Louis entered the room with an irritated expression on his face.
Quasar had waited until the last of the guests had left before telling the old man to meet him in his study. So his father’s claim was nothing but bluster. “I wanted to speak privately with you before I left.”
Louis moved to sit in the chair behind his desk. “You wouldn’t have to if you had agreed to spend the night.”
Staying under this roof was the last thing Quasar would agree to. “I have no reason to stay here. I have my home in Malibu.”
“Then what’s so pressing that you had to meet with me tonight? If you need to borrow money, the answer is no. I know about all that money Lucinda left you. If you’ve squandered it already, that’s your problem, not mine.”
Anger radiated through Quasar as he stared at the man who’d fathered him. “My only problem is regretting how I allowed you to treat me over the years. It was always obvious Doyle was your favorite, and I want to know why. You can’t claim I’m not your biological son. So what the hell did I ever do to you to make you hate me?”
His father leaned forward as if to make to certain Quasar heard whatever words he was about to say. “You want to know why? Then I’ll tell you why,” he said in a steely voice. “What you did to me was be born.”
* * *
“HE STILL LOVES ME, you know.”
Randi turned her attention to Lilly. The woman had given her a tour of the monstrosity of a house...not that she’d asked for one. Now they were walking side by side in the brightly lit backyard where an Olympic-size pool as well as a tennis court were located. “Who still loves you?”
Lilly smiled over at her. “Quasar, of course. I saw it in his eyes the moment our gazes connected. Although it’s been years, the love is still there.”
“And you’re telling me this...why?”
“Just in case you get any ideas about a future with him. I think I ruined him for any other woman.”
She’d certainly done that, Randi thought. “You say that like betrayal is something to be proud of.” She saw her barb land as Lilly flinched. “Why would you think he still loves you when you’re married to his brother?”
“Once I talk to Quay, I’ll explain everything.”
Randi wondered what there was
to explain. “Did Doyle force you into marrying him?” she asked, figuring there had to be something she was missing for Lilly to think she could be so disloyal to Quasar and he would still love her.
Lilly chuckled. “Of course I wasn’t forced. Quay was gone, and Doyle was here. Besides, Quay would never have gone to jail had he stood up for himself and told the authorities the truth.”
“The truth?”
“Yes. I’m sure Quay has told you he only confessed to the land fraud to keep Doyle from going to jail. Louis asked him to do it for the good of the family.”
No, Quasar had not told her that. It was hard to believe his own father persuaded him to go to jail. How crazy was that? Quasar had alluded to the fact that none of his family visited him while confined. Not even Doyle, the brother he’d been serving time for? Unbelievable.
Pretending Quasar had told her, Randi said, “I agree that Quasar should not have served time for something Doyle did, but you did promise to wait for him.”
Lilly shrugged. “Three years was a long time. Doyle began showing me attention, buying me stuff and taking me places. What was I supposed to do?”
“Keep your promise to Quasar.”
Lilly stopped walking, and her spine became ramrod straight. “Well, I didn’t, but he will forgive me anyway.”
The woman certainly didn’t lack any confidence. “You think so?”
“Yes. He loves me too much not to. I’ll admit when I saw the way he was clinging to you tonight, I was a little concerned. But then I overheard Louis tell Doyle that there was nothing serious between you and Quay. When Louis talked to him a couple of days ago, Quay stated he was in town on business. That means you’re business to him and nothing more. We know what he does for a living now, so it made sense that he was hired to protect you.”
Randi shook her head. Lilly thought she had it all figured out. “So you think business is the only thing between me and Quasar?” she asked as they resumed walking.
Lilly chuckled again. “Oh, I’m not saying the two of you aren’t sleeping together since I, of all people, know how much Quay enjoys sex. All I’m saying is that you mean nothing to him.”
Randi smiled, knowing the woman was probably right, but not for the reason she assumed. “Are you trying to convince me or yourself of that, Lilly?”
Not waiting for the woman to respond and deciding she’d tolerated as much of Lilly Patterson’s company as she could handle, Randi excused herself and began walking toward the patio that led back inside the house.
Once away from Lilly, she paused to regain her composure before going inside, and she heard raised voices coming from a room off the patio. They were angry voices, and one them belonged to Quasar.
* * *
“WHAT DO YOU MEAN that what I did to you was be born?” Quasar roared.
“Just what I said. I never wanted any children. Elaina knew that when we married. But one night she used her feminine wiles on me, and the next thing I knew, I was agreeing to give her a baby.”
Louis paused a minute as if he was remembering that time. “When Doyle was born, I was happy that she had changed my mind about fatherhood. The moment they placed Doyle in my arms, I knew it was meant to be.”
Then Louis’s expression changed. It went from contentment to anger. “But Elaina wasn’t satisfied. When Doyle turned three, she tried to talk me into another child, and I refused to consider it. I told her then that I honestly didn’t have enough love in my heart for another child. That Doyle was all I wanted. But your mother got pregnant anyway and lied and said it was an accident. I didn’t believe her and told her to abort the baby. When she refused, I made it clear to her that I wanted no part of the baby when it was born, and I meant it.”
Quasar couldn’t believe what he was hearing. “Let me get this straight. All these years you’ve mistreated me because I was an accident?”
“You weren’t an accident. Your mother knew what she was doing. She deliberately got pregnant.”
“And you hardened your heart against the child? Against me? A child you helped create?”
“She was warned.”
Quasar was furious. “You never gave me a chance. No matter what I did, it never met your satisfaction, was never good enough for you. Your whole world centered around Doyle. Dammit, you have two sons!”
“Yes, but only one has my heart.”
His father’s words cut him to the core. Sliced right through his heart. How could anyone be so cold, unloving? So damn cruel? He had this man’s blood running through his veins, yet his father would never love or accept him. “Do you know what you’re saying?” Quasar asked in a voice filled with rage.
“You asked and I’m telling you. I am being truthful. If you want to be angry with anyone, then let it be your mother for defying me and getting pregnant.”
Quasar shook his head. No wonder his mother had gone out of her way to make sure he felt loved. This is what his godmother hadn’t been able to tell him. She’d known but had felt he needed to hear it directly from his father. And he had.
“Now that I know the truth, I want closure. You can continue to live your life with the only son you claim you can love. By your own lips, you’ve admitted you don’t love me.”
His father waved off his words. “Regardless of that, you’re my son and you’re needed back here. To work for the company. To take Doyle’s place since he’s going into politics.”
Quasar drew in a deep breath. What kind of sense did that make? This man had just told him that he didn’t love him. That he could never love him because he didn’t want to share any of the love he had for Doyle. That Quasar had been a baby he hadn’t wanted. Still didn’t want to this day. He’d always thought the situation between him and his father was crazy, but it was worse than crazy. It was royally fucked.
At that moment, Quasar knew he was not really Louis’s son. At least not in all the ways that mattered. As he traced back all the years in his mind, living with his father’s dismissive, demeaning, controlling behavior, he now knew that he had never truly been his son...except when Louis needed to use him to protect Doyle.
Quasar shoved his hands deep into the pockets of his slacks. It was either that or hit something. Rage filled him when he knew that it shouldn’t. All his life he’d known his father was an asshole, but now Quasar saw him as worse than that. What father could not love a child who came from his own seed, regardless of the circumstances surrounding his birth? He would never allow himself to be used and mentally abused by his father and Doyle again.
“I refuse to love someone who could never love me. Who has, in fact, actively gone out of his way to hate me. Goodbye, Louis.”
With those words, words that might very well be the final words he would ever say to his father, he looked into those I-don’t-give-a-damn-about-you blue eyes and walked out of the study as deep pain ripped out his heart.
CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
RANDI HAD HEARD EVERYTHING and wasn’t sure what to say. Quasar was quiet as they drove away from his family’s home. Quasar’s and his father’s voices had been loud, and the words the men had spoken had carried for anyone close by to hear.
She was sure everyone had heard...and listened. She, Doyle, Lilly and most of the servants who had been bustling about, trying to straighten up and bring order after tonight’s dinner party. They had heard Louis Patterson tell his youngest son that he didn’t have room in his heart to love him. How cruel was that?
She had been standing outside the door, waiting for Quasar, when he’d walked out of the study. Lilly and Doyle were there, as well. When Quasar opened the door, his gaze immediately went behind her to his brother. She turned, hoping he would get some kind of support there, but instead Doyle had the gall to stand with a damn smirk on his face while twirling a glass of champagne between his fingers.
At tha
t moment, she knew that Doyle Patterson was just as big a bastard as his father. She was not a violent person, but knowing now that Quasar had spent three years in prison for a crime he didn’t commit, all to protect Doyle, a man who had the audacity to find what had happened between Louis and Quasar amusing, was almost too much. She was tempted to slap that grin right off Doyle’s face.
Evidently the same thought had run through Quasar’s mind, because she could see his hands tightening into fists at his sides. But instead of crossing the room to Doyle or even looking in the direction of Lilly, he said to Randi in a low, husky voice that was filled with emotions he was trying hard not to reveal, “We can leave now.”
When they reached the door, Barnes was there, and Randi saw the sheen of tears in the older man’s eyes. Quasar and the man exchanged a bear hug, and she heard Barnes say in a low, broken voice, “Take care of yourself, Mr. Quasar.”
Instead of answering, Quasar nodded before walking out the door. She gave the older man a hug, as well, and nodded when he whispered in her ear, “Please take care of Ms. Elaina’s boy, Ms. Randi. He’s going to need you.”
While waiting for the valet to bring the car, Randi wasn’t surprised when Lilly appeared. Ignoring the fact that Randi and Quasar stood side by side, Lilly went to Quasar and reached up as if to stroke his face. Quasar caught her hand before she could touch him and pushed it away. “Don’t do that, Lilly.”
Lilly had the nerve to tell him, “Louis didn’t mean what he said in there, Quay.”
Quasar chuckled derisively. “Oh, he meant it.”
Lilly frowned. “So you’re leaving? What about me?”
As if her question didn’t make any sense, he asked harshly, “What about you?”
“You still love me. I know it. Stay in LA. We can be together. Doyle has a mistress. She was here tonight and—”
Seized by Seduction--A Compelling Tale of Romance, Love and Intrigue Page 28
