Ugly Dark Truth

by Sapphire Knight

  “Not your problem,” I replied blankly, staring off to the side some more. My gaze is locked on the gray marble fireplace in hopes my guard will stay up with the quads. I need to come off as aloof and unfeeling. It’s what their actions have earned; I want them to be uncomfortable knowing that they’ve done this. They made me this way.

  Just the smell of them when entering the house had nearly brought a fresh wave of tears to my eyes, but I’ve fought them back. They don’t deserve them. They’ll get nothing else from me from here on out as far as I’m concerned. Not that they actually need me anyhow. They have women trailing after them daily, enough so to make me sick at being a witness to it. After what I overheard that night in the library, apparently, it’s not only here, but in other countries as well. The sad thing, too, is that I’m sure several of those gold digging bitches back at Harvard Academy wouldn’t give it a second thought at finding out the guys’ plan for their fathers’ businesses. All those classless women care about is being with the elite, not about love, honesty, or mutual respect. Obviously, I’m the one with a soul that gets me kicked for caring.

  With a ferocious growl, Tristan loses his ever-cool façade and loudly barks, “Wrong answer!”

  His brash tone is enough to make my body jolt, and then he’s moving toward me. His hand pinches my chin, jerking it upward. His hold makes me meet his heated gaze just as his brother had done outside. Tristan’s stormy gray pained irises are still as intense and striking no matter how ugly he can be on the inside. If only we wore our true colors on the flesh, maybe life would be easier, as we’d see people for what they really are right away.

  Brent shoots forward, leaping to shove his brother in the chest. “Be easy with her, damn it,” he orders, like he hadn’t been rougher with me, mere moments ago. I won’t lie, I enjoyed his heat. His warm touch had cut through the chill that had encased my bones. “Don’t fucking hurt her.”

  Tears attempt to fill my eyes again, but I bite my lip hard enough to make sure they don’t fall. I taste blood as I spew the white lie, “I’m fine.” Fuck them. They don’t get to pretend like they care about me anymore. I won’t buy into any more of their dishonesty.

  Not one thing has been even close to being fine in my life since the moment I discovered the truth. I’m nothing more than a clueless pawn in their elaborate plan. From then on, life’s only gotten worse. Now, Father insists we kowtow as much as needed to make sure my engagement is still firmly in place. He’s told me to do whatever I need to, to secure Tristan, even if it means lying on my back and spreading my thighs for my fiancé. Such charming words coming from a father. He obviously cares nothing for my dignity. I hate him too.

  Cole finally speaks, his voice breaking up a bit of the tension between Brent, Tristan, and me. “Your father won’t get away with what he’s done to you, that much we can promise. We want you here.” It’s the first thing he’s said since Father and I arrived at this sham of a meeting. Who knows if he’s even downstairs anymore, I’m sure he’s already left me behind.

  “You’ll leave my father alone.”

  Tristan sneers. “The fuck we will. He’ll pay!”

  “I mean it,” I argue back to Tristan. “Hurt me or whatever gets your rocks off, but you leave him alone. My mother and brother wouldn’t be able to survive if something happened to him. That’s something you assholes don’t seem to realize.” I’m not much in the position to make demands, but I’m not above trying it anyhow. Besides, Mom and my little brother aren’t as strong as I am. I don’t know where I got my strength and will from, but it wasn’t them.

  “He doesn’t deserve to live,” Brent mutters menacingly.

  My throat tightens at his gruff outburst, and I swallow some of my nervousness down. Now’s not the time to allow myself to get freaked out by his temper. I know he won’t hurt me even if he’s busy making threats. Brent may be right about my father, but it’s none of their business. This is my family we’re discussing, not theirs. I’m not going to sit idly by while they take over my life and not ask questions. They aren’t my dad.

  Brent’s azure gaze beats on me as he demands, “You’re staying with us, right where we can keep you within our sight.”

  I roll my eyes again. It’s pretty much the only defense I have against them. They physically have me surpassed in every way, not that I’m a fighter. They’re wealthier, and the four of them combined are smarter...who am I kidding; Axel is ahead of us there. All I really have in my defense is my attitude and actions. They can’t do much to me if I’m a total bitch all the time, at least not much more than they already have. Losing money and status won’t hurt me like it would with them or my family.

  “It’s bad enough I have to go to the academy with you four. You’re crazy if you think I’ll be around you anytime else. I don’t care what my father says; I won’t do whatever’s necessary to get on your good sides. Hate me. I don’t care about anything.” More lies, and damn it, I shouldn’t have admitted that much of what father had said to them.

  I can try to detest the quads in return, and Lord knows I’m angry, but my heart is wrecked. I don’t want their wrath directed my way. I’ve already learned the hard way that they’re devious. It may end up being easier to exist with it, than if they go back to being nice like they were right before the party. My mind is so screwed up; I’m torn in multiple directions. Do I want them evil or nice? I shouldn’t want them at all, in any way.

  Axel clears his throat, but I refuse to look at him. I can’t. I trusted him...hell, I even loved him. He’d become a best friend to me, or so I foolishly believed. He wants my attention, but I’m not giving in easily. It’s his fault that I’m in the emotional state I am, to begin with. That intriguing mind of his I found to be so attractive and unique turned around and bit me like a snake waiting in the grass.

  His voice is strong and almost calculating as he says, “You want to make sure your father keeps his company? Fine.”

  He’s got my attention then.

  His three brothers look to him, ready to protest, but they wisely wait to hear their intelligent, younger brother out first. He continues, sounding much older than he is. “We don’t need the money anyhow; we’re far rich enough as it is. We’ll see to it that our father doesn’t bankrupt your family, but on one condition.”

  Swallowing, I can’t help but to finally look at his handsome face. It hurts looking at him just as I knew it would. Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad if he hadn’t felt like a friend to me. That detail of our relationship kicks me down over and over. He pushes the corner of his glasses a smidge up his sharp nose, back in place, and I want to grab the frames and break them. It’s so immature, but I can’t stop the thought.

  With his calculating regard trained on me alone, Axel hits the nail in my coffin. He outrageously orders, “You’ll move in with us immediately, and you’ll still be marrying Tristan as planned.” I go to open my mouth, ready to argue any point I can possibly find, and his hand shoots up, quieting me.

  “It’s nonnegotiable, Kresley. You’re moved in with us by tonight, no excuses. And if not, I’ll personally see to it that our father goes through with his takeover. I’ll even make it so he pushes it through quicker. You’ll be dirt poor and homeless by the weekend. As will your parents and your little brother—they’ll lose everything. You’re the only one who can save your mother and brother. Not even your father has a chance to help them, with my plans.”

  At his threat, I let the tears free, a messy sob bubbling up. I can’t hold my reactions back anymore with his outlandish demands. I’ve done nothing to these spoiled men to deserve them ruining my life, yet they persist regardless of the fact they’re ruining someone’s life. They simply don’t care.

  I shout, overcome with my emotions. “Haven’t you taken enough from me?” I would’ve loved them all, damn it, but they chose to break my stupid, frail heart!

  His nod is miniscule, his strict stare sincere. “We have. But we’re not finished with you yet. We won’t be for
a long time to come.”

  Cole smirks. “Nowhere close to being done, beba.”

  Fuck. My. Life. Tears cascade over my cheeks, my heart being ripped up even more than before. They want me ruined, broken and bleeding for the world to witness.

  “I hate you all,” I whisper, destroyed. They each scoff at my confession; it’s merely more fucking lies, and we all know it.

  Axel continues on flawlessly as if he didn’t catch my spiteful proclamation. “We told you from the start, Kresley; you belong to us. That was real, the one thing you should’ve been paying closer attention to throughout the past months. Now, we’ve given you a month to heal from your injuries and have some space to yourself. However, we’re done with the separation. It ends now. The mansion will be your new home, starting immediately, and we’ll make sure your family survives the upcoming changes.”

  With one last tearful glare around the room, I nod in utter defeat. I have nothing else to lose when it comes to these guys. I refuse for them to destroy my family as well. Not that I should be so worried about my father. I already know he won’t be downstairs waiting to take me back home. He was adamant to get me over here and nothing else.

  If these four want me living with them, they better be prepared, because I will be so ugly that they can’t stand to look at me. They like that I’m not a typical rich bitch, gold digger? Well, get your pocketbooks out, because I’m going to hit them where it hurts—in the bank.

  “Don’t doubt me, Kresley. There will be changes,” he says with finality, and despite me wanting it to be, it’s not a lie.

  The wall in front of me illuminates with Father’s image, and I offer him a wave as he answers my request for a video chat. I’d have much preferred to do this in person, but I don’t think that’s possible, unfortunately. Surprisingly, Father’s been home more frequently the past few months with the engagement party and the holidays. He may be business minded and busy, but he still attempts to make time to spend a few holidays with us, his sons, no matter how brilliant and invested in work he is. Though I figure it will become less and less as we’ll be graduating and going to our respectful colleges soon enough. I may be stuck in high school with my brothers while they finish their education, but I’ve kept myself busy with online college courses the past few years. When they’re graduating with bachelor’s degrees, I should have my medical degree and Ph.D. around the same time frame. It’s all to build my ever-growing resume as Father has requested I do.

  Dad flashes me a surprised smile. “Axel? Hey son, everything okay with you guys?”

  I don’t call him during the week. I know he’s busy with work and whatever company he’s chosen to demolish, so his surprise is warranted.

  I release my held breath and greet him. “Hey. I apologize for bothering you during the week, Dad.”

  “You don’t look so good, Ax. Tell me what’s going on so I can help.”

  “It’s Kresley.”

  “Oh? Did her father bring her over to talk finally?”

  I nod. “Yeah. We spoke to her earlier today. I think her dad was under the impression you’d be here too. He wasn’t too pleased when I walked into your office and discussed what was going to happen before we all spoke to Kresley.”

  With a wave of his hand, he scoffs. “He’s nothing; you’re far more intelligent than that dolt. That’s most likely why he felt threatened to speak to you rather than myself. You make him insecure, which he should be. The man’s an idiot, with no business or family sense.”

  “Well, I have a new plan, and to be frank, Dad, you won’t like it.”

  His brow raises as he sits back and steeples his fingers under his chin. He looks like the typical wealthy tycoon at the moment, and I have to stop myself from cracking a smile. This is business. “I’m listening.”

  “I proposed a new deal to Kresley and changed a few things with her father. We told you that she heard everything from the library the night of the party.”

  He nods.

  “She’s smart; it’s one of the things I respect a great deal about her.”

  “Get on with it, Axel. Stop stalling.”

  “Yes, sir. Well, we’ve reviewed the monitors in her house and discovered, after the fact, that when she told her father about the plan, he kicked her and she fell down a flight of stairs.”

  He suddenly sits up and leans forward; eyes so much like my own, widen. “Please tell me you’re joking right now.”

  Shaking my head, I sigh and rub my temples. It’s hard seeing her so broken and then acting rationally about it. I wanted more than anything to unleash Brent on her dad, but that’s not how it works in this world. Her father would’ve lawyered up, sued us and become richer with the video evidence he’d no doubt have. The engagement would be off, and Kresley would still be stuck in the same house as her abusive father. I tried to explain this all to my brothers as well. We have to be smart about our next set of actions, whether they’re keen on it or not.

  It was the hardest thing I’ve ever done, seeing the girl I love injured and have to physically sit back and wait to do something to help her. We couldn’t take our video evidence to the police in her defense. It’s illegal to record them like we do, so we had to be clever, and unfortunately, that meant being patient as well. There’s no way I would’ve let it happen again, but I couldn’t just storm over to her house early either.

  “Not in the slightest. He hurt her, Dad… Bad.”

  “That fucking disgrace of a man doesn’t deserve what he has. I’ll push the plan through and take his money out from under him immediately. We’ll let him feel the repercussions of his actions.”

  “No!” I shout. “We can’t do that!”

  “What? Why the hell not?”

  I inhale deeply and exhale, trying to calm my stressed-out nerves to explain. “I bargained with Kresley to get her out of there. I told her we’d leave her father and his company alone if she moved in with us immediately. The most important thing was getting her to safety. I couldn’t take the chance of her staying there and him laying his hands on her again.”

  “I wish you would’ve called sooner; we could’ve worked on this more given the circumstances.”

  “And I agree with you, but I was holding off to see what chances we’d have. I’m concerned the violence will only escalate, and we’d eventually be going to her funeral and Brent’s trial. He wants to kill her dad and with good reason. But to be blunt about it, I’ve never seen Brent like this before.”

  I don’t want to worry Father, but he has to understand the degree of the situation we’re in. We’ve already confessed our feelings for her to him, and he’s fully aware we don’t want to give Kresley up. We’ll do whatever we have to so that never happens.

  “Okay. I take it you care for this girl and even more than we’d briefly discussed when I was home. As unfortunate as the actions are, their household is not our concern.”

  I knew he was going to say something like that. My father comes off as an insensible, unsympathetic bastard, and to the outside world, he is. What people don’t understand is that my father only has loyalty to his family, but in his defense, that’s how he was raised. My grandfather is hell-bent on keeping our fortune, and he can be ruthless toward anyone without our last name.

  “We more than care for her.”

  “We? You mean your brothers agree to this as well? It’s not only you on this? I’d never expect any of these changes to come from them.”

  “I know, but they’re just as serious about her as I am. And while they didn’t come up with the amendment, I know they’ll back me up completely on it.”

  He expels a heavy breath. “Fuck, Axel. What do you expect me to do with this? You guys aren’t even in college yet. We have a strategy in place, and you’re wasting it away on one girl!”

  “I know, and I’m sorry if this disappoints you, but this is where we’re at right now. None of us want to live without her. None of us want to see her hurt, and none of us want to give her up—not eve
n to a brother.”

  “Jesus Christ.”

  “She’s going to marry Tristan.”

  He snorts.

  I continue. “For real, this time. She’s already agreed to it as long as we leave her family alone.”

  “Well, I respect her sense of loyalty, I’ll give you that, even if her fidelity is misplaced and offered to her abuser. I can’t believe Tris, out of all of you, would agree with actually marrying her. I figured he’d be the last of you to commit. What about Cole? He’s a better match for her. Let’s talk money, son. I’ll be losing money that I’ve invested my time and resources in. You know I won’t go for that.”

  He’s being more than rational about this. Dad could be losing patience and telling me no straight away, but he hasn’t said it. He knows I wouldn’t do all of this without a much bigger plan, and it’s the only reason he’s taking the time to hear me out. If it were any of my brothers who’d called him, he’d have laughed and told them hell no almost immediately.

  Clearing my throat, I go into the details with him that I had previously omitted from Kresley. “You’ll still get the company and the money. I need a little bit of patience on that front, however.”

  “Oh? And just how long are we talking, Axel?”

  “By the time we enter senior year, you’ll have it all.” I begin by setting his mind at ease with the financial aspects before getting into further details.

  “I’ll get their family lawyer in our pocket and make sure a decent alimony arrangement is set up in Kresley’s parents prenuptial agreement. I want confidence in knowing her mother and brother have a way to survive this and be provided for should her father come back with unaccounted for funds per the liquidation process.” He’s fully aware of how wealthy businessmen like to hide money from the IRS. My gut tells me that Kresley’s father isn’t completely surface, and he has skeletons somewhere. It wouldn’t surprise me in the least if he comes through this company devastation and gets back on his feet. I want to make it so his wife and son have access to funds he obtains in the future as well.