I nod. “Yeah, when you’ve done so much fucked up shit, it could be anything.”
She locks her jaw, and I smile at her sweetly. I still remember the way she threw me out of the house a mere few days after we lost my father. For years, everything went her way, but she should’ve known better.
“Alanna,” I clarify.
She takes a seat on the sofa and crosses her ankles. “It doesn’t matter that they broke up,” she tells me. “They’ll get back together.”
I cross my arms and stare at her, confused. “Why are you doing this? What did you think you’d accomplish through Alanna? What made you think I still cared about her after all these years?”
Mona leans back and smirks. “You carry a photo of her everywhere you go. I saw it in your wallet once, about a year ago,My Ray of Sunshinewritten on the back of it. I’d heard Ryan mention that there’s a girl named Ray that you call for when you’re drunk, and I’ve been curious about her ever since. A few months later, I saw her walking down the street. Now tell me, Silas. Don’t you think that was a blessing from above? I found her through sheer coincidence. Your one and only weakness… and she doesn’t even know who you are. It’s priceless. I mentioned you a few times just to be sure, but she didn’t recognize your name.”
Fucking bitch. “Does Ryan know? About her and me?”
Her smile wavers. “No. Of course not. Despite my best efforts, he still thinks the world of you, even when he tries to convince himself that he doesn’t. My little boy despises that you took everything from us, but he still loves you. I suppose that was a good thing, in the end. What would you have done to me if not for him?”
I nod, my shoulder slumping in relief. At least I wasn’t entirely wrong about Ryan. Mona has him in her clutches, but he’s not a lost cause. Not just yet.
“That must have been annoying, huh? You spent years talking shit about me, getting him to hate me, only for you to have to switch gears so you could use your own son to get to me. It’s strange to me that women like you are allowed to be mothers at all.”
She grits her teeth, and the way she’s holding herself back is bringing me a strange sense of satisfaction. For years, she squandered away my father’s fortune, only to find herself standing in the same house she once threw me out of, at my mercy.
“What were you trying to accomplish with Alanna? Was it just to hurt me?”
“Partially,” she admits. “But let’s be real, Silas. Would you deny her anything? I know you whisper her name in your sleep. I know you beg her not to leave you when you’re drunk. Ryan told me all about your obsession withRay. Even if she’s with Ryan, you’ll want her to have the best of everything, won’t you?”
“You need help,” I tell her. “I mean it. You really do. Ryan deserves better than this, but I’m done fighting his battles for him. You did this to yourself, Mona. You never should’ve touched Alanna, but you did, and you’ll pay the price for it.”
She smiles at me provocatively. “There’s nothing you can do to me, Silas. Not without hurting Ryan, and by extent, Alanna. I know what you’re like, and you won’t let either of them suffer.”
I grin at her and tilt my head. “Yeah, I definitely won’t let my girlfriend suffer, not outside of bed anyway. My brother, though? I’m pretty damn pissed off he touched my girl. Now that she’s finally back in my arms, I’m pretty inclined to retaliate for what he did, for taking what belongs to me.”
She frowns, and I chuckle. “Why did you think she came here with me tonight, Mona? Why would she be so quick to clarify that she and Ryan broke up? I told her to.”
I see the confusion and panic in her eyes, but it does nothing to ease my anger.
“Dating her comes at the cost of your relationship with Ryan. After everything you’ve done to salvage your bond with him, are you really going to do that to him?”
“Yes,” I answer simply. “Without a second thought. I’ll pick Alanna over anything and anyone, anytime. You should’ve thought of that before you set out to use Ryan against me. I’ve given him the benefit of the doubt because I’m well aware he’s not the mastermind behind this little ploy, but I’m done. I’m out of patience. I have nothing left to fear now that she’s chosen me all over again. You, on the other hand… I’d watch my back if I were you.”
I walk back toward the dining room, where Alanna and Ryan are helping the staff clear the table. He looks somber, but my Ray… she looks impatient. I have a pretty good idea what she’s after.
“Your mother is ready to leave,” I tell Ryan. He nods and glances at Alanna, but I shake my head. “I’ll drive her home. You go with your mother.”
He seems reluctant, but she pays him no mind and continues to stack plates, silently dismissing him. She’s being such a good girl tonight. If I’d known going on a date with Raven would make her come to her senses, I’d have done it much sooner.
Ryan walks away, the dining room door falling closed behind him, and Alanna looks up, a sexy smile on her lips.
“I want my reward,” she murmurs, her voice husky.
My heart skips a beat at the sight of her, and a soft chuckle escapes my lips. She’s fucking perfection. I thought I loved her when I was younger, but it’s nothing compared to what I feel for her now.
“You’ve been so good today, baby. Tell me what you want. Do you want me to fuck you?”
She nods. “You know I do.”
I smirk at her and hold my hand out for her. She takes it, and I pull her into me. “I’m still upset, you know,” I admit. “I hate that he once got to call you his. I’m not okay with it at all, Alanna, and I’m tired of pretending I am.”
She wraps her arms around my neck and rises to her tiptoes, her lips brushing against mine. “How do I make you feel better? How do I make you forget?”