Page 113 of The Write Track
Technically, he hadn’t told Bella to call him anything. There hadn’t been time for that before he left. It was the only way we could ensure that Preston didn’t know about his presence.
“Andrew.” Bella managed a shy smile, which was just so Bella. “You should know that Heather has a terrible reputation. You don’t want to have sex with her. You don’t know what you might catch.”
“Hey!” Heather took a menacing step toward Bella, but my diminutive girlfriend—yes, she was my official girlfriend even though we hadn’t hadthatconversation yet—didn’t shy away from her. “You don’t know what you’re talking about,” she hissed.
Bella blinked and I gave her a moment to decide how she wanted to respond. Ultimately, she showed her teeth in a smile, the expression almost feral. “I know that you snuck in here under orders from Preston,” she replied. “You were supposed to crawl into bed with Nathan just in time for me to come back to the cabin and assume the two of you had been together.”
“I…” Heather shot her gaze to Preston. This clearly wasn’t what she’d signed up for. “You said this was going to be easy.”
Preston’s poker face wasn’t the worst I’d ever seen. He was obviously thrown by the turn of events, however. “I have no idea what any of this is about.” He crossed his arms over his chest and tapped his fingers on his elbows. “Where is Nathan? I’m sure he’s here somewhere.”
That was my cue. “I am,” I agreed, moving in behind him.
Preston practically jumped out of his skin. “Where did you come from?”
“Oh, I’ve been around,” I replied. My eyes moved to my father, and warmth suffused me. For the first time since my mother had died, I felt as if we were on the same page.Thiswas the father I’d always wanted, the one who had willingly strippeddown to his boxer shorts to play his part in a very elaborate trap. “Dad,” I said dryly.
“Nathan,” my father replied, matching my tone. “I honestly don’t know what’s going on here. I was just reading one of your fiancée’s books—she’s quite talented, by the way—when this woman came in through the back door. She seems quite scantily dressed.”
Quite scantily dressed.Only Andrew Cooper could phrase it that way and get away with it.
“I believe that’s how she garners attention,” I replied, refusing to look at Heather. This wasn’t her fault. Not really. I had no doubt Preston had offered her something big, like a lucrative publishing contract, to play her part. I wasn’t the prize for her. No, that was something else. In the grand scheme of things, her part could have been played by anybody.
Preston was the issue.
Preston was the one who had to be knocked out of the game.
“I don’t need this abuse.” Heather made a huffy noise and stomped toward the back door. “None of this is my fault, Preston,” she seethed. “Youwillbe holding up your end of the bargain.”
That was enough to have Preston snapping. “I’m not holding up anything. You’re the one who fouled this up.” That would have been enough to end this, but he wasn’t done.
“You had one job,” he growled, glaring at Heather. “All you had to do was be in that outfit in that bed with Nathan when we got back. How could you not get it right?”
I clenched my hands into fists at my sides. I wanted to do great bodily harm to this guy. That wouldn’t be what made Bella whole again, though. I had to let her handle this part.
“Because we knew what the plan was and made sure it wouldn’t happen,” Bella replied in a soft voice. The way she looked at Preston told me she was seeing him clearly. Not forthe first time, but for the last time. She’d always known he was a monster. How big a monster was finally obvious. “Do you really think that Nathan’s father and my mother are here by accident?”
Preston looked taken aback. “I have no idea what you’re talking about,” he said finally, smoothly sliding back into denial mode. “She’s lying.”
“We all heard you.” The new voice had come from the doorway behind me.
When I turned, my eyes went wide. A new player had entered the game, and he was wearing a three-piece suit at a campground. I didn’t have to mentally stretch too far to guess who he was.
Preston Martin Charles II looked like he was about to turn Marvel villain and start smashing the universe. All of his anger, his frustration, and his vitriol were pointed at his own son, though.
“Mr. Charles,” Bella said in a surprised voice. “I didn’t know you were coming.”
She wasn’t the only one. My father had promised to place a call earlier in the day, leverage his standing in society against the Charles family’s. I had never expected the second Preston to actually make an appearance, however. Apparently, my father was even more impressive than I realized.
“Bella.” Preston II’s gaze was heavy as it landed on her. “How are you?” he asked stiffly.
“I’ve been better,” she replied honestly.
“So I see.” His gaze moved to Taffy and lingered. “Ms. Oakley, thank you for the call.”
I thought I might choke I was so shocked. “You called him?” I blurted, stunned beyond belief.
“He was already on his way when I called him,” Dad replied ruefully. If he was bothered about being in his boxer shorts in front of a crowd, he didn’t show it. “It seems Taffy had thingswell in hand. You didn’t even need me.” That declaration had him looking sad.
