I shrugged. “That’s not for me to decide.”
He cocked his head. “What are you talking about?”
“I’m giving the shares to Sasha as a wedding gift.”
My father dropped his glass. Ice tumbled across the tablecloth. Bourbon stained the crisp white linen. “Are you out of your fucking mind?” he snarled.
“Not at all,” I said. I took another sip of my drink and glanced down at the mess he’d made. Then met his eyes again. “I think she’ll do a great job.”
“She’s a goddamn whore!” he roared.
I slammed my fist down on the table. It was the first sign of agitation I’d shown and the force of it had him snapping his mouth shut.
“I know exactly what she is! And I don’t need your fucking validation or your approval. I love her.” It wasn’t easy to keep my tone steady now. But I fought the urge to rage back at him.
“She doesn’t have any idea how to run a fucking company!” he objected lamely.
“She doesn’t have to. If you behave yourself, you’ll do it.”
He was shaking his head in outrage. “I just can’t… Why the fuck would you do something like this, Prince?”
“Because I want to, Dad,” I answered. It was more than that. I needed to. I’d seen what Sasha had been through. I needed her to know that she’d never be reduced to that again. She could pick the career of her choice, knowing she would always be financially secure.
“And when your fucking sham of a marriage disintegrates? What then?” he sneered.
“It won’t,” I answered. “I’ll see to it. This is the woman I plan to spend the rest of my life with.” He snorted, but I went on. “I’ve spent years seeing how it should not be done, Dad. You’ve been a fucking disaster as a husband. I’ll start by doing the exact opposite.”
“Really? Do you think your mother would agree?” his tone remained sneering.
“Absolutely. She knows all about your little ‘indiscretions’ and your affairs. The irony is that you keep accusing Sasha of being a whore when you’ve spent countless thousands on whores of your own. You’re a pig, Dad. You don’t deserve to be married to a woman like my mother.”
His cheeks flushed with rage, and for a second, I thought his head might explode.
“Before you go off raging at me, give some thought to what I just said, Dad.” I paused to let the words sink in. “Mom knows.” He stared silently. “I never told her,” I added before he started throwing accusations about. “She’s no fool. And you haven’t done much to hide any of it. She simply chooses to stay with you and turn a blind eye. She says she loves you. I don’t know why. Maybe she wants to keep the family together. Whatever her reasoning, you’d just better be fucking grateful she hasn’t thrown you out on your ass.”
“If she knows what’s good for her…” he began to splutter.
“No, Dad! If you know what’s good for you, you’ll get your fucking act together,” I snapped. “Just remember who owns the other half of those shares.”
His eyes bugged out for a second. Voices were coming back from within the house, and I knew the others were returning. My father fixed me with a hard stare as my mother swept into the room, followed by the woman of my dreams and her small, bemused family.
“Ah!” my mother said, beaming. “It looks like you two have been having a catch-up.”
Dad gave a curt nod, and I smiled innocently. “Having fun with Mom, Sweetness?” I asked Sasha. She nodded and settled back into her seat beside me. It warmed me to feel her close. I’d barely let her out of my sight since those moments in the hotel. It had been a day I didn’t want to relive, yet it was a turning point between us. If there’d ever been a doubt in my mind that this was the woman I wanted in my world, it had been obliterated then.
“It’s starting to feel real,” she said as she grinned up at me. I brushed my lips against the top of her head.
“Just wait till we take you for your first fittings, darling!” my mother said gaily. “Your wedding dress is the best part of it all.”
“Quite right,” said my father. “You’re going to make a radiant bride, my dear. Prince is a lucky man.” I blinked, but said nothing. He’d turned to my mother. “Another glass of wine, Angel?” he asked.
“That would be lovely, Drew,” she answered, aiming a pretty smile at him. As he rose to fetch the bottle from the server behind her, she looked in my direction and widened her eyes in question. I shrugged. Her eyes widened further as my father topped up her glass and then brushed his lips against her forehead in a gesture similar to the one I’d just bestowed upon Sasha.
Seemed like the old bastard might be taking my message to heart.
Chapter 11
Sasha Ramirez
