The Grand Duel (The Grand Men #4)

Chapter 51

FIFTY-ONE

Charlie

I grip the steering wheel tighter as I watch Lissie trundle through an amber light, the front of my Jag practically attached to the car in front of her.

Pulling out my phone, I call her.

When the call connects, I don’t give her a chance to speak.

“You can be angry at me all you like, but driving recklessly and putting yourself in danger is not something I will tolerate. Pull over so that we can talk about this properly.”

“I’m not driving dangerously.”

“You’re driving angry. Pull the car over.”

“I have a job I need to get to.” She hangs up.

My face hardens, the lack of control I have over her safety making me want to cross every line I’ve ever woven into my conscience.

When I arrive back to the office, she’s already parked the Jag and is out of the car, walking around the building and into the office. I put my window down. “Lissie.”

She breezes right past, ignoring me.

I leave the car at the side of the road, knowing I’ll get a ticket but not caring.

Tow the fucking thing for all I care.

I push inside my building, stalking through the reception area and down the corridor. I catch her on the threshold and grab her arm, walking her into her office and closing the door.

“Charles!”

I twist her around and force her against the door.

“Walk away and don’t look back. Hate me. Because I did do it for you. You don’t get to show me who you are at your best in here.” I point to her chest. “Then expect me to let you be anything but. And never at my fucking hands.” My eyes search hers. “I love you more than I love us, Lis. Your happiness is my only priority. So walk away and never look back, but know that I’m always going to be there, right on your tail, running to catch up. I’m going wherever you’re going, so lead the fucking way.”

Her eyes search my face, full of tears. Full of anger.

I reach up and brush my thumb over her bottom lip, my hand shaking sightly, but she lets me.

Fuck, she lets me.

Her chest rises and falls, her eyes fluttering closed a moment later. “Leave,” she rasps, my thumb frozen against her skin.

My jaw tightens. I take one more second, one more minute in her orbit, and then I step away. “More than us, Lis,” I remind her. “Then, now, tomorrow, and forever.”

Lissie

“I’m going wherever you’re going so lead the way!” Nina repeats, leaning back in the sofa as if she’s melting into it. “You’re a stronger woman than me, Lissie, I’d have folded like a deck chair.”

“Strong or stubborn?” Jovie says, nudging my arm.

“Neither,” I defend. “He couldn’t even text me back the night before and then he gets in my space, looks at me…” I pull in a deep breath as I try to forget. The way he felt so close. The way his eyes found the hole in my chest and started filling it.

“How did he look at you?” Lucy asks.

I flick my gaze between each woman, all of them waiting on me. “Like he was sorry. Like he would’ve got down on his knees and done anything I asked him to.”

“I taught him that one,” Megan says, placing down her cocktail. “The art of grovelling.”

I shake my head at her and smile, grateful that I have them all to twist my mood into something else after today.

It’s the night before the memorial ball, and Scarlet and Nina have invited us to the estate to stay for the evening.

I was adamant that I wouldn’t attend the ball with Charlie in attendance, but then Willow met Scarlet, who told her she could dress up as a real princess for the night, and so now we’re going.

Truthfully, deep down, I wanted to come. Scarlet has put so much into this weekend, I’d hate to let her down because I can’t get my emotions in check.

“I think he regrets it, if it’s any consolation,” Nina tells me. “He’s not himself at all.”

“He isn’t,” Lucy agrees.

“He looked drained.” I dip my head. “I hate seeing him so sad, and I didn’t really have it in me to make it better. Which is awful isn’t it?” I say, remembering how desperate I was to reach out and run my hand through his hair.

“It’s not awful, Lissie,” Scarlet says. “Maybe you guys will have a chance to talk this weekend.”

I nod, swallowing around the lump in my throat. “I probably sound like a broken record at this point with the way we’re both going on.”

“ Please , we seem to love the drama and angst with the amount we all put ourselves through it,” Megan tells me, smiling into her glass.

“I wouldn’t say we love it.” Lucy chuckles. “But we’re good at it.”

“Well then, to drama, angst, and mending broken hearts,” Nina says, holding up her cup of coffee and waiting for the rest of us to raise our drinks.

She gives me a soft wink.

I clink glasses with them all and then look down at my sister, her smile knowing.

She drops her head to my shoulder, linking her hand with mine. “It will be okay,” she whispers.

I stare into the mirror, wondering how I can make my puffy eyes appear less I cried myself to sleep last night and then hid in my bedroom all day and more I’m fine, but don’t ask me if I’m okay .

I sigh and smooth my hand through my hair, picking up my makeup brush and running it under both eyes.

“Lis?”

“I’m in here,” I reply to Jovie, reaching behind me and pushing open the en suite door.

She steps into the bathroom wearing her dress, and pride instantly grows like ivy around my heart.

“You look beautiful, Jove.”

“Uh, thank you. And you’re naked?”

I shrug, turning back to the mirror. My eyes drop down my body, my boobs concealed in my cream lace bra.

“Honestly, you look banging like this,” she tells me.

I chuckle, shaking my head at her. “Lucy gifted me the new dress. I’m guessing the underwear”—I look down at the matching lace thong and garter belt, the clips dusting my thigh where I’ve not attached them to my stockings yet—“is the girls being hopeful.”

“You have the nicest friends. When you first told me about them, I was sceptical. I mean, people.” She cringes playfully.

“And so many of them,” I add, cringing back.

She laughs, her smile remaining after it passes.

She dips her head to her shoulder. “Are you hopeful?”

I sigh and reach for the dress Lucy had made for me.

It’s a cream dress, body forming, with thin straps and a sweetheart neckline.

“Tonight is Scarlet’s night. She’s worked for months to make it special. I’m not going to make it about Charlie and me.”

My sister sighs, her eyes roaming over me as I step into the dress. “Jesus, Lis. You look beautiful in that.”

I give her a smile, pinning it there so that I can make it through this evening without anyone questioning me. “Zip me up?”

Jovie and I walk arm in arm down the wide landing, my stomach twisting at the thought of the night ahead.

“How insane is this house? I used to think we were rich, and then Mason told us we’d be sleeping in the west wing.” Jovie chuckles. “Imagine having a west wing.”

I laugh with her, my nerves easing a little. “It’s beautiful, isn’t it? You wouldn’t know from talking to them that they own all of this.”

“You wouldn’t. They’re nothing like our parents, that’s for sure.”

I smile sadly at her, hating that I didn’t always do a good enough job of protecting her from it all.

As much as it hurts that our parents are only now trying for Jovie, I can’t help but want her opinion of them to change. For it to simply be that she has two parents who adore her. It’s all I’ve ever wanted for her.

We take to the stairs, finding the lower level of the house abuzz with caterers and security.

“I think they’re in the kitchen still,” Jovie says, pulling on my hand.

“Wait,” I tell her, coming to a stop, my heart setting off on one of its wild quests. “Was Charlie in there before?”

She turns on me. “No.” Her eyes dart around my face. “You want me to check first?”

I bite my lip, closing my eyes.

I hate this.

I hate this so much.

“No,” I say, composing myself. “This is silly.”

I walk by her and into the kitchen, finding Nina, Lucy, Scarlet, and Megan standing around the island.

Scarlet spots me first, her mouth dropping open. “Lissie,” she says as if mesmerised, making my cheeks flame under my makeup.

“Oh boy, I feel stupid for him,” Megan says, shaking her head.

I try to suppress my smile and look away. “Stop it,” I plead.

“Trust Luce to find the dress that’ll have all the men questioning the size of their dicks,” Nina muses.

We all laugh in unison.

“You look beautiful. You just as much so, Jovie,” Nina adds.

“Thank you,” my sister tells them.

Megan walks around the kitchen, handing me a glass of champagne as the girls become busy around us. “You look terrified.”

“I am.”

She watches me, something slipping on her face. “Me, too.” She turns to the girls before I can ask questions, linking her arm in mine. “Girls, come on. The party can’t start until we arrive.”

We walk through the house and out into the gardens where the marquee is set up.

My legs feel like jelly.

“I’ve got a weird feeling about tonight, girls,” Lucy says, catching hold of my free hand as she steps over the cobbles.

“We’ve had a two-year break,” Nina says. “Please don’t get too drunk without me.”

“We won’t,” Lucy promises.

We walk through the entrance of the tent and seemingly every eye in the room falls on us.

Megan tightens her arm in mine, and I squeeze Lucy’s hand, quickly looking around for Jovie. I find her locked arm in arm with Nina, Scarlet following behind with a glass of champagne in both hands.

Megan puts the first foot forward, setting us in motion. I keep my eyes trained on the ground as we cross the entranceway, between the round tables, and to the bar.

I lift my champagne to my lips without unlinking my arm from Megan or letting go of Lucy, my hand trembling.

I close my eyes.

“You okay?” Megan asks.

I can feel him.

I can feel his eyes.

I can feel his heart.

Meeting her eyes, I shake my head. “I might need some fresh air,” I whisper.

Turning, I search for the tent opening but my eyes only find his.

I freeze.

Charlie is standing just a few metres away with a group of men, one hand in his tux pocket whilst his other nurses a glass of something amber. He’s beautiful—devastating—and he’s watching me.

The most tortured blue eyes I’ve ever seen. Blue eyes I never thought could hold such angst. Not whilst looking at me, at least.

My eyes blur, and I turn back to the bar.

Megan hands me a shot of something orange, and I bring it straight to my lips, drinking it back.

“Cheers to you, too, Lissie,” she says jokingly.

Without another word, knowing I’m not handling this well but not making a thing of it, she hands me another.

“Why don’t you come meet the lads? They’ll distract you.”

I neck the shot, cringing when I ask, “The lads?”

Megan looks at me and grins.

Charlie

The man standing opposite is talking to me, but my heart is pounding so hard it’s all I can hear in my ears, the rhythm sending adrenaline pumping throughout my entire body.

She’s everything I know and more, and yet tonight, she’s so much more.

I watch as she shots something, the loose curls in her hair brushing her back as her head tips.

I look away but my eyes snap back, not wanting to miss a second.

Megan leans in to speak to her, and my brows crease, a forced smile gracing her beautiful lips a moment later.

“What do you make of it, Charles?”

I hate that she can’t smile without putting something behind it.

I hate that she’s walked into this room without me.

“Charlie,” Elliot snaps, hitting the back of his hand to my chest.

I look down and then around at the men. “Sorry?”

“The Deadman-Smith merger. Your thoughts.” The man, whose name is lost on me, tips his chin as if the merger is important to me when it isn’t.

“Charles is busy working on personal projects of his own at the moment. He’s looking to acquire a company , but the owner isn’t interested.”

I narrow my eyes on him. Prick.

“Ah, we’ve all been there,” the guy tells me.

I look back towards the bar, finding Lissie has disappeared. I search for Megan. Lucy. Nina. Scar…and then my eyes fall on a table on the other side of the room.

My jaw flexes, nostrils flaring as I try to tamp down whatever emotion is spreading in my chest.

“We have all been there,” I agree, turning towards Elliot and speaking into his ear. “Would you like me to let your wife know that you’re here whilst I go and handle my impending acquisition, or are you happy with her sitting at the table of rugby players tonight?”

His smile drops, and he looks behind him, to his right, his eyes eventually spotting them across the room.

Our girls.

Lissie is standing with Megan, seemingly being introduced to her guests. Nina, Scarlet, and Jovie are talking together off to the side, and Lucy is talking animatedly to a giant of a man.

“I’d put my cock and balls on the fact she’s talking about me.”

I stare at Elliot’s back as he walks through the crowd, his arm going around Lucy’s waist with nothing but pure male dominance when he reaches her.

Lucy turns, smiling wide up at him, her lips clearly saying “Here he is.”

Fixing my gaze on Lissie, I make my way over to the table, willing myself to shake off my emotions.

“Megs is basically mother to us all,” the lad tells Lissie, his eyes catching mine as I approach before he looks back down at her.

“Feels that way at times,” Megan says.

I slide my hand across Lissie’s back, relishing the feel of her skin beneath my fingertips. I don’t approach in the manner Elliot had, but in a way that lets the young lad, who looks to be a similar age to Lissie, know that the woman he’s currently talking to is, and always will be, the love of my life.

“Charles Aldridge.” I hold my hand out to him.

“Freddie,” he replies, shaking my hand.

“Charlie knows who you are,” Megan cuts in. “Freddie Bowman. He plays?—”

My brows lift. “For The Royals. Of course.”

“He’s just been named the top try scorer of the season.”

“Congratulations,” I say, nodding, achingly aware of the jealousy I had for the lad moments ago.

“Thank you,” he says.

I look down at the woman beside me, my heart sinking at the look on her face.

She swallows and turns, walking out of my hold and towards the bar.

I close my eyes, sighing.

“Best of luck, mate,” Freddie tells me, cringing.

I pull my bottom lip under my top teeth, following Lissie to the bar. I lean up against it and order her a vodka cranberry.

I peer down at her whilst we wait, her eyes trained on the optics on the back wall.

“Would you have ignored me all night had I not approached you?”

Her stare flattens, and instantly, I know it was the wrong thing to say.

She side-eyes me, not turning away from the bar. She smiles at the barman as he places down her drink. “Thank you.” She takes a sip, and then turns to look up at me. Her face fractures, her anger not working alone. “Yes. I’m planning to avoid feeling this terrible at all costs tonight.”

She picks up her drink and walks away from me, taking with her any hope I had of a conversation.