Page 86 of Lilacs and Leather
Alexandra looks at me then with a gently patronizing smile. “Of a sort. He works for my father,” she says mildly.
My eyebrows pull down and I blink up at her, confused. She chuckles and takes another long drink of her cocktail.
“Richard St. Clair is my uncle. He was here to check in on theirinvestment.” She places the glass down with deliberate gentleness even as her voice twists aggressively around that last word.
I’d heard of Leopold St. Clair, the legendary real estate mogul and his wide-reaching empire of properties around the world, but I’d never heard of Richard St. Clair. Admittedly, I had paid little attention to the power players in that sector until I started seeing Rhett and Mateo. But with Leopold practically being a celebrity, it surprises me a little that his family doesn’t have the same level of fame.
“What did they invest in? A building?” I ask, feeling supremely out of my depth.
Alexandra gives me a long, searching look that makes me blush. She must find what she’s looking for, as she sighs and lets her shoulders slump for a moment before returning to her dancer’s posture.
“My father has been the principal contributor to Seth’s stipend.”
My brows shoot up, my jaw drops a little as the full weight of her words hits me. The investment is keeping Seth... happy? Quiet? Alexandra waits for me to say something with an expectant tilt to her head. Her scent is spice forward, and I see the small lines of worry pulling at the corners of her mouth, the only tell that she’s not completely unruffled.
“That’s... generous of him?” I say, the phrase lifting in a confused question.
My response goes unanswered for a moment, and I feel a pit of embarrassment fall into my gut. But just as I start to apologize, Alexandra’s lip twitches and she sucks in a breath. Her shoulders quake with silent laughter as she looks away, shaking her head.
“Generous is not a word that most people would use to describe Father,” Alexandra says between her chuckles.
I blush, looking back down to where my hands are clasped around the remnants of my drink. I quickly down the rest of it, trying to regain a small fragment of my composure. Lucas moves off to fill another order and Alexandra and I fall into silence for several long heartbeats.
“When everything happened, we hadn’t quite gotten our feet under us, so having my father take on the financial burden was a welcome relief. But I should have known that, when Leopold St. Clair extends a hand to help, it’s only there to distract from the knife in the other. He was paying Seth far more than we could afford to take on at that point, and even now, when we’re doing much better, the payment would be a yearly cost of well over seven figures. And Seth refuses to consider any settlements that don’t include a continuation of his current compensation rate until he finds a new pack—”
“Which will be never if he’s getting millions from you for doing nothing,” I finish with a solemn nod.
“A fact which boggles my father’s mind. For all of his business sense, he hasn’t got a clue,” Alexandra vents, pulling her hair loose and running her fingers through it.
“Intelligent and smart are two very different things. If he created this monster, he could at least do you the courtesy of keeping it in material comfort while you get the chance to live your life,” I comment, stirring the ice in my glass.
“But if I move on, I could end up with someone who doesn’t fit his plan,” Alexandra replies dryly, finishing her drink.
Lucas returns a moment later with fresh drinks, winking at us before dashing off again. The dinner rush is in full swing, and he’s busy with the other bartender filling orders from the servers.
“So, he’d rather you be trapped by an omega who is holding you and your pack hostage?” I ask incredulously.
“At least I’m not being photographed kissing a woman and being outed on Page 6,” Alexandra mumbles.
I look at her with my jaw on the floor in outrage. “Are you serious?”
“About the photos? Oh, those are very real—”
“No, I mean your father is financially abusing you into staying in a bond you don’t want, all because he doesn’t like that you’re attracted to women?” I demand, trying to keep my voice down.
“Well, he’s never put it in those words exactly, but that’s a remarkably succinct summary, yes,” Alexandra admits, her words a little stilted as she blinks at me.
“I’ve never met him, but your dad can take a long walk off a short pier,” I growl, taking a sharp swig of my drink.
Alexandra lets out a startled, strangled laugh, and her slightly dazed smile catches me off guard. I sigh and take a moment to gather my composure.
“My family to this day continues to believe my rapist over me, and cut me off from my college fund and trust fund because I didn’t want to marry a man I’m 90 percent sure would have killed me either accidentally or on purpose within five years of the wedding day. Withholding funds as a method of behavior control is abuse, full stop.”
I repeat the words of my old therapist, and I can see the flicker in her hazel eyes as they hit their mark. She opens her mouth to speak, but I continue before she can interrupt.
“You are too smart to let these fucking micropenis-having dinosaurs get to you. Your uncle can show up and stick his nose in your business all he likes, but at the end of the day, you’re a badass with her own pack and several successful businesses. You’re going to figure this out, Alexandra. Fuck them,” I spit.
“Yeah, fuck them! Who are we fucking?” Lucas asks eagerly, bouncing over to us.