Hostile Resolve - BK3 TPBS 1st Draft Complete

-36-

Not edited.

A full morning of chatter, showers and making plans were finally over. His mother had watched over Nicholas with Lucas so Grayson and Josie could have showers in peace.

Now they were sitting in his mothers large loungeroom that still held some of the remnants of the buildings Victorian past. Details unsurpassed by modern building standards. Though the furniture was minimal the whole room engulfed you as soon as you walked in and within seconds you felt like you belonged.

Like you were home.

"Grayson" his mother started "I know you have questions and I'll do my best to answer them."

Grayson sat quietly for a moment before blurting out the one question that plagued him day and night.

"Why did you and Dad divorce before I was born?"

Christine shook her head sadly.

"I didn't. Well at least I didn't know I did until Marcus and I were getting married."

"What do you mean?"

How could someone not know?

"There were papers I signed at various times. Your father just handed me a pen and said sign here. I never questioned him because..."

She broke off and took a deep breath.

"Because?"

"Oh Grayson, there's no easy way to say this. I only asked once, in the very beginning and his anger... Grayson I was scared so I signed whatever I needed to; what ever I was told to sign."

"How did you find out?"

"Ah, the easy answer. I knew I'd need a divorce before I married Marcus so I went to apply for one and found out I was already divorced. It certainly made things easier."

Grayson looked at her in horror.

"He divorced you and didn't tell you?!"

"That's right. Then when I confronted him..."

"What?"

"Grayson... I never thought I'd have any more children after Damon. To be honest I was extremely careful but one night I didn't get the chance and that's the night you were conceived. Your father acted and called himself my husband years after I left with you kids. He laughed Grayson. He laughed and told me what a..."

"He said you were a whore" Grayson whispered.

"He did" Christine didn't deny it. "He said any woman prepared to sleep with someone they weren't married to was a whore."

Josie gasped and felt Grayson's hand tighten around hers.

"Well at least I know why he hated me then" she murmered.

"Oh please don't take it to heart Josie. Nicholas was a sick man. It wouldn't matter who it was. He had a twisted view of the world."

Grayson chuckled darkly.

"Twisted? He had another family..." he looked at his mother suddenly "did you know?"

She nodded and Grayson felt the world below him fall apart and suck it into the dismal void of a never ending pit.

"Why?" he asked hoarsely "why didn't you do something about it?"

"I did. The day I found out I packed you kids up and we left."

Grayson started to shake. His world, his life... a lie! Everything. Not just his fathers teachings but the lies he'd told him...

"Did you ever have an affair?"