Reluctantly Royal
Page 71

“Do not speak about Meredith in such a disrespectful manner.” The words snapped out of Max.
“Stop it.” I growled the words at my father. “I am not using Max.”
“Then why is he here following you around like a puppy?” He snorted. “That’s what your mother did. Got me hooked with a few tumbles in the sheets. Then dumped you on me and ran off.”
“Father,” I hissed through gritted teeth. I wish I wasn’t surprised that he was airing our dirty laundry.
“Embarrassed?” He laughed and swallowed what he had poured in one gulp. “You’re just like your mother.”
“Let’s all take a seat,” Rachel spoke up. “Wills are never a pleasant thing to deal with, and this one is a bit tougher than usual.”
“I want you all out of my house.” My father slammed his glass down on the table. “Now.”
“Technically, the house belongs to both of you. Unless you refuse rehab. Then it goes directly to Meredith and her son.” The lawyer took on a stern tone. “I’m here by the crown’s orders and will not leave until I have finished my job. Until you are sober and a functioning part of society, you will not be taking over any control of the current estate.”
“Fine. I’ll go.” Standing up straighter, with only the slightest hint of a bobble, he straightened his jacket. “I’ll go.”
“We need to finish the will. There are things to discuss about personal artifacts, your father’s dwelling in Germany, the family heirlooms.” The lawyer stood up.
“I’m not entitled to any of it, remember? Unless I let you people make me into someone I’m not.” My father glared at me. “Let the bitch have it. I know how to survive without a title. I won’t live under the thumb of an idiotic queen and the mentally unstable ramblings of my old man.”
I reached out and grabbed Max’s arm when he took a step forward. His entire body was tense, even his jaw was clenched in anger.
“You would call your daughter a bitch and the queen—who granted your family lands back and bestowed God knows how much money on your family—an idiot.” Max’s arm shook under my touch. “You don’t deserve any of it. Not the house, the title, or the money. But most of all, you don’t deserve your daughter.”
“Doesn’t matter, does it?” My father sneered as he walked across the room. “It’s all going to my little bitch.”
I wasn’t fast enough to stop him, even if I’d been strong enough. Every time my father had called me a bitch had been a stab in the gut, slowing my reflexes. Max was across the room in a heartbeat, grabbing my father’s lapels with his fists and slamming him against the wall.
“Apologize,” Max roared.
When my father started to laugh, Max pulled him away from the wall, only to slam him back against it.
“That is an order.” He leaned close to my father and lowered his voice. “You will apologize to Meredith now.”
My father stopped laughing and met my eyes over Max’s shoulder. I put a hand to my mouth, my composure completely wrecked. Never had I been more mortified or hurt by the way my father behaved. And yet, on the other side of that coin was Max demanding I be treated with respect. It was like looking at the yin and yang of manhood. They were each other’s opposites in every way.
No wonder I loved him so much. How could I not? My prince that had charged in to save me and was now protecting my virtue.
“Let him go, Max.” I cleared my throat. Stepping forward, I put a hand on his shoulder.
“He needs to apologize to you.” His body could have been carved from stone.
“I don’t need him to.” I met my father’s eyes. If anyone knew how to fight fire with fire, it was me. “He’d have to mean something to me for it to have hurt.”
Something in my father’s eyes shifted as if my words had hit him harder than I would have thought possible. Even when Max let go of him and he slid to the ground, his blurry eyes stayed focused on mine. If I hadn’t known better I would have thought that I’d wounded him with my words.
Max took a step back and my father got up and adjusted his jacket before walking swiftly out of the room. Silence rang through the room until Max turned around and looked down into my eyes.
“God help me, Meredith. If he hurts you one more time I’m not accountable for my actions.” He cupped my chin and tilted my face up toward his. “I can’t stand seeing the pain in your eyes. It rips me to the bone.”
My breath caught in my throat and I struggled to process what I saw in his eyes. His thumb moved over my cheek and wiped away a tear I hadn’t realized I had shed. Was I crying because of my father? No.
I was crying because I loved this man—this prince who would go to war for me.
“Perhaps we should come back later.” Rachel stood up and clasped her hands in front of her.
“No.” Max kept his eyes trained on mine. “Meredith has been stuck in limbo for long enough. Let her know what has been laid on her shoulders.”
“Very well.” Rachel sat down next to the lawyer and motioned for him to continue.
“For the majority of the remaining things to be sorted out, they go to you. All of the family jewels are to stay with the estate, excepting pieces that may be handed down to family members that marry. Much of this stuff is the normal, mandated conditions of a duchy.” His words began to blend together and I had to focus as he explained the details of the arrangement.