Page 34 of West (The Moral Compass 1)
I go over the checklist in my head.
One, stop thinking about West. Two, find somewhere else to live. Three, move my stuff out of his apartment. Four—Shit, I still have to work with him. It’s gonna be pretty hard to stop thinking about him if I work with him.
Hell, I might even make a brand-new start, move towns and just re-invent myselfagain.
I fire off a text to West.
Sutton: Hi, West. I’m sorry for doing a moonlight flit, but I just couldn’t stay another minute. I’m okay, and I’m safe. I don’t know anything about you, but what I’m seeing about your extracurricular life is not my idea of respect. I get that you have other women in your life. We never had a conversation around exclusivity, but to have one on a call in the middle of the night and another in your living room half undressed is a little too much for me. Maybe I’m naïve and this is how things are when you have money, but I don’t, and I won’t live like that. I gave my body over to you because I bloody liked you. If it’s okay with you, I will still take the job, but it’s because I know I am good at what I do and not because of you. Thanks for putting me up, and I’ll get in touch with HR to sort out my start date soon. Thanks again.
West: I’m relieved you’re safe. I can also understand all your points, but I do need to sit down with you and explain. I was going to do that this morning, but you were gone, and I am hoping you will give me the opportunity to set things straight. There are things I need to tell you Sutton, and I can’t do it over the phone or by text. It is really important that we speak. Even if you don’t want to see me again, I have information you need to be aware of. And, for the record, I really like you too.
Sutton: I don’t really think there is anything else to talk about, West.
West: There is, Sutton. I need to talk to you about us, but I also have information you need to hear about your family. About your mum.
Chapter 26
West
We’vesentafewtexts back and forth, and she has finally agreed to come over this afternoon. I’ve spent most of the time printing off all the information I have for her. It will be easier than trying to flick through screens.
The intercom rings, and it’s Paul the concierge from downstairs telling me she is on her way up. I unlock the doors and release the bolts and chains I fitted this morning. I don’t want to take any more chances. I don’t want Alicia ever getting in here again. Also, the information I have in front of me is highly sensitive and, in the wrong hands, very dangerous.
Deep breaths, West. You’re going to need them.
I open the door and show Sutton in. I direct her to the dining table where I have laid out the piles of information I have on everyone. I’m more nervous than I have ever been. I’m not sure how Sutton is going to take all of this, but she needs to know.
“So, Sutton, I think we need to go through all of this, and then we will talk about us. I’m not sure what you are going to think, and you might need some time to absorb it all, so I’m puttinguson the shelf for now.”
“What the hell is all this, West? And what are you talking about? Furthermore, there is no ‘us’”
She’s really pissed at me, and I can understand why, but I need her to relax a little.
“Okay, so I think I need to start with me and who I am. It might take a little faith to believe me, but everything I’m going to tell you is the truth, Sutton. The whole truth, and nothing but the truth. Okay?”
She nods back, but I can tell she is really uncomfortable.
“So, I’m West McGarry. I’m thirty-four, and I live herealone. I’m not married, and I have never been married. I came close, once, but I don’t want to talk about that today. I don’t date or sleep with several women at once.”
Okay, so she’s just staring at me.
“I am the CEO of Branded Flowers, but I am also now the owner since my father passed away seven months ago. I have a board of directors, and they keep things on track. Alicia’s grandfather is the Chairman and thinks he has power, but he doesn’t.”
I keep going, telling her about the business, but I can tell she is losing interest and is starting to stare at the paperwork on the table.
“Sutton, I asked you here because since your attack, I wanted to make sure you were going to be safe and Jaxon didn’t have anyone else out for you. I can’t find any evidence yet that points that way, but it is in the early days, and I didn’t want to go through this till I had the full picture, but, as things are the way they are, I need to open and honest with you. I have never lied to you Sutton.”
She huffs and looks away. I can see her eyes are starting to fill with annoyance, so I need to speed up a bit or she might bolt for the door.
“These papers on the desk are all related to you. I have information on your mum, father, sister, Aunt Sarah, and Jaxon and his people. Each person is in a pile.”
“What the fuck do you mean 'sister’?” she screams. “I don’t have a sister. I am an only child. My mother never had any more kids after me. I would have known.”
“She’s not from your mother’s side, Sutton. She is your half-sister from your father’s side, and from what I can tell, she doesn’t know about you either. Your mum hasn’t told you the whole truth, Sutton, which I am guessing isn’t a massive surprise, but what I’m going to tell you is that Stella, your mum, has been keeping secrets for a long time. I had my brother, North, look into Jaxon, and in turn, he found you and did a full deep dive on you, too. I didn’t ask him to, so don’t get mad just yet. He did this because what he found is dangerous, Sutton, and he wanted to protect me, and I want to protect you.”
I lay out all of her mother’s documents and information around her birth.
“Your mother was high profile, Sutton. I meanreallyhigh profile. She was a model heading for the top. She met your father, and they had a relationship for around a year. Everything looks good in the papers, and in the photos, they look really happy.”
