Knowing CELIAN DEVEREUX

CHAPTER THREE

"What the hell?!" Celian bellowed.

His father paused and glanced behind him. On seeing his raving mad son he grinned.

"Thought you weren't coming, Son?" He asked.

A vein popped in Celian's head. "The hell you didn't! And so what? My office is now a f*****g orgy scene? Are you mad?!"

Paco waved a hand at him dismissively and resumed shagging the woman on his desk, pissing Celian even more.

"Call security." He ordered Fiona who nodded promptly and exited the office. "Stop it this instant!"

"Oh for goodness sake!" His father yelled moving away from his lover. "Can't a man enjoy himself in peace?"

"Not on my desk, no. That's disgusting Dad! Take your w***e and leave!"

"Hey!" The woman who was sprawled shamelessly on his desk objected but an icy glare from Celian had her clamping her lips shut.

"You know what?" Paco asked, grabbing his pants from the floor and pulling them on. "You, Celian, are a massive hypocrite."

Celian's jaw ticked and staring dead into his father's eyes, he gritted through his teeth. "Get. Out."

The older man simply arched a brow in amusement. "I gave you this office. And you're throwing me out of it?"

"If you wanted it to remain yours, you never should have given me." Celian spat. "Now leave before the security guard gets here and hauls both of you out naked."

The amusement in Paco's eyes died a slow death and he glared. "You called the guards on me?!"

Celian gave him a "cut the crap" look. "I'll call the f*****g police on you if you're not out of here in ten seconds!"

"You wouldn't dare! You ungrateful bastard! I knew something was wrong the moment Anna came home with a pansy ass baby. Do you dare to insult me?! You're f*****g your secretary and you think you're better than me?!"

"At least I'm not parading my junk around the whole f*****g city!" Celian bellowed, stomping towards his father.

"Yeah sure." Paco heckled. "Make yourself feel better like that changes shit."

Poking his son in the chest with a finger, he stared him deep in the eyes. "You are a Devereux. We don't get it straight with one woman and you would know that. Every f*****g time your personal w***e screams your name, you forget you have a plain sweet wife waiting for you at home. You f*****g love the high that comes from it."

"I don't!" Celian defended. "Stop spouting nonsense."

"You and I are the same Celian. Cheaters, liars and all things bad." Paco taunted and watched as his son snapped in anger.

"Get out!" Celian growled stomping over to his desk and dragging the woman his father had been shagging by her arm, he pushed her into his father's arms.

The door to his office opened and two security guards rushed in. Celian pointed at his, venom dripping from his voice. "Get them out of there and I never, ever, want to see them step a foot in here again!"

His father laughed harsh and wildly as the guards escorted him and his woman out of the office. Feeling enraged and wounded, he flipped the desk over, crashing all its contents to the ground.

His office was officially ruined for him and there was no way he could get rid of the sight of his father having s*x with some woman. Fury burned within him and he needed release.

"f**k this!" He yelled into the empty office, unzipping his trousers. "Fiona!"

His secretary pushed the door open, her lips curled in a knowing smile. She knew exactly how Celian dispensed his anger when he was worked up.

"Sir?" She purred, taking slow measured steps towards him.

"I'll need a new table asap. Contact the resource department. I want a f*****g air freshener as well." He hissed, his trousers dropped and pooled around his legs.

"Got it." Fiona hummed, stepping closer until they breathed the same air. She wet her lips hungrily. "Anything else sir?"

"Get on your knees." He ordered. "Less talking, more sucking."

****

Rae took in a deep breath of courage and stepped into the hospital. She had always hated the constant smell of disinfectant and blood that dominated the air within but after being in the hospital constantly for three years, she was quite used to it. Not that she hated it less, she had just learnt to shove the smell into the background.

Taking a turn, she made her way, apprehensively, to her mother's ward. She hoped that she hadn't heard the news that Rae had tried to kill herself. Rae knew her mother well enough. The woman would feel bad that her daughter had been driven to that point and would probably take her life instead.

Rae sighed, realizing that Celian was right. Dying wouldn't have solved anything. It would have just caused more problems for her mother.

"And Archer." She murmured pushing the door open.

"Rae!" A man exclaimed, rushing towards her and gathering her in his arms. The familiar scent of her boyfriend and childhood friend enveloped her and she resisted the urge to burst into tears.

"Hey, Archer." She croaked, clutching his faded t-shirt.

"I saw the news. I'm so sorry." Archer whispered into her hair. He pulled away and placed a kiss on her forehead. "I... didn't know. I hadn't known you felt that way, Rae. I would've-"

She gave him a weak smile. "It's okay Archer. I'm sorry too. I was...selfish. I hadn't thought about you or mom, I'm sorry."

He pulled her in for another hug and she looked over his shoulders at her sleeping mother.

"You didn't tell her?" She asked when the hug broke.

Archer nodded, slipping his hand over hers and leading her to her mother's side. "Yeah, I didn't."

"Thank you" she whispered staring at her the deathly pale woman on the bed. She had almost abandoned her sickly mother just because she was tired. Feeling immensely guilty, she placed a kiss on her mother's head. "I'm sorry mom."

Her mother had been the only figure of permanence in Rae's life. Her father had denied impregnating her mom and had washed his hands off the unborn child. Growing up, Rae had seen how much her mother had to endure to feed them. She had struggled harder to send her through school. To help her graduate high school without feeling like a sore loser. Their lives weren't luxurious but they had both been happy and content with each other.

It was unfair that despite how good they had been, her mother was diagnosed with cancer three years ago. It had devasted them. All their savings were gone in a month and at nineteen, Rae had three jobs and debts that kept piling up. Her source of comfort was the man who stood behind her holding on to her hand.

Archer squeezed her hand softly. He had always been her support since childhood. Her best friend and lover wrapped into the best man ever. Archer didn't have much, he was a simple mechanic, but he gave the best he could and Rae loved him for it.

"The doctor came by." He told her softly and she closed her eyes, feeling her emotions slightly overwhelm her.

The major reason she had thought to end things was that her mother required imminent surgery and she had no money. Scratch that, she had debts and no money. Exhausted, she had chosen death as her escape.

"If he gave us just a little time, I'm sure I could scrounge up something," Archer said. "Just a little more time, that's all."

Rae smiled at him thankfully and withdrew her hand from his. "I'll go and see him."

Stepping out of the ward, she walked down to the doctor's office and knocked hesitantly.

"Come in."

Rae pushed the door open and smiled warily at the middle-aged man sitting behind a desk.

"Ah, Miss Wesley. Here to pay up I suppose?" He quipped and slowly deflated when Rae's eyes got watery.

"I'm sorry doctor. I... I just need a little more time. Please." She begged, settling in the chair before him.

The doctor pinched the bridge of his nose, sighing deeply. "Miss Wesley, the more you waste time, the worse your mother gets. She's in a very serious condition and time is running out."

"I know that." She stated her voice thickening with emotion. She batted her eyelids trying to rein in the tears but failed, they spilt always. "I just need more time. I'm trying so hard I swear. Please don't stop the treatment. I'll pay, I promise."

The doctor sighed and nodded helplessly. "That's okay Miss Wesley. I'll do what I can do. All the best really."

Thanking the doctor, Rae dragged herself back to her mother's ward with sunken shoulders. Now that Celian's pretty motivational words had fallen away from her head, she was left where she had started. She needed money. And if she didn't find some soon, things were going to get very very bad.

On getting to her mother's ward, she pushed the door open and gasped with shock at the sight.

Archer was pinned down to the floor by a man and a menacing-looking man stood right beside her sleeping mother, holding a gun to her forehead.