The Thunder Wolves MC - Lyssa (Book #13)

27

Lyssa

Walking into the restaurant, I was nervous, even with Goose and Emilia flanking me. The three of us were greeted by a guy dressed in a black suit, making me feel like none of us dressed correctly for this place. Not that we hadn't dressed nicely, knowing it was a nicer restaurant, but we surely were not dressed in fancy clothing. Our lack of dress wasn't noted out loud by the guy, but a look of disapproval as he looked over the three of us didn't go unnoticed. Still, he walked us back to a private room, ushering us in quickly before leaving us. Stopping just inside the door, I nearly turned right back around and left. Sitting at the only table in the room was my ex and sister, both of them falling quite instantly as the three of us walked into the room. Before I could turn around, a door in the back of the room opened, and an older woman walked in along with Ray's father, who didn't look at all very happy.

"Sit."

The older woman ordered, her attention fixed on Ray's father, but I felt compelled to follow her instructions as well. I didn't know who she was, but she didn't sound like she was playing around. Emilia and Goose moved at the same time as me, all of us walking over to the table. Goose pulled out two chairs, one for Emilia and one for me, making sure the two of us were seated. When Ray's father didn't help the older woman, Goose moved around, pulling her chair out for her as well, before taking a seat next to me.

"Well, good to see there are still real men in this world."

"Mo…"

Slamming her hand on the table, the older woman glared at Ray's father.

"Do not mother me. You do not want to hear how rude and disappointing you are to me, boy, then you will remember the manners I tried to instil in you when you were younger and act more like this young man here, who obviously listened to his mother when she taught him how a man should act around a lady."

A noise from Ray had the older woman turning her head and glaring from his father to the other side of the table to him. Clearing his throat, he went silent and looked down at the table. The look on his face was the same as if he were a little kid who had just been scolded, only he hadn't been scolded. At least not out loud. Even my sister acted as if she had just been scolded, looking down and away from the older woman, a reaction even our own grandmother had never been able to elicit from my sister. After a long pause, the older woman nodded her head once, then turned her attention to me, her glare disappearing from her face.

"I do apologize, my dear. I wish I could say I taught my son better and in turn he taught his son better, but it appears I can not."

Pausing, she took a moment to look between Ray and his father. When neither one of them said or did anything, she turned back to me.

"We never got a chance to meet before, my dear, and I would like to apologize on behalf of my grandson for that."

"Ah, that's not on me, she's the one…"

A sharp look from the older woman shut Ray up instantly.

"As I am sure you have figured out already, I am Ray's grandmother, Bonnie. And as I have explained to my grandson, you leaving the way you did is what any respectable woman would do in your shoes. But like with their lack of ability to learn manners, my grandson has decided not to listen to my repeated request that you should be left alone to live your life. This is why I have invited you and your friends."

She waved her hand between all three of us.

"Oh, um…This is my friend Emilia and my…"

Hesitating, I looked over at Goose. I know our conversation the other day would put us as boyfriend and girlfriend, but did I introduce him as such? We haven't exactly gone public with our relationship, and up until this point, only Emilia knew Goose and me had a thing, and that's because I told her. Also, did I really want the first people to know about the two of us defining our relationship to be those at this table? Thankfully, Goose seemed to understand my hesitation and finished the introduction himself, his eyes never leaving Bonnie, and his hand moving under the table and taking hold of mine.

"Bennett, but friends call me Goose."

Bonnie looked between the two of us for a half second, then nodded and smiled.

"Wonderful…"

From the other side of the table, Ray scoffed loudly.

"What kind of name is Goose?"

Bonnie's hand hit the table again, this time harder than the last time. Unlike last time, she didn't address Ray with anything more than a dirty look before continuing with what she was saying.

"I see now why Ray decided to come here with Brooklyn and their fakakta story. I am just sorry they have pulled you back into their bullshit. Though, as they will find out later today, their trip will be more expensive than they planned. I do hope for your sake, Ray, you thought ahead a little bit like your father and that gold-digging mother of yours."

"What are you talking about, old woman? …Father? What does she mean?"

Shaking his head, Ray's father opened and closed his mouth a moment. Bonnie signed and waved them both off.

"I told both of you to leave this young woman alone. You chose to come here, why? What for? Only one reason, and that was to mess with her, and you, young lady…."

Bonnie pointed a long finger at my sister.

"You're coming up with this whole story of yours, you should be ashamed of yourself. Both of you should be ashamed of yourselves. And before either of you goes on about what I don't know is going on around me and how senile I am, you'd better think again. This old woman knows a lot more than you think. I also am the one who holds full control over the family money, and as of the other day, both of you men have zero access to any of it, and that includes the trust funds."