Free Rhapsody (The Teplo Trilogy #2) by Ayden K Morgen Page A
Authors: Ayden K Morgen
responsible for Emma's death. They were the ones who had beaten and stabbed her to death, not her and Tristan.
"He's always been like that," Katherine said with a sad shake of her head. "He blames himself for a lot that isn't his fault."
"Yeah, he does."
"Seems like you have him under control though," Rachel said, sliding into the chair he had vacated, her brow arched. "I've never seen him like this with anyone. Ever."
Lillian met her gaze but said nothing, not really sure how to respond to that. She wasn't ready to share what she and Tristan had with everyone. Not yet. They were still new. Still fragile.
"Jason's like that, too," Zoë said. "He won't even let me anywhere near the office right now because he's so worried about what's going on, but Rachel's right. Tristan never listens to anyone like he does to you."
"I wouldn't say he listens to me either," she snorted dryly.
"He left, didn't he?" Rachel said.
Lillian shrugged.
"Then you're obviously doing something right."
"I think what she means, dear," Katherine said, reaching out to squeeze her hand, "is that Tristan does what he thinks is best regardless of what anyone else wants. He listens to what you have to say, and cares enough to dial down the innate caveman to make you happy." She lifted her glass to her lips and sipped. "You're good for him. He requires someone that will tell him what's what once in a while. Lord knows, none of us have ever been successful at that."
Zoë and Rachel nodded their agreement.
"I'm not sure how much good I'm doing in that department," Lillian confessed. "He tends to overrule me more often than not." He listened to what she had to say; he just had a habit of doing exactly what Katherine had said: what he thought was best regardless of what anyone else wanted.
"Well, it's obvious he's crazy about you," Rachel said, her green eyes narrowing. "If you don't feel the same, do us all a favor and break it off now."
"Rachel!" Katherine chided when Lillian blanched.
"Sorry," Rachel said with a grimace. "I didn't mean it like that. I think it's safe to say that everyone here likes you, but I've known Tristan for a long time, and he's a good guy. He deserves to be happy. He needs someone who will stand up to him and tell him to go to hell when he needs to hear it. And he will need to hear it because he's the biggest pain in the ass I know. He's arrogant as hell and can be a bossy son of a bitch, too. I think you know what I mean." She waited for Lillian's reluctant nod before continuing. "He's in love with you, so if this is only fucking to you–"
"Rachel," Katherine hissed. "Enough!"
"I'm not trying to be a bitch, Mrs. Angelo. I'm just telling her the truth. If she doesn't care about him, she shouldn't be with him because he's a big enough dick without having his heart broken, too. If that's where this is headed, he's better off alone."
Lillian's heart raced and moisture built in her eyes. She was not a violent person, but she had the sudden urge to wrap her hands around Rachel's beautiful neck and strangle her for even thinking that Tristan would be better off alone. No way in hell.
"With all due respect, what happens between me and Tristan is our business. But since you obviously care enough to look out for him, I will say this: I would do anything for him. And if you really think he'd be better off alone, it's obvious that you don't know him nearly as well as you seem to think. He's been alone far too long already."
Her eyes swept around the table, taking in Zoë and Katherine before turning back to Rachel. "He may be a pain in the ass like you said, but he does it because he's scared to lose anyone else. His parents were murdered by the kind of people he deals with every day, and he doesn't want the same thing to happen to any of you. Judging him for that isn't fair." She narrowed her eyes at Rachel. "He's an amazing person and I will fight for him if that's what it takes. I will fight him if necessary, but I won't let
"He's always been like that," Katherine said with a sad shake of her head. "He blames himself for a lot that isn't his fault."
"Yeah, he does."
"Seems like you have him under control though," Rachel said, sliding into the chair he had vacated, her brow arched. "I've never seen him like this with anyone. Ever."
Lillian met her gaze but said nothing, not really sure how to respond to that. She wasn't ready to share what she and Tristan had with everyone. Not yet. They were still new. Still fragile.
"Jason's like that, too," Zoë said. "He won't even let me anywhere near the office right now because he's so worried about what's going on, but Rachel's right. Tristan never listens to anyone like he does to you."
"I wouldn't say he listens to me either," she snorted dryly.
"He left, didn't he?" Rachel said.
Lillian shrugged.
"Then you're obviously doing something right."
"I think what she means, dear," Katherine said, reaching out to squeeze her hand, "is that Tristan does what he thinks is best regardless of what anyone else wants. He listens to what you have to say, and cares enough to dial down the innate caveman to make you happy." She lifted her glass to her lips and sipped. "You're good for him. He requires someone that will tell him what's what once in a while. Lord knows, none of us have ever been successful at that."
Zoë and Rachel nodded their agreement.
"I'm not sure how much good I'm doing in that department," Lillian confessed. "He tends to overrule me more often than not." He listened to what she had to say; he just had a habit of doing exactly what Katherine had said: what he thought was best regardless of what anyone else wanted.
"Well, it's obvious he's crazy about you," Rachel said, her green eyes narrowing. "If you don't feel the same, do us all a favor and break it off now."
"Rachel!" Katherine chided when Lillian blanched.
"Sorry," Rachel said with a grimace. "I didn't mean it like that. I think it's safe to say that everyone here likes you, but I've known Tristan for a long time, and he's a good guy. He deserves to be happy. He needs someone who will stand up to him and tell him to go to hell when he needs to hear it. And he will need to hear it because he's the biggest pain in the ass I know. He's arrogant as hell and can be a bossy son of a bitch, too. I think you know what I mean." She waited for Lillian's reluctant nod before continuing. "He's in love with you, so if this is only fucking to you–"
"Rachel," Katherine hissed. "Enough!"
"I'm not trying to be a bitch, Mrs. Angelo. I'm just telling her the truth. If she doesn't care about him, she shouldn't be with him because he's a big enough dick without having his heart broken, too. If that's where this is headed, he's better off alone."
Lillian's heart raced and moisture built in her eyes. She was not a violent person, but she had the sudden urge to wrap her hands around Rachel's beautiful neck and strangle her for even thinking that Tristan would be better off alone. No way in hell.
"With all due respect, what happens between me and Tristan is our business. But since you obviously care enough to look out for him, I will say this: I would do anything for him. And if you really think he'd be better off alone, it's obvious that you don't know him nearly as well as you seem to think. He's been alone far too long already."
Her eyes swept around the table, taking in Zoë and Katherine before turning back to Rachel. "He may be a pain in the ass like you said, but he does it because he's scared to lose anyone else. His parents were murdered by the kind of people he deals with every day, and he doesn't want the same thing to happen to any of you. Judging him for that isn't fair." She narrowed her eyes at Rachel. "He's an amazing person and I will fight for him if that's what it takes. I will fight him if necessary, but I won't let