If you're loved by someone, you're never rejected, decide what to be and GO BE IT
-The Avett brothers
Recommend Reading Introduction to Unproven
DEFINITELY READ Prologue
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
“All right, send me those reports and I’ll get back with you later in the day.” James disconnected the call and smiled over at his son who was reclining in the armchair, patiently waiting for him to finish.
“You can cancel tonight,” Grayson told him, referring to his scheduled visit with Monica.
“Is that so?” James lifted a brow as he went to the liquor cabinet and pulled out a bottle of Cristal. He poured it in two glasses and added juice then handed one to Grayson before perching on the edge of his desk to wait for details.
“I found another seasonal girl,” Grayson smirked at the knowing look on his father’s face.
James took a sip and swirled the contents of his glass, eyeing his son. He was usually more forthcoming with details. “So,” he prompted, “what’s the game plan?”
Grayson shook his head, “Not sure yet, I just met her so I’ll have to get to know her before I decide. So far all I do know is she’s had a thing for me for years and considering I popped her cherry,” he lifted his own brow, his lip curving into an ego-laden smile, “that thing ain’t going anywhere.”
James smiled back. “Virgin, very nice, no disease worries there.”
Grayson’s smile widened, “Yeah, and she’s on birth control so no pulling out worries either.”
James blinked at him, startled. “You released inside her? Bad idea Grayson, you know the rules.”
“I told you she’s on birth control.”
“So she says, since when do you take people at their word, especially someone you just met?”
Grayson folded his arms across his chest. “You think after all my practice learning how to read people I can’t tell if I’m being lied to?”
James studied him for a second before nodding. “I suppose, though in the past you’ve been excellent at reading them and still didn’t take the chance, however small. But now that you’ve done it,” he sighed, “I know what it’s like Grayson and there’s nothing better. But understand if she gets pregnant she’s taking a trip to a clinic, against her will if need be.”
Grayson gave him a look, “Of course I understand.”
“Alright then,” His father set his glass down and put a hand on his knee, leaning forward slightly. “Give me an update on your plan of attack in a few days.”
Grayson nodded as he drained the remaining contents of his glass. He put the cup down on the end table next to him and got to his feet. “Well I’m gonna grab a nap, I’ll let you get back to the grind.”
**
Grayson flopped down on his bed, marveling at how excellent his body felt. He was completely relaxed, not a single twinge coming from his lower region. Ever since he’d returned from the hospital on that faithful day four years ago he’d been training his body and mind to cope with his shitty deal, and for the most part he’d done a stellar job. He winced as images of that long-ago day assaulted him; the terror he’d felt as they’d rushed him into the emergency room, the smell of sickness and antiseptic so strong he could choke on it. And the pain, oh Christ the pain. His cock and balls had been so inflamed even the veteran nurses had gasped at the sight of them. They had stuck him with needles in the most sensitive area of the body, and even now the memory of that searing white-hot agony had the potential to make him gag.
The morning after also remained crystal-clear in his mind. Once the effects of the pain meds and sleeping aids had worn off, his father had sat with him and explained the family curse. It had helped immensely to know that he wasn’t alone. For six months prior to that morning he’d been beating off like a madman, the more he touched himself, the more he needed to. He’d somehow managed to hide it from everyone, though looking back he wasn’t sure how he’d done that, it was like a goddamned magic trick since the time he’d spent masturbating had to have amounted to hours and hours a day.
Well no, he amended, there had been one person who’d noticed, she’d just chosen to keep the info to herself. His mind called forth an image of Jules; a beautiful, young Spanish woman that had frequently starred in his erotic fantasies. Apparently she’d been of the mind that it was normal for boys of his age to touch themselves, and hadn’t wanted to alarm his father needlessly. A big mistake on her part. He winced slightly at the thought of his father’s former mistress. Not long after that she’d mysteriously disappeared.
His thoughts shied away from what he believed to be true, and was glad that as much power as his father had, the ability to read his mind was not a part of it. His sire might be disappointed to learn that certain things bothered him, it would skirt the line of ‘feeling’ a bit too closely. Those in their social class held intellect above all things, there was no place for baser emotions. An idea that his father had drilled into his head since he was young. Placing stock in emotion was for the weak-minded masses, not the elite group they belonged to.
It was James' opinion, and apparently the opinion of all those of similar lineage, love was nothing more than a word to describe lust, or a weakness of character requiring others provide them with an illusion of self-worth. For James the only valid ‘feelings’ were respect and at most admiration, which were not simply given but earned by proving yourself superior in intellect, self-control, the art of manipulation, and the ability to overcome any obstacle or infirmity-especially one you were born with. Rather than think of their family curse as a flaw, his father had chosen to see it as a further test of strength, and believed excelling in spite of it put him above even those in his own social standing.
And he was determined that his son would do the same. Grayson was the only one in James Teller’s life that he actually “cared” about apart from himself. His father was driven to take the Teller name to the top and keep it there, and because Grayson was his only child it was imperative that he be equal to if not exceed James. Hence Grayson’s intense mental, psychological and physical training that had begun at age five then tripled in severity when he was thirteen. At that point it became a combination of physical exertion to the point of exhaustion and extreme mental focus which included long hours of studying, reading, and meditation. Then as time passed and he’d proved to excel in these areas his father had begun to teach him the finer points of life, namely the game of manipulation.
The key to it is subtlety Grayson. Never let on that you’re different, it’s important they believe you feel all the same things they do. Never announce that your superior rather let others draw the conclusion by your actions...and on and on it went.
Before the curse had made its appearance Grayson had attended an upscale private school, and if the affliction had passed him by he would have been sent to a prestigious boarding school overseas the fall of his freshmen year. But because of his problem his father had chosen to transfer him to public school, in part so he himself could train him but also as a way of protecting him from the discerning eyes of elite peers. Grayson hadn't wanted to attend school, had tried to persuade his father to find him a tutor, but James had adamantly refused, telling him that although isolation might seem the perfect solution for their particular problem it had a major flaw. Yes it had protected the children of the bloodline from being discovered, but it had also set them back years in the social arena. Coddled and sheltered through their formative years it wasn’t until they’d been married to a pre selected woman who could tend to their needs that they could begin their practical application of manipulating the world around them, namely its people.
And James Teller was by far the shining star in this arena, though he'd been in his early twenties before he'd truly begun to learn. He hadn't been taught to control his impulses when he was young, instead he’d had a brothel of women at his disposal from the tender age of twelve until he’d married Lucinda Petron. During those years he'd had a limited understanding of people because he’d been hidden from the world, his own father considering the affliction an embarrassment since he himself had not inherited it. It wasn’t until James’s older brother Charles overdosed on heroin that he had stepped forward, finding a staggering reserve of strength within. First he’d secured the marriage between his sister and the son of one of the more prominent and wealthy families in their circle, and not long after he secured his own marriage to the daughter of another prominent family. After which he’d convinced the elders of his wife and brother-in-law’s families to invest in a business idea that had tripled their wealth in the space of a year, and in that year his father had died of a stroke leaving James to carry on the line. From then until now he’d continued multiplying that wealth as he’d expanded Teller Enterprises, building a “kingdom” for his son to one day rule.
Because James felt he'd been done a disservice in his youth by not being taught control of his sexual issues, he only granted his son relief every five days in the form of professional escorts. These women had been thoroughly tested and his father had paid an exorbitant sum for Grayson to ‘go in unprotected.’ Every Sunday he was secreted off to a cottage tucked away in Silicon Valley where he spent several uninterrupted hours with one of two women, Monica Bentley, age twenty-six, or Tandyn Wheeler, age twenty-nine. He’d been seeing them since shortly after he’d turned sixteen, prior to that James had taken him to Mexico where no one had batted an eye at his age.
As far as Monica and Tandy knew, their purpose was to train him to excel as a lover. They didn’t know his true identity, to them he was Christopher Matthis. They’d never actually met his father who dealt only with one of the heads of their agency, though it was inevitable that they would one day learn who he truly was. His was not a forgettable face, and considering all his father had accomplished in the last two decades, attracting the public eye had been unavoidable. Grayson had once asked James what he would do if the two women were ever to get it in their heads to blackmail him later in life and it chilled him to remember the look that had come over his father’s face. You would not want to be the reason behind such a look.
As far as his father's "love" life was concerned, he'd had many mistresses since Jules, though none that had ever moved into their home and certainly none that he’d entrusted with their family secret. Instead he would put them up in one of his hotel suites for as long as they provided daily sex and did not show signs of emotional attachment. The moment they failed on either point he would turn them out and find another.
Never let them know that you’re different. Grayson turned on his stomach resting his head on his hands. He certainly had been different, though he’d fit in with ease. It was a flawless act, he even believed the anger issues caused by his sexual problem had been an asset through the years, a tangible emotion lending credibility to the idea that he was just like everyone else. He’d achieved every goal he’d set out to achieve. People always felt he was superior yet not in a way that made them dislike him, the opposite in fact, they wanted to be closer to him as if whatever it was he had would rub off. They may have envied him for his looks and charm and wealth, but most loved him for it too, excepting those he chose to make feel differently, particularly the girls that were the target of his “practice”. But even they subconsciously thought it was a flaw in their own character that caused him to leave them.
The thought of his former relationships inevitably brought Carrie to mind and he grimaced. With effort he shook off this line of thinking, deciding to enjoy his temporary sojourn from pain.
Once his mind was clear he closed his eyes and drifted.
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