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Ch.20-Don't Walk Away

I shook my head, mouth set in a firm frown as I glowered at the couple in front of me. "No."

"We insist, Lilia. We may be here a while and it will help to eat something."

I repeated the negative action of shaking my head, shoving the menu away. "I don't want anything from you."

Mr. Grey sighed. "Very well," he stated, handing the menus to the waiter, who promptly walked off. "Do you live in Heart? I don't believe I've seen you around before."

"Oh, cut the crap," I quipped. "We both know you're here because of Alec. I still don't know how the hell you know who I am, so, yeah, I'd say we have a lot to cover."

Mrs. Grey didn't seem at all impressed with me. She just kept staring at me with disapproving blue eyes. It dismayed me that Alec seemed to have gotten his eye color from both his parents. It was a particular trait about him I found mesmerizing, and I wanted it to be his own; zero affiliation with his monstrous parents. No such luck.

I leaned back in the booth of Jake's Shakes, arms folded over my chest, waiting for some answers. Because we'd been there about ten minutes and I'd gotten nothing during that time, and ten minutes spent wasted on them was ten minutes I didn't know what Alec was doing.

"How we know of you is irrelevant," Mr. Grey finally stated. He was wearing a sweater and slacks, his black hair greying at the temples and slicked back over his head. Mrs. Grey donned a fancy dress, her black hair tied up in a strict bun. Horribly enough, I could see how they were the parents of Alec. Physically, at least. We hadn't said so much to each other but I already hated them. Maybe I was just biased.

"I fail to see how," I replied. "I like to know how people I don't know have knowledge of me."

He waved the matter away with his hand, disregarding it anyway. "Of little importance. The point is, you have been hanging around our son."

I felt my defenses go up, muscles stiffening. "And?"

"And you are going to help us."

I blinked. "Excuse me?"

"It's simple, really," he began to explain. "All you have to do is agree to assist us in detaining Alec."

I barked out dry laughter. "Are you serious?"

His face was grim. "He should be institutionalized."

"That's bogus."

"Pardon?"

"It's bogus!" I cried, a little louder so he would be sure to hear my words. "Your son is perfectly fine and does not require institutionalization!"

"I would think we would know what's best for our son," Mrs. Grey spoke up, staring down at me with narrowed eyes. "Not some tramp he picked up off the street."

"Excuse me?" I gritted out. The only thing that stopped me from slapping that smug expression off her face was the waiter returning with their food. Managing some amount of composure, I forced myself back in my seat, settling on just glaring at her.

"You don't understand the situation," Mr. Grey insisted. "Alec is a special case, a problem that needs to be eradicated."

Did they even hear the words coming out of their mouths? It was astoundingly scathing and cold. "I understand the situation just fine, and I don't believe you truly know what your son needs."

"He is sick," Mrs. Grey snapped back. "Sick in the mind, and he cannot be healed. I refuse to have such an abomination tainting our name."

"You both should be ashamed of yourselves," I admonished. Because nothing about this seemed normal at all. "You're supposed to support your son, and you tried to kill him."