by Kay Manis
Okay, that sounded kind of creepy. But kind of hot too. “Seriously?” I asked, still a little weirded out.
“God, yes,” he hummed against my neck. He trailed his lips behind my ear, licking and sucking on the lobe. He had me on the verge of an orgasm before we’d even gotten to the good stuff.
I wanted to unzip his jeans and pull him free, but we were mashed together so tightly, there was no room for me to move without causing more pain. If he discovered my arm was hurting, he’d stop, and there was absolutely no way I was going to let him do that. Not now that I had him on top of me.
I slipped one hand around his back and dragged my nails down his soft skin. He moaned and arched into me, which only fueled me on.
“Rory,” I panted.
“What, baby?” He pressed kisses all over my face.
“Please.”
“Please, what?” He smiled against my lips. He would never tire of making me ask for exactly what I wanted. I was stronger now and this time I would ask for exactly what I wanted.
“I need you to take me to bed, strip me naked, tie me down, and fuck the shit out of me until I scream your name at the top of my lungs. Are we clear?”
He leaned back, his howling laughter echoing through my small living room.
I grabbed his neck and jerked him back down. “I’m totally serious. Right. Now.” I punctuated each word with a thrust of my hips.
“Yes, ma’am.” He chuckled, pushing off me to stand. He yanked on my good hand, bringing me up to a sitting position and I noticed his mid-section was right in my face.
Hmm. Maybe sex could wait for a few minutes. I was suddenly feeling hungry for Rory Gregor.
I slipped my fingers into his belt loops and tugged him toward me.
“Hindley,” he whispered.
“What, baby?” I mocked as I undid his button and lowered his zipper. I raised my lids, staring up at him as I batted my lashes.
His blue eyes pierced through me. He was conflicted. I could see he wanted this but he didn’t want to hurt me.
I continued on, slipping my hand inside. He was rock hard. I wanted him inside me so badly. Maybe I wasn’t going to be able to do this after all. I glanced up, not surprised to see an expectant grin on his face. He wanted this, and so did I.
I tugged at his waistband, sliding his jeans and underwear down in one fell swoop. I stared in awe at the massive dick standing at attention before me. I could never get enough of his beauty. Was it possible to miss a penis? I had. I had missed his.
Suddenly, the doorbell rang.
Shit.
“Who could that be?” he asked, glancing at the door.
“Just ignore it,” I said, grasping him fully in my hand.
He tried to pull away but I grasped his leg. “No, Hindley. It could be your parents. Or Dana.” He stepped back, out of my reach, and pulled up his briefs and jeans. And just like that, my seduction of Rory Gregor was over.
I was going to kill whoever was at the door. I’d waited over a month to get Rory’s dick inside any part of my body, and I didn’t know how long it would take to get this opportunity again. He’d had a moment of weakness and I’d played on it. Now I may be screwed, or actually not screwed, for another week. Whoever was at my front door was as good as dead.
I pushed off the sofa, glaring at him. “This isn’t over, Rory Gregor.”
He smirked and tilted his head.
Desire surged through me, my body buzzing with need.
“Really?” He raised his brows.
“Not by a long shot.” I cupped his mid-section and squeezed, pecking him on the lips.
“Promise?” He laughed, pressing into my hand.
“Guaranteed, Mr. Gregor.”
I straightened my clothing and ran a hand through my hair, trying to make myself presentable. I walked to the door and stared out of the peephole. My jaw dropped. I couldn’t have been more surprised if the Pope were standing in front of me. Actually, the Pope would have been safer. He was a man of God and I probably would have thought twice before killing him.
Standing on my porch was the one person I despised more than anyone. The blue eyes staring back at me had tormented me over half my life, and had nearly cost me the love of my life—not to mention, my own life. I stood paralyzed, having no idea what to do next.
“May I come in?”
“Who is it?” Rory asked.
I glanced over my shoulder. “My worst nightmare.”
“Hindley,” she called, knocking again. “It’s Geneva.”
Chapter 43
-HINDLEY-
As I stood and stared slack-jawed, staring through the peephole, I saw emotions etched on Geneva’s face I’d never seen before.
Remorse.
Regret.
Shame.
I opened the door, surprised to see an expression of humbleness as well.
“May I come in?” she asked, her voice shaking, hands wrapped around each other. The usually confident Geneva was gone, replaced by this meek, humbled woman.
“What the fuck is she doing here?” Rory exclaimed.
I ignored his comment. My therapist had helped me realize that, for better or for worse, Geneva and I were related. She was my stepsister, my father’s daughter, and escaping her entirely was not an option, not if I wanted my dad in my life.
I stared at Rory, legitimately fearing he may tackle and strangle her.
I turned back to Geneva.
Her head hung low, every part of her body emanating regret, guilt, and grief. Despite how she’d treated me since we’d known each other, in that moment I couldn’t help but feel there may be something deep inside her, something dark that had caused her to act out all her life. I owed it to myself and my father to listen.
“What do you want, Geneva?” I held my own anger in check, barely.
She stood silent for a long time, her fingers twisting together. Slowly she lifted her head and stared at me, her eyes hollowed with deep circles. She looked like shit.
Good.
“I was wondering if I could talk to you for a minute,” she said.
Rory stepped beside me. “Hindley isn’t supposed to be upset. And I’ll be damned if you will walk in here and fuck her over again.”
“Rory.” I held up my hand.
“I’m serious, Hindley. I want her the fuck out of here. Now.”
Geneva stared at me, eyes wide and pooling with tears.
“It’s okay, Rory. I’d like to speak to Geneva.” When he remained silent I glanced over at him.
Fury burned in his darkened eyes. He shook his head emphatically. “No,” he seethed.
I gave him a reassuring nod and squeezed his arm. “Yes. Please.”
He glared at Geneva, his jaw clenched. “Do. Not. Fuck with her.” He punctuated each word with a finger. “I’ll be down the hall. If you say one word that upsets Hindley…” he trailed off and I knew I didn’t want to know what he’d do.
“Go.” I pushed at his shoulder. “I’ll be fine.”
He cut his eyes to me, raising a brow.
“Go,” I mouthed.
He nodded once and pushed past Geneva, stalking down the hall like a raging bull.
“Wait!” Geneva shouted.
Oh, honey, I thought. You do not want to mess with the beast.
Rory stopped but never turned around.
His shoulders were bunched, anger radiating from his body like heat from the sun.
“Rory, I wanted to talk to you too,” Geneva said.
He stood stark still.
He wasn’t ready.
“Now’s not a good time, Geneva,” I said, hoping she’d understand.
She nodded, her gaze fixed on Rory’s back. “I just wanted to tell you that I’m sorry,” she said quietly. “I’m sorry, Rory. For everything.”
Rory spun on his heel, glaring at Geneva like she was the devil, which she kind of was. I could see the vicious words rattling around in his mind. God only knew what he’d say.<
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I held up my hand, hoping he’d understand. I need to hear what Geneva had to say and I didn’t want her to be on the defensive.
His eyes darted from Geneva to me. “I’ll be in the bedroom if you need me, Hindley.” Glaring at Geneva again, he drew in a deep breath. “I mean it, Geneva,” he pointed a finger, “if you say one thing, one fucking thing to upset her, I’ll kick your ass out of here so hard you won’t be able to fucking walk through the mall without sucking on your own shit.”
I bit back a laugh, having no idea what he was talking about. “Go,” I motioned toward the hall. “I’ll call you if I need you.”
He stared at me, seemingly unconvinced.
“I promise.”
He nodded before turning and disappearing down the hallway.
I wasn’t dumb enough to believe he had gone far. I knew he wanted to hear what Geneva had to say as badly as I did. Rory was my protector, my hero, and I loved him for that.
“May I sit down?” Geneva asked, her voice actually sounding different.
I motioned for her to sit on the sofa then took a seat in the chair next to her.
She leaned forward, her forearms resting on her thighs as she nervously twisted her fingers. She closed her eyes and drew in a deep breath. Slowly she released an audible sigh and turned to face me. Tears streamed down her face.
I’d never seen Geneva Barton cry. Ever.
“I’m sorry, Hindley,” she whispered.
I’d also never, ever heard Geneva Barton apologize, for anything, even when she was blatantly wrong. I remained silent, waiting for her to continue.
“I’m sorry for hurting you, for trying to destroy your relationship with Rory, for drugging him.” A moan escaped from her throat and she cradled her head in her hands as her shoulders convulsed with quiet sobs.
I felt awkward and uncomfortable. Should I console her or let her continue? I voted for silence. She didn’t deserve my pity.
Her crying slowed as she dabbed at her eyes with her sleeves. I reached to the end table for a box of tissues, holding it out to her.
She grabbed several, wiping at her eyes. “I’m sorry about this. I didn’t mean to cry, I was trying so hard not to. This isn’t about me, it’s about you and Rory.”
Not about her? Did I hear that right? Everything for the past twelve years had been about Geneva Barton. This was beyond weird.
“Why, Geneva?” I asked. “Why did you do it? Did you really hate me that much?”
“I fucked up, Hindley.” She lifted her head, silently asking me for something I couldn’t give her. “I fucked up bad.”
“Yeah, you did.” Normally, I thought watching someone like Geneva grovel and beg for forgiveness would be so satisfying, but it wasn’t. It didn’t mean I was going to let her off the hook though. “Why do you hate me so much, Geneva? What did I ever do to you?”
“After my mom died, it was just me and my dad,” she said softly.
Shit, she was going way back. She’d hated me from the day she’d laid eyes on me. That was no surprise.
“My dad and me,” she paused, “we were each other’s world.” She stared at the crumpled tissues in her hand, smiling. “I was his princess, I was his everything. And he was everything to me. We took care of one another, supported one another.”
In that moment, I understood Geneva Barton. What I’d assumed all along was true. She missed the tight relationship she’d once had with her dad. I got that.
She closed her eyes as a small smile emerged. It was obvious she was enjoying the memories of her youth. Slowly, her blue eyes opened and she stared at me.
Shit, what was she going to say? I braced myself.
“Then he met you and your mother,” she said, “and everything changed. I wasn’t his world anymore.” She shook her head and I could see the sadness in her expression. “Before I could even blink, they were married, and I became third in line.”
Third in line? “What does that mean?” I asked.
“There was your mom, you…and then me.”
She really felt that way? I mean, shit, Paul loved my mom and me, but Geneva was his daughter, his own flesh and blood. Then I remembered Paul’s words. He’d always considered me his daughter too, no questions asked. Maybe unknowingly he had pushed Geneva away, or at the very least, asked her to make room for two other people in their tight circle.
“I loved your mom.” She smiled. “I mean, it was nice to have a female in the house again. And your mom seemed completely over the moon to have another daughter.”
Of course Geneva loved my mom. It was me she hated.
“But then there was you.” She stared at me, her face void of the contemptuous glare I normally saw when she mentioned me. “You were beautiful, and smart, and ambitious, all the things I knew my dad wished I was.”
Beautiful? Geneva thought I was beautiful? And ambitious? I must be hearing things.
“Geneva, what the hell are you talking about? You’ve always thought I was the dumbest, ugliest person on the face of the earth, and you never had a problem letting me know it. Every day.”
“Actually, I didn’t think that at all, Hindley. I thought you were beautiful. So did everyone else.”
“Who?”
“All the boys in school.”
“You have got to be kidding me.”
“What?” She shook her head. “You didn’t know it?”
“Uh, no, I didn’t know it because it wasn’t true.”
“Hindley,” she said with amusement, “you were beautiful. You still are. You may have thought you were chunky, but trust me, the guys loved your curves.”
“How do you know?”
“They told me. The only reason they wanted to go out with me was to get to you.”
“What?” I laughed at her absurd comment.
“It’s true. I never told you because I didn’t want you to know. My beauty was the one and only thing I had on my side. I didn’t have the brains or drive or creativity like you did. Well, like you still do.”
Was I hearing these words correctly? Was Geneva complimenting me? This was not the Geneva I’d known for the past twelve years. Maybe she had changed.
“I started sleeping with the guys in high school so they’d quit asking me about you,” she said. “Eventually, they knew I’d put out so they stopped chasing you and started coming after me.” Her chin dropped to her chest. “I wasn’t proud of it.”
“Geneva.”
She lifted her head and peeked at me through her long lashes.
“Are you serious?”
“I didn’t start out hating you, Hindley, but somewhere along the way, yes, I hated you. I hated that everyone thought you were so smart and pretty and kind. I hated that your mother doted on you so much and you didn’t even realize it. But mostly, I hated you because I felt like you took my father away from me. I felt like I’d lost the only friend I had in this world, my best friend. He loved you more than me and it was so obvious.”
“That’s not true, Geneva.”
She rolled her eyes.
“He loved me for different reasons,” I said. “But he never stopped loving you. He still does.”
She shook her head. “And now,” her voice broke, “now he won’t even talk to me.” Suddenly, the controlled Geneva of the past was gone. She completely broke down in front of me and sobbed openly.
I ached for her. I knew I had every right to hate her as much as she had me, but it didn’t feel right. It wouldn’t solve anything. Not anymore.
“But you know what really made my hatred for you grow?” she asked.
I sat completely still, not entirely convinced I wanted to know.
“I hated you because you just brushed him off, like he didn’t even matter to you. All my father did was show you love, the kind of love he’d reserved only for me for so many years. But you never accepted it. I would have killed for him to show me that kind of attention again. Just once.”
I fell back into the chair, expelling
a sigh. Well, fuck. Apparently, I wasn’t the only one who’d seen how shitty I’d treated Paul, and that made me feel like a real jerk.
“And then I was so jealous of you,” she continued. “You had the best mother in the world and you just crapped on her too. It hurt her so much to watch you walk away from her like you didn’t need her.”
Okay, if this was an apology, it was the worst one in history. It felt more like an attack on me, not an act of contrition. My hands fisted in anger. I was getting pissed and I wondered how much longer it would be until Rory rushed out to save me.
“I’m sorry, Hindley, I’m not trying to upset you at all, I swear. I’m just trying to explain how I got to this point. To the point where I was willing to risk it all to hurt you.”
“Geneva, you didn’t just hurt me, you destroyed me.”
She nodded. “I know, Hindley.”
“Do you? Do you really get it?” I held up my arm so she could see my scars.
She exploded into tears again. “I’m so sorry, Hindley, I just…”
“Just what, Geneva?” The fury bubbled up inside me and I had no desire to let her off the hook. She’d nearly cost me everything.
“There is no excuse for what I did,” she whispered. “I know that. I destroyed you, Rory, Stan, your mom, and my father. I don’t know how or when I became this person,” she said, waving her hand along her body. “My hatred for you consumed me.”
Geneva hating me was no surprise, but to hear her say it out loud was not nearly as gratifying as I thought it would be. It actually hurt me, a lot.
“What do you want from me, Geneva?”
She shrugged her shoulders.
“Forgiveness?”
She shook her head. “No. I know I won’t get that from you, and I don’t expect it, ever.”
“Then what?”
“I love Stan, more than I ever realized. My actions have completely destroyed him. He kicked me out.”
I was blown away to hear her mention Stan in her apology. I never thought she cared for him that much, just his money. And now, to hear her confirm that he not only left her but kicked her out. No one left Geneva Barton. Ever.
“And I hate that I hurt my dad and your mom too, to know that I disappointed them, again. They’re worried about you, and rightly so. I know we all are.”
