Ugh! My eyes went wide, ready for attack, but he laughed at himself and strode out of the apartment. The man was insufferable. How the hell was I going to last three hours, let alone three months?
Well, I’ll be damned. The Harrods delivery came at midday, and what I found inside totally blew me away. The most stunning pastel-green, floor-length silk gown. With thin straps, subtle sequin embellishments, and a thigh-high split up the left hand side. I loved it. It was also the exact same shade of green I’d worn the day Cillian branded me as his ‘Tinkerbell’. Was the colour a conscious choice? No, it couldn’t be. Heartless demons like Caine never put that much thought into stuff like this. He’d probably asked Sylvie to pick it out, or one of his whores. All the same, it was so me, and even though I wanted to defy him, I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to wear a dress like this.
As I shimmied my body into the sublime creation, I felt like I was being caressed by the softest, most gentle touch. The silk clung to me like a second skin. No sneaky burgers for me tonight; this dress showcased every curve. There were also silver kitten heels and a matching clutch bag in the delivery. So I popped my lip gloss away and fluffed my blonde curls as I made my way to the living room to wait for Lucifer himself. I stroked the small, silver heart locket at my neck for last minute courage as I rounded the corner, staring at the floor and willing my nerves to stay in check. Justin had given the locket to me last Valentine’s Day, and it had a picture of us inside. Even though I was heading out to play my part in this whole farcical circus, I still had my man close to my heart.
I looked up and almost tripped over my feet as I saw Jackson standing in the middle of the living room, hands in his trouser pockets and looking totally… distracting in a black tuxedo. I hadn’t even heard him come in. Boy, he knew how to wear a suit. The devil does indeed wear Prada, ladies. Or Armani… whatever.
He burned me with his stare as he looked me up and down. Was his breathing getting deeper?
“So you can follow orders. Who knew?” He smirked as he continued to strip me bare with his silver-grey eyes.
“I didn’t wear it for you. I wore it because it’s a beautiful dress.” I smoothed my hands down the front in admiration of this divine creation.
“It is.”
Well, that stopped me in my tracks.
“Was that a compliment?”
He shrugged nonchalantly.
“I like the dress, but then I did choose it.”
“And there was me thinking you’d asked one of your whores to pick it out for me.”
The pulse in his neck started to throb as he tensed his jaw.
“What is it with you and this obsession about me having whores?”
He didn’t look happy. What a shame. Not.
“Don’t you? I mean, isn’t that what you told me the first time we met? Let’s see if I remember it right… ‘I have women begging to come into my bed’ …or some such bullshit.”
He huffed out his annoyance. “I’m not discussing this with you now, Ryley. I need you to step up and meet your part of the deal tonight. I’ll let you know when to turn on the extra charm. If you have any.”
I laughed at his insult. If he thought I was socially inept, he didn’t know my family very well. I was born into the kind of social circles he was trying to tap into. These people were my people. I didn’t like it, but I was in tune with them nonetheless.
“Oh, I have charm.” I did my best sultry walk to the door, feeling him follow close behind me. “I just don’t waste it on people who have no class.”
The limo ride to the event was painful. Jackson sat scowling out of the window the whole time, and waves of irritation were emitted over to my side of the car, making me feel more nauseous. I sat, biting my nails and contemplating what kind of show I was going to have to put on tonight.
“Stop biting your nails, it’s not ladylike,” he snapped at me as we pulled up to the front of a huge manor house.
“How would you know what’s ladylike? You don’t know that many ladies,” I bit back.
I gazed out of the car towards the manor. The windows were ablaze with lights, hinting at the opulence that lay inside. Torches lit up each of the stone steps leading to the open double doors. I could see people filtering into the party, dressed in the latest designer clothes. My parents lived for parties like this. Me? I hated them. Everyone smiling at each other, but gossiping behind their backs the second they were out of earshot. These people were beautiful, and yet most of them were the ugliest part of society I’d ever encountered. All that mattered was money, and whether you had it. If you didn’t, they’d soon sniff you out. Jackson had it, but he was obviously new money so they wouldn’t trust him. I suppose that’s where I came in. My family were some of the oldest money there was in this city. Not that money made you ‘good people’.
“Come on, sweetheart. Time to put on the show of your life.” He smiled a fake smile and held his hand out to me as the driver opened his door and he climbed out.
I took a deep breath and reached for his hand. I put the swirling feeling in my tummy down to nerves, and not the feel of his skin touching mine. No, that’d be more of a sick feeling, I figured.
As we ascended the stone steps, I noticed a lot of people turning their heads to watch us. Some familiar faces from my past started to whisper, and I knew exactly what they were saying. What’s the Emerson’s daughter doing here? And on the arm of a gangster like him? Is she trying to permanently dirty or destroy her family’s good name? Thank God Mum and Dad were still on their cruise. There was no danger of running into them and creating even more stress for them. They worried enough about Justin, so they’d positively despise Jackson.
I held my head high and ignored the nagging voices in my brain. All of this was for Justin, for both of us. Get in, work my magic, and get out. That’d be my mantra for the evening.
“Loosen up a bit and try to look like you want to be here,” Jackson grunted into my ear as we reached the entrance. “You look like you’ve got a giant stick up your ass.”
He snorted on a grin, then guided me into the reception hall with his traitorous hand on the small of my back.
“Stop trying to be a smart ass. You’re not smart, you’re just an ass.” I smirked back, and he threw his head back and roared with laughter, earning us numerous stares from the vultures around us.
“Ryley, I think sparring with you is becoming my new favourite pastime.”
He grabbed two glasses of champagne from a passing waiter’s tray and handed one to me. I drank it down in one gulp and he cocked his eyebrow.
“Well, I can’t punch you in the face with my fists, so I’ll just do it with my words instead,” I said, scanning the room for more alcohol.
“You really hate me, don’t you?” He ran his arm around my waist and pulled me close to him. Anyone looking at us would think we were two lovebirds, whispering sweet nothings to each other.
“Hate is such a strong word, but I have to admit, if you were on a life support machine, I wouldn’t hesitate to unplug you to charge my phone. I mean, how should I feel about a guy who sends his men round to my apartment at three a.m. to do God knows what to me and my fiancé?”
He gave nothing away with his impassive expression, but his eyes burned with fire at my admission.
“They would never have hurt you,” he hissed through gritted teeth. “Anyway, aren’t you even remotely pissed at your fiancé for putting you in that situation in the first place?”
His reasoning behind the whole incident was fucked up, that was obvious. He wasn’t at fault. No, that was just how he conducted his business.
“Of course I blame him for some of it, but thanks to you, he’s not here to argue with, is he? No. I have to endure three months of hell without him, in order to get rid of you from our lives. It’s a small price to pay, I suppose, seeing as I’ll never have to see your evil ass ever again in three months from now.”
He smirked, then leant down and placed a gentle k
iss on my cheek. “If only closed minds came with closed mouths.” He stared into my eyes like he’d just sworn undying love to me, then guided me over towards the main ballroom area.
“I haven’t got a closed mind.”
I was slightly seething now. This building was full of people with closed minds, but I was not one of them.
“Of course you do. You don’t think I belong here. You don’t think I’m good enough to be in amongst this level of society.”
The harsh clench of his jaw gave him away. He felt that way about himself, but he was deflecting his inferiority onto me.
“Do you want to know what I really think?”
I stopped and stood opposite him, giving him my full attention.
“I think this place is full of the most pompous, arrogant and self-important people I’ve ever come across. These people around you, they think they’re something, but they’re not. They don’t bring beauty to life. They don’t make art or music. They don’t write poems or enrich people’s souls. Their definition of a rich life is light years away from mine, but you want in with these people, then be my guest. I’m pretty sure you’ll fit right in.”
He didn’t bite back, instead choosing to huff out a strained breath through flared nostrils and walk straight past me. He strolled confidently to the bar to order himself a whiskey. Judging by the sour look on his face, Jackson wasn’t too thrilled with my dose of honesty. Truth hurts, Mr Caine.
I followed him to the bar and was taken aback when he plastered on a smile and asked me what I’d like to drink. He blew hot and cold so quickly I was starting to get whiplash.
“So, what’s your plan for tonight?” I asked, taking the glass of white wine he’d ordered for me and sipping this time.
“There are a few gentlemen here that need softening up. They need a bit of a nudge to see a good opportunity when it presents itself. That’s where you come in. Something tells me you’re pretty well versed in making men warm towards you, and getting what you want.” His grey eyes twinkled as he spoke in a low voice, eyes darting around the room behind me.
“What gives you that impression?”
He looked down at me then, holding me in place with his icy stare, and making the rest of the room freeze around me.
“Women like you always do. You’re the masters of manipulation.”
“Wow!”
I took a huge gulp of my wine. It was either that, or explode in rage at his sweeping misjudgement of my whole sex.
“You certainly hold women in high esteem, don’t you?”
“I say it as I see it.”
Who the hell had crapped all over his life to make him so bitter and twisted?
“You see what you want to see. We aren’t all heartless bitches, you know.” I didn’t care what his opinion was of me, but I couldn’t let him get away with slating all women as a race.
“Whatever, love. Just do your job, okay? Starting now. Mayor Davenport is on his way over here and he’s target number one. Play nice and smile.”
Holy Crap. Mayor Davenport. Mick Davenport, or rather Uncle Mick as I usually called him. He was my little brother Nate’s godfather and one of my dad’s best friends.
“Ryley? Is that you? I had no idea you’d be here tonight.”
He kissed me on the cheek and gave me a friendly hug.
“Hi, Uncle Mick. How are you?”
He looked down at me with pure warmth in his eyes. Uncle Mick was one of the good guys.
“I’m good. I’ve missed your dad since he’s been off sailing the seven seas. My Friday golf game just isn’t the same without his sarcastic wit putting me off my swing.”
“Must run in the family,” Jackson muttered under his breath behind me.
“No Justin tonight? Have you kids broken up? I’m so behind the times. Gloria never tells me anything.”
“Or rather, he never listens when I do tell him.” My Aunty Gloria, Uncle Mick’s wife, sidled up behind him, grinning that she’d caught him out on his gossiping.
“Ryley, sweetheart, you look absolutely stunning tonight.” She grabbed me into a massive bear hug. “This isn’t your usual haunt though, is it? What brought you here tonight to hang out with all of us oldies?”
I loved Aunty Gloria; she was a real girls’ girl, and my mum and her had been thick as thieves for years.
“I think that’d have something to do with the gentleman standing beside her,” Uncle Mick replied, sounding none too impressed.
“Hmm, I can see who she’s with, Mick. I just want to know why.” Gloria looked Jackson up and down with distrust painted all over her face.
“Uncle Mick, Aunt Gloria, let me introduce you to my date for this evening, Jackson Caine.”
I turned to Jackson, bringing him into the conversation.
“Pleased to meet you.” Jackson held his hand out to shake theirs, but Gloria kept her hands firmly at her side. Uncle Mick shook his hand, but frowned as he did.
“Are you? Do you two? Erm.” Uncle Mick was lost for words. That was a first.
“Isn’t it obvious, Mick? They’re together now. Ryley must’ve upgraded. Isn’t that right, sweetheart?”
All eyes landed on me, and I felt myself getting hot and flustered, redness moving over my chest and creeping up to my face.
“Yes. Something like that.” I managed to get the words out. God knows how with how tight my throat felt. This would get back to my parents by morning, I just knew it. My anonymity was slipping through my fingers quicker than grains of sand.
Jackson snaked his arm around my waist and gazed at me with as much adoration as his frozen heart could muster.
“It’s all pretty new at the moment. We’re taking things slow.” He placed a kiss on my cheek, and I let out a low breath I hadn’t even realised I’d been holding in. It must’ve looked like a romantic gasp, as Gloria pressed her hands over her heart.
“Oh, aren’t you two just the cutest couple here tonight. I can’t remember the last time I saw Ryley so enamoured. It suits her.” She winked at me, and then spotted another friend of hers across the room. Waving at them, she gave her excuses and left the three of us to our awkward encounter.
“So, Caine, you say? Jackson Caine?” Uncle Mick was scrunching his brow in thought, trying to piece together some long lost memory.
“I own a few local clubs and bars,” Jackson stated proudly. “I have one currently in the building and licensing application stages. Elite. Have you heard of it?”
I took this as my cue to jump in, but I didn’t need to.
“Yes, I’ve heard of it. So you’re the Caine trying to push through the late license for the new… establishment.” Uncle Mick’s cheeks took on a rosy hue.
What sort of establishment was this Elite club? It looked like Uncle Mick wasn’t too keen, so it didn’t take a genius to guess it involved women and… other stuff.
Jackson took a swig of his whiskey, and that nervous tic in his neck kicked back into action, but his face remained passive.
“Yes, that would be me.”
Uncle Mick nodded thoughtfully and furrowed his brow, obviously wrestling some moral dilemma in his head.
“I saw that on my desk a few weeks ago. I’ll look into it for you when I’m next in the office. I’m sure we can get that all signed off.”
Jackson’s demeanour changed in an instance.
“Thank you, sir. That would be really, really helpful. The delays have cost us a lot of time and money.”
Uncle Mick’s face relaxed slightly. “Anything I can do to help. A friend of Ryley’s is a friend of ours.”
“Thanks, Uncle Mick.” I gave him another hug and he chuckled.
“Actually, I’ve also been looking into planning permission for another venture. A new charity of mine.” We both turned to face Jackson as he spoke with renewed vigour. “I’m looking for investors and funding for a new initiative. A place of refuge for the homeless people of this city. It’d also serve the men at risk in our community, sufferi
ng with their mental health.”
Woah. I felt my ears prick up in an instant. A charity? Jackson Caine was investing his dirty money to help other people. What was in it for him? He didn’t do ‘charity’.
“That sounds very noble. A very noble cause indeed.” Uncle Mick was giving Jackson his full attention now. “I hope you don’t mind me mentioning this, but you’re Rob Caine’s son, aren’t you? I never knew your father, but I heard a lot about him. He’d be very proud of you for doing something like that. Very… fitting.”
I glanced between Uncle Mick and the devil beside me. Uncle Mick looked embarrassed or guilty, and Jackson? He looked distracted, like mentioning his father had unlocked some hidden weakness in his tough man façade.
“It’s something close to my heart,” Jackson spoke, but his eyes stayed slightly downcast.
“Indeed. I’m sure it is.”
I was lost for words. I didn’t know what to say to diffuse some of the tension that’d surfaced.
“Ryley. It’s been a long time since we had a good catch up with you. Gloria and I will be having one of our infamous family barbecues soon. We’d love it if you came, and bring Jackson with you. Maybe we can talk about your charity and what I can do to help get that off the ground.”
“We’d love to.” I looked to my left at Jackson, and a massive grin had spread over his handsome face. I’d hit the jackpot.
“Do we need to bring anything with us?” I’d take a bottle with me, I’d never dream of turning up empty-handed.
“No, just yourselves. Ben and Sally will be there. They’ll be pleased to have someone else their age there to talk to.”
I was pleased to hear that too. Ben and Sally were Mick and Gloria’s children. I’d known them since I was eight years old, and always got on well with Sally. Ben was the same age as Travis, and although I didn’t really know him that well, he was just like Uncle Mick; a good guy.
“I’ll get Gloria to text you with the details. Ryley, Jackson, it’s been a pleasure. Enjoy the rest of your evening.”
With that, Uncle Mick turned and walked away to chat to another suit from across the room.
This Cruel Love (A Dark Hearts Stand-Alone Novel Book 2) Page 8
