by Sweet, Izzy
Pushing the disconnect button on my phone, I look around the room and see that Lucifer has turned his attention to me. His eyes are staring straight through me as if he’s trying to read me from the inside out.
Good luck to him. I’m not even sure I could tell him what’s going on inside of myself right now.
15
Meredith
I can feel Simon’s eyes boring into me the entire time I talk to James. His anger and jealousy is so strong, they’re practically radiating off of him in waves.
Waves I want to bask in.
Once again, thanks to me, that cool exterior he exudes is showing its cracks, and in public no less.
Who’s breaking who now, Simon?
It wasn’t my intention to make him jealous. Honest. Out of all the people in this room, James seemed like the safest bet to engage in conversation with. Not only have we spoken before, but I was curious to know if he actually followed through with what he was planning to do the other day.
Simon’s reaction is just an added bonus. A bonus I can’t help but relish. It won’t be long now until I have him completely wrapped around my little finger.
And when I do… oh, the things I will do to him…
James leans close, a twinkle in his eye as he says, “I don’t think Simon likes me talking to you. He looks like he’s about to blow a gas—”
James suddenly snaps his jaw shut and stiffens the moment I feel a looming presence at my back.
Expecting Simon, I smirk and start to turn towards him before I realize my mistake.
“Meredith,” Matthew’s smooth voice washes over me, instantly chilling me.
I freeze in place, the smirk sliding off my lips.
After all these years, I still have a hard time looking at him. While everyone else sees a beautiful, almost angelic exterior, all I see is the monster that lurks within.
It’s like a curse. Once seen, it can never be unseen.
Even now, as I peer up at his face, images slice through my mind like cut scenes in a cheap horror movie.
The blood on the basement walls. The floor. All over everything, including him.
The maniacal grin stretching across his face as he cut through a man lying prone on a table with one of those electric carving knives we used to carve the Thanksgiving turkey with.
But it wasn’t a fucking horror movie. It was real. Too fucking real. Something that haunts my nightmares to this day.
Matthew smiles down at me, and it instantly triggers the memory of his face splattered with blood.
I blink and just as quickly the memory fades away.
Before I have a chance to make an excuse and dart off to safety, Matthew’s hand clamps down on my elbow. Trapping me. “James, you don’t mind if I borrow my sister, do you?”
I try my best to keep my expression neutral and not show the apprehension I’m feeling as James says, “Of course not, boss.”
Showing fear now would only give Matthew more power. Fear to him is like blood in the water near a fucking shark.
“Thank you, James,” Matthew says, sounding more expectant than grateful.
James nod his head and walks off.
Matthew waits until he’s out of an earshot before he asks, “So, how are you enjoying your new accommodations, Meredith?”
Now he’s wearing my discarded smirk on his lips. Oh, I bet he knows exactly how much I’m ‘enjoying them’.
I shrug my shoulders, hoping I come off as nonchalant. “I’ve stayed in better. In fact, my accommodations don’t feel like accommodations at all. They feel like a prison…”
Matthew lifts a brow, pretending to be interested as he asks, “Oh?” But I’m pretty sure he could give a fuck. “I’m sorry to hear that.”
My lips curve into a tight smile. “The host is a jerk. The food sucks. And the curfew is entirely unreasonable.”
“Now, now, Meredith,” Matthew says with mock disapproval. “Is that any way to talk about Simon after he’s so graciously taken you into his care and his home?”
For a moment, I wonder how Matthew would react if I told him the truth. Would he get angry on my behalf or would he give Simon a pat on the back? There’s really no telling with him.
“Simon is an overbearing ass.” I double-down.
Matthew sighs. “I’m sure everything he’s done is for your protection.”
And there’s that saying again that just pisses me off. “Seriously, Matthew. You need to talk to him and tell him to back off.”
While I don’t necessarily want to leave Simon now, especially until the new little game I’ve started has completely worked its way out, I could use more freedom.
Matthew’s eyes gleam and his mouth stretches into a grin. “Now why would I do that, Meredith?”
Oh, I can’t wait to wipe that smug grin off of his face when I break his second in command. Putting up with Simon’s rules and restrictions almost makes it worth it. Almost.
“Because you’re his boss? Because I’m your sister? Because it’s gone past the point of ridiculousness?”
“I have complete faith and trust in Simon, and everything he’s doing to take care of you,” he says as if it puts the matter at rest.
There’s so many things I could say. So many that would probably shock the hell out of him… but then again, they might not. I have no clue what he already knows. It’s impossible to tell. All I can tell is that he is obviously amused by all of this.
“Matthew, please,” I plead, switching tactics, though I doubt it will work on him. Long gone are the days when we were close. When I could trust him to have my back. There was a time, though it feels like an eternity ago, when all we had in this world was each other. “He’s treating me like a child.”
His grin sharpens and his icy eyes stare into mine. I almost expect him to say something cutting and smart, what I don’t expect him to say is, “It’s out of my hands now, Meredith.”
“What the hell does that mean?”
How can it possibly be out of his hands? He’s the one with all the power here. If he wants to fix this for me, he can damn well fix it.
“It means, dear sister, that you’re in his hands now,” are the words that come out of his smug, smirking mouth.
But I swear it sounds more like you’re pretty much fucked, Meredith.
Great. That’s just great. Matthew is essentially saying he’s wiping his hands of me. Normally, that wouldn’t necessarily be a bad thing, but right now I fucking need him.
“Coming to this city was the biggest mistake of my life,” I say bitterly and try to jerk my elbow out of his hand but his grip tightens.
“Speaking of which,” he says smoothly, easily switching the topic of conversation. “You never did tell me what happened to Ahmed…”
Just hearing Ahmed’s name causes this strange sort of numbness to buzz through my veins. It’s almost as if my body is subconsciously protecting me from facing the emotional consequences of my actions.
“Oh?” I say, feigning surprise then flash a grin to mask my uneasiness. “Has he not popped up yet?”
Yes, that’s pretty morbid, even for me. And just picturing Ahmed’s body bobbing to the surface of the Mediterranean makes me feel a little sick.
“No,” Matthew drawls out and his expression hardens. “Perhaps if you gave me a clue of his whereabouts, I could find him and fix this little mess you’ve created.”
I stare into the icy blue depths of Matthew’s eyes and wonder if evil is contagious. It must be because I somehow find myself saying, “Clue? You want a clue? I pushed him off the yacht after he threatened to kill me. He discovered a detail trailing me and believed I was out to get him. You wouldn’t know anything about those men, would you, dear brother?”
For once in his life, Matthew looks a little taken aback.
“Or perhaps I should ask Simon? I would hate to think you purposely compromised me... After all, we’re still family, yes?”
“Meredith, I would never—” he starts to
say in his defense but I yank my elbow out of his grip and cut him off.
“Save it. In the past, I would have believed you…”
Matthew stiffens and his face flashes with annoyance at the reminder that I’ll never forget, forgive, or understand what I stumbled upon in that basement.
No matter how badly he ever wanted me to.
I know one of the reasons he hates having me around so much is because I’ve seen his true face. It’s not my charming personality that annoys him. Oh no, it’s that when I’m around, he can’t buy his own bullshit.
“But not now. Never now,” I say lifting my chin in the air. Then I sneer out the moniker I bestowed upon him. The name that’s made him infamous. “Lucifer.”
I turn and walk away from him before he can stop me. I don’t necessarily want to join the others, in fact I’d prefer to actually go back to Simon’s, which just proves how uncomfortable I am. But I can’t stand to remain in Matthew’s presence for one more second.
Heels clicking against the dark wood floors, I walk towards the center of the room and stop, taking in those who are gathered. Most of the men are lingering near the fireplace with drinks in their hands as they talk and laugh among themselves. While it looks like they’re having a good time, there’s this somber under-current to their laughter.
The women seem to be concentrated at the sofas near the huge floor to ceiling windows. Lily and a dark-haired woman both hold babies in their laps. And I’m pretty sure the young redhead with them is pregnant.
I recognize a few faces, Lily, James, and of course Matthew’s son Adam, but the rest are strangers.
I’ve never felt more out of my element. Not only because everyone is here to remember and mourn a dead man I don’t know, but because I don’t know who I can trust in this den of vipers.
Lily is pleasant enough, but she’s married to Matthew. I find it hard to believe she’s never seen the true him… and yet she’s still with him. She subjects her children to him. And she’s even had his child.
The baby she’s holding in her lap, David, might as well be a clone of Matthew. Blonde hair, blue eyes, excessively beautiful.
Honestly, I’m surprised she’s still alive after the birth.
After all, they say Matthew’s mother, Anna, died shortly after bringing him into this world because he poisoned her womb.
Then there’s my nephew Adam. I know he’s not Matthew’s by blood, but the resemblance is beyond uncanny. When I look at Adam, I see Matthew when he was the same age, and it gives me the fucking creeps.
Matthew is raising Adam in his image. The boy can’t be older than nine, yet the way he holds himself, his entire demeanor, and the sharp intelligence in his eyes, bespeaks of a boy much older.
I wonder if history will end up repeating itself.
Will Adam one day assume the mantle of this fucked up little family by eliminating his father?
While I have no concrete proof, I heavily suspect that Matthew murdered my stepfather, Joseph.
Joseph was getting up there in the years, yes, but he was in decent health. To suddenly pass in his sleep after he and Matthew had a disagreement about running the business…
Shaking my head, I go over my options again. Perhaps I’m being too harsh on Lily. There’s a strong possibility she’s isn’t aware of Matthew’s true nature. After all, he fooled me for years…
Simon intercepts me before I can make it to Lily. His hand wraps around my arm and it takes everything I have in me to keep from jerking away. I’m tired, so tired of being grabbed and restrained.
But I need at least one ally if I’m going to make it through the rest of the night.
“Yes, Simon?” I look up at his face expectantly.
When I note his angry expression though all I can think is fuck this. “I need a drink.”
Simon’s grip on my arm tightens and he pulls me a little closer. I sigh. Here we go again.
“I don’t want you speaking to James again, Meredith,” he says calmly, but I think that tic is in his eye is making a reappearance.
“What? Why?” I blink up at him.
“Because he’s a shameless playboy.”
I roll my eyes and yank my arm out of his grip. Dammit, my arm is probably going to be bruised tomorrow. “He’s a baby, Simon. He’s harmless.”
“That’s beside the point,” he scowls.
“What is the point again? That you’re needlessly jealous?”
Simon steps closer and bends down to speak quietly in my ear. “The point is that you’re mine, Meredith.” He pauses and I hear him take in a breath of my hair before he goes on. “And James is not worthy of your attention.”
Two different emotions war inside of me. Two emotions that seem to go hand and hand when dealing with Simon. Annoyance that once again he would try to treat me like a child and dictate who I can and cannot speak to. And arousal. With his body looming over mine, and his heat and scent hitting me, I close my eyes in an attempt to fight off my reaction to him.
My skin tingles and my damn nipples tighten.
I still don’t understand this… this weakness I have for him. Like Matthew, he’s a killer. A murderer. I watched him shove a knife in Cherry’s chest. Yet I can’t seem to dredge up the same hate for him that I have for Matthew.
It makes me a complete and utter hypocrite, but I can’t seem to change it.
“I’ll talk to who I want to, when I want to, Simon.” I open my eyes and politely tell him for the sake of not making a scene.
With how much I’ve already had to keep my tongue in check tonight, I deserve a medal or something.
Simon smiles and his eyes gleam as he leans back just enough to look at me. “Then whatever happens to him will be on your head.”
He can’t be serious. It has to be an empty threat…
“Don’t you dare use me as an excuse to off him,” I warn.
“Don’t give me a reason to, Meredith. I’ve already been more than gracious and shared you with the rest of the world for the past five years…” Simon’s leans close to speak in my ear again. “I’m done sharing.”
And this is where his obsession goes beyond mere inconvenience. It’s absolutely insane. If I had any sense, I’d run away from him, screaming. Yet, once again, the sheer depths of his crazy possession sends thrills through me.
The danger alone that he represents is a lure I can’t resist.
Dealing with Simon is like playing a game of Russian Roulette. I keep pulling the trigger, never knowing which pull is going to be my last.
Leaning into him, into the warmth and strong cage of his body, my lips find his ear. “So, if I want you to kill someone for me, all I have to do is talk to them?” I ask, hoping to show him the fallacy in his demand.
“No,” he answers firmly. “If you want me to kill someone for you, all you have to do is ask.”
I jerk back in surprise and my eyes search his face. He stares back at me with an intensity that shows he’s utterly serious.
I frown at him and he smiles. “Within reason, of course.”
“Of course,” I shake my head and take a step back.
He takes a step forward, putting himself right back into my personal space.
“You can’t expect me to talk to you and only you, Simon. I’ll go mad,” I point out.
The man is so… anal about taking care of me and seeing that all my physical needs are met, you’d think he’d take into consideration my mental health.
“I don’t expect you to speak only to me,” Simon says and my shoulders start to relax. “You may also speak to those I deem worthy of your sweet breath.”
God help me. I’m not sure how I’m going to make it through the rest of this game without strangling him.
“You’re purposely trying to piss me off,” I accuse him. And it’s working.
“Am I?” Simon asks as he reaches out and tucks a strand of hair that’s fallen out of my bun behind my ear. “Try me, angel, and see what happens.”
; Never one to back down from a challenge, I start to turn away from him, meaning to make my way straight to James, when a little body suddenly slams into me.
“Aunt Meredith!” Evelyn cries out with true joy as her little arms wrap around me.
Once I get over my initial surprise, I smile down at her golden head and wrap my arms around her, giving her a tight squeeze back.
She’s probably the only person in this world who truly loves me. And I love her right back.
“Evelyn. How are you, darling? I was hoping to see you tonight.”
With her arms still wrapped tightly around me, she tips her head back to answer me, but her nanny cuts in.
“Evelyn,” Mary, my old nursemaid, says in a chiding tone as she walks quickly over to us as if she’s trying to catch up. “What have I told you about throwing yourself into adults?”
Evelyn sighs and rolls her eyes. “That it’s rude and I might hurt someone.”
“That’s correct,” Mary says with a stern nod of her head. “Now apologize to Meredith.”
“I’m sorry, aunt Meredith,” Evelyn says. And though her voice sounds properly chastised, the glint in her eyes is anything but.
Thankfully, Mary can’t see it. I love Mary, I truly do. She pretty much raised me after my mother married Joseph, but she can be rather strict about propriety.
Matthew never had any issues with her, he was always her darling little angel. But me, I can’t even count how many hours I spent in the corner or writing sentences because I misbehaved.
I give Evelyn one more tight hug and lean down to whisper into her ear. “You can run into me and hug me anytime.”
Evelyn flashes me the brightest grin as I straighten and glance to Mary.
“How are you, Mary?” I ask, taking in all the changes to her that have occurred over the years.
“I’ve been very well, thank you for asking, Meredith,” she smiles at me.
Yes, I’ve probably warmed her old heart by showing some of her lessons stuck.
“Oh!” Evelyn says as she pulls away from me a little bit and places her hand on my stomach. With a look of wonder on her face, she rubs her hand against me. “There’s a baby in your belly, aunt Meredith.”
