“I practically flew here, but she didn’t care. She went with him anyway, just like the good little girl she’s always been.”
Nick felt his heart shatter. It was over. She’d chosen and it wasn’t him. He pushed past Clarissa and moved into the apartment. He could smell her, feel her. He dropped to his knees with a growl.
“No, you don’t understand, Nick. She told me she loved you, she doesn’t want to be with him and...” she paused and Nick felt a chill burrow deep within him. He stood back up and turned on the petite brunette.
“What?”
Clarissa let out a breath. “Derik hits her sometimes. It never been anything too bad. A backhand, or a shove, but today...” she shook her head. “I can’t explain it, but I saw it in his eyes. She isn’t safe with him.”
“Nick, shouldn’t we go?” Clarissa stood ringing her hands.
He looked to West. “You in?”
“How could I not be? Man, Matthew’s gonna be sorry he missed this.” West let out a laugh that charged Nick’s spirit, things weren’t over yet. He grabbed Clarissa by the shoulders.
“Do you know where his apartment is?”
“I’ve been there. I think I could show you, but I couldn’t give you the address or anything.”
That would have to be good enough, he gave her a quick nod.
“Fine, you’ll ride in the back with your father.” He smiled at Seldon. “You can get reacquainted.” He cupped Clarissa’s suddenly pale cheeks. “Its a long story—needless to say your mother stars predominantly—but he didn’t leave you and he’s been looking for all of you since the day you left.”
A tear ran down Clarissa’s cheek before she threw herself into her father’s open arms. “Daddy?”
He caressed her hair and held her tight. “Yes my darling girl, it’s daddy. And I’m never going to let you out of my sight again.”
West let out a loud, obvious breath. “As touching as this is, we have some ass to kick and I think time is of the utmost importance.”
“Right, of course.” Seldon put his arm around his daughter’s shoulder and the four made their way back down to Nick’s Car. Nick’s gut was in knots as he prayed they’d be there in time. He grabbed West’s arm and handed him the keys.
“I can’t drive.”
West nodded knowingly and took them. He started for the driver’s door but Nick grabbed him again. When his friend turned to him, he met his eyes with a serious stare.
“Don't let me kill him.”
He had a flashback to a time he was in that position for Matthew as he beat the crap out of Sasha’s husband.
West clapped his hand hard on Nick’s shoulder. “I’ve got your back, don't worry.”
With that said, they got in the car heading to storm the castle and Nick hoped he wasn’t too late to save the damsel or else he would kill someone, someone named Derik Fulton.
Chapter Twenty One
Keely entered the living room. He had the fireplace on and she didn’t misunderstand the meaning of it. She tossed in the clothing she’d worn home. Everything, including her bra and underwear. She watched them burn. It was symbolic of her and Nick, soon there would be nothing left of them either. He would probably go home to nurse yet another broken heart, but someday he would meet someone worthy of him and he would love her. Keely refused her tears as she thought of how lucky that woman would be.
She turned to face Derik. He was still on the phone but he nodded with approval at her and crooked his fingers calling her closer. She noticed a table in the center of the living room. It had been set up with flowers and champagne. Two gold dome covered plates were waiting them. She knew she wouldn’t be able to choke down any food tonight. She hoped Derik wouldn’t notice.
She stood directly in front of him as he disconnected the phone. No emotion showed on his face. The back of his hand hit her mouth with such force she fell to the ground. His ring had cut her, she could taste the blood on her lip. He walked passed her, from the corner of her eye she could tell he’d sat at the table, but she was too stunned to move.
She supposed she deserved at least that. She wiped the blood from her lip and stood again, turned and waited for Derik’s next command.
He unfolded his napkin and placed it in his lap, then removed the dome from his meal. The scent of extremely rare roast beef and potatoes wafted towards her. He gestured to the other place.
“Sit, Keely. Don't act as if you’re frightened of me. You must have expected at least that.”
She moved silently to the other chair, sat and placed her napkin over her lap. He reached over and removed the dome from her plate. It held mixed greens and several lemon wedges.
“You’ve gained weight.”
It was all he said, but it was self-explanatory. She squeezed the lemons over the greens. He filled his own glass with champagne, hers with water. They ate in an uncomfortable silence and Keely wondered how long it would be before things went back to normal between them.
“Your mother and I have negotiated a pre-nuptial agreement, Keely. You and I will be married next Saturday.”
Keely nearly choked on her mouthful of salad. Panic clawed at her throat and all she could think was she couldn’t possibly have heard him correctly.
“Married?”
He chewed a mouthful of beef slowly, leaving her question hanging so long, she figured he wasn’t going to answer it.
“This little stunt of yours...” He waved his fork in circles over the table. “I figured it was your way of waking me up. Telling me you wanted more. Your mother agreed, so we made the arrangements.”
“I was supposed to be free.”
Her stunned voice was so quiet, she was sure he hadn’t heard her. His one raised brow made her slightly uncertain of that assumption, but he said nothing. Her lip stung every time the lemon juice would touch the cut he’d given her but it hardly seemed important now. She stood up and backed away slowly from the table.
“No.”
She couldn’t seem to stop her head from shaking, but since it only emphasized her answer she didn’t bother over it much.
“What did you say?”
His voice was cold and level, she wasn’t sure if he was angry or surprised by her refusal, but all the same she gave it again, stronger this time.
“No. I said no. I’m not marrying you.”
He sat eating another bite of asparagus as if she’d said nothing. She glanced over her shoulder—her clothes were gone now, she was next. She’d be nothing but an empty shell and even that wouldn’t be enough for her mother. Nothing was ever going to be enough for her.
Of all the stupid things, a smile broke across her face as she felt the first delicious rays of true freedom and felt the bonds connecting her to her mother slip away. Distracted by her own inner rejoicing, she hadn’t even notice Derik moving closer to her until he’d hit her again. Then, fisting his hand in her hair, he pulled her into a punishing kiss, deliberately hard so as to hurt the tender areas around her mouth.
He grabbed a large hunk of her straight hair and pulled her face away from his.
“You are not leaving me. We have a contract and your mother won’t be very happy with you if you break it.”
He was hurting her, but she didn’t care.
“You and my mother can go to hell.”
He released her so hard she stumbled and fell over the ottoman. The doorman’s buzzer broke the silence. Derik moved to answer the box as Keely rose to her feet once again. The man’s voice was missing its usual calm professional tone as he was sputtering something about Clarissa and some men. Derik thanked him and refused the offer to call the police, for now.
He turned toward Keely.
“I assume that’s your lover attempting to ride to the rescue. You must have given him one hell of a show, Keely.” He moved closer and ran his hand up her stomach and over her breast. She flinched as he squeezed hard. She moved away from him.
“But then, I did give you all the best training. Di
dn’t I?”
The pounding and yelling at the door started then. Keely went to yell out, but Derik covered her mouth with his hand, pressing once again into her tender flesh.
“Think about it, Keely. The senator’s son? You think I can’t destroy the man.” He snorted. “And the boy?”
Keely went lax in his arms.
“Good girl.” He moved to open the door.
“Good evening, gentlemen. Clarissa.”
Nick ran to Keely and took her in his arms. “Are you okay?”
She only nodded. He pulled back and looked at her bruised face.
“He hit you?”
She looked away, then looked to Derik. There was hardly time for socializing, but she couldn’t keep herself from wondering who the other men were.
“Derik, I’d like a word alone with Nick. We seem to have had a misunderstanding. I’d like to straighten it out.”
Her voice was deceptively calm and restrained. Derik made a small bow at her when he answered her.
“Of course, my darling.” He moved to the table where they’d been dining moments before. “Would any of you like champagne? Keely and I were just celebrating our engagement.”
Keely moved smoothly into the next room. Nick followed. It was a large office that she usually never stepped foot into, but for this she need privacy. She closed the door behind them. She had to be smart about this, and she had to be quick. She met Nick’s eyes and knew what she had to do.
“There was no misunderstanding, Keely. I love you. I don't want you to...”
She put her hand over his lips. “The misunderstanding was mine, when I left you this afternoon, but its gotten extremely complicated since then.”
She pulled her hand away and paced to the bookcase, her hands running over and over themselves as she was trying to straighten her thoughts. She turned to face Nick.
“My whole life I’ve done what other people have told me to. Namely my mother and Derik. Right now, I’m going to put that power in your hands, although only temporarily. I think it’s time I took over that position on a permanent basis.”
She shook her head and her thoughts into order and took a few steps closer to him and took his hands in hers.
“I love you, Nick, but just before you came in here, Derick made some threats. Against you, and your father.”
“Keely...”
“Nick, please. We don't have a lot of time, let me finish.”
“All right, sorry.”
Another breath and then let it all come out in a whoosh.
“I don't know your father. I don't feel right making a decision that affects him, but I trust you. If you think you’re both safe, and he won’t be hurt and angry. If his career isn’t in jeopardy. If your family won’t face some horrible scandal, if you…well, if anything, then I’ll leave here with you.
“But if Derik is really a danger to your family, I’ll stay. At least for a while until he won’t put my leaving together with you, and your family will be safe.”
She didn’t bother telling him she’d have to marry him to do it, she didn’t think he could take it. She wasn’t completely certain she could, but for Nick and everything he’d done for her, she’d do anything, even stand up to her mother.
Nick pulled his hands from hers and placed them on her cheeks.
“My father is a good and honest man, and he’d kill Derik with his own hands if he knew what was going on here.”
She couldn’t help a small giggle and wondered if she were cracking up. Nick apparently was wondering the same thing by how he was looking at her. She gave him a helpless smile, “A good, honest man who’d kill for me?”
He kissed her, oh so gently, on the lips. “I’d kill for you. That’s why I brought West. To keep me out of prison.”
“That’s West?” she smiled at finally being able to put a face with all the stories. “Who’s the older man?”
He ran his hands soothingly over her shoulders and down her arms.
“Honey, that’s your dad, Seldon. I tracked him down...”
He didn’t get a chance to finish, she tore herself from his arms, flung open the door to the den and ran back into the living room. Stopping at the top step leading down into the sunken living room, she stared at him.
His eyes met hers and she knew it was true and that he knew she did. Her eyes asked him so many questions without saying a word. He held open his arms and for the second time that day, one of his daughters flew into them.
“As touching as this is. I’m going to have to ask you all to leave my home now.”
Derik held his arm out in a gesture towards the front door. West grabbed hold of it and turned him around just as Nick’s fist made contact with the fleshy part of the man’s jaw. He hit him one more time in the gut, West released him and he slid to the ground.
“That’s enough.”
“You’re not nearly as lenient as I was with Matthew.”
“Yeah, and Jimmy ended up in the hospital and Matthew nearly ended up serving fifteen-to-life. I thought I’d stop you before it got that far.”
He looked at his friend with feigned disgust. “Frannie’s been a bad influence on you. You’ve gone soft.”
West’s smile lit up his whole face. “Yeah, and I’ve had a hell of a time getting there, too.”
Nick kneeled down beside where Derik was groaning on the floor.
“I’ll ruin you. And your father.”
“Really.” Nick nodded his head in agreement, then put a very tight hold on his collar. “You come near my father and Keely’ll go to the media first and the authorities next, pressing charges against you for abuse and enslavement. I think this is what they call a stalemate.”
He thrust Derik to the floor, his head making a satisfying thunk as it made contact. Nick vaguely wished he’d done that in the marble foyer instead of on the plush white carpeting. He stood up and dusted off his jeans.
“Sweetheart?”
Keely turned to look at him. Her smile filled his heart with such joy, it sang.
“Do you think you could put some clothes on so we could get going?”
She smiled at him. “Oh, yes.” Then she ran to him and hugged him and he knew the fulfillment of his heart’s dream.
• • •
Nick handed another glass of tea to Seldon as he sat between his two daughters on the sofa in his living room. He was supremely pleased with himself at that moment. Not only had he rescued Keely, but he’d reunited a fractured family. He couldn’t wait to get to work on his next project—getting leave for Peter—so there could be a real family reunion. He moved into the background with Guy and West and let the girls have their moment.
“I can’t believe I’m gonna be a grandpa.” He looked over his shoulder at Guy. “You are planning on making an honest woman out of my daughter, aren’t you?”
West and Nick both snickered at the menacing tone. Nick just felt glad it wasn’t directed at him, not that he had any problem with making an honest woman out of his other daughter. In fact, he planned on it.
“Daddy!”
Clarissa’s indignant tone made West actually have to turn around to hide his snicker. He put a hand on Guy who looked incredibly uncomfortable at that moment.
“I see where you get your fire from, sweet knees.” Guy’s placating tone did nothing to dim the challenge in Seldon’s eyes. The man had apparently fallen right back into being a father as if he’d never missed a beat. He acted as if Guy had never spoken and directed his next comment to Clarissa.
“What? A father can’t worry about his baby girl’s reputation?”
She sent a shaky smile back to Guy before she stood up.
“You know, I bet Keely needs some rest.” She leaned over her dad to kiss her sister. “I’ll check in with you tomorrow.”
Then she quickly and a bit self-consciously, Nick thought, hugged her dad. “And I’ll expect to start helping you find apartments tomorrow, as well.”
Nick actually had another idea
, but now wasn’t the time for it. So instead he took Clarissa by the arm and led her to the door. “Why don’t you let the poor man get used to having his daughters again. Apartments will still be there then.”
“I suppose.” She leaned over his shoulder and waved back into the living room.
“West, help me walk Guy and Clarissa down to the car.”
West gave him a mischievous grin. “Why? I’m comfy here.” He made an exaggerated point of leaning against the patio door. Nick had the fiendish wish it would open and he’d fall on his ass. He scowled at West and gritted his teeth as he continued.
“I want to show you the tile they edged the pool with, I was thinking it might be something Frannie would like for one of her houses.”
Frannie was getting her architecture career going again and he knew West would do anything to support her. Sure enough he moved from the patio door and left with the group.
• • •
For the first time in more years than she could count, Keely was alone with her dad. He gave her a nervous smile and cleared his throat.
“That man of yours is wonderful, if not too subtle, eh?”
He chucked her under the chin and she remembered all the other times he’d done that to her. It was their special little thing. She put her hand to her head, how could she have forgotten that?
She tucked one foot under her and turned, leaning her elbow on the back of the sofa and her head on her hand as she studied him. He looked different, she wasn’t sure she’d have picked him out on the street. Gray had invaded his hair in great numbers and wrinkles emphasized his eyes and mouth more than she remembered, but his eyes, she’d never forgotten them. They were warm and tender and full of love and approval.
“I feel so stupid for not remembering that we lived in Idaho. How could I have forgotten that?”
“The human brain is a remarkable thing, my girl. It does what it has to to survive. And it really doesn’t matter now. We’ve found each other and I’m not going anywhere.”
He kissed her forehead and she snuggled up next to him, safe and secure like she remembered.
“I always loved you, even if I didn’t remember everything just right.”
Anything She Wants Page 20
