by E. K. Blair
The time passes slowly, and I try to keep myself distracted by daydreaming, pretending I’m anywhere but here. I imagine I’m with my father, and we’re riding together on his white steed he used to tell me he had when we would play make-believe. We ride through the countryside and find ourselves in that magical forest. Carnegie is there, and we go hunting for berries. Some berries give us special powers, and some are just delicious to eat. When rain falls, we hunt for mushroom tops to hide under until the storm passes, and we meet fairy butterflies that fill the air with glitter as they fly.
My thoughts get interrupted often with the pain that surges through my hands and arms. I’m so tired but can’t find a way to get any real sleep, and now with my stomach knotting up from hunger, I find myself constantly shifting from sitting to standing.
“ELIZABETH?”
Pike’s voice brings me out of a light sleep, and I try to bend and flex my wrists as the leather cuts into my skin. “What time is it?” I ask.
“It’s Saturday night. Almost midnight,” he tells me.
“I’m hungry.”
“Hold on.”
I move to my feet to soothe my arms. I feel so gross with my pants soaked in my own pee. It stinks, and I know Carl is going to be pissed whenever he decides to let me out, which hopefully will be tomorrow since I have school on Monday. Plus, Bobbi should be coming home soon. At least I hope she is.
I hear Pike sliding something under the door. I lower to my knees, but didn’t think this through, because my hands are bound.
“Pike, I can’t get whatever you slipped under the door.”
“Shit. I’m sorry, I didn’t even think,” he whispers. “Is there any way you can lean your head down to get it with your mouth?”
“No. The bar is too high.”
“Use your foot and try to push it back out,” he instructs. “I don’t want Carl to know I was trying to sneak you food.”
I shuffle my foot around, but can’t feel anything, so I just start sliding it against the floor and towards the door, hoping by chance I get it out. After a second, I hear, “Got it.”
“What was it?”
“Just a tortilla,” he says. “I heard Carl talking to Bobbi. She’s gonna be home tomorrow afternoon.”
“I feel sick.”
“What’s going on?”
“I’m just so tired and hungry,” I tell him. “My arms hurt really bad. He’s got his belt pulled so tight around my wrists.”
“He’s a sick fuck.”
“Pike?”
“Yeah?”
“Please don’t leave me. You’re all I have.” The tears return, and I let them come without fighting it. I feel so hopeless.
“I’m not leaving you. You’re my sister. We’re not blood, but you’re my sister.” His words hit my heart, knowing he’s all the family I have. “Did I ever tell you about the time I fell off the roof at my last foster home?”
“No.”
I sit back down and listen as Pike tells me story after story. He even tells me about his mom, that she was a drug addict and that’s how he wound up in foster care when he was only two years old. Hours pass and he never stops talking to me, keeping me company until I drift off into a fit of restless sleep.
WHEN I HEAR someone messing with the door handle, I swiftly move to my feet, wedging against the wall. Light pierces my eyes, and I immediately close them.
“What the fuck is that smell?” Carl snarls as I slowly try to open my eyes against the stabbing light.
His hands start undoing the belt around my wrists. You’d think I’d be happy to be getting out of this closet, but I’m so tired that all I feel is numb.
“Did you piss yourself?” he asks with anger, and when I nod my head, he yells, “You better clean this shit up.”
The belt is finally off, and my hands are free. I grip my one wrist in my hand and stand there, scared to move, until he tells me to get out. Before I can go upstairs, he makes me clean the floor where I had been going to the bathroom. I finally look at my wrists to see they’re covered in blood from the broken skin where the leather was cutting into me.
When I get upstairs, Pike is sitting on my bed, but I’m too embarrassed, so I ignore him and go straight to the bathroom, shutting the door, and stripping out of my soiled clothes. Before I get into the shower, I look in the mirror to see the black eye Carl gave me. I step into the spray of water and fall apart.
After I finish my shower, I wrap up in a towel and go back into my room. Pike is still on my bed, so I grab some clothes and go back to the bathroom to get dressed. Coming out, I finally look at the bruises on his face as he reaches his hand out. I walk over to the bed, take it, and let him pull me down and hold me. I stay in his arms, the only comfort I feel life has to offer me right now, and close my eyes.
I was locked in that closet for two days with nothing—nothing but Pike, who snuck down each night to talk to me through the door so that I wouldn’t be alone. Knowing that he would do that for me makes me want to hug him harder, so I do.
“Thank you,” I mumble against his chest.
“What for?”
“Staying with me at night.”
“Like I said, no matter what, you’re my sister,” he says, and I respond with, “And you’re my brother.”
BENNETT LEAVES TODAY to go back to Dubai to start an overhaul on the production plant, gutting it and replacing everything with the same equipment that is used at the other plant he has here in the States. When I told him that I was meeting with the caterers today, he had his assistant call and hold his plane so he could go with me. The idea of having him and Declan in the same room causes my nerves to go a bit haywire. Especially when I just saw Declan for coffee yesterday.
He continues to press me about Bennett, and I’m confident with my performance as he seems to be under the assumption I’m not all that happy and that I’m only keeping up the façade for the sake of appearance. But I don’t want there to be any awkward exchanges today when we meet up with him at his hotel, so this is where it turns tricky. I’d like to keep both men apart from each other, so the added fact that Bennett is linked with Cal, Declan’s father, isn’t optimal. It was never in my plan to target a man like Declan, but so far, he’s the one that has taken the bait. I just need to be careful with handling this situation. One little slip could be disastrous, and I’ve invested too much time to make a fatal error.
“Are you ready, honey?” Bennett asks as he walks into the living room where I’m sitting.
I stand, straighten my pencil skirt, and walk over to him. “Yes. I just need to grab my coat.”
“We’ll drive so that you’ll have the car with you when you leave. Baldwin will pick me up to take me to the airport.”
“I hope it wasn’t too much trouble to delay the charter,” I say as I slip on my coat and grab my purse.
“No trouble at all. I just hate that I have to be gone again with it being so close to Christmas.”
We leave the apartment and head down on the elevator.
“By the way,” he says. “I spoke with my parents. They want us over Christmas Eve for a dinner party they’re hosting.”
I cringe inside at the thought of spending time with those assholes, but I smile anyway, saying, “Okay. I’ve been meaning to call your mother, I’ve just been a little scattered with everything else going. And now you’re leaving again.”
He takes my face in his hands and kisses my cheek. “It’s only temporary.”
“I know.”
“It’ll be busy for a while, but once everything is up and running, it’ll slow back down.”
The elevator opens and we make our way to the parking garage. We take the Land Rover, and when we pull out, we’re greeted by more snow.
“It’s supposed to get bad later,” Bennett says.
“I’ll be sure to get home before it does.”
“I can hire another driver if you need me to.”
Cocking my head at him, I smile, saying, “I
survived before without a driver, Bennett. I’ll be fine.”
Baldwin will be accompanying Bennett on his trip this time, so he won’t be around to drive me. One less person I have to worry about.
“With me gone so much and this brutal winter we’ve been having, it worries me knowing you’re driving around in this mess.”
Laying my hand on his thigh, I assure him, “I’ll be fine. You worry too much.”
He takes my hand in his, kissing my knuckles, and says, “I just don’t want anything to happen to you. I can’t help but worry when I’ll be a world away.”
I lace my fingers with his and relish in the fact that this new purchase will have him so far away for a longer span of time, allowing me to work on Declan. It couldn’t be a better situation. With Bennett and Baldwin gone, I’ll be able to come and go as I please without having to explain.
When we pull up to Lotus, the valet opens my door and helps me out.
“Watch your step, miss.”
“Thank you,” I say before Bennett walks around to take my hand and lead me inside.
I show him to the private dining room that Declan had the flowers in earlier this week, and when we walk in, Declan is there talking to the chef.
“Nina,” he says with a smile, and my nerves float to the top of my stomach. He takes my hand, giving me a chaste kiss on the cheek, and then greets my husband. “Bennett,” he says with a firm handshake. “It’s good to see you again.”
“I hear my wife is keeping you busy.”
“She knows what she likes,” Declan chuckles and Bennett joins him. “But she hasn’t fired me, so I guess I’m doing something right.”
“Don’t get too high on yourself just yet,” I add with the sass I know Bennett loves but, at times, can irritate the hell out of Declan. He takes it well, never losing his grin. I want to make him jealous, but it’s a fine line with Bennett here, so I’ll make sure to gauge Declan’s body language and not push him too far.
Declan introduces us to Marco, the chef I’m considering for the party, and we then take a seat at one of the tables.
“So, Bennett, Nina tells me you’ve been slammed with work lately.”
“That’s a massive understatement, and to be happening this time of year is less than ideal,” Bennett says and then reaches over to hold my hand that’s resting on the table. “Fortunately for me, I have an understanding wife.”
Just as I give him a smile, we are presented with a sculpted Caprese salad.
“So how did you get into steel production?” Declan asks, and I remain quiet as they talk.
“At the time, I was acquiring and renovating vacant buildings when I came across a manufacturing plant that was going bankrupt. I was able to purchase it at a bargain, keeping the owner from going into insolvency. I flipped the place, and next thing I knew, we were up and running, gaining a solid client base.”
“From the ground up,” Declan states.
“Just like your father,” Bennett adds.
I watch Declan’s jaw flex as he grinds his teeth. He takes a sip of his wine and then says, “You two must be proud of yourselves,” with a condescending tone, possibly taking Bennett’s remark as a stab against the fact that Declan is, in a sense, riding on his father’s coattails by going into the family business. But I know Bennett, and no such suggestion was meant on his part.
Bennett notes Declan’s insinuation, and deflects, turning to me, asking, “Are you going to see Jacqueline tomorrow? I thought Richard mentioned something to me about it.”
“Mmm hmm.” I wipe my mouth, and add, “The girls want to make a day at Neiman’s, and I need to find a dress for the party.”
“I thought you couldn’t stand them,” Declan butts in, and I immediately heat in anger that not only is he being grossly inappropriate in exploiting something he thought I was revealing in confidence to a friend, but I also don’t need him raising any red flags with Bennett.
I widen my eyes, letting him know he crossed a line, when Bennett questions, confused, “You don’t like them?”
“Um, no. I mean . . . Declan just meant that . . .” fuck, “Well, I voiced to Declan that sometimes they can be a tad overbearing. That’s all.” Looking into his eyes, I have to wonder if he’s upset that I would reveal something like that to Declan. Something that has nothing to do with the business we are supposed to be conducting while we’re together, so I cover myself, adding, “I had run into one of Jacqueline’s friends at the florist when Declan and I were there. She was being a little snippy, so I loosely made that statement to him. I possibly spoke out of frustration. I like the girls, but you know how it can be when you get us all in one room.”
He buys it, saying, “I’ll never pretend to understand the mind of a woman,” with light laughter, and I smile with him.
“Me neither,” I tease. “And I’m one of them.” Taking my fork and stabbing a basil leaf, I mumble with a grin, “Snarky bitches,” before taking a bite.
Bennett laughs at my crudeness as I give Declan a disapproving glare.
We get halfway through the second course with building tension from Declan when Bennett gets a call from Richard that he has to take. He excuses himself and steps outside of the room, walking down the hall, and when he’s out of sight, I turn and snap, “Your games aren’t funny. I was under the assumption that the few pieces I gave you, pieces you asked for, would remain private and not for you to use when you felt someone was stepping on your dick.”
He leans to the side, grabs the arm of my chair, and abruptly yanks it towards him, quietly gritting, “Your smart mouth is unbecoming, Nina, so watch how you speak to me. And no one steps on my dick, especially your husband—the man you say you love but doesn’t seem to know shit about you.”
“You think you’re cute?”
“Do I look like a man who gives a shit about being cute?”
Narrowing my eyes, I tell him, “You look like a man who’s jealous, but you shouldn’t even be going there with me.”
“Why’s that?”
“Because I’m a married woman, and your juvenile accusations are insulting. You don’t know anything about my husband and what he does or doesn’t know about me.”
“You’re a liar,” he accuses.
“Excuse me?”
He leans in closer, mere inches away from my face, and says, “I think you like making me jealous. Am I right?”
In a soft voice that I make sure comes out shaky, I respond simply, “No.”
“I don’t believe you.”
“What do you want from me?”
“Bullshit aside?”
“Bullshit aside, Declan. What do you want?”
His eyes are near daggers when he answers, “You.”
Perfect answer, idiot.
I stand up, throwing my napkin on the table and turn to go find Bennett, although I have no intentions of leaving this room, and Declan doesn’t fail when he grabs my arm and jerks me around, pulling me flush against him. He looks down at me, and I shift my eyes away.
“Look at me,” he demands, and when I don’t he grabs my chin and pulls it around to face him. “I said look at me, Nina.”
“You’re an ass.”
“And you’ve got a filthy mouth,” he says before taking a taste, sealing his lips with mine. He isn’t gentle, and his stubble grazes roughly against me as he wraps his hand around the back of my neck. His grip on me is firm, and I make sure he feels me respond to him for a brief moment when I move my lips with his before forcefully pushing him away.
His grin is arrogant as he takes a step back, putting distance between us.
“What do you think you’re doing?” I bite harshly.
“Testing you.”
“You’re an insolent prick.”
“Then why did you kiss me back?” he questions. “Don’t lie to me either because I felt it.”
“You didn’t feel anything, and neither did I.” Walking back over to the table, I pull my chair back and sit down, saying as
I keep my eyes forward, “Don’t ever do that again.”
Seconds later, Declan returns to his seat in front of me, and with perfect timing, Bennett comes back in. This situation is bordering on dangerous, so I’m relieved when Bennett says, “I apologize about that, but it seems I’m going to have to leave earlier than expected.”
“What?” I ask.
“I’m sorry, honey. The charter is ready to go. There was miscommunication about the reschedule, and we have to head out.”
“Now?”
He holds his hand out to me, and I take it as I stand up. “Declan,” he says when he turns to look at Declan who is now standing as well. “Sorry to run like this. It was good seeing you again.”
Declan doesn’t speak, but instead gives him a curt nod as they shake hands.
“If you’ll excuse us for a moment,” Bennett says as he wraps his arm around my shoulders and starts leading us out. Looking over my shoulder, I watch as Declan remains standing, keeping his eyes on us as we walk out of the room.
God, he’s so transparent.
I walk with Bennett to the lobby, and when he stops in front of the doors, I play the sad wife. Slipping my arms around his waist, I lay my head on his chest and hold on to him.
“I don’t want you to go.”
His lips fall on the top of my head, giving a kiss, and then he responds, “I know. I’ll get back here as soon as I can.”
I look up at him, and he takes my lips, the lips that Declan just had, and he kisses me. Long, slow, soft. He keeps the connection for a moment before pulling away and looking down at me. “You’re so beautiful.”
“Don’t.”
“Don’t what?” he questions.
“Say sweet things that’ll make me miss you even more.”
He smiles, and when I glance out the front, I see Baldwin pulling up. With a heavy sigh, I turn back to Bennett as he says, “I’ve gotta go.”
“Okay,” I respond with hesitation as I nod my head.
