Hers to Love

by Talia Ellison

  “What the fuck did you do?” Jason asked. “Called that dickhead for help?”

  “Dad would love to hear you just called him that,” I said as I rose to my feet. Confusion flashed in Jason’s eyes and he lifted himself up.

  “You texted Dad?”

  “Yeah. Good luck explaining all this.” I crossed my arms.

  “He might not approve of my methods, but he’ll be on my side when he sees that video.” Jason ground his teeth together. “You’ll see. Father will never allow you to be with someone like that.”

  “Yeah, we’ll see.” I leaned against the desk, keeping any emotion off my face. Dad would come here soon and then I’d finally be able to go talk to Aaron. I couldn’t imagine Dad agreeing with Jason to keep me trapped in here, although I wasn’t sure how he’d react once he saw the video. But he’d certainly do anything in his power to help me figure out the truth behind it.

  “You might think you have Dad wrapped around your finger, but he’ll have to agree with me on this one.”

  “Just shut up already. I’m tired of hearing your voice.” I averted my gaze and opted for staring at the wall instead. Hell, maybe I should just turn on the TV and watch a show. All I knew was that I didn’t want to listen to my brother and his crazy talk any longer. Hopefully I’d have some answers soon.

  My thoughts flew back to the wide smile on Aaron’s face as he held onto the screaming girl’s hips, and a shudder ran through me. The Aaron I knew would never do that. He’d never do something like that, and certainly wouldn’t smile about it, or even want to have sex in front of his father. Everything was so damn strange.

  But maybe the question I was supposed to be asking myself was what Sebastian’s game was. He’d sent that video to Jason for a reason, and he had to know we’d be able to check its authenticity. Why would he care about what happened with my relationship with Aaron? Did that mean he was in town and planning to take over?

  Did he think Aaron would be distracted if I broke up with him, so that would offer Sebastian an opportunity to attack? Or was there something else he wanted? We already knew he’d been in contact with Roberto and that they might have ironed out their differences, but what was his plan now? Did he expect my family to go after Aaron for tricking me? Or did he think the Viteris and Ferraras would ally now and this was his way of stopping it?

  If Aaron and I got married and something happened to Aaron, as his wife I could lay claim on everything the Viteris had. With the backing of my family, it would be hard to get to me, and I could even get rid of Sebastian if that was what I wanted, to make sure no one could reclaim the Viteris’ power.

  Maybe that was Sebastian’s plan. If Aaron and I weren’t together, then my family wouldn’t have a reason to back Aaron. United, our families could do a lot of damage to just about anyone, but if things were back to the old way and we were enemies again...

  I needed to warn Aaron about this. Sebastian could be plotting something or acting already while we were busy investigating that video. If it was all just a distraction...

  “You’re going to give yourself an aneurysm if you think that hard,” Jason said, bringing me back from my racing thoughts.

  “I assume that means you’re aneurysm-resistant because you never think.” I shot him a glare.

  “I’m starting to believe it’s you who are jealous of me,” he said. “You might be Dad’s favorite, but I’m the eldest. It’s me who’ll be in charge of this family after Dad, and not you.”

  Somehow I had a feeling my father would reconsider the decision to leave everything to Jason, but I wasn’t about to argue about that now too. Instead, I kept my mouth shut and tuned out Jason’s words. Dad should be home soon, and then we’d be done with this.

  Chapter 3

  “What is going on here?” my dad said as he burst through the door. There were dark circles under his blue eyes as if he hadn’t slept, and his black hair was messier than usual, but his dark blue suit was impeccable. His eyes traveled up and down my body. “Are you alright, Princess?”

  “Now I am,” I said.

  “What happened?” he asked.

  “Jason drugged me, tied me to the bed, and now refuses to let me go,” I blurted out.

  “Her boyfriend’s a rapist and she still wants to go to him!” Jason protested.

  My father lifted his hand to shush us both, then closed the door. When he turned around to face us, his lips were pressed into a tight line. “When I left earlier today, my children were adults, not two-year-olds.”

  “She left me no choice! Dad, you have to agree...” Jason started to say.

  “He’s crazy. Or been drinking or taking something,” I said.

  “Enough.” My father sighed. “Jason, what is that video you’re talking about?”

  Jason’s face brightened and he immediately jumped off the bed, as if he was really happy that Dad had asked for the video first. “It’s on another phone. Let me get it.”

  Once Jason stormed out of the room to get the video, my dad remained quiet, which made me tap my foot against the floor. I understood that after he’d made sure I was fine, he wished to see what the whole fuss was about before hearing our stories, but I really wanted to get to the bottom of this as soon as possible.

  Jason rushed back in, the door slamming behind him, and he handed a phone to my father. I cringed as the girl’s screams and cries sounded from the speaker. My father’s face was impassive as he watched the video.

  “Jason,” he said once he lifted his gaze. “Explain.”

  “I think the video speaks for itself, doesn’t it?” Jason said. “Your daughter’s boyfriend is a psycho and a rapist. Anything he told Octavia or you is probably a lie. He’s playing some game. Like his grandfather. Aaron still being alive and very close to getting his hands on everything, including Octavia and what’s ours, proves it. That sickening smile on his face can’t be faked. He was enjoying himself just like any Viteri. You can’t really believe he’s changed. He’s just more careful not to get caught on camera now. Octavia didn’t want to listen to me and insisted on going to talk to that rapist, and I couldn’t let that happen. He could’ve lied to her about it or turned her against us. She’s too much in love with him to see the truth. She’ll believe everything he says, and I’m sure he’s a perfect liar and master manipulator. He has her exactly where he wants her.”

  “Octavia.” My father looked at me.

  “I saw the video and I wanted to talk to Aaron to find out if it’s real and what really happened. Jason made a deal with Sebastian Viteri to get it, and I’m sorry if I’m not going to immediately believe anything he provides. I want to find out the truth, but Jason stabbed me with a needle. And when I woke up, I was cuffed to the bed. He planned to send a breakup text to Aaron on my behalf and keep me here against my will until I agreed with him or who knows what. Oh, and I have a few bruises because I tried to escape. Barely got to send you that text.”

  “Is that true?” My father’s voice was eerily calm as he focused on Jason. “You drugged your sister and cuffed her to the bed?”

  “Yeah, but...” Jason’s eyes widened as he seemed to be at a loss for words.

  My father crossed the room toward him in three quick strides and slapped him hard across the face. Jason stumbled back, his lips parted in shock, and I gasped, not accustomed to seeing my father react like that.

  “What the hell is wrong with you, boy?” My father’s face was red with anger. “You should’ve called me! How could you even think for a second it was alright to do something like that?”

  “But, Dad!” Jason brought his hand up to his cheek, as if he couldn’t quite believe what had happened. “You can’t let your daughter date a rapist!”

  “Jason, you were out of line,” my father said. “How did it even occur to you to do that to your sister? I’m disappointed in you.”

  “I didn’t...” Jason held his hands behind his back, lowering his gaze.

  “Guards!” my father yelled, and t
wo of our guards opened the door immediately. They must have come with my dad and been standing right in front of the door the whole time.

  “Dad!” Jason’s eyes bulged. “You can’t...”

  “Take my son to his room and don’t let him out until I say so,” my father said, and the guards made their way toward Jason, who didn’t resist as they took hold of his arms.

  “Dad...” Jason said weakly as they led him toward the door.

  “Clear out any alcohol or narcotics from his room,” my dad added, and the guards nodded. After they closed the door behind them, I blinked at my dad. I hadn’t expected him to agree with what Jason had done, but I hadn’t expected he’d put him under house arrest either.

  “He shouldn’t have done that,” my father said, extending his arm toward the bed, and we both went to take a seat. “Are you sure you’re alright? I don’t know what he gave you, but I’m going to find out.” His eyes were filled with concern.

  “Yeah, I’m fine.” I tucked a strand of my brown hair behind my ear.

  My father placed the phone with the video on the bed in between us. “I take it you don’t believe this video is genuine.”

  “I... I don’t know what to think.” I looked down at my hands on my lap. “I don’t want to believe it’s real, and the fact that it comes from Sebastian Viteri... All I want is to talk to Aaron. He won’t be able to hide the truth from me.”

  “Are you sure about that?” my dad asked.

  I bit down on my lip. “Yeah, I think so.” I couldn’t let this affect everything else I knew about Aaron. He was good at hiding his feelings, but I could usually see through that. “He loves me. I know that. After all we’ve been through, I believe I can figure out if he’s lying to me.”

  “I agree that you should talk to him,” my dad said. “If you don’t feel comfortable going to him, you can always invite him here. I can ensure that you have enough privacy.”

  “Thanks, Dad.” I offered him a small smile. “I just don’t know... I mean, I want to go talk to him and find out the truth, but at the same time... God, this is so surreal.” I lowered my head into my hands and felt my father’s hand on my shoulder.

  “If you want me or someone to accompany you... or I can call your mother if you prefer to talk to her before you do anything.”

  “Where’s everyone anyway?” I frowned.

  “It doesn’t matter right now. You should deal with this. You can’t avoid it forever, not even if that feels like the best option right now.”

  “You’re right.” I was stalling, but I couldn’t help that my stomach was doing nervous flips. “I’m just hoping there’s an explanation. We have to be careful. Sebastian’s out there somewhere, and who knows what he’s planning.”

  “You don’t have to worry about that now. I’ll send guards after you to keep you safe. You won’t even know they’re there.”

  I nodded. Worrying about my safety was something I wasn’t sure I could give full attention to right now. “What are you going to do with Jason?” I couldn’t imagine my brother being happy about his confinement once the shock wore off, although one part of me was glad he’d get to feel what it was like to be trapped in one’s room.

  “He needs some time to cool off and realize what he’s done. I’m going to talk to him later. You should go.” He gave me an encouraging smile. “If you keep thinking about this, you’re going to worry yourself sick with all the possibilities, without getting any closer to answers.”

  I rose to my feet, my head feeling heavy. I hoped my mind would clear once I was outside. “Tell the guards to get ready. I just need to get my phone and...” A groan left my throat. My phone was in pieces because I’d thrown it across the room so that Jason couldn’t get to it. I walked around the bed and collected what was left of my phone, trying to piece it back together. The screen was cracked a little.

  “Why are phones so damn breakable these days?” I muttered as I reinserted the battery and placed the cover back on. The phone came to life when I pressed the on button, and my heart skipped a beat when I saw Aaron’s name on the screen. He’d texted me asking where I was and was probably wondering why I hadn’t answered.

  The text hadn’t come through that long ago or he would’ve already searched for me, or sent Marco to come check on me. I steadied my shaky fingers and quickly typed him a message to let him know I’d be coming to our house soon and wanted to see him. His reply came only a few moments later. He was waiting for me. Taking a deep breath, I picked up one of the purses that was lying on the dresser and stuffed the phone inside.

  “If you need anything, just call,” my dad said.

  “I will.” I picked up the phone with the video and slipped it in my purse. My father already had his phone out, probably to alert the guards. As I made my way to the door, my knees were so weak I thought I’d fall, but I had to do this. I had to find out the truth.

  Chapter 4

  I swallowed bile as I entered the kitchen in the house where Aaron and I lived. Aaron was standing next to the table, leaning against one of the chairs, his shoulders relaxed. His black hair was messy and he was wearing a white shirt and dark gray jeans. Marco was sitting at the table and laughing about something on his phone. His dark eyes lifted to me as I entered, and Aaron’s gaze turned toward me, a smile tilting his lips.

  I approached them with my best neutral expression, but something must have given me away, because Aaron’s smile faded. Marco didn’t seem to notice as he grinned at me.

  “Hey,” I said, and managed a small smile.

  “Where have you been for so long?” Marco asked. “We thought your family might have decided to keep you.”

  “Aww, missed me already? Who would’ve thought?” I wiped my sweaty palms on my pants. God, I didn’t even know what to say or how to say it. Taking the phone with the video out of my purse, I stopped in front of Aaron, who was watching me with a guarded expression on his face.

  “We need to talk about something. My brother got this and...” I brought up the video and handed the phone to Aaron.

  “What is it?” Marco was already getting to his feet and leaning forward.

  I carefully eyed Aaron as the video started to play. His face turned ghostly pale, his eyes churning with an emotion I couldn’t identify, but then they changed to that icy blue I didn’t like seeing.

  Marco muttered something under his breath.

  The video stopped, but Aaron was still staring down at the phone in his hand, his chest moving up and down quickly. There was no doubt about one thing: the video was real.

  “I’m sorry,” Aaron said quietly, not even looking my way, and set the phone on the table. He turned to leave, but I placed my hand on his arm.

  “Wait,” I said. “I need to know what happened.”

  “No, you don’t.” He ripped himself out of my grip and strode toward the door.

  “Shit,” Marco said, and both he and I hurried after Aaron down the hallway. Marco was faster than me and placed his hand on the door of the bedroom before Aaron could close it.

  “Don’t do this,” Marco said. “She has the right to know.”

  “What is there to know?” Aaron asked coldly.

  “If you don’t tell her the whole story, I will,” Marco said.

  “I forbid it.” Aaron’s eyes flashed with fury.

  “I don’t care.” Marco persisted.

  “Then maybe you should both leave,” Aaron said.

  “Come on, man.” Marco gave him a pleading look.

  “Aaron,” I said softly, trying to meet his gaze, but he wouldn’t look up. “Talk to me.”

  Marco’s arm strained as Aaron once again tried to close the door. I stepped forward and Aaron backed away inside. Marco and I entered, and Aaron stopped in the middle of the room, his arms crossed, his jaw set.

  “Want to know what happened?” he said, his face turning expressionless. “I fucked some girl at a party. Didn’t care whether she wanted it or not. Happy? Now leave me the fuck alo
ne.” There was a slight tremor in his voice that he couldn’t quite hide.

  “If you really want me to leave, then you’ll have to tell me everything,” I said.

  “Why? What difference will that make?”

  He wouldn’t be acting this way if there wasn’t more to the story. I wasn’t about to go anywhere.

  “Just tell her,” Marco said.

  “Yeah, tell me,” I said. “Was your father the one who...?”

  “No, it was all me.” Aaron’s lips tilted into a forced smile. “Wasn’t that video enough for you? Why are you still here? You know what I did is unforgivable. You shouldn’t be anywhere near me. You should just go and...”

  “Don’t give me that crap,” I said, inching closer to him.

  He just glared at me. “It’s not crap. It’s the truth.”

  “You don’t have to hide your feelings around me,” I said, and turned toward Marco. “Leave us, please.”

  “Are you sure?” Marco asked cautiously.

  I nodded. “I’ll come talk to you later, okay? And I’ll yell if we need anything.”

  “Okay.” Marco shook his head at Aaron in disapproval and headed into the hallway, closing the door behind him.

  “I’m not hiding anything. This is me,” Aaron said, spreading his arms. “Maybe you should...”

  Before he could say anything else, I closed the distance between us and wrapped my arms tightly around him. “It’s okay. You can tell me.” I rubbed gentle circles on his back as he went rigid in my embrace. “I can see how that video affected you and it’s okay that you’re feeling like this, but you don’t have to push me away. Just talk to me. Please.” I looked up into his blue eyes, and when he tried to look away, I gripped his chin.

  “I can’t,” he choked out, and his perfect icy mask started to crack.

  “It’s okay,” I repeated, not letting go of him. He finally relaxed into my arms, leaning his head on my shoulder. I ran my hand through his hair, caressing gently, and we stood there for a few moments in silence. “Come here,” I whispered gently, and led him toward the bed. I took a seat, but instead of settling next to me, Aaron sat down on the floor not far for me and leaned his back against the nightstand as he drew his knees up.