She was so focused on keeping her fear inside that she didn’t realise Marcus was watching until he grabbed her arms and swung her in against the wall.
“You want to tell her, don’t you? You want to spill your little sob story and you think that’ll be enough to get rid of me?” His breath was hot against her cheek as he leaned in against her body and held her in place.
“I don’t want to tell her, I…”
“If you utter one word of any of this to her, then your mother, your father, Riley—they’re all dead. Do you hear me?” As though to emphasise his point, he shook her, rattling her against the wall, knocking the air from her lungs.
She nodded, unable to form the words. Holly knew he was telling the truth, she could see it in his eyes, as though he was daring her to cross him.
“Good girl, now dry your eyes and get back in there and tell Paris we’re moving the date for the wedding forward.”
He released her slowly and Holly scrubbed her hands against her eyes. She hadn’t realised she’d been crying until he pointed it out to her.
“Why bring the wedding forward?” she said, holding onto the anger that was beginning to swell within her once more.
“Because I can’t trust you to do as I ask and the sooner we’re married the sooner I can legally lay claim to your father’s business.”
“He doesn’t have a business, he gambled it all away,” Holly said, confusion creating a pressure headache that descended over her eyes.
“Yeah, to me. I’ve kept the business alive, but once we’re married your father will sign it over to me legally and I’ll step into his place officially. To the rest of the world it’ll look as though he’s simply handing the reins over to his son-in-law—the son he never had.”
“What are you going to do with an import business? It’s not as though you need it.”
Marcus grinned but it only left Holly feeling cold.
“I’m afraid that’s above your pay grade. Now get back in there.”
He spun her around to face the door and Holly flinched as she felt his hand pat against the curve of her ass.
“Don’t touch me. Don’t ever touch me,” she said, shooting a hostile look at him over her shoulder.
“I’ll do whatever I want with my property, sweetheart. You’d do well to remember that if you want to stay on my good side.”
Holly stalked away from him. There was no point in continuing to argue with him, since it wouldn’t achieve anything aside from riling him even further and his unpredictable nature made him too dangerous to keep poking him like that.
Stepping back into the room, Paris shot her a confused look, her eyes widening a little and Holly knew she’d noticed her tearstained cheeks.
“Are you alright, Holly? You’ve been acting a little strange lately and I’m concerned.”
In all the years that Holly had known Paris she’d never heard genuine concern from her about anything… Until now.
“I’m fine, you don’t need to worry. I’m just a little overwhelmed with everything, the planning for the wedding and…” She trailed off, the words we’ve brought the date forward, sticking in the back of her throat.
“And I can’t imagine Riley’s little stunt last night made it any easier?”
“We’ve brought the date forward.” Holly blurted the words out. It was the only real way to get Paris off the trail of her obsession with Riley and Marcus.
Surprise crossed her face, and Holly had to smother a smile down inside as she watched Paris’ mouth form a perfect tiny O of shock.
“You’re not…” She trailed off and gestured in Holly’s direction.
“What?”
Holly watched as Paris continued to gesture towards her, her confusion only deepening.
“You know…” She gestured to her stomach, a sly smile crossing her face.
“Pregnant?” Holly said, shaking her head vehemently.
The thought alone was enough to turn her stomach upside down. Marcus’ threat popped into her head and it left her feeling cold.
“Oh, well then what’s the rush? Planning a wedding is hard enough but to bring the date forward with so much left to finalise, well, it makes no sense. There has to be a reason.”
Holly shook her head and plastered a fake smile on her face.
“We just really can’t wait.”
The words left her through gritted teeth but she had to say something, anything to throw Paris off.
“Now, if you’ll excuse me, Paris, I really need to get back to planning. Marcus is having some business associates over tonight and there’s a lot to get done.”
Paris stood and quickly gathered up her Versace purse from the couch.
“Of course, I’ll see you at the next charity meeting, won’t I?”
Holly gave a thin-lipped smile and fought to push some positivity into her voice.
“Yeah, I wouldn’t miss it.”
However, the fact was she had no idea if she’d be at the meeting or not. Marcus’ sudden interest in the charity the night before had caught her off guard. What if he insisted on attending the meeting alongside her? He was already worming his way into every other aspect of her life. It didn’t seem completely outside the bounds of reality.
Paris smiled a wide happy smile and dragged Holly into a tight hug.
She felt wooden, almost robotic, as she returned the hug.
And yet as she released Paris and watched her walk out the door, the urge to chase after her and scream how it was all a lie was difficult to quell.
The sound of Paris’ murmured voice and Marcus’ slimy laughter drifted back to her from the hall and Holly froze.
A moment later the front door shut and Marcus appeared in the living room doorway.
“That wasn’t so hard, now was it?” He smiled and turned on his heel.
Heat flooded Holly’s cheeks and she clenched her hands into tight fists. If she was ever given the opportunity to end him she would take it without hesitation. It was a thought that should have frightened her—she was, after all, planning the death of another human being. But she just couldn’t muster the will within herself to care anymore and that frightened her far more.
Chapter 15
Taking the steps two at a time up to the front door, Riley made his way into the house. The silence that greeted him unnerved him.
He’d been so certain Griffin would be here. If he was in town it was normally one of the first places he turned up.
Heading in the direction of the office, the sound of a glass hitting the carpeted floor with a dull thud made him pick up his pace.
Pushing the door to the office open, he scanned the room, his gaze coming to rest on the body slumped against the wall behind the desk.
“Shit,” Riley muttered to himself as he crossed the floor and crouched down next to the slumped form of his younger brother.
His eyes were closed, his pasty pallor only emphasising the purple bruising across his cheek. He was a mess and from the smell of sweat and alcohol rising from him, Riley could only assume he hadn’t seen the inside of a shower in a number of days.
“Griffin, what the hell have you done?” Riley said, using his thumb to lift one of his brother’s heavy eyelids up. His eyes were unfocused and bloodshot but he shifted his head out of Riley’s reach and groaned.
“You used to keep the best stuff in your office,” he paused and blinked, sliding farther to the left as he lifted a bottle of brandy from where he was cradling it against his chest, “but I could only find this cheap crap in the back of the cabinet…” He slurred his words and his eyes became unfocused once more as they rolled up into the back of his head.
“Grif, I don’t have time for babysitting you. What are you doing here? You’re supposed to be on tour.”
“No tour, I just need to sleep.”
Riley groaned while Griffin fought against him as he tried to pick him up from the floor.
In all the years since their parents had died and Griffin had be
come the lead guitarist for Black Special, he’d never once seen him as drunk as he was now.
“Yeah, well you’re not sleeping on the floor of my office,” Riley said, gritting his teeth as he hoisted the dead weight of his brother up from the floor and pushed him up onto his shoulder.
The brandy bottle hit the floor with a thump that had Riley cringing. He swung around and was relieved to find it unbroken.
Carrying Griffin from the room, he took the stairs one at a time, slow and steady, as his brother began to snore.
“What happened?” Isla’s voice carried up from the bottom of the stairs.
“Griffin’s home,” Riley said, struggling to keep the edge from his voice.
His brother was a wild card but when he’d decided to come home and find out what he was up to, this wasn’t what he’d had in mind.
Reaching the first floor, Riley carried him down the hall to one of the guest rooms and kicked the door open. Taking him to the king-size bed, he dumped Griffin unceremoniously onto the soft mattress.
“I think I’m going to be sick…” Griffin announced, his face puckering up as he started to heave.
Isla bustled into the room, tutting beneath her breath as she grabbed Griffin by the collar of the black sweatshirt he wore and dragged him to the edge of the bed.
Riley watched on in wonderment as she produced a basin, seemingly from nowhere, and held it to Griffin’s face as he began to vomit.
“You’re a godsend, Isla. You know that, don’t you?” Riley said, his voice filled with admiration and affection.
“No, I’m just doing what needs to be done, Riley. You boys are like my own and I don’t like to see any of you hurting.”
She brushed her hand back through Griffin’s hair as she spoke. It was a tender gesture, one a mother might do, and yet Riley knew his own mother would never have done it.
“You need to get ready, don’t you?” she said, glancing back at Riley over her shoulder.
“Ready?” Riley asked.
“Yes, ready, Riley Reynolds. Is there an echo in here? Your friend Anderson was on the phone just before you got in and he said he’d pick you up at seven, that way you can be sure to both arrive together.”
Riley smiled but it died on his lips as he watched Griffin roll back onto the bed.
“I can’t just leave him here like this. The idiot is too drunk to be trusted on his own. I don’t want him getting sick again and choking on it.” Riley sighed and started to shrug out of his jacket.
The thought of not being there for Holly left him with a hollow feeling in the pit of his stomach. Only Griffin could pick the worst possible time to return home in such a dramatic fashion.
“I’ll look after him and once he wakes up, I’ll be sure to give him an ear full. I don’t exactly consider sitting on the side of the bed, holding a bucket of sick, to be fun.”
“Isla, no, I can’t ask that of you. You already do far too much around here. You should go home and relax, you deserve it.”
A sad look crossed her face. It passed as quickly as it had arrived but Riley didn’t miss it. She shook her head and the smile she looked up at him with was forced.
“The night is long enough to be alone. At least this way I won’t be spending the evening on my own.”
“Isn’t your daughter coming in for a visit?”
Isla smiled up at him again but it was an expression tinged with sadness around the edges.
“She can’t make it… Now that’s enough about me,” she said, her voice changing and becoming firmer. “I’m not moving, so unless you plan to sit around and watch me nurse Griffin, you need to go and get ready.”
“Yes, ma’am,” Riley said, leaning down and pressing a soft kiss against her cheek. Her skin was soft and papery, her familiar perfume enveloping him.
“Go on, go.” Her voice was hoarse as Riley left her in the room and headed down the hall to his own room.
An odd mingling of relief and guilt washed over him. It wasn’t right to leave Isla here with Griffin, but at the same time he knew just how stubborn she was and no amount of insisting she go home would work on her.
But she had given him the chance to continue on with his plans and for that he was more grateful than she could ever know. Heading to the wardrobe, he pulled out a fresh suit, still in its wrapper from the dry cleaners, and began to change.
Chapter 16
Staring at her reflection in the mirror, Holly cringed. The dress was not something she’d have chosen to wear herself but Marcus had insisted she have some flesh on show.
It was far too tight, clinging to her body in a way that made her want to cover herself with her arms. But it was the type of dress she’d seen many of his conquests wear.
Grabbing the last of the pins from the top of the dresser, she finished pining her blonde hair up on her head, a few strands trailing free, and as she swung her head from side to side, they brushed against her shoulders.
A knock on the bedroom door made her jump and she stood staring at the dark wood for a moment as she struggled to compose herself. She was normally calm and collected but Marcus was beginning to wear her down. She could feel it, the fear over what he would do next creeping into every cell in her body.
Moving to the door, she flipped the lock open and tugged the door wide, revealing Victor in the hall.
There was a moment of silence as he stared at her. The feel of his eyes, sliding up and down her body left her feeling cold. His hungry gaze pressed against her skin, and Holly swallowed hard. Pushing her shoulders back, she forced herself to stand straighter, taller.
“Marcus wants to inspect you downstairs.” Victor’s voice was thick with lust and it set her already-frayed nerves on edge.
“Inspect me?” She pushed all of the disdain she felt into her voice and it was enough to snap Victor out of his sudden interest in her.
“His words, not mine.” He turned and started down the hall, his pace long and purposeful as though he knew she would simply do as she was told. It irritated her but there was nothing else she could do.
She sighed and followed him, the heels she wore making her feel a little unsteady. She wasn’t used to wearing shoes as high as the ones she had on.
Following him down the stairs, she paused outside the living room door and sucked in a deep breath, or at least as deep of a breath as the tight dress would allow. Victor had already stepped into the room, and Holly could hear Marcus’ low rumbling voice.
Moving into the room, she paused just inside the door, her gaze coming to rest on the woman called Nessie that she’d met that morning. She stood at Marcus’ side, her hand stroking down over his chest as she stared up at him with the type of adoration Holly imagined addicts wore.
“Finally. I thought you were going to try and make a fool of me again,” Marcus said, his voice cold as he pushed out of Nessie’s grip and crossed the room.
His eyes appraised Holly as he slowly circled her. She held her breath as he moved behind her, his hand sliding down over her shoulder, moving lower.
She jerked away from him and started to turn but he caught her before she completed the movement, jamming her body against his.
“For such a fat cow, it’s amazing what a little fabric can do. You’re almost attractive, Holly.”
Although his cruel barbs didn’t surprise her, it still cut to the core to hear him make fun of her so casually. Of course Nessie’s tittering laughter didn’t help, either.
As though to emphasise his words, he placed his hands on either side of her hips and dug his fingers into her soft flesh. It hurt enough to draw a small whimper of pain from Holly and she inwardly cursed her own weakness.
Marcus thrust himself against her, the movement jerking her forward but his grip on her hips held her solidly against him. The action sent a shiver of revulsion rolling through her and she fought against his hold.
“I suppose I can see some benefits to so much extra flesh. At least it’ll give me something to hold onto when I
mount you on our wedding night.”
His words and the image they conjured had Holly’s blood running cold. They’d never discussed what would happen after they married but sleeping with him was out of the question.
He released her as suddenly as he’d grabbed her and Holly used the opportunity to turn on him. Her arm lashed out as her hand connected with his cheek, the sound of the slap reverberating around the room, echoing into the shocked silence that followed.
“I told you once, if you ever lay a hand on me I will kill you. I agreed to a wedding but it is in name only.” She spat the words at him, her anger trembling through her body filling her with artificial confidence.
Holly watched as rage filled his eyes, like water flooding in to fill the void.
He reached out, his hand closing around her jaw in a vicelike grip as he pulled her towards him.
The sound of the doorbell made him freeze and Holly held her breath, waiting for him to make his move.
“I’ll deal with you later.” He released her and nodded towards Victor. “Don’t just stand there, answer the door.”
Holly stumbled away, crossing the room in an attempt to put as much distance between her and Marcus’ temper.
“You should be grateful.” The soft whisper caught Holly unawares, pulling her out of her thoughts.
Nessie stood next to her, her thin arms crossed over her chest. It was a defensive gesture and one Holly recognised only too well.
“Grateful?” Holly echoed, her voice incredulous. “Why the hell would I be grateful to a monster like that?”
“He wants to marry you, he needs you. He doesn’t need me, never will.”
Her blue eyes were wide and Holly could see a flickering of fear down within them but it was masked by something else, something she couldn’t quite put her finger on.
“You love him?” Holly asked, keeping her voice low as the first of Marcus’ guests stepped into the room.
“Love him? No. I love what he does for me, what he gives me and for that I’d follow him to the end of the earth.”
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