“I know that.” He reached for her hand. “But it’s time we planned for our future. Come on. I’ll show you around.” He started towards the house, his hand gripping hers so that she was forced to follow him. “I got it for a steal, as well. For some reason, it had been on the market for over a year.”
She pulled her hand away from his. “Olly, stop. What do you think you’re doing?”
He turned, and the expression on his face made her heart stop. Anger.
“Inca, don’t spoil this.” He stepped towards her, and she felt her breath quicken. He towered over her, his hand on her arm, fingers biting into her skin. Inca stared up at him, searching his expression. She was alone with this man and no one, noone, knew where they were.
She could feel her skin start to prickle, her legs like cotton wool. His grip was too tight, fingers pressing deep into her skin, bruising, constricting the blood flow. Her hand started to numb. She tried to pull away, but Olly’s hold was unyielding. Trapped.
“Olly … please …” Her voice broke.
He put his finger over her mouth and smiled, but his eyes were that flat gray steel again. “Just listen. You need somewhere to go, away from the town, away from Winter.” Olly spat his name. “Being around him is destroying you; I can see that. Everyone can see that.” He cupped her chin with his fingers. “This is what’s best for you, Inca. Somewhere you can get away from him. Where I can look after you.”
She could feel icy needles of fear creeping up her spine. “Olly, I’d like you to take me home, please.” Her voice broke and faded. He stepped toward her, seeming to grow bigger, stronger. His eyes were locked on hers.
Even if you run, you won’t stand a chance.
Inca swallowed, not taking her eyes from him.
“Olly … please. I want to go.”
He laughed and took her hand. “Later. We’ve only just arrived.” He unlocked the front door and pulled her into the house. “You know, for what it’s worth, Nancy and Tyler agree with me; they think you should get some distance from Winter too. Clear your head. Isn’t that what you wanted?” He didn’t wait for an answer and, heart thudding, Inca stepped into the house after him.
The entire inside was painted white. Everything.
Inca swallowed. For some reason, the starkness of the décor scared her and made her uneasy. The outside walls were dark, stone and wood, giving no clue to this blankness inside. Olly was talking, leading her around the place. There was very little furniture, the few pieces there were, were covered in white sheets. Inca started to feel disconnected to the world outside.
She walked to one of the windows and looked out at the view. The windows felt thick and unbreakable; the view seemed a long way away as if she were looking at it through a telescope even though the perspective was all wrong.
“Inca? I thought you wanted to get away—after all, that’s what you told Luna, isn’t it? That’s why you were looking at apartments in the city—you remember when you were attacked? Reminds me, did Tommaso ever explain himself about that?”
She gaped at him. “What has Tommaso got anything to do with that? It happened before I even met him.”
Olly rolled his eyes. “You really are blinkered when it comes to that waste of space, you know? Anyway,” he interrupted whatever she was about to say. “Let’s go upstairs. I want to show you the master bedroom.”
He made her walk up the stairs in front of him, motioning to a door to the left of the staircase. The master bedroom was huge, with a dressing room and walk in closet, an ensuite bathroom, and a bed. A huge bed, made up with white sheets, white pillows. And on the nightstand, a picture frame. Inca walked over and picked it up. A photo of her, smiling, looking away from the camera. She recognized the photo; it had been taken by Nancy on her last birthday.
“You took this from my home?” She held up the frame, her eyes filling with tears. Olly smiled, seeming oblivious to her distress.
“Just to help make it homey. Hey, look at this.” He walked out of the room to another down the long hallway. He threw open the door—another white, blank room. He wrapped his arms around her, tightening his hold as she tried to pull away. “And next door, Inca, don’t you think, it’s the perfect space for a nursery? For when we have kids.”
Inca wriggled violently out of his embrace, trembling so badly she stumbled a little as she pushed her way out into the hallway. Olly caught her up, grabbing her arm and turning her to face him. His expression was confused.
“Inca, what’s wrong?”
Inca felt anger roil up inside her. “Olly … are you kidding me? You’re talking as if we’re together … I’m not moving here, Olly. I’m not moving in with you.” She started down the stairs but Olly grabbed her arm.
“Why do you always have to do this? I try to do something nice for us and …”
“Olly, you’re hurting me.”
“I don’t care. I want to know what your problem is.”
She twisted her arm from his grip and turned to face him. “My problem is you, Olly, telling me how to live my life, buying a freaking house ‘for us to live in.' We are not a couple anymore, Olly; do you understand that?”
His face twisted in anger. “I understand that you can’t make up your mind, but I won’t wait forever, Inca. Either you want this, or you don’t.”
She shook her head. “Fuck you, Olly. You were the one who ended things between us. You. And now, I am grateful for it because this is crazy. You are out of your mind.”
“I’m out of my mind? Me? I’m not the one fucking two brothers, Inca.” His voice was granite. She swallowed the shame, flushing. Luna had told him—was that the reason for this insanity?
“It’s none of your business who I fuck.” Her voice was bitter now. “I’m just glad it’s no longer you.” Her voice shook on the word, and she clenched her fists up to calm herself. “God, is this why you bought the Sakura apartment out from under me? To leave me homeless so I would have no choice but to move in with you?”
He smiled. “You found out.”
She wanted to slap the grin off his smug face. “Who are you, Olly? You are not the man I’ve known my whole life. Who the fuck are you?”
Olly moved so quickly she didn’t have time to react. He pulled her into his arms, holding her as she struggled, grinding his mouth onto hers. Inca was breathless, and terrified. Olly scooped her into his arms and carried her back to the master bedroom. He dropped her onto the vast bed and as she struggled against him, he put his whole weight on top of her, kissing her with a ferocity she found terrifying. It was only when he stood and started to unbuckle his belt that she could move.
Inca rolled to the other side of the bed, kicking his hand away when he reached for her leg. She managed to get off the bed and tried to sprint for the door but he caught her. Petrified, she waited for his next assault.
To her shock, he dropped to his knees, pressing his face into her belly briefly and then drew away, tears in his eyes.
“I’m sorry. It’s just … I love you, Inca. I’m in love with you. And I want to make you happy.”
Inca couldn’t speak. Olly got to his feet and smiled down at her. “You don’t have to say anything back. Just know, I’m yours. For all time.”
The change in his manner threw her. Guilt, fear, confusion. She pulled away from his grip.
“Olly … I would like to go home now.”
He looked sad. “Are you sure? I’ve so much more to show you.”
She didn’t react, and he gave a martyred sigh. “I’ll take you home.”
Back in Willowbrook, Inca didn’t hesitate. She called Tommaso and Raffaelo, then went straight to the police station and lodged a formal complaint with Knox. Knox was shocked.
Inca held her head up high, but her voice shook. “I can show you the bruises, Knox.”
Soon, the police were looking for Olly, and a raging Raffaelo and Tommaso were having to be held back from ‘helping’ them.
“The sooner we get to Italy, the be
tter,” Tommaso raged, but Raffaelo just put his arm around Inca.
“I think Inca’s probably had enough of men telling her what to do,” he chided his brother gently, and Tommaso nodded. He stroked Inca’s cheek.
“I’m sorry, bella.”
Inca leaned into his touch. “It’s okay.” She was hyper-aware of the other deputies trying not to stare at the three of them, at their obvious dynamic. “I feel the same. I don’t want to be here anymore.”
It was after midnight before Luna let herself into Knox’s apartment. Since Scarlett’s murder, they had become close—just friends, Knox was still grieving—and Knox had given her a key so that she would have a safe space to come to. She greeted him with a grin, waving a bottle of scotch.
“I saw all the activity at the station—Inca causing trouble again? A bribe. Spill it.”
Knox slumped onto the couch, patting the seat beside him. “You know it’s private police business. I could get into a lot of trouble …” He laughed as she kissed his cheek. “You’re going to have to try harder than that.” He tried to make his face disapproving, and she snickered.
“How about I show you a boob? No?” She feigned hurt, and he tugged on a lock of her hair.
“Seriously, look, I do have something to tell you, and it’s not going to be easy to hear.”
She studied his face, her own expression troubled now. “Okay.”
Knox took a deep breath. “Olly attacked Inca. He tried to rape her, I’m sorry … don’t cry.”
“God … I knew he was cracking up, but this … tell me everything.”
So, in a halting voice, he told her everything Inca had told him.
“Knox!” Luna was up now, hands at her mouth. “Tell me, really, is she okay?”
Knox grabbed her hand and pulled her down into his arms. “She really, really, is. She said to tell you she’s fine, just a bit shaken up. Winter seems to be taking … care of her.”
Taking over was what he’d been about to say, but he didn’t want to worry Luna. Knox had studied the man closely for the first time since they’d met, his huge physical presence, his intense manner. His brother seemed even more intense than Tommaso. Knox made a note to talk to Inca about that next time she was alone.
“Hey, you still here?” Luna waved a hand in front of his eyes. Her own eyes were still troubled. “So, where’s Olly?”
“We don’t know. He never went home. God, Luna … I’m so sorry.”
“What did he want? Olly, I mean. He knows it’s over between them so … what the hell was he thinking?”
Knox had no answer for her.
Inca went to see Nancy and Tyler and then went home with Tommaso and Raffaelo. She needed to be with them tonight, and they seemed more than delighted to have her there. They sat up talking, sipping warming scotch, making plans for Italy. They would leave in a few weeks, they decided.
“I want to find a job there, though,” Inca told them determinedly. “I don’t want to be a kept woman.”
“There’ll be plenty of opportunities open to you,” Tommaso said smoothly, sliding his hand onto the back of her neck and kneading the sore muscles there. “In the meantime …”
They took her to bed, in Raffaelo’s room this time, and they made love slowly, sensually. Inca was made to come again and again as they took turns to fuck her, before falling asleep in each other’s arms.
He had crept past the security guards, almost smirking at their lax vigilance. He’d nearly been seen by one of the other staff, though, and he’d ducked behind a column as the man pulled a cigarette out and lit it. The smoker wandered off, and the watcher took his chance and stole in the open door. He padded quietly through the silent mansion, up the grand staircase, checking each room. They were all empty, except the last one.
Inca lay naked and beautiful between both brothers. They were turned towards her; Raffaelo facing her, his lips almost on hers; Tommaso behind her, his lips on her shoulder. All three looked to be asleep. The watcher was entranced by the vision; all three were so beautiful that they looked like a painting.
He fingered the knife in his pocket. He had come here to kill her but now, seeing this, he’d never get near her. Even if he killed one of the brothers first, their ripped athletic bodies meant the other would wake and he’d be a dead man before the knife touched Inca.
Whore.
Fucking both brothers? His own cock twitched as he pictured it, then, as Inca moaned softly, he stepped back into the shadow and watched her. She opened her eyes and stared at Raffaelo Winter before closing the distance between them and kissing him. His eyes opened and he smiled as her lips met his.
“Ti amo,” he heard him whisper. Inca moved then, pushing Raffaelo onto his back and straddling him. The watcher felt his groin clench as he watched her lower herself onto Winter’s huge, erect cock, and begin to move gently. Tommaso awoke then and he saw him smile at them.
“Starting without me?”
Inca held out her hand to him, and he sat up, his mouth finding her breast. It was hypnotic watching the three of them and when Tommaso slid from the bed and moved around to take Inca, his cock thrusting deep into her ass as Raffaelo’s plunged ever deeper into her cunt, his own grew painfully erect. What he would give to join them …
He snuck away regretfully while they were still fucking and was able to get back down to his car parked along the road. Really, their security was laughable but, he supposed, with the three of them being inseparable—literally—he guessed they thought they were safe.
How wrong they were …
In the morning, Inca opened up the Sakura. It was still painful to be there, and she felt nothing but relief that soon she would be in Italy. Last night had been the clincher—after making love with Tommaso and Raffaelo, she knew she couldn’t be anywhere they were not. She had called Mindy first thing that morning and asked her to list the business for sale. She would sell, give Nancy and Tyler back their investment plus some major interest, then live on the rest while she was in Italy. Despite her protestations, she didn’t really want to work in Italy—she wanted to explore, learn Italian, discover more about her loves, spend every waking moment with them.
My loves … how wildly different her life had become since she’d met the two brothers—how wildly different she herself had become. A wanton woman, she said to herself and grinned.
“You’re cheerful.” Luna didn’t look happy as she came into the Sakura and Inca’s smile faded.
“Luna, look, I’m sorry that I had to tell Knox about what Olly …”
Luna held up her hand. “Please, don’t. It’s okay. What he did is unforgivable, even if he is my brother. Though I would like to know from you what exactly happened.”
Inca told her about the house, how Olly had behaved, about her things being stolen. By the end, Luna had to sit down, and Inca felt bad for telling her.
“I don’t know why he’s suddenly behaving like this. I’m so sorry, Inca.”
Inca was uncomfortable. “Let’s not talk about it. Even though I am so pissed at him, I hope he’s okay. Maybe he’s just …” She stopped talking, but Luna half-smiled.
“Say it. Maybe he’s having a psychotic break. Just like his little sister.”
“No, I …”
“Inca, it’s okay. Sometimes these things are genetic and, in a way, I hope that’s what he is having. Let’s be real honest here. Do you recognize this Olly? Is he the same man you grew up with and had a relationship with?”
Inca shook her head and Luna nodded. “Remember when I had my breakdown? Did I seem different to you?”
“You did. I remember thinking Luna has disappeared. It was scary—obviously not as much as for you and Olly but I felt like you’d died in some way.” Inca felt tears prick her eyes.
Luna sighed. “That’s how I felt. I was no longer me. And maybe, I think, Olly is going through the same thing. I think it’s been going on a while. I think it’s the reason he broke up with you, I really do. He’s unstable.”
“God.” Inca was choked up, but she got up and made some tea to cover it. “What a fucking mess.”
“Indeed. Look.” Luna got up. “I don’t think Olly meant any harm; I really don’t. I know he scared you.”
“He lied to me as well, Luna.”
“I know. He lied to me too. Look, shall we open up and distract ourselves? Knox will tell us if they find anything.”
Luna had been trying to call Knox all day. At seven o’clock, frustrated, she shoved her cell phone in her pocket and strode over to the police station. Fred, one of the deputies, greeted her.
“Hey, Knox here? I’ve been trying to get hold of him all day.”
Fred shook his head. “Got called into the city. They’ve got some big break in the murders and wanted to know what Knox knew.”
Luna frowned. “Surely they have records?”
Fred shrugged. “Can’t say I know too much. Knox went harin’ outta here this morning; haven’t heard a thing since. Looked pretty tense.”
“Okay, thanks. I’ll be across the road if he comes back.”
“Sure thing.”
She returned to the Sakura and shook her head. Inca sighed. “We’ll just have to wait some more.”
A few minutes later, Tyler came in, breathless and frantic.
“Either of you seen Nancy? She didn’t come home, and I can’t get hold of her. She was meant to be home an hour ago.”
Luna gave a short laugh. “Maybe she’s with Knox. He’s been AWOL all day too.”
Tyler didn’t smile, his face creased with worry, and Inca went to him. “Look, I’m sure she’s just gone to get groceries or something. Come have some coffee and we’ll wait for her.”
Tyler hesitated, glancing over to the police station across the street. Finally, he sighed, still antsy, and sat on one of the bar stools. “Okay. Maybe you could try her from your landline?”
Inca nodded, casting a concerned look at Luna. She poured him some coffee and went out the back to try and call Nancy. Luna rubbed Tyler’s back, trying to comfort him.
Dr. Orgasm (A Holiday Romance Collection Book 2) Page 30
