Only His Touch: Part One (The Untouched Series Book 4)

by Lilly Wilde

  “Because you’re my little sister, and because I didn’t want you to see the side of him we all saw. I wanted you to follow your dreams, and not just play a part in someone else’s.”

  “I can’t believe it. A small part of me had hoped it was because he trusted my judgment,” she said, in a small voice.

  “Don’t ever kid yourself into believing anything like that when it comes to him,” Aiden said bitterly.

  “I knew Dad could be stubborn and bossy, but what I overheard, it was like he was someone I didn’t know,” she said.

  “That was nothing, Allison. You have no idea how far he goes to get what he wants.”

  “Someone needs to put an end to it. It may just be me,” she replied, her words heated with anger.

  “Don’t try to go head-to-head with him. You’re not ready for that. And besides, if you push him too far, he’s going to cut you off.”

  “You have your own money. More than enough to spot me a loan so I can continue to live in the style to which I’m accustomed.”

  Aiden chuckled. “Oh, is that right?”

  “Yes.”

  “You know, Allie, this just may be the time for you to think about your future. Branch out, and be your own person, independent of this shit.”

  They were silent again and then Allison said, “Maybe you’re right.”

  “Just forget what you heard. Move to New York and be happy.”

  “But what about you? You’re not happy. And what do I tell Aria?”

  “I am happy, Allie. And as for Aria, you won’t tell her anything.”

  Was he fucking kidding? Did we not just have a very painful discussion about trust? How dare he do this to us…again!

  “I have to tell her something,” Allison said.

  “Just tell her she misread some things, and that my involvement with the company is temporary.”

  “What are you hiding? Why are you lying to her?”

  “Allison, I’m not lying to her,” he replied.

  “Well, what do you call it?” she asked.

  I wondered the same thing.

  “Aren’t there things you’ve done you wish no one knew?” Aiden asked, his tone filled with remorse. “Things you know would change someone’s view of you, or would push someone away?”

  “Well, yeah. I guess. Is that what you’re afraid of? That she won’t feel the same about you?”

  “Maybe. My relationship with Aria isn’t at a point where I would feel comfortable telling her some of this. So for the sake of my keeping her, just do as I say.”

  “This sounds big. And I have a feeling that if she leaves this time, she isn’t coming back.”

  “That’s what I’m afraid of,” Aiden replied.

  “I’m trying to help you. Let me,” she pleaded. “You’ve always looked out for me. Made everything better.”

  “I’m your big brother. It’s what I’m supposed to do.”

  “And he’s my dad. Not some controlling dictator who blackmails his kids.”

  “I didn’t want you to know this side of him. I wanted you to have some normalcy. I wanted you to look at him like a daughter should look at her father.”

  “Who are you kidding?” she asked. “I’ve never done that.”

  “Yeah, but you never had the complete veil of truth removed until now. I didn’t want that for you.”

  “See, this is why you’re my favorite.”

  “So I’m still your favorite?” he asked.

  “Always and forever,” she replied.

  “Our childhood motto,” Aiden said.

  “Yup, that we’d always be here for each other—that we’d always have each other’s backs, no matter what…always and forever.”

  “And that still stands,” Aiden said.

  “I know. So you obviously have a plan. What is it? What are you going to do?” she asked.

  “The only thing a man like Connor Raine can understand. He claims all of his ploys and efforts are for family. Let’s see how he copes when family does to him what he’s done to family.”

  “Aiden, don’t forget he’s our father.”

  “I won’t. Just like he didn’t forget I’m his son.”

  “It sounds like you’re going to start a war with our dad. This is a bad idea, Aiden.”

  “Duly noted.”

  “And Aria’s gonna be pissed,” she said.

  “Don’t you think I know that?”

  “Then why risk it? Why do this?”

  “Because I don’t have a choice!” he blasted.

  “There’s always a choice, Aiden. You’ve taught me that.”

  “Yeah, not in this case. Not with Aria.”

  “You’re going to lose her,” Allison warned. “And after everything you’ve gone through to get back to each other, I can’t say I’d blame her if she left this time.”

  Before he could say anything to defend his decision, Allison walked out the door. She was shocked to find me standing outside Aiden’s office. She mouthed I’m sorry and then she disappeared into the foyer. A few seconds later, I heard the front door close.

  Secrets, threats, and blackmail—those strategies weren’t anything new to Aiden. He’d used threats and blackmail to even control me in the past…and he’d felt perfectly justified in doing so. So while Aiden and Connor’s dynamic may have surprised Allison, it didn’t surprise me in the least. This was just another day to Aiden.

  The conversation I’d just overheard pretty much confirmed a couple of things—Aiden had devised a calculated plot against his father, and it not only threatened to break Connor, but to break Aiden and me as well. I knew I couldn’t talk to Aiden about any of this—at least not yet. He wasn’t planning to tell me anything, anyway. And If I asked, he’d just give me more half-truths. He was knowingly placing our relationship at risk. Did he not value me enough? Value us enough to be honest? To let all of the drama with Connor go? He was apparently fine with lying to me and was advocating for Allison to do the same. This was the Aiden I had to determine if I could be with. All of this, regardless of his reasons, was who he was. Could I accept that? I stepped away from the door pondering the answer to that question. And if the answer was no, how could I possibly live without him?

  Chapter Nine

  The next morning, Aiden and I awoke at the crack of dawn. He gave a sleeping Lyric a good-bye kiss and then it was my turn.

  “Don’t be sad,” Aiden said, once we were in the foyer. “I’ll be back in no time.”

  I reached up and traced a finger along the line of his jaw. Although Aiden was standing directly in front of me, I felt bereft already. “I love you.”

  “I love you more,” he said. He pulled me to his chest and wrapped his arms around me—I didn’t want to let go. When he finally released me, he kissed my forehead, and promised we’d do something special when he returned, and then he walked out the front door.

  I traipsed back to bed after that, but I couldn’t sleep, so I pretty much stared at the ceiling, following the grid patterns back and forth, until Lyric pulled me out of my reverie.

  After feeding him and getting him settled, I tried again to listen to the video Allison had sent to me. For some reason, it still wouldn’t load on my phone, so I forwarded it to my email, and went to my office.

  At my desk, with wracked nerves, I awakened my laptop and opened my email. It felt wrong to have eavesdropped on Aiden’s conversation last night, and this was just more of the same. Part of me thought better of listening to the recording for just that reason. Then there was another part of me that was hesitant for fear of what I’d hear.

  I stared at the computer screen, warring with myself, contemplating the sense of right and wrong and then wondering if I should let it all go. After a minute or two more, my curiosity won out. Taking a deep breath and then slowly exhaling my worry, I pressed the play arrow.

  There were some shuffling noises, and then the image of the ceiling in Conno
r’s office appeared on the screen. A few seconds later, the conversation started.

  “The only thing that matters to you anymore is Aria. And Lyric of course,” Connor said.

  “As it should be,” Aiden solemnly replied.

  “Don’t get me wrong. Your devotion to them is commendable. You’ve shown me how important they are to you. Hell, you’ve shown all of us. But who are we kidding here? This zero tolerance you have for Raine Industries isn’t going to last. You may object to your role with this company, but it’s who you are. It’s in your blood. You can’t run from it any more than you can run from your mother and me.”

  “I don’t have anything to prove to you. You can think whatever you want, I told you—I’m done,” Aiden said.

  “Why do you think you’re so good at this? It’s because you were born for it. All the news articles about your talent, about your business model…Ivy League Schools have fashioned their business curriculums from derivatives of your Harvard thesis. This is your purpose, son. Truth be told, your only real opposition to this is your opposition to me.”

  “You always seem to think you know your children better than we know ourselves,” Aiden said. “And that fool logic backfires on you time and time again.”

  “Is there zero truth to my logic?” Connor asked.

  “I will give you this much—you hit the nail on the head with the bit about the opposition,” Aiden said. “I was invigorated by my position, but there’re certain aspects of it that have given me a distaste for it.”

  “Distaste for it? Or distaste for me?” Connor asked.

  “Does it matter? It’s one in the same. And it’s enough to make me walk away and never look back.”

  “And do what? Aria fell in love with a rich, powerful man—not some charity organizer. Do you really think she’s going to stick around for a guy who raises money for music in his spare time? Don’t be ridiculous, Aiden.”

  “You’re projecting, Dad. You have the misguided notion that Aria is materialistic like Mother. It’s actually quite sad that you’ve accepted that she only sticks around because of what you are instead of who you are.”

  There was a short, brittle silence.

  “This is our dynamic—the one we always fall back to, isn’t it? I pull, you push. We argue. We exchange insults. Yet, the end is the same, Aiden.”

  “Not this time,” Aiden said.

  “I wouldn’t be so sure.”

  “If this is what you summoned me for,” Aiden said. “it’s proved to be a huge waste of my time.”

  “I need your help,” Connor said. “Raine Industries needs your help.”

  “You’ve told me that. And I’ve said, no,” Aiden replied dryly. “So, if that’s all.”

  “Is this because of Aria? Are you worried she’ll walk away if you come back to what you really love?”

  Aiden didn’t respond.

  “Maybe I should talk to her. Maybe give her more of an insight as to who Aiden Raine really is.”

  “What the hell is that supposed to mean?” Aiden asked.

  “You know exactly what it means,” Connor replied.

  “So you’re going to blackmail me into working for you?”

  “Blackmail is such a nasty word, son. This is just a way to persuade you back to your senses.”

  “I know you haven’t considered every angle of that threat.”

  “What makes you think that?” Connor asked.

  “If you had, we wouldn’t be having this discussion,” Aiden replied.

  “So…is that how you plan to play this? With threats?”

  “Just taking a page from your play book,” Aiden replied, in a flippant tone.

  “I have a few threats of my own, son.”

  “You don’t want me as an adversary. I assure you.”

  “You’re right. I don’t,” Connor replied. “So let’s determine a way to make this work for both of us.”

  “I’m out of here. I don’t have time for this. But I need to make it perfectly clear…you are to stay away from Aria. No more of your calculated visits and cryptic messages.”

  There was a brief silence as if Aiden began walking away before Connor called after him.

  “Do you think I’m unaware of your recent acquisition? Of the results of your investigation? What do you think Aria will do once she finds out? Once she learns you still have so many secrets?”

  Aiden didn’t say anything.

  “Ah, so I finally have your attention,” Connor said. “I was hoping it wouldn’t have to come to this, son.”

  “Spare me your bullshit!” Aiden exclaimed. “What do you want?”

  “I need you on that plane to Mumbai tomorrow. If you need to take Aria and Lyric along with you—do it. But either way, you need to handle those negotiations.”

  “You’re just as able-bodied as I am. You do it,” Aiden spit out.

  “You’re the one who’s worked with them, and you’re the one who can secure this deal. Thousands of jobs depend on this.”

  “And if I refuse?”

  “You won’t. You have too much to lose.”

  “Does Mother know about this?” Aiden asked.

  “You’ve never run to your mother before. Why would you do it now?”

  “You know damned well that I resolve any complications with you on my own. And if I were ever in a position to need help, I wouldn’t dare go to her. Not that it would change a damned thing anyway. But since you included her in on your last sordid move, I can’t help but wonder.”

  “Sordid, was it?”

  “What the hell would you call it?” Aiden demanded.

  “I’m not going to rehash the past with you, Aiden. And don’t go pointing a misguided finger at your mother. There wasn’t a need to bring her into this, and there still isn’t. We’re two equally determined men—we can settle this ourselves.”

  “So she doesn’t know, then?”

  “Does Aria know every move you make? Does she know about the string of messes I’ve cleaned up for you?”

  “You’re pulling out every trick you have. You’d do this? To your own son?”

  “You ask that of me when you’ve threatened to destroy my life’s work?” Connor asked, in a raised voice.

  “Obviously you didn’t take me too seriously, or I’d be the last person you’d want on the inside of that company. Aren’t you worried I’ll make good on that threat?”

  “Are you referring to your claim you’ll destroy Raine Industries? Ha. That was anger and the protectiveness of your son talking. That was passion, and I want you to pour that same passion into our company, to make it greater than it already is. We’ve experienced adversity many times. And every time, we’ve come to an amicable resolution. We always have and we always will. We’re family—sometimes families don’t get along. You were angry. I understand that. And once the anger subsides, we’ll make it back to father and son again.”

  Aiden didn’t reply.

  “I’ll have Katrina contact your assistant to get everything lined up for tomorrow.”

  There was an extended silence, followed by Connor’s phone call and then a lot of rumbling. Finally, the video ended.

  I couldn’t believe what I’d heard. Aiden always emerged from those closed door meetings pissed at Connor. Now, I knew why. How could he do this to his own son? And what had Connor meant by secrets? What investigation? And why would I be involved in any way?

  I thought back to my initial suspicions, and then considered everything I’d learned up until now. After a futile attempt to put it all together, I started to wonder what I should do next. Part of me wanted to do exactly as I’d said to Allison…wait and see how it all played out.

  After having eavesdropped on Aiden and Allison’s conversation last night, I was left with even more apprehension. But despite my growing sense of unease, I’d somehow managed to keep quiet. And although Aiden’s conversation with Connor gave me even more reason to wor
ry, I didn’t know if it was wise to bring that up, either. I wasn’t the type to keep quiet for too long though, so it was anyone’s guess as to how this would play out.

  Connor had coerced Aiden into working for him—that much was clear. But what leverage was so compelling it would force Aiden’s hand? And as Aiden had questioned, why would Connor want Aiden at R.I. after he’d threatened to destroy it? Obviously Connor figured he held enough cards to warrant a cease-fire…but I knew different.

  How could Aiden dive right back into what we’d barely clawed our way out of? He’d accused me of not trusting in our love, yet he was now doing the same thing. His actions and his words were contradictions, but in spite of it all, I still wanted him, and I had every intention of protecting our relationship…I just needed to figure out how.

  In the midst of so many unknowns, there was one thing I did know—I didn’t like what this had already done to me. The spying and sneaking…that was not me. I didn’t want to be that person. Aiden and I both wanted trust, but how could we have that if he was keeping things from me, and I, in turn, was spying on him? I wanted to cultivate a trust that allowed us to come to each other with anything…to know that whatever it was—it wouldn’t break us.

  As badly as I wanted Aiden to tell me himself…to be honest with me, I knew that wasn’t going to happen. I stared at the laptop until the screensaver appeared—it was a heartwarming picture of Aiden, Lyric and me at Little Beans Cafe. Sadness—that’s what I felt, because the image on my screen reminded me that pictures and reality don’t always align.

  * * *

  Aiden had been out of town only a few days, but his absence had already started to affect me. I’d found myself thinking back to my time in Belize. Of course it wasn’t under the same circumstances, but I felt some of the same loneliness.

  I missed Aiden more than I’d expected, and I knew Lyric missed him, too. Although Lyric was just down the hall, I didn’t want to be too far from him, and at the same time, I wanted to feel close to his father, so I’d moved Lyric’s bassinette into our bedroom. At times when I held him, he would look up as though expecting his dad to stroll into the room…I’d expected the same thing.

  It was day number six without Aiden, and I was sitting in my home office after just ending a video call with my sisters when he walked in. I hadn’t expected him and I couldn’t believe he was finally home. I rushed over, jumped into his arms, and wrapped my legs around his waist. “Why didn’t you call?” I asked.