by Dale Mayer
“If you did, it’s all muscle,” Anders said. “Because no way in hell are you fat.”
“True,” she said. “But I’m not a thin teenager either.”
Chapter 10
As she walked in and shut the bathroom door, she thought she heard Anders mutter something about being all woman. She locked the door, stripped down and stepped under the hot shower.
She kept her hair pinned up in back as there was no time to dry it. She felt so much better once she had cleaned up. She redressed in her underwear, knowing the items in her bag weren’t any fresher and then wondered if she’d left underwear in one of the drawers in this bedroom. But first she needed to find out if the dresses would fit.
She tried on the blue one, but it was too tight across the bosom. Frowning, she tried on the next one, which had a fluid flowing style, but it tugged, and she wasn’t happy with the material. The third one, on the other hand, was a simple black wear-everywhere dress. With that on, she studied her reflection and smiled. This would do just fine.
She opened the bathroom door and stepped into the bedroom. There was silence in the room. She glanced around and frowned. “What?”
Anders hopped to his feet. “Nothing. We haven’t seen you in anything half as nice as what you’re currently wearing, and I think we’re all in shock.”
She rolled her eyes at him. Then her gaze lit on her bags. “Oh, excellent.” She opened her bag and retrieved a toiletry bag, delighted when she found clean underwear. With her finds, she walked back into the bathroom, changed her underwear, scooped up her dirty clothes into the laundry hamper and proceeded to put on a little makeup.
When she walked back out the second time, it was to head straight for her closet. “I need shoes.”
“And you’re bringing up another point,” Anders said. “None of us have formal attire.”
She looked at him. “I’m so sorry.”
He frowned. “Why?”
“I was being very selfish,” she said. “I was only thinking of me.” She glanced back at her bag, walked over and brought out clean slacks and a shirt. “If I wear these, you’ll fit right in.”
Anders stared at her in surprise. Then Reyes said, “And, if you do that, you will hurt us immensely.”
She stared at him. “Why?”
“Because looking at you is a wonderful sight,” he said warmly. “And the four of us are dressed as we always dress, so it’s not a case of one of us in a suit or a tux. We’re all dressed the same. You, on the other hand, should enjoy wearing beautiful clothes because we’re enjoying looking at you in the beautiful clothes.”
She flushed at his compliments and gave a self-conscious shrug. “But, if I wear these”—holding up her best clothes from her bag—“we’re all the same.”
Anders shot her a warm grin. “You will always be a light shining brighter than the rest of us, my dear.”
She sighed. “Don’t tell me that line works for you.”
Reyes chuckled. “Anders can get away with all kinds of stuff when he wants to. He definitely has a silver tongue.”
She thought about what they had said and realized they were right. “I guess it doesn’t make that much difference what I wear.” She refolded her best work clothes, put them back into her bag and returned to the closet. “I still have to find shoes to wear with this dress though.” She came out with a pair of flat sandals and a pair of black stilettos.
“Black stilettos,” Anders said immediately.
She narrowed her gaze at him. “Don’t get any ideas.”
“What ideas?”
She sighed, slipped them on, buckled them up and took a few steps. “They still fit.”
“They look great,” he said.
Just then a knock was heard at the door, and Harrison and Dezi were found on the other side. They nodded to Reyes. “We’ve got your stuff in your room. I suggest both of you come with us. We’ve got our bags in the hallway.”
“Anders stays with me,” Angelica said, her voice hard.
Everyone froze. They turned to look at Anders.
Anders looked at her with his hands in his pockets. “Care to explain?”
She gave him a shuttered look. “I won’t sleep alone in this house.”
He studied her for a long moment, then nodded slowly. “In that case, I’ll be sleeping here. But I’ll go with the guys and grab my bags. Is that okay?”
She took a long breath, letting it out shakily, and she nodded. “Yes, go get your bags and then come right back please.”
He leaned forward, gave her a gentle kiss on her temple and said, “This will be okay.”
She gave him a bright smile but knew he could see the fear in her eyes, and she nodded. “If you say so.”
“I do.” He turned and walked out, closing the double doors carefully behind him.
*
As they walked down the hall, the men glanced at him in question. He shook his head. “I don’t understand, but I will get to the bottom of it.”
The others nodded. “It doesn’t sound good.”
“I know,” he said. “As a matter of fact, it sounds really ugly. But I don’t want to jump to any conclusions.”
“Understood.”
Thankfully the bedrooms weren’t very far away. They were on the same floor, just down at the other end of the hall. He considered the distance and said, “If somebody wanted to separate us …” He let his voice trail off.
“It’s not that bad though, if you think about it,” Dezi said. “We’re not too far away.”
“No, but if she was alone, I wonder how far away it would seem.”
“The main staircase further divides our rooms from hers,” Harrison said. “When you come up the main stairs, we’re on the right side, and her bedroom is on the left.”
“And it is interesting that they put all of us on the same floor. I imagine at least a dozen bedrooms are here, between the second and third floors.”
“I know, and whether it’s just because of her nerves or whatever unknown undercurrents are going on, I don’t trust him at all.”
“I didn’t trust him the minute I heard he was openly having affairs. Whether those women—or girls, as the case may be—were willing parties to it all, which it sounds like they were, it’s hardly appropriate.”
“It doesn’t do anything for fostering healthy father-daughter relationships, that’s for sure,” Dezi said. “And there’s obviously a lot of bad blood. But I am looking forward to meeting the grandfather.”
“Right,” Anders said. “Sounds like he’s a character and a half.”
Grabbing their bags, the men freshened up.
They finalized their plans, and Anders said, “Okay, I’m heading to her room. Then I think we’re expected for dinner soon.”
“Do we have a time frame? Or a gong or something that rings through the house?”
“I can text you when we’re ready to leave her room.”
On that note he returned to her room. He knocked on the door and waited for her to open them. When she didn’t answer, he frowned and opened the door, stepping in. She came out of the bathroom, saw him and he could see her fear instantly relaxing. “We’ll have to talk about this, you know?”
She shrugged. “Not a whole lot to talk about.”
“Was it just your father who came in?”
She took a deep breath and nodded. “He’s the only one who ever made it in. He did send a couple of his cronies up one night, hoping I would make their stay pleasant.”
Anders stared at her in shock. He took one step forward and said, “Are you saying your father sexually abused you?”
She shook her head. “He tried. I guess, if he had really wanted to, he should have done it when I was a lot younger. I was old enough to understand what he was trying to do. I raised cane, and my mother came in. That was the start of the end of their relationship. Although it took much longer to completely break apart.”
“Why didn’t your mother go to the police?”
<
br /> “I’m sure Carlo manipulated her or just plain threatened her so that she wouldn’t file a report with the police. But I didn’t either,” she said. “I was fourteen and scared, worried, upset.” She raised both hands, palms up. “I don’t even know how to explain what I felt. But he never tried it again.”
“And yet, he sent some of his cronies up?”
“That was two years later,” she said. “I was home from boarding school, and they were having a grand old time in his sitting room, drinking. Next thing I know, both men were at my bedroom door. They screamed foul when I wouldn’t open it for them. They said they’d been told I would make their night perfect.”
“Did your father try it after that?”
“Next morning at breakfast, I told him what I thought of his antics. He said it was just a test to see if I’d finally grown up enough to understand what women were for.”
Anders took her in his arms. “That’s why you won’t sleep alone?”
She nodded. “I don’t sleep well here,” she said, “and I’m exhausted and stressed. I need to sleep tonight.”
He held her close, kissed the tip of her nose gently and said, “Well, I’m not sure that having me stay in your bedroom will guarantee any sleep, but I’ll do the best I can.”
She smiled. “Meaning that, if we’re together, we won’t sleep?”
He flicked the tip of her nose with his finger. “Based on our past kisses … exactly.”
She chuckled. “Maybe that will energize me. Then I won’t be quite so tired and worn out. Whenever I see—or even think—of him, my back goes up, and I feel like I’m fighting everything.”
“You don’t have to fight on your own. I’m here, remember?”
She gave him a grateful smile. “I’ve been fighting him by myself for a long time.”
“That may be but not any longer.” He glanced at his watch. “Now, when is dinner?”
Just then a big gong rang through the house. She sighed. “Another relic of days gone by. That means dinner is served. And we’re to show up in the dining room now.”
“No drinks before dinner?” he asked with a chuckle. “I figured for sure that would be more proper.”
“It is on special occasions,” she said. “But tonight is not a special occasion.”
“I think we’ve been downgraded.” At that, he laughed and held out an arm. “Shall I escort you to dinner, my dear?”
She chuckled, and they walked out the double doors of her bedroom. She stopped outside, locked the doors and put the key inside her bra.
“You lock it when you’re home?”
She gave him a guarded look. “Always.”
And she led the way to the dining room.
Chapter 11
As she walked into the dining room, all the men walking behind her, her gaze landed on Carlo first, then slipped to the side to see her grandfather already seated at the table. “Granddad!” she cried out as she bent to hug the man. He was so much frailer than the last time she’d seen him.
He patted her arms gently and kissed her cheek. “Oh my, aren’t you a sight for sore eyes,” he said with a chuckle.
She straightened, still holding his hands and smiled down at him.
“You’re still as beautiful as ever,” he said.
She grinned. “Hardly, Granddad. But you’re looking mighty fine yourself.”
His gaze landed on the men behind her. He frowned slightly. “I didn’t realize we were having that many for dinner.”
“These are my friends, Granddad,” she said.
His smile warmed up. “In that case, I’m very pleased to meet you.” He struggled to his feet.
As if realizing it was a point of pride, the men let him stand, and they shook his hand, introducing themselves. She motioned where everybody should sit. When they all took their places, Carlo sat at the head of the table. He hadn’t bothered to listen to the introductions, and neither would he have shaken their hands. They were beneath him as far as he was concerned.
As soon as they were all seated, Peter carried in trays of food. Instead of plates placed in front of them, he put the trays on a small cart, making several trips as he brought the cart over, then asked everybody what they wanted. As soon as the food was served, he removed the cart and disappeared from sight.
Anders looked at her. She smiled, reached for her fork and knife, and dug in.
Dinner was a quiet affair. Anders and his men remained silent as Angelica talked with her grandfather. Carlo stayed quiet throughout their discussion too. Finally her grandfather finished his meal, laid down his knife and fork, glanced at each of the four men, then turned back to her. “Now tell me why you’re here.”
She gave him a sweet smile. “Can’t I come to visit you?”
“Any time you want to,” he said. “But that’s not why you came.”
She shook her head. “You’re right. Apparently Carlo has done something that’s put my life in danger.”
Her grandfather stared at her.
She nodded gently. “I was working in Switzerland, and these men literally climbed the glacier to the huts where I was taking my latest readings and escorted me here. We were attacked twice on the way home.”
She stopped abruptly, realizing that her grandfather’s glazed look was a little deeper, a little harder than she’d imagined. She reached over and gripped his hand. “It’s okay. I’m fine.”
He put his hand on his chest, staring at her.
“I’m sorry,” she said. “I wasn’t going to tell you.”
“I might be old,” he said gently, “but I am not stupid. It’s obvious something is going on.”
“Well, there definitely is,” she said. “But, of course, Carlo won’t tell me anything.”
Her grandfather turned and looked at his son.
Angelica knew a lot of hard feelings existed between the two men. But, as a whole, they always kept the peace in public. She waited to see what either would do here and now.
“Carlo, is that true?” her grandfather asked, his voice strident, hard, with overtones of the much younger, stronger man he used to be.
Carlo lifted his nose in the air, not saying a word.
Angelica gave Carlo a drawn look. “I see he listens as well to you as he does to me.”
“That will be enough out of you,” Carlo snapped. “This is business and is way beyond your comprehension.”
She chuckled. “Still trying to convince me that I don’t know anything because I’m female, that I can’t learn anything because I’m female, that I’m completely useless because I’m female?”
“All women have their uses,” he said with a snide tone of voice. “But you will never be privy to my business.”
“And yet, you went to a great deal of effort to get me to your home again. Was a vote on weapons even involved? Or all a cover? But, if so, then why?” she asked. She picked up her water and took a sip. “You don’t give a damn if I live or die. I’m a thorn in your side, so why don’t you just let them kill me?”
He glared at her. “That’s utter nonsense. And definitely not an appropriate discussion for the dinner table.”
“Oh, you mean, for the company? Or are you trying to protect Granddad? Or perhaps you think these men don’t know or don’t need to know the details. However, as they’re the ones who saved my life twice so far, I think they’re entitled to an explanation. I know I certainly am.”
“But again,” Carlo snapped, “you’re not getting one.”
“But I will,” her grandfather replied, straightening his back and staring his son down. “Regardless of your current status as an MP, this is my property, and this is my lineage you’re destroying. I will have an explanation.”
Carlo waved his hand as if her grandfather’s words meant nothing. “You’re one foot in the grave anyway, so just put the other one in and make us all happy.”
Her grandfather stared at him in shock. “What has happened to you, Carlo?”
“Too much excess,”
Angelica said. “Excess money, excess women, excess booze, and God only knows what else. Carlo is an overindulgent, entitled child. And he certainly doesn’t deserve the lifestyle he’s been living.”
“That is enough,” Carlo roared, slamming down his knife and fork. “You will behave yourself in polite company.”
“If you were polite company, I would,” she said completely unfazed. She glanced at Carlo to see him vibrating with rage. Good. It wouldn’t be too much longer, and he’d explode. At that point maybe they’d get some answers. She glanced around the room, caught every man’s gaze, Anders and his men ever watchful, waiting for an explanation. Her gaze met Anders’s.
He studied her, ever supportive but silent. Waiting for her to make her move.
She gave him a tiny smile and said, “How long is it you expect me to stay here, Carlo?”
He glared at her. “It doesn’t matter where you stay. You can leave now if you want to. What do I care if you die?”
“If I die? Or have you done something to make sure I die?” She studied his face intently, catching a whisper of something as it slipped through his gaze before he stared at her, his anger that of an injured man.
“I have never done anything to hurt you,” he roared. “Why do you persist on seeing me as some kind of a demon?”
“I don’t know about a demon,” she said, “but you’re certainly not an honorable and just man. That you are an elected official is beyond belief. It goes more to your birthright than any sense of morality on your part. And, for that, I guess you should be thanking Granddad.”
“I want to know the truth,” her grandfather snapped. “Carlo, what exactly is going on?”
“I won’t tell you,” Carlo answered. “And certainly not when we have strangers at the table.”
“Strangers who saved my life,” she said, leaning back in her chair as she studied Carlo. “I still don’t quite understand what’s going on here. Because the only reason you would want to save me were if something was in it for you.”
