by Anne, Melody
“Do you want to go home?” he asked.
“No. I want to forget all about Douglas Monroe and just focus on the fundraiser.
With that, Damien gave her a gentle kiss and led her back to the ballroom where the party was in full-swing. A couple hours passed and Sierra forgot about her worries and started enjoying herself.
Damien disappeared with a group of men who wanted to discuss business, promising he’d come back soon. Sierra wandered around, looking at the items up for auction. She found a beautiful sculpture and decided to bid.
“Are you seriously going to outbid me, Sierra Monroe!”
Sierra finished filling out the bidding paperwork, then turned with a huge smile on her face.
“Every chance I get,” she responded before she leaned forward and gave her best friend a hug.
“Well, I was buying it for you anyway. The second I saw the figurine, it reminded me of our weekend in Canada. That was when I knew we’d be friends the rest of our lives. When you abandoned me on the dance floor with three guys trying to get down my pants –”
“I was drunk, and I’ve apologized a million times,” Sierra said with a laugh.
“Okay, I guess I can forgive you, but really, that weekend was one of the most fun times I’ve ever had. I honestly did know I wanted to be friends forever after that trip,” Bree said.
“Bree, I have to talk to you,” Sierra told her as her eyes welled. She’d put it off because she didn’t want to betray either of them, but if Damien did actually follow through on his threats, and Bree was harmed, Sierra could never forgive herself.
Sierra also knew that once the Anderson’s found out that Damien was their lost relative, they’d embrace him with open arms. He needed them – he just had to realize that. The first step was talking to Bree.
“What is it? You’ve turned as white as a ghost. Let’s go sit down,” Bree said as she took charge, like she always did. Their friendship had worked on so many levels because Bree had been the only person, until Damien, capable of bringing Sierra out of her shell, allowing her to have fun without guilt.
Bree led her to a quiet den and before Sierra could lose her nerve she told her the whole story of how Damien was her relative and what he thought had happened, and what he planned to do.
“I love him, Bree, really love him, and I don’t want to betray him, but I could never betray you, either, because I love you. I’ve been so torn over this whole situation or I would’ve come to you sooner,” Sierra said. She was so afraid Bree would be disappointed in her.
“Hey, stop that! You’ve done nothing wrong. Don’t feel guilt over it. I can’t believe Damien is Neilson’s son. Seriously. Not very long ago, remember me telling you about my Aunt Katherine telling us the story of how she and Joseph met. She also told us about Neilson. Damien’s got it all wrong. His mother wasn’t rejected. She showed up on the front porch, yes, and Aunt Katherine was there all alone. She invited her in, fed her, and gave her a bed. The next morning when she went to find her, she was gone. They searched for years, until they finally had to accept she didn’t want to be found,” Bree said.
“I don’t know if he’ll believe you, Bree.”
“We’ll make him believe – he’s family.” Right there was why Sierra loved Bree so much. She didn’t focus on the fact that Damien wanted to destroy them, take away everything they had. She focused on the happiness of finding a lost relative she never thought she’d find. “I have to tell my dad. Come on,” Bree said with excitement as she pulled Sierra to her feet and the two of them rushed from the room.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Damien’s eyes scanned the crowd for the twentieth time in twenty minutes. He hadn’t seen Sierra since she’d been looking over the auction items, and he was getting ready to seek her out. He knew he didn’t have to be with her twenty-four-seven, but he was concerned her father may have snuck back in. There was strong security present, but still, he felt better having her in his site.
He excused himself from the conversation, then turned around to find Joseph and George Anderson approaching. Years of hatred brewed instantly to life as he eyed the men walking so casually toward him.
This is what you want, he reminded himself as they neared. You want them to feel safe around you. In reality, he’d nearly forgotten all about his vendetta against them during the last few months. Something inside him was shifting the longer he was with Sierra. She was so full of life, and filled his days with laughter and his nights with unbelievable passion. She was changing him, though he wasn’t sure he wanted to change.
“Hello, Damien,” Joseph said as the two men stopped in front of him. Damien was surprised for a moment that Joseph was acting so casual with him. Normally, people speaking for the first time had the courtesy to use last names.
“Joseph,” Damien replied, his voice coming out a little too cold.
“We’re very happy to meet you. Would you like to come with us – there’s something we’d like to discuss that I think would be much better done in private,” Joseph said.
Damien’s mind whirled as he wondered if they’d somehow found out about his plans. He’d been very careful. He didn’t want them knowing until it was too late for them to do anything about it. He felt confident as he nodded his head and followed the men through the crowd.
He was a little annoyed at how people seemed to part for both of them as if they were royalty. If the men and women in the room knew who they truly were, they wouldn’t act with such deference to them. They didn’t deserve it.
Joseph stepped into a private office with George on his heels, and Damien, taking a deep breath, followed. He stopped in the doorway when he saw the other occupants. His eyes narrowed when they connected with Sierra.
As he looked at the faces around him, Joseph, George, Lucas, Trenton, Bree, Sierra, and a couple people he didn’t recognize, his stomach turned.
She’d told them. Sierra had betrayed him. His heart felt like it was shattering inside him. He’d felt like she was special, like she truly cared about him. The evidence was clear. Her loyalties were with his enemies.
“I can see by your face that you’re upset, Damien, but to my brother and I, this is a happy day. We’ve searched for you for years, tried countless times to find you. Your mother came to my Katherine with you wrapped in a blanket, resting in her arms. She was only there one night, and in the morning she was gone. We were unable to track you down,” Joseph said.
Damien looked at him incredulously. The man was a hell of an actor; Damien would have to give him that. Lies! It was all lies. His mother had told him the truth. They’d killed his father and then thrown out a woman in need. Only monsters did that.
“That’s a great story, Joseph, but we both know it’s nothing but fabrication. I’ve always been right here. If you’d truly wanted to find me, you would have. With your limitless fortune and resources, nothing you want can be out of reach. My mother told me the truth. By the look in Bree’s face, over there, it looks like Ms. Monroe has already told her everything, so I don’t really see a need for this farce of a reunion to continue,” Damien said as he glanced for a brief moment at Sierra.
What little color she had left in her face washed away and her expression fell, but he hardened himself against her. She’d betrayed him – he had no use for her anymore.
“Damien, please, I have proof. Your mother left a toy at our home. Katherine saved it. It has the initials D.W. on it, but we didn’t know what that stood for. Your father married her under a fake name, giving you a false identity. We had no idea how to find you, what your mother’s name was, let alone yours. The only clue we had was the toy,” Joseph said.
Damien shifted on his feet. The man made so much sense – but no, he was lying. He had to be lying. There was no way his mother carried that much bitterness around inside her unless her story was true. He couldn’t’ believe Joseph’s story because then it made his mother into a monster.
“I’m done here,” Damien said, his e
motions churning. He had to get out of the room. He turned on his heel and started walking away. He needed some air.
“Damien, wait!” Damien paused in the hallway as he slowly turned, his face giving nothing away.
“What do you want?” he asked Sierra, his voice cold enough to freeze the hall.
“I…I’m sorry. I was trying to do what was right. I know you’re upset right now, but if you’d just listen, you’ll see they really are good peo –”
“Stop. I don’t care. I don’t want to have anything to do with them. I already know who they are and they’re the type to take and take until there’s nothing left to take any more. I thought I knew who you were. I was wrong. You’re fired. Notify my secretary of your address and I’ll have your belongings delivered.”
“But…Damien,” she gasped, tears spilling over as he gave her one last look. He didn’t give her a chance to finish whatever she was going to say. He simply turned and walked away.
Chapter Twenty-Five
“Why do people choose to do this over and over again? I don’t understand how they can bare it,” Sierra said, her voice quiet, her body almost numb. She hadn’t seen Damien in two weeks. The first week she’d cried so often, her face had looked like a white Oompa Loompa from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.
Finally, the tears had stopped and a deep sense of numbness had set in, thankfully. She didn’t smile, didn’t cry, she just sort of existed.
“I promise it will get better. I know this answer sucks, but just give it some time. He’ll come around, you’ll see. You know what, though, if he stays away then he just doesn’t deserve you because he’s a fool. Don’t give up on love. People fall in love over and over because we’re meant to be with someone, meant to have a happily-ever-after. We aren’t solitary creatures. We need a companion, someone to care for us. You will have that, either with Damien or another very lucky guy. Whoever wins you has won the lottery,” Bree said.
“You have to say that, Bree. Thanks anyway, though. I need to get out for a while. I’ve stayed in here feeling sorry for myself for long enough. I’m through with love forever, but I do need to get a life. I have job hunting to do.”
“You can take as long as you want. I love having you stay with me. I’ve been trying to get you to do it forever. Before you start working full-time again, we’ve got to have some play time, please?” Bree begged, a smile on her face.
Sierra could see Bree was trying her hardest to act positive, but she knew her best friend, and knew she was worried. She needed to quit stressing Bree out. She had enough on her plate with her son Mathew and her ever-growing family.
“I’ll be fine, Bree, and I’ll spend as much time with you as possible, but I really want to work. I miss Damien, but I miss my job, too. I enjoyed working for him. I hope to find something similar to that. I’ll just make sure my boss is ugly and old. There’s no way I’m working for a hot guy again,” Sierra vowed.
“They’re not that easy to hide from. I so wasn’t looking for love when my brothers decided I needed a personal bodyguard, but I’m thankful every night I lay down beside him. Don’t give up – love is worth the pain you have to go through sometimes to reach your happy ending.”
“I truly envy you right now, not enough to hate you, just enough to steal your husband,” Sierra joked.
“You don’t even know how those words are music to my ears. I’d loan him to you, but then I’d have to kill you, and I love you too much to do that,” Bree gave right back.
“All right, I guess I won’t flirt shamelessly with him. I can’t promise not to gaze at his incredible chest when we’re all swimming, though.”
“Deal,” Bree said as she laughed. “Don’t worry, I’d be doing the same if the situation were reversed. When Chad comes in from a long run, and his chest is gleaming, I become an animal. I don’t think I’ll ever get enough of that man!”
“Okay, Bree, Damien introduced me to the most earth-shattering, phenomenal feelings in the world, and then took it away. I so don’t want to hear about your amazing sex life,” Sierra said, but she smiled to take the sting from her words.
“You started it,” Bree pouted. “How about we go shopping? That will get you out of the house.”
“That sounds perfect. I have a quick errand I have to run first, so why don’t I do that and then pick you up here in one hour?” Sierra asked.
“That’s great. It’ll give me enough time to shower and change. Mathew decided it would be funny to spill his breakfast all over mommy instead of eating any of it,” Bree replied pointing at the dried milk on her shirt.
“I wondered what that awful smell was…” Sierra joked.
Bree left to get ready and Sierra walked downstairs, climbed in the borrowed car, and started driving to her father’s home. There was one employee still working there, a maid, who Sierra had befriended. The girl had begged Sierra to get away, threatening to turn her father in, but Sierra had finally managed to convince her that he’d just make her go away and Sierra would lose her friend if that happened, so Mara had agreed to keep silent.
Sierra realized she’d left her ornaments behind. It was a tradition for her mother to buy the girls a new Christmas ornament each year, and Sierra had to have them. Mara had told her that her father was away for the entire day in business meetings, so Sierra should be safe to run in and out. She knew if she asked her dad for them, he’d just destroy the irreplaceable treasures. She couldn’t let that happen.
Mara opened the gate for her and Sierra parked up front. She wanted to get in and out as quickly as possible, not taking any chances of running into her father.
“Sierra, I’ve missed you,” Mara said as she flew down the steps.
“I’ve missed you, too. As a matter-of-fact, Bree told me she’s looking for a new maid. Hers got pregnant and is moving in two weeks. The position comes with room and board,” Sierra told her.
“Really?”
“Yes.”
Mara gave her another hug, obviously excited to get away from Douglas Monroe.
“Let’s hurry and find your treasures so you can leave here. I don’t want to take any chances on your father returning early,” Mara said as she looked around.
“I agree. Go finish cleaning so you don’t get in trouble. I’ll tell Bree you want the job. You can leave here in two short weeks. I can’t wait to visit with you again.”
“You’re right. I’m already behind schedule. I’ll see you soon, my friend.” Mara quickly left and Sierra made her way to the stairs. The decorations were in the attic.
When she reached the top of the landing, terror momentarily paralyzed her.
“You do realize I have all the calls made to and from here monitored, don’t you?” Her father was standing before her.
Panic filled her as fight or flight kicked in. She didn’t know which direction to run, she just knew she had to get away. The stairs – that would be her quickest escape route. She turned and took a step when she felt his foot in the small of her back.
She desperately tried to regain her balance, but it was a losing battle. With horror flashing through her, Sierra went flying down the stairs. She felt a shooting pain in her leg before everything went dark.
∞∞∞
Damien took a drink of coffee as he prepared his briefcase. He was utterly exhausted, not having slept more than a couple hours a night since he’d broken it off with Sierra.
He missed her.
Refusing to cave into even himself, he guzzled the rest of the hot liquid and grabbed his keys. She was the one in the wrong, not him. She’d betrayed him. He opened his front door, barely catching himself from stumbling backward.
“You miserable, rotten bastard!”
“What the hell.” Bree poked him hard in the chest, her short but sharp fingernail almost tearing through his shirt.
“Sierra is lying in the hospital right now, black and blue, three broken bones, and a partial concussion all because of you!” Bree yelled as she poked him a
gain.
It took several seconds for her words to compute in Damien’s brain. Sierra was at the hospital? He needed information. In his worry, he forgot Bree was the enemy.
“What happened? My fault? How? Why? Is she going to be okay?”
“No, she’s not. She’ll never be okay again because you’ve ripped her heart out into a million pieces and then stomped on those just to make sure there was no chance of her healing,” Bree snarled.
“Did she try to kill herself?” Damien asked in horror, all color leaving his face at the thought.
“Of course not, you moron! Sierra would never do something like that. What I meant was that her father nearly killed her, but that doesn’t compare to the devastation you’ve put her through. She has to want to get better in order to survive; otherwise the slightest infection can sneak up on her and take her life. Right now, she’s so miserable because she’s in love with you and you tossed her aside like yesterday’s news, so she’s not trying hard enough. She doesn’t feel like she has anything to live for anymore…”
Bree choked on her final words as tears welled in her eyes. Damien was horrified. Was Sierra really in love with him? She couldn’t be, because she never would’ve betrayed him if she was.
“Where is she?”
“You don’t need to go there and upset her all over again. I swear if you hurt her again, you’ll have to deal with me!” Bree threatened.
Damien looked at the petite girl before him, not standing more than a couple inches over five feet, weighing less than half of him, and he realized she actually thought she could harm him. The thought was so absurd it made him smile, which was apparently the wrong move on his part. He jumped when the heel of her shoe slammed down on his foot.
“Damn!” he shouted as his toe began to throb. She knew how to aim those things. He glared down at her.
“Do not laugh at me, Damien Whitfield. You may think that me and my family are horrible people, but we love each other more than you could ever comprehend. I consider Sierra my family, and I swear I can take you out if you so much as make one more of her tears fall,” she roared.
