by L. P. Dover
“So, I’m supposed to just trust you?”
“I’m the only one here you can. Now what I need you to do is play along with everything he says. We don’t have much time.”
“Why is that?” I asked, heart racing.
The muscles in his jaw tensed. “In two days, you’ll be leaving for Ireland. Once you go over there, you won’t be coming back. He’ll never let you go.”
Terror racked through my body. “What does he want with me?”
“You, Hadley. He’s wanted you for a long time now. I just didn’t realize how far his obsession had gone. That’s why he wanted Blake out of the way. He used your father to get to you. It was his plan all along.”
“And you’re sure Blake’s okay?”
He nodded. “Dillon never called to confirm the kill. My guess is Blake got to him first.”
“Thank God.” Breathing a sigh of relief, I sagged against the wall. “What am I going to do? How can I look at my father after this?”
“He did it to protect you, Hadley. He just went about it the wrong way. I told him I could help him, and that’s when all of this came into play. He never thought about what it would do to you or your career. All he wanted was to keep you safe . . . alive.”
“It’s your fault then?”
He shrugged. “Not entirely. But soon, you’ll be home and all of this will be over.”
“Will it? I guess I’ll have to see it to believe it. Does Blake think I’m dead too?”
“Yes, but he’s a smart man. By now, he’s probably figured out you’re alive. He’ll come for you.”
My gut clenched. “What if he doesn’t?”
“He will. I’ll make sure of it.” Opening the door, he peered down both sides of the hall.
“Why are you helping me?”
He glanced back at me, his gaze full of pain. Lifting his hand, he circled a strand of my hair through his fingers. “You remind me of someone.”
“Who?”
His gaze darkened and he shook his head. “Forget it. Let’s just say I have my reasons. Now go back to bed.” He disappeared down the hall and I just stood there, wide awake. There was no sleep to be had.
For the rest of the night, I sat at the window and watched the sun come up. How could a place so beautiful, be filled with so much evil?
“Knock, knock,” Connor announced, knocking on my door.
“Come in.” I watched him walk in through the reflection in the window.
“I’m here to escort you to lunch.”
“Like I could eat right now,” I grumbled, turning to face him.
His body tensed. “You have to, Hadley. You’re not supposed to know anything.”
“Don’t worry, I can do this. Will he be eating with me?”
He nodded. “That’s the whole point. And whatever you do, don’t mention Blake, or your friends, or anything about using a fucking phone. Just spend time with him and get through the day. He’s not the same guy you think you know.”
My hands started to shake. I can do this.
Opening the door, he held it wide for me. “Let’s go.”
Taking a deep breath, I walked past him into the hall. He stayed by my side and whispered encouraging words, but all I could hear was the pounding of my heart. We stopped at a set of double doors and he nodded encouragingly before opening them up. At the far end of the table sat two place settings, both with covered dishes.
Connor nudged me forward. “Take a seat. He’ll be in here in a minute.”
“Aren’t you staying with me?”
Shaking his head, he retreated to the door. “He wants to be alone with you.”
Once he shut the door behind him, I sucked in a breath and held it, as I made my way to the table. The sound of footsteps sounded on the marble floor just outside of the room and when the door opened, I froze.
“Miss Rivers, would you like something to drink?” a soft voice asked.
I blew out my held breath and grabbed my chest. The lady was petite, probably in her mid-forties, with dark brown hair, and dressed in a typical blue and white maid’s uniform.
“Hi.” I was at a loss for words. It was the first time I’d seen someone in the house other than scary mobster men.
“Would you care for a glass of wine, water, or soda?”
“May I have a bottle of water?” That way I could tell if someone had spiked it.
She bowed her head and smiled. “I’ll be right back.”
It didn’t take her long to get my bottle and when I opened it, the lid was still attached. I guzzled it down and almost had the whole bottle gone when I heard his voice.
“Calm down, killer.”
When I saw his face, I gasped and choked on the water.
He rushed over and patted my back as I coughed it out. “You okay?” he asked, kneeling down beside me. He smiled and my heart broke. Connor had to have been wrong. There was no way Tristan would hurt me. Plus, he didn’t have an Irish accent like the guy from last night.
“Tristan, what are you doing here?”
He sat down at the head of the table and grabbed my hand. “I came to see you. After everything you’ve been through, your father thought it’d be good for you to see a familiar face. Plus, he felt it’d be a great idea for you to go on a vacation. I have family in Ireland and told him I could take you there.”
I forced a smile. “Ireland? Wow, that’s really sweet of you, but I should probably be getting back to work. My producer is dying to get me back in the studio.”
The door to the room opened and the maid brought in another bottle of water and a glass of wine for Tristan. She set my bottle of water down in front of me and lifted the lid that covered my plate. “Bain sult as,” she said sweetly.
I stared at her like she’d lost her mind.
Tristan laughed. “She said enjoy. It’s Irish.”
Act normal. Picking up my fork, I stabbed a piece of broccoli and put it in my mouth. “I didn’t know you knew how to speak Irish.”
She lifted the lid over his food and retreated from the room. “I know how to speak seven different languages. It’ll come in handy when I take you overseas. There’s so much to see and do over there. You probably won’t want to come back.”
“It sounds amazing. Too bad I can’t stay over there forever,” I laughed. The more he talked about Ireland, the more I started to believe he was the one. For the entire time I’d known him, he’d never mentioned anything about Ireland, other than the times he spent there in college.
“Do you want to go for a walk after lunch?” he asked.
I finished my food and guzzled down the second bottle of water. “Sure, if we can. The men here don’t like to let me walk around freely. It’s like a prison. I guess they’re afraid I’m going to run away or something.”
“Why would you want to do that? This place is amazing.”
I shrugged, pretending to be baffled. “I don’t know. Maybe they think the media will try to get in somehow. You know how they like to follow me.”
“That’s probably it,” he agreed. “They’re just being protective of you.” What a load of bullshit. They were being protective all right, but it wasn’t for my safety. “Ready to go for a walk? I saw the gardens when I pulled in. I know how you like stuff like that.”
“Sure, let’s go.”
He pulled out my chair and opened the back set of doors that led down a long hallway. Gesturing for me to go first, he followed closely behind, putting his hand on my lower back.
“I hadn’t seen this part of the house. How do you know where to go?” I asked, gauging his reaction.
“Just a guess,” he said.
Did he really think I was that naïve? Obviously, he’d underestimated me. Once we got outside, I could breathe easier. I half expected one of his suited men to follow us around, but there was no one in sight.
“How are you holding up after the whole Nick thing? He took it pretty hard when you called it off.”
To avoid his stare,
I bent down to smell one of the wild roses. “I know, but it was all pretend. I never wanted him to fall for me. We only did it to ward off the stalker.”
“Yeah, I know. Who do you think came up with the idea?”
Furrowing my brows, I glanced up at him. “He did, didn’t he?”
Tristan snorted. “Nah, I did. I was going to confront you about it and see if you wanted me to help you out. But . . . he did it first.”
“Oh wow, he never told me,” I replied, getting to my feet. Was that what Tristan wanted me to believe, or was it the truth? If the roles were switched, it made me wonder where I’d be now.
His gaze darkened. “Why would he, when he had you right where he wanted you?”
“Why didn’t you tell me it was your idea?”
He shrugged. “Would you have chosen me instead? You almost kissed me that night. I remember it, even if you don’t.”
Back then, I was attracted to him and I probably would’ve picked him over Nick. Now, I was thankful Nick approached me first. “That was a long time ago, Tristan. And it’s not like the plan worked anyway. Dane still killed Scott and shot Nick. If it was you in his place, you could’ve been hurt.”
“I’m not like Nick, Hadley. No one would’ve gotten past me. I could’ve protected you.” His phone rang and he pulled it out of his pocket, eyes narrowing when he focused on the screen. “I have to take this. Are you okay out here?”
“Yeah, I’m fine,” I said, waving my hands. “Go.”
Turning on his heel, he rushed inside and answered the call. It made me wonder who it was.
I stayed outside for another few minutes before retreating indoors. Everything was quiet. There were a few sounds coming from the kitchen when I walked past, but it was probably Ingrid. I strolled past another room and then stopped when I realized it was a fully stocked library with floor to ceiling bookcases. It was breathtaking.
Sneaking inside, I skimmed over the bookcases in awe, grabbing one of my all-time favorite classics, Pride and Prejudice. Walking into the sitting room connected to the library, I sat by the window and opened the book. If I couldn’t literally escape, I would find an outlet somewhere else. I cracked the book open and froze when that familiar Irish voice growled from behind a closed door. There was no mistaking who the voice belonged to anymore.
Sliding out of my seat, I tiptoed to the door that connected to another room.
“Why the fuck is he coming today?” he argued.
Another guy answered, but I didn’t recognize his voice. It wasn’t Connor and it wasn’t Shades. “He said he wants to spend time with Hadley before she leaves for Ireland.”
“Cad a pian goddamn an asal,” Tristan replied angrily. What the hell does that mean?
“What do you want to do about it?”
Tristan huffed. “You know what to do. Make it look like a suicide. With Hadley’s death, it’ll be believable.”
Clasping a hand over my mouth, I held in my cries and backed away slowly. I had to find Connor so he could warn my dad. When I turned to make a run for it, I shrieked as an arm grabbed me around the waist. “What are you doing? Let me go,” I shouted.
It was Shades.
The door to the room opened and Tristan walked out, followed by the other person he had told to kill my dad. His eyes were cold and detached, very unnerving. Tristan looked at me and then at Shades. “What the fuck’s going on?”
Anger boiled in my veins. How could the playful, easy-going Tristan I’d known for the past two years be such a murderous bastard? Gaze narrowed, he stepped toward me and looked into my eyes.
“I saw her sneaking out of the sitting room,” Shades reported. I tried to jerk out of his hold, but he gripped me harder.
Tristan studied me and I refused to back down. The time for playing along was gone. “You know, don’t you?” he asked, speaking with his Irish accent.
How could he have fooled us for so long?
I lifted my chin defiantly. “I know you’re a lying son of a bitch. If you hurt my father, I’ll kill you myself.”
A wide grin spread across his face. He didn’t even look like Tristan anymore. “It looks like you and Connor are closer than I thought. I don’t like it.” He beckoned the other guy forward with a wave of his hand. “Find Connor and make sure he doesn’t come back.”
“Tristan, no!” I cried, jerking my arm away from Shades. He grabbed me around the waist and slammed a hand over my mouth.
The other guy grabbed Tristan’s shoulder. “Sir, he’s your uncle. Your father is the only one who makes those decisions. I can’t condone it.”
Tristan’s eyes blazed. “Do you see my father here?” he growled through clenched teeth. “This is my territory and what I say goes. Now do as I say, or you’ll be next.”
Nodding, the other guy marched off and disappeared from the room.
“What should we do with her?” Shades asked. I elbowed him in the ribs and he grunted.
Tristan glared at him and then at me. “Take her to my room. I’ll deal with her personally.”
Shades lifted me in his arms, one hand still over my mouth and the other wrapped excruciatingly tight across my chest. I struggled to breathe, as everything was too constricting. He carried me up the stairs to the third floor, and by then I felt like I was going to pass out.
As soon as we got to Tristan’s room, he dropped me to the floor and I gasped for air. “You’re lucky you’re his,” he hissed low, glaring at me with soulless blue eyes.
I jumped to my feet. “Or what?”
He stepped closer and snarled. “Or I’d beat the shit out of you for hitting me. Where we come from, lassies like you respect their men. You’ll learn soon enough.” Turning on his heel, he stormed out of the room and slammed the door.
I didn’t even have to try the knob to know he’d locked me in. Heart pounding, I rushed to the windows and peered out. I had no clue how to save my dad or Connor. Hell, I didn’t even know how to save myself.
Hadley
“Are you calmed down yet?” Tristan asked as he entered his room.
Fighting him was no use. I’d either find myself drugged or beaten, and there was no way I could help my father in that state. “Go to hell. I don’t even know who you are anymore.”
Grabbing my arm, he turned me around and pulled me to him. I used to love looking at his hazel eyes, but now they made me sick. “There are some things you need to know before I take you to Ireland. One, you’re mine. Listen to me and do as I say, and I will give you everything you’d ever want. You’ll learn to love me.”
I scoffed. “You expect me to love you after taking everything away from me? Have you lost your mind?”
“Let’s get something straight, love. Your father took everything away from you. It was his decision to fake your death.”
“Yeah, after Connor coerced him into it,” I snapped. “It was you who wanted me to disappear.”
He trailed a finger down my chin and I stiffened. “When I want something, I get it. This was the only way I could get you all to myself. No more Blake, no more Nick, no more sharing you with the world. Just you and me.”
Eyes wide, I backed out of his touch. Why hadn’t I seen it sooner? “Out of the way? It was you, wasn’t it? You’re the one who killed Scott and shot Nick.”
His lips spread wide. “You’re a smart girl. He deserved it too, taking my idea to be with you . . .” He kissed his teeth in annoyance. “It all worked out perfectly when that crackhead took the fall. The idiot was probably scared the police were going to bust him for the drugs and went on the run. It was all the ammunition I needed for your father. Once your bodyguard was gone, Connor was right there. Just a few more death threats on your life and the deal was sealed.” He stepped forward and backed me into the wall, blocking me in with his arms and hips.
“It was you the entire time,” I stated.
“From the very beginning, love. For two years, I’ve been trying to get you, and now you’re here. Tomorrow we leave
for Ireland. Your future and everyone else’s depends on you.”
“What are you saying?”
Pressing his body against mine, I could feel his erection against my hip and thought I might vomit. Trailing his nose up my neck, he breathed me in. “Am I correct in assuming you want your father alive?” he asked, murmuring the words in my ear.
My eyes burned. “Yes.”
He trailed a hand over my breast and rested it on my hips. “I can promise to keep him alive, but you have to show me how bad you want it.” He closed his lips over mine and I jerked away.
“Why are you forcing me to do this?”
Grasping my chin, he pulled me back. “I don’t want to force you, love. If I have to, I will. But I want you to enjoy this as much as I do. All you have to do is give me a chance and I’ll make sure everyone you love and care about stays safe. Defy me and you’ll see how ruthless I can get. Now,” he said, murmuring against my lips, “kiss me like you mean it.”
Tears spilled over my cheeks and I closed my eyes. Opening my lips, I let him kiss me. It made me sick to feel his tongue against mine, his hands all over my body.
Moaning, he pulled back. “Now that’s what I’m talking about. You just gave your father and extra day to live.” He kissed me again and sucked my bottom lip. “When I come back, we can work on giving him another week.” He cupped his hand between my legs. “Be ready for me.”
I held my breath and waited for him to leave before breaking down. As soon as the door shut, I fell to my knees. I knew what he wanted, but I didn’t know if I had the strength to do it; especially if I had to do it every day. I’d rather be dead.
Blake
“For the longest time, I never understood why he felt the need to have that much security,” Nick said. “Now I know.” He passed me the binoculars and I scanned the grounds. There was only one person patrolling, but that didn’t mean there weren’t more.
“Where do you think he would keep her?”
He shook his head. “Not sure exactly. But it’d either be on the second or third floor. That’s where all of the bedrooms are. Downstairs you have the kitchen, library, and other entertainment rooms.”
