I start to speak but again Caprice answers. “That is what our marriage certificate will state.”
Father nods, running his hand along his jaw. “At least she’s smart enough to be honest with me, but you . . . ” He leans forward and slaps me across the face. “You’re a bloody gobshite. Why not be honest with me?”
“If you’ve ever taught me anything in life, it’s not to trust the person who’s supposed to have your back,” I state, clear of any emotion, staring into his eyes.
He smirks for a moment. “You’re not honest but at least you’re a good listener. Even now, you still follow my silent lessons.”
“I know better than to think I’ve outgrown them.” My father always tricked me as a boy, judging my character by how I would react. Obviously, I’ve passed this test.
Father looks to Caprice with her big doe eyes, finally realizing she is in a safe place. “You’re a Mackenzie now, which means you’ll always be protected, no matter what. You understand this, yeah?”
“Yes, I do,” Caprice replies.
“Good. Your father called me stating your fiancé went to retrieve you and was told you were married to Liam. You’d better thank God I’m a great liar. I went along with it and said you were married by our family priest. At least tell me you both did that. You went to Father O’Sullivan, right?”
I nod, telling him a half-truth. “Yes, he’s the one signing the certificate tomorrow.”
“Good. Lord knows he’d be furious if we didn’t go to him. Now, I told your father you were married here on the property. Make sure to remember that when he asks you.”
“What do you mean?” I ask him.
“Gabriele was very insistent on coming here next week. Especially since you went and became married while she was promised to another. You’ve both ruffled a few feathers if I do say so myself. Now, is there anything else I need to know?”
“No, I don’t believe so. Caprice, do you have anything to add?” I ask, looking down at her. She seems to be frozen in place, so much that it’s causing me to worry about whatever is going on in her head.
“No, thank you,” she says in a hushed whisper.
“Oh, there is one other thing. Luca married Alessandra DiGiovanni because Sergei stated he was going to take her instead. Father O’Sullivan conducted their marriage this morning at the chapel on his property.”
“Fuck. Are you serious?”
“Why would I be joking right now?” I ask him as he rises from the coffee table and heads toward the door.
“I’ll talk to you both tomorrow. Get some rest until then,” he says, opening the door and walking away from us. Well, now I guess it’s time to take the bride to bed.
15
Never feel guilty doing what’s best for you.
~ Unknown
Caprice
Liam snags my hand and brings me up the grand stairwell I saw before we entered his father’s study. We venture down the hallway and he opens the second to last doorway on the left, flicks on a light switch, and walks inside. I follow him closely and shut the door behind us, locking it.
He cocks a brow. “Afraid someone’s going to break in?”
“I . . . I’m so sorry. It’s habit.”
He smiles, and the way he does truly convinces me everything is going to be okay. “I’ll tell you however many times you need to hear it, Caprice, but you’re safe now. You’re on Mackenzie property and we have an entire team of security who lives here with us. If anything bad was going to happen, it wouldn’t be in this house.”
“Yeah, you’re right. I’m just a bit unsettled at hearing my father will be paying us a visit next week,” I confess, but it’s not the only reason I’m feeling anxious. I didn’t put two-and-two together. I feel so stupid right now, not figuring out that Liam’s step-mother is the sister of the man who raped me. The man who stole my child.
There aren’t many things I need in life— but I need to see my Piper again. If not now, then someday.
I think about staying quiet, about not saying a damn thing to Liam, however, I don’t have that luxury. He’s going to be my husband in the legal sense, and even more than that, one day we will be married in the eyes of God. I need to trust this man now. “What is your relationship like with your uncle?” I ask, needing to know.
“Uncle?” he questions.
“Sofia’s brother,” I state, unable to bear saying his name.
“Rafael isn’t my uncle. He’s my sisters’ uncle,” he corrects me, getting the same bit of annoyance in his eyes as his father did when he talked about not liking Rafael.
“You don’t like him,” I say, getting a curt nod in response before Liam speaks again.
“No, I don’t. While he’s . . . sort of classified as family, I get a bad feeling about him. My father has an MC that works for us over in the States and their Prez, Boss, gives us intel every now and again. Supposedly, he’s stirring up shite with another club.”
“Oh? Do you know why?” Getting a little information on Rafael can’t hurt.
“I have theories. All of them point to human trafficking. My father had asked him not long ago if he was still in the business and Rafael told him ‘no’. I think he lied to my father.”
“Sergei is in the trafficking business too,” I state, now realizing the type of man my father was okay pawning me off to.
“Yes, amongst other things,” Liam comments, looking irritated.
“I have something I need to tell you, considering you’re my husband,” I mutter, looking over to a corner of the bedroom. I can’t fathom staring into Liam’s eyes as I tell him the gruesome story of what Rafael did. Liam already knows my father’s character, so what he did won’t be much of a shock.
“Alright, so get on with it.” Damn, he doesn’t like to wait.
I keep my eyes focused on the painting hanging against the wall right next to an old fashioned dresser. The painting is old. If I had to guess, I’d say it was done in the early nineteen-hundreds. The woman has long, curly red hair with an alabaster skin tone and glowing green eyes like the rest of the Mackenzies. I’m betting she’s probably related.
I take in a deep breath and unleash everything. “Considering the comment you’ve made to me before about my father, you know not only who he is but what he is. A behemoth in his truest form. My life has never been butterflies and ponies. I’ll keep this as simple as I can. You’re getting damaged goods, Liam. You know, because my father offered me to your own father as a consolation prize. Now that we’re moving on in this . . . charade, I need to confess something. Rafael was one of the men who . . . used me.” I say used because it’s the only accurate description of how I feel. Used, like a gum wrapper. I should say violated, however, the term used is what I’ve come to accept over the years.
For some reason, bravery swarms over me and I glance up at Liam, who’s looking at me with such compassion. While his jawline is stern like he’s clenching his teeth, his kindness pours out of him. I’ve met lots of people, but I can honestly say I’ve never met anyone whose soul is so apparent. Sometimes people keep you wondering if they’re good or bad. With Liam, I don’t have to guess.
Keeping my eyes on his own, I continue, “Rafael used me, and I had a child. One that my father ripped from my arms only a little while after she was born. I haven’t seen her since that day.”
Liam’s irises expand. “Rafael fathered your daughter . . . and you were treated like one of those women from The Handmaid’s Tale?” I don’t know what he’s referring to, so I can’t confirm or deny. “Fuck. I knew he was a despicable snake.”
Before Liam goes on his tirade like most men do, I interject. “I’m only telling you this because we’re now partners in life and Liam, I need you to understand it is my goal to get my daughter back. If not now, one day. I will see my baby again . . . and I won’t ever give up on finding her.”
Liam surprises me with how quickly he comes over, wrapping his arms around my body in a bear hug. “I’ve heard every
thing you’ve said and I will support your decision. But I want to say how sorry I am for what you’ve gone through. I am so sorry for the enormous amount of pain you’ve had to carry. It’s not fair.”
If I’ve learned anything in life, it’s this— life is never fair. It will chew you up, spit you out, and leave you to deal with whatever it gave you.
I pull away from Liam, looking around his room. There’s a king-sized bed against the wall to the left and a couch near the window. “I really would just love to get to bed.”
“Alright. You take the bed and I’ll sleep on the couch.” I figured I’d be the one sleeping on the couch, but it looks like I went and found myself a gentleman.
16
If your path demands you walk through Hell, walk as if you own the place.
~ Unknown
Caprice
I wake up to the sound of birds chirping. Groggily and annoyed, I wrap the heavy duvet around me and walk toward the windows, wondering how they’re so loud. As I approach the windows, it’s evident they were opened overnight. For a split second, fear rushes through me and I wonder if someone has broken into the house, but nothing appears to be out of place. Simply looking like they were opened to allow fresh air to come in the room. I take in a deep breath, calming myself. Inhale the positive, exhale the negative.
“Are you alright?” his grumbled, husky voice asks from behind me. I turn to face Liam, catching him in nothing but a pair of deep maroon pajama pants. His chest is completely bare, allowing me to get a fascinating look at his physique. I’m about to respond when he chuckles, catching me ogling him.
“Sorry, I uh . . . ” I’m not sure how to reply. Hell, I don’t know what's more embarrassing, being caught practically eye-screwing him or the fact I didn’t come up with something smart to say.
“It’s fine. I know what you were doing,” he teases, crossing his arms as he peers up at me from his seat on the couch. It’s taking everything in me not to follow the happy trail of hair that spans down from his belly button. No, Caprice, focus! Immediately, I redirect my eyes to his.
Liam Mackenzie is the type of man who you can see in his eyes what he’s thinking. Many people give away their true thoughts in their eyes. Whether they’re angry or happy, with one glance to their eyes you can tell how they feel. Liam is obviously amused by what just transpired.
“Don’t you blame this on me. I didn’t exactly expect you to wake up looking like you were prepping for a GQ shoot, all shirtless and stuff.”
“Oh, so I look like a model?” Liam cocks his brow, his smirk growing with every quiet second that passes.
“What time is it?” I ask, trying to change the subject.
Liam snickers and looks to the silver watch on his wrist. “A little past eleven. I woke up earlier and went into town. Considering all your clothes were at your flat, I picked up some stuff. Wasn’t sure on sizes but I guessed. I tried to get a variety of things for a couple of days until I can take you back into town. There should be some for your sister as well,” he tells me after he grabs a bag from the corner of the room. I recognize the name because I used to walk by the boutique every day when I was heading into Maeve’s. It’s now I realize the restaurant is named after the woman I met last night. I’ll have to ask Liam more about her later.
“Thank you. I didn’t expect you to do this for us,” I confess, approaching him.
Liam hands me the bag and as I peek inside, I see a lacey bralette and try my hardest not to blush. I feel the heat rising in my cheeks and know there’s no use. My body, along with my olive skin tone, is betraying me right now. “You have an . . . interesting eye.” I choke my words out, trying to refrain from stuttering. It’s an incredibly annoying habit I have whenever I get nervous.
Liam glances inside the bag, spotting the bra. “They had normal ones but I wasn’t going to play guessing games with your sizes. I figured you two could figure out what fits and we could go into town tomorrow and get you both some new things.”
I take in a deep breath and look up at Liam. “I appreciate it, but Liam, I don’t have a lot of money. I only have the tips I made at Maeve’s. Alessandra and I have savings, but those are for actual emergencies where we’d need to skip town. I can’t use that money for clothes.”
“You’re not understanding me, Caprice. You and Alessandra do not have to pay for anything. I’m covering it all. Now, get showered and dressed. I’ll take you to your sister.” Liam hands the other bag over to me and I take it in my free hand, baffled by what he’s said.
“You don’t have to do that,” I try to argue, knowing very well how Alessandra and I will be screwed if he doesn’t. Still, I don’t want to be so reliant on Liam.
Liam laughs, placing a hand on my shoulder, staring deep into my eyes. “Caprice, this is part of my duty to you. To take care of you. You need clothes so I’ll make sure you get them. I’m treating Alessandra because she’s your sister and is now married to my best friend. You’re a Mackenzie now, so it’d be best if you start accepting how you’ll be treated. Now, I won’t waste time and explain this further. Go get in the shower and get dressed. I’ll be back in thirty minutes.” Liam doesn’t give me an opportunity to respond because he walks straight out of our room.
There are only two more doors in the room and I go to one, finding a closet. I head over to the other and the bathroom is revealed to me. A black clawfoot bathtub sits in the center of the room, overlooking the Mackenzies’ lands. Off in the distance, I can see a barn and fencing. Last night, I wasn’t able to tell they had horses, but I kind of hope I can snoop around the property and get out to the barn. I used to ride horses as a child, but when I turned thirteen my father didn’t allow me to do it anymore.
I start the tub instead of the shower and enjoy a bit of soaking in the lavender vanilla bath, washing my hair and relaxing as much as I can. Liam said he’d be back in thirty minutes so I’m quick to dry off and open the cabinets under the double sink, finding a blow dryer. Plugging it in, I dry my hair while combing it through, giving myself a natural wave. I prefer my hair curly or straight, but it’ll have to do considering I don’t have a straightener or curling wand here.
Wiping the towel over myself one more time, I walk back into the bedroom, grab one of the bags, and dig through. As I grab a pair of jegging-like pants, the door opens and Liam walks in on me clad in my birthday suit.
Jesus Christ.
17
The loudest one in the room is the weakest one.
~ Frank Lucas
Caprice
“Gah!” I holler, diving down on the floor like it’s a damn pool. I realize how stupid it was, but my brain was telling me the floor would cover most of my body. Shit, I could’ve just grabbed a quilt or something. “Ouch,” I mumble as my knees slam against the wooden floor.
Instead of Liam asking me if I’m alright, the bastard laughs like this is the funniest thing he’s ever seen in his life. “I’m turning around,” he barely gets out, continuing to cackle his ass off.
I peer up from the floor, seeing that he is being honest, and I stand. The joints in my knees crack along the way and I slide into the jeggings as swiftly as possible, grabbing one of the bralettes he bought and putting it on. It takes me a minute to find a shirt that will work until I find a flannel. I slide my arms into the sleeves and button it up.
“Are you decent?” he asks, still laughing.
“I am,” I say, trying my hardest not to tell him off. Liam turns around to face me, smirking.
“I didn’t realize my body was so funny,” I grumble. Taking the other bag in my hand, I pass him and walk next to the door, where I kicked off my shoes before we went to bed.
“Your body is sinfully gorgeous. But your action was . . . unexpected. Why didn’t you grab a sheet?” He barely gets the last bit out before he starts back up, walking toward me. I smack him with one of the bags and he stops, growing quiet for a moment. For the first time since I’ve known Liam, I see something, maybe it’s a spark
or maybe it’s amusement, I’m not sure, but there’s something inside me itching to find out.
“Can you take me to my sister?” I ask, wanting to get away from him for a bit.
“Yes, let’s go. My father and I have some business to attend to. Can you stay with Alessandra for a few hours until I get back?”
“Sure,” I say, walking behind him down the hallway. We proceed to go down the stairwell and through the front door of the Mackenzie house. We turn left and I see another smaller house next to it. Liam takes me up to the door, opens it, and the two of us walkthrough.
While I can see on the outside the two homes must’ve been built around the same era, the inside of this home is much more modern. Whereas the Mackenzie house still holds the traditional architecture, wallpaper, and flooring, the security house does not.
We walk straight into a room with white walls and wood beams jutting out from one side of the vaulted ceiling to the other. I see a curved archway and hear a set of feet coming down a stairwell, although I can’t see the stairwell itself. It must be hidden behind the wall.
Luca comes around the archway along the longest wall. “Saw you both coming in on the cameras.”
Leave Me Breathless: The Black Rose Collection Page 52
