by Piper Stone
I laughed to myself, realizing my thoughts were ridiculous.
I was the evilest thing in this ugly world.
There were no words to describe the darkness that had settled in me or the emptiness that had followed. I’d been stripped of my privacy, my wretched past displayed for everyone in the entire state of Colorado to see. I’d retreated to my office, unable to think clearly, uncertain of what to do.
But I already knew the ramifications, the first call coming in only minutes later. The deal with Mr. Braxton was off. There was no recourse, no way of repairing the damage that had been done.
I stood staring out the back door, the warmth of the sunlight flowing over me from the open drapes. There was no need to hide any longer. My entire underbelly had been exposed. I even found the warmth invigorating, very much so for a man with no conscience, no sense of decency. At least according to the news.
“I’m so sorry,” Liam said quietly.
I was able to see his stiff reflection in the glass, his voice barely audible. I actually believed him. “Do you want to tell me why?”
“Why?” he repeated, walking closer.
“Why after all these years did you and our brothers decide to expose me in America? Our father’s will? Is that why you made it a point to destroy me?”
A strangled sound was the only thing I heard coming from my brother’s mouth. I’d caught him.
Seconds later, he moved quietly toward the door, taking a deep breath. “Is that what you really think? Do you honestly believe that I’d reach out to you just to gloat that your family was preparing some kind of strike against you?”
“What else should I believe? Just tell me one thing. Did you pay Luis Toro to sabotage our business in order to have our father’s will changed?”
“You give me too much credit, brother. I don’t have any idea who you’re talking about. I tried to warn you because I was tipped off by a buddy of mine at the Dublin Gazette that someone had spent not only time but money to try and gather details about the crash.”
I finally turned in his direction, able to easily see he was telling me the truth. “Who?”
He sighed. “They couldn’t tell me. Everything was handled through email or couriers.”
“When?” I growled.
“Three weeks ago. That’s when I called you the first time.”
“Three weeks?” My blood had begun to boil. “Jefferson. The asshole betrayed me. I should have known.” I yanked open my desk drawer, pulling my gun from inside.
“Whoa. Wait a minute. You think Mr. Williams had something to do with this?” Liam asked, exasperated.
“He went to Ireland two weeks ago, didn’t he? Tell me the damn truth.”
He shrank back, finally nodding. “But Jefferson had nothing to do with this. He was trying to protect you.”
“That’s bullshit. He’s the only one who knew the horror I’d been through. He’s the only one who understood that this was the one damning piece that would ruin me.” I was sick, unable to get past my fury. I’d trusted the man for far too long.
Still, a nagging remained in the back of my mind. What was his point? Even the offer I’d made him hadn’t been secured. There was nothing for him to gain.
“I’m telling you that Jefferson didn’t do anything.”
“How do you know that?”
Liam leaned over my desk, his nostrils flaring. “Because Jefferson spent time with the entire family.”
I sucked in my breath. “How dare all of you.”
“I would have been happy to tell you that if you hadn’t ignored my calls. Jefferson gives a damn about you.”
“Bullshit!”
“He does. If you’d stop feeling sorry for yourself, then maybe you’d understand that people actually give a damn about you, including Jefferson as well as your family.”
I eased the weapon onto my desk, moving around it until I was mere inches away. “My family? Are you talking about the family who sent me away, treating me like I was garbage?”
“Gabriel, I never wanted you to be sent away,” Liam insisted, his entire body shaking.
“Are you also talking about my brothers, the very people I cared about the most and the ones who held me still while our father burned my face with a red-hot piece of iron?” My rage was off the charts, my voice booming in the room. “Do you see this scar? Do you understand what I’ve had to endure over ten years? Ten. Fucking. Years. He burned his own son because I was a disgrace and you didn’t do a fucking thing!”
“No!”
Alessandra...
Her gasp filtered into the room, floating between us. As his eyes opened wide, I could feel another round of pain rushing in. We were entrenched in the horrible past, unable to free ourselves from what my father had done.
“I’m so sorry, Gabriel. I’m so very sorry,” Liam whispered, finally turning his head toward Alessandra.
And I noticed tears in his eyes.
* * *
Morning had turned into afternoon, the silence in the house necessary. I’d been unable to speak, to even fathom what she must have thought after learning the truth.
There were no words to describe the way she’d looked at me after hearing the damning words. I’d never meant for her to find out the way she had. I’d honestly never wanted her to know just how sick my father truly was. Like father, like son. I sucked in my breath at the thought. Maybe now she fully understood what kind of man I was and the reasons why.
I’d wanted nothing more than to banish Liam from my home, but after seeing the horror in his eyes, the guilt and shame, I’d been unable to do anything but pour a glass of scotch, retreating into myself once again.
I was a weak and sick fuck, a man incapable of giving a damn about anyone or anything. No. No... That wasn’t entirely true. I would set Alessandra free, but only after making certain she was safe. That would be my gift to her.
Did I believe Liam that Jefferson had merely wanted to learn the truth and to help my family realize how much I’d changed? Perhaps. But that didn’t matter to me. Jefferson had still betrayed me, going behind my back in order to satisfy his curiosity about why I was such a twisted man.
I lifted my glass to him. He’d had more balls than I’d given him credit for.
But was he capable of destroying me?
Someone certainly was and he was the only one with enough ammunition to do so.
I couldn’t take my eyes off her, anger and desire mixing in a dangerous combination.
“Who is she?” Liam asked quietly.
“Part of a deal.”
“A deal? No. Don’t give me that bullshit. I can tell she’s someone you care about very much. I’m ecstatic for you, brother. You deserve happiness.”
I bristled hearing his words, wrapping my hand around the glass tightly. “She is mine to protect.”
“Okay. I don’t understand.”
My heart racing, I watched the way she pulled her feet under her, the sunglasses I’d allowed as a privilege covering a good portion of her face. While she had a book in her hand, I knew she wasn’t reading. I hadn’t had the damn courage to race after her when she’d run, even telling Kito to simply keep an eye on her, allowing her to roam the house and grounds.
She certainly deserved it after finding out something so horrible.
I finally shifted my gaze in his direction. “Someone is out to destroy me, brother, and so far, they’ve done a damn good job.”
“Meaning?” he asked.
I took a sip of my drink, barely able to tolerate the smooth liquor. My throat was half closed, my heart racing. “Her father stole significant financial files from me after several years of employment, but I believe he’d been forced into doing so.”
“Perhaps by this person also gathering info about the accident?” Liam asked, moving around me and making himself a drink.
“Maybe so. The only person capable was Jefferson. You are right. I do care about her. Too much so. A weakness that I can’t afford any
longer and Jefferson knew that. She will be taken from me if I don’t hide her.”
“None of this is making any sense.” Liam shook his head.
“It’s a very long and sordid story. She is being used as a pawn. I had an unusual opportunity and I took it.”
“But you never expected to fall in love.”
I curled my lip as I stared at him. “I’m coming home, Liam.”
“Where you belong, brother.”
“But first, I have to save the portion I built. I can’t allow anyone to destroy me.”
He walked closer, lifting his glass. “I will help you, if you’ll allow me to. What you’ve done is amazing.”
I studied his eyes once again, searching for answers that only I could provide to myself. There was no doubt he’d been forced to stay away from me for fear of facing our father’s wrath. Could I forgive him? Yes. Would I forget? Sighing, I allowed our glasses to touch. “I will allow it.”
“I don’t know what’s going on, but Jefferson is not your enemy. We will find out who is. And before you ask me, your enemy is my enemy. I will never allow anything to come between us again. You have my promise, brother.” As he placed his fist against his heart, I could still see the little brother who’d followed me everywhere I went, the eager young man who’d wanted to be just like me.
I prayed to God that never happened.
“I appreciate that, Liam, and I’m glad to have you here.” I shifted my gaze toward the door, my heart aching.
“Go to her, Gabriel. I could see such love in her eyes. You need to talk with her.”
While I had no idea what to say, I nodded. “When I return, I will tell you everything about the contract and what I suspect has occurred. Then we will lay out a plan. I need to be able to trust you, Liam. Do not fuck with me. I will not tolerate it.” If there was someone else involved, I would scour the ends of the earth until I found him.
He placed his hand on my shoulder, his grip firm. “You can trust me, but if you decide that my treachery all those years ago was too great, I will walk away from Masters Enterprises entirely. You have my pledge. For what it’s worth, I believe the car crash was an accident and not because you’d had a few drinks.”
The question had been raised in response to Christina’s family demanding murder charges, an accident declared the official cause. That was because of my father’s influence and nothing more. The decision had nearly destroyed her family.
Only I’d known the truth.
I lifted my gaze, respecting his conviction, although I would never trust him completely. I walked out onto the pool deck, amazed that sun actually felt good against my skin. There would be no more hiding, even though my reputation had been ruined. While I continued to believe Jefferson was responsible, my thoughts also shifted to Stephen Cantor. I knew he had performed some work for various members of the network of men on a few occasions. I couldn’t put it past him that his ah-shucks demeanor was nothing more than a front.
At this point, I was ruling nothing and no one out. I would carefully detail my options, searching for whatever secrets they’d managed to hide from me and more. Men who kept them always made mistakes, including myself.
My weakness.
My affliction.
Alessandra.
She didn’t budge when I walked toward her, didn’t glance in my direction, but I knew she was watching.
I sat on a chair near her, keeping my gaze locked on the water.
Several minutes passed.
“What you endured was more than I could imagine. I wish I had the right words to comfort you,” Alessandra said with such clear intonations that a shiver oozed down my spine.
“There is nothing that needs to be said. That was the past.”
“Don’t do that, Gabriel. What your father did was horrible, and it shaped you.”
“What happened turned me into a monster. That’s just fine with me.”
I heard the creak of her chair as she shifted in my direction. “You’re not a monster.”
I laughed, finding it difficult to even look at her. Maybe I’d used my guilt to accept my behavior, treating her like nothing more than an object. “You were right all along. I have no problems destroying anyone who gets in my way. None. Have I been ruthless in my business tactics? Absolutely. Did I callously accept your father’s offer without thinking for a second about your welfare? I did.”
She placed the book on the pool deck then dropped to her knees, crawling toward me. When she placed her head on my knee, a strangled sound erupted from my throat. All the years of anger and shame came rushing to the surface. “Listen to me,” she whispered. “If you really believe that then only you can change such ugliness into something else, but I know better.”
“I will never let anyone hurt you, including myself.” I ran my hand over the top of her head, tangling my fingers in her long strands. She was such a beautiful flower, a precious jewel.
“I love you.”
Her words were just as haunting as before. “I... adore you, Alessandra, but I can’t keep you as my prisoner.” Love. The word was so damn difficult to say.
“What if I want to stay?”
“Then I’d consider you a fool. You know what I’m capable of.”
Sighing, she caressed my legs, allowing tingling sensations to drift all throughout my body. “Yes, I do. You don’t scare me.”
My God, I should. I should terrify her.
“There are things you need to know, including the fact Bobby Rivers was murdered.”
“What?” She lifted her head, shock crossing her face. When I didn’t say anything, she shrank back. “They think I did it, don’t they?”
“That’s easy to answer to, but there is some fear you will be forced to return to jail. That’s not going to happen.”
“Then what do we do?”
I’d tasked Jefferson to find who framed her in the first place. I could only imagine what he was doing with news of Bobby’s murder. I closed my eyes, fighting the nastiness rearing its ugly head. “I will find the asshole responsible. We are going away for a few days if necessary. No one will touch you.”
“We can’t run from this, Gabriel. We just can’t. I want my name cleared. I also want to remember what happened that night.”
“Do you remember anyone else there you might have recognized?”
She thought about what I was asking, finally shaking her head. “No, but I heard a male voice. He was arguing with Bobby. I felt woozy and had gone to the bathroom. I remember hearing how heated they were. Then everything went black.”
Another male voice. Bobby had been hired to keep an eye on her. What if the second male had planned on Bobby dying at the club then framed Alessandra? When that had failed, perhaps the real perpetrator had been forced to kill Luis. There were too many questions and I was no damn detective. “You didn’t recognize the voice?”
“I don’t think so, but when I hear it in a dream, it’s muddled. There’s nothing special about it. A sophisticated voice in an argument with Bobby.”
Inhaling, I allowed the beautiful scent of her perfume to fill me, fueling both my desire as well as my drive to find the answers. “I will find the person responsible. You have my promise.” I was already labeled a killer, a man who had no care of taking a precious life. Why not continue with the very label that I’d been forced to wear for ten long years?
As Kito appeared in the distance, I cringed, lowering my head as I pulled her face into my hands. “You are my light, my need that drives me to succeed. You are the reason I can survive this. You will hear terrible things about me. Sadly, they are all true. For now, you still belong to me, but I will be forced to let you go. You are far too beautiful and pure.”
I pressed my lips against hers, savoring the taste of her instead of simply devouring her mouth. I wanted these few precious moments to last. They would be even more fleeting, but I would enjoy every inch of her, ravaging her as often as possible. She would forever remember that some par
t of her belonged to me.
She clung to me, her hands gripping my wrists, the kiss as close to a sweet farewell as I could manage. I slipped my tongue inside, darting mine across hers as she rose to her knees, arching her back in acceptance of our insanity. And I loved her even more.
When I eased back, Kito lowered his head, as if spying on our passion was a breach in protocol.
“What is it, Kito?”
“You have a visitor. Mr. Williams. He refused to leave.”
I shifted my gaze back toward her, kissing her forehead. “Everything will be all right.”
“I don’t know how it can be, especially if you won’t forgive yourself.”
Forgiveness. My mother had once told me that forgiving was divine. I’d laughed then, a young man with no reason to question his behavior. Now I understood the very reason she’d issued the words.
I should forgive my father.
Never.
I should forgive my brothers.
In time.
I should forgive myself.
I could only laugh.
I walked into my office, finding only Jefferson inside, but I could tell by the look on his face that he knew I was well aware of his act of betrayal. Forgiveness might never be a capability I could possess, but I was certainly able to rid my world of parasites.
“Just the man I wanted to see,” I stated as I stood behind my desk.
“When did Liam arrive?”
Taking a deep breath, I held it for several seconds before speaking. “Moments before my past was flashed across the various networks. I have to wonder who might do such a thing.” I remained unblinking as he grew more uncomfortable.
“I am certain Liam told you that I went to Ireland.”
“He did. Were you seeking the gory details, Jefferson, or just a reason to satisfy your curiosity?”
“I was trying to help you, Gabriel. Not everyone is vying to destroy you. As far as I’m concerned, you’ve already done that to yourself.”
He wanted me to bristle, to lose my temper. Instead, I smiled. “Perhaps you’re right. Maybe I do need to spend my time finding happiness. Maybe I’ve actually already done that.”
