by Penelope Sky
He moved a little closer. “I’m waiting for your response.” He stopped when he was a few feet away, both of his hands tightening into fists.
When I took a breath, it burned my lungs, like the oxygen was full of acid. “How did you know?”
That was the wrong thing to say. One eyebrow slowly rose while ferocity entered his gaze. “Because there’s nothing I don’t know about, Annabella. I hope you have a good explanation. If not, this is going to be an unpleasant conversation.” He didn’t need to raise his voice to frighten me, changing his tone was more than enough.
“Catalina wanted to go to lunch…”
He stilled at the response, probably shocked that I’d risked my life for something so stupid. “That better be a joke.”
I dropped my gaze.
“If you wanted to get out of the house so bad, I could have taken you. But you run off with my sister? The most oblivious person on the planet? Her arrogance makes her careless. She’s the last person I’d want you to leave the house with.”
“Well, we’re fine, so…”
That wasn’t the right thing to say either because his eyes narrowed farther. “You’re fine…that’s your justification?”
I was starting to wonder if he had no idea what happened at the restaurant. Because if he did, his reaction would be more severe right now. “I’m sorry, and I won’t do it again…”
When he sighed, it was deep like a growl, and he turned away from me dismissively. “Get out.” He stepped into his living room and took a seat. His scotch was waiting for him like always, and he helped himself to a full glass. As if I wasn’t there, he stared at the fire.
Now I didn’t know what to do.
“Did you not hear me?” He raised his voice slightly.
I moved to the living room and stood behind one of the armchairs. “Damien.”
He wouldn’t look at me.
“I said I was sorry.”
“And that makes it all okay?” He swirled his drink. “When Liam said sorry for fucking someone, did that make it okay?”
My eyes narrowed at the insult. “Don’t be an asshole.”
He set down the glass and looked at me. “I’m trying to keep you safe, and I’m an asshole?”
“You’re an asshole for throwing that in my face, and you know it. Be angry at me for my wrongs, but don’t be angry at me for things I can’t control. Don’t use my pain as ammo to pump me full of lead.”
His eyes were rigid and focused as he watched me, the green color of his eyes brighter because of the flames reflecting on the surface. There was no hint of remorse, so an apology wasn’t on the horizon. “I don’t want to fight with you, Annabella. So, you should just go.”
Telling him what happened with Liam would just make the situation worse, but I felt deceitful keeping it from him. The situation would escalate and break us further apart.
“And yet…you stay.” He dragged his hands down his face then looked at the floor.
“I need to tell you something.”
He closed his eyes and sighed. “This should be good…”
“Catalina and I went to lunch…and Liam showed up.”
“Of course, he did.” He lifted his gaze and looked at me, livid.
“You were right. He was going to take me.”
He was quiet for a long time, as if he were afraid of the things that would come out of his mouth when he spoke. “How did you get away?”
“Catalina.”
“She talked her way out of that?” he asked incredulously.
“No…she kicked his ass.”
He looked back at me, his eyes more furious than ever before. Seconds passed before he rose to his feet, his body visibly shaking. “So, you put my sister in danger now?”
“No. She slapped him around a few times before pushing him into a table. When he was down, we left. Liam wouldn’t hit a woman. If he was going to, he would have hit me already.”
He dragged his hands down his face again. “So, let me get this straight. You go out to lunch with my sister, get harassed by Liam, and the only reason you got away was because my sister threw a few punches?”
“Uh…I guess. I wouldn’t put it that way—”
“Why didn’t you just listen to me?” He threw his arms down. “What if he’d taken you, Annabella? What if he’d punched my sister and knocked her out cold?”
“He wouldn’t—”
“Stop saying that shit. You said he wouldn’t cheat, and he did. You said he wouldn’t try to kidnap you, and he did. You’re unable to see reality, to see what’s right in front of your face. That’s why you need to listen to me because I’ve got 20/20 vision. I have no idea what the fuck you have.” He turned away and began to pace in front of the fire, walking off his rage. “I don’t get it, Annabella. You could have just had lunch here.”
I couldn’t throw Catalina under the bus because he would scream at her next. It was my fault in the end—because I was the one who’d agreed to leave. “I apologized and said it wouldn’t happen again.”
“And that makes everything okay?” he asked incredulously.
“No…but we should move on.”
“It’s not easy for me to move on, Annabella. Because if things had happened differently, I would have lost you. And I would have lost my mind to the terrors of my imagination.” He stopped pacing and stared at me head on. “So don’t expect me to fucking move on.”
Nine
Damien
I pounded my fist against the door then turned back into the hallway so my face wouldn’t be pressed into the peephole. When there was no activity, I slammed my fist against the wood again—this time harder.
Footsteps were finally audible on the other side, frantic and quick. Her body pressed against the wood as she examined the peephole and stared at me on the other side of the door. Then she opened it. “Jesus, what’s so damn important right now?” She was in a black dress with a gold necklace around her throat. Heels were on her feet, and her brown hair was pulled back from her face.
I moved to go inside her apartment.
She blocked my way. “What are you doing?”
“You aren’t gonna invite your brother inside?”
“Why would I? You have no right just to drop by without letting me know.”
“No right?” I asked. “You literally do that every week.”
“Not this late at night,” she countered. “And I don’t come to see you.”
A man’s voice came from behind the door. “Everything alright?”
My eyes narrowed on her face.
“What?” she asked angrily. “Yes, I have a life.”
“I need to talk to you, so get rid of him.”
“I’m not kicking him out. He’s hot.”
I rolled my eyes. “If he really likes you, he’ll come back.”
She sighed in annoyance as she gripped the door. “If you weren’t my brother…” She turned away and headed farther into her apartment. “Could we do a rain check? My brother needs to talk to me.”
He didn’t make a fuss. “Sure. Call me.” He moved toward the door then stopped when we came face-to-face.
I sized him up, my instincts unstoppable. I wanted to protect a woman who didn’t need to be protected, to make sure this guy was worthy of her when his qualifications were none of my business. I didn’t like my sister seeing men casually, bringing them to her apartment for privacy, but I had to remind myself she was a grown-ass woman. She could do whatever she wanted…and it was none of my business.
“Collin.” He extended his hand to shake mine.
I took it. “Damien.” He was a handsome man, well dressed, seemed like the business type. No red flags. “I apologize for ruining your evening.”
“Family always comes first.” He gave me a polite nod before he walked off.
I actually liked the guy…which made me dislike him.
I stepped inside her apartment, seeing the scowl on her face. A wine bottle was on the table, along with
a tray of various cheeses and fruit and a sliced baguette. A single white candle glowed. “Where did you meet him?”
She crossed her arms over her chest. “The other day at lunch. I gave him my number.”
“Seems like a nice guy.”
“What did you want to talk about, Damien?” She sat on the sofa and blew out the candle.
I shut the door behind me and took a seat on the sofa beside her. “I’m pretty pissed off at Annabella right now.”
She crossed her legs and gave nothing away.
“Since the two of you went to lunch yesterday.”
She slowly turned to me, stunning as always. “So, she told you.”
“Patricia did.”
“Traitor.”
“I’m the one who employs her. I’m the man of the house. She’s loyal to me—not to you. Therefore, she’s not a traitor. Don’t call her that.”
She sighed. “You’re right. She cooks so well that I could never be mad at her…”
But her cooking wasn’t good enough to stay home, apparently.
“Fine. Yell at me. Go ahead.” She turned to me, both of her arms resting on her raised knee.
“I’m not here to yell at you, Cat.”
“Then what?” she asked.
“Just want to make sure you’re alright.”
The defiance in her eyes slowly softened. She was naturally stubborn and difficult, but she melted right before my eyes, becoming vulnerable in a way very few people ever witnessed.
“Annabella told me what happened with Liam. I want to make sure you’re okay.”
“If you have to ask, she didn’t tell the story right. I broke his nuts and forced him on his back.”
“He’s a professional fighter, Catalina. He could have killed you.”
“Even if I’d known that before, it wouldn’t have changed anything. I’m not scared of him. I’m not letting that asshole take my friend away. He spoke to her like a dog. You think I’m gonna let that shit fly?”
The things I loved about her were also things I hated. I loved that she didn’t take shit from anybody, but I was afraid it would get her killed one day. “I appreciate what you did, but I never want anything to happen to you. So be careful in those situations. You have no idea what your opponent is capable of.”
“We were in a crowded restaurant, Damien. Not in an alleyway.”
“Then you understand to run in an alleyway?”
She shrugged. “Depends on the situation.”
“Catalina.”
“I’m just being honest.”
I was glad she knew how to defend herself, but if she messed with the wrong guy, it could end badly. “Where did you learn to do that?”
“This guy I was seeing.”
“And why did he think that was necessary to teach you?”
“It was probably just an excuse to keep seeing me, honestly.” She straightened her back and brought her hands together on her knee, her gold bracelets complementing her tanned skin.
“I’m sorry Annabella put you in that situation. You are two of the three women in this world that I love, and I would die if something happened to any of you.”
Her eyes narrowed slightly. “She didn’t put me in that situation.”
I stared at her.
“It was my idea. I guess she didn’t mention that.”
“No.” Now I was starting to get angry. All of this was instigated by the person I’d assumed was innocent in the whole ordeal.
“She didn’t have to cover for me like that, but I respect her for it.”
I felt the adrenaline spike in my blood.
“I was the one who pestered her to leave the house,” she said candidly. “I didn’t think it would be that big of a deal since we were just going two blocks away. I didn’t take the situation seriously, and after I knocked him on his ass, I still didn’t. She’d wanted to stay home, but I talked her out of it.” She held my gaze and told the truth without hesitation.
I bowed my head because I couldn’t look at her.
“I’m sorry, Damien.”
I shook my head. “You know what your problem is? You think you know everything.” I raised my head to look her in the eye. “You think you’ve got everything figured out. Your ego misdirects you. You refuse to listen. Maybe people find your confidence attractive, but I know it’s just arrogance.” I rose from the couch and headed to the door.
“Damien.”
“Goodnight, Catalina.” I headed into the hallway.
She came after me and grabbed me by the arm.
I twisted out of her grasp but faced her, nostrils flared.
“You know I don’t apologize unless I mean it…so you know I’m sincere.”
“I don’t care that you’re sincere. I care about the fact that you put yourself and my woman in danger—for absolutely no reason. You expect me to be impressed that you fought him off? The only reason you’re alive is because it wasn’t a fair fight. But next time…maybe he’ll feel differently about it.”
Pain was etched on her face, sincerity so bright it was unmistakable. She was never apologetic about anything, but now she wore her heart on her sleeve, showed a sign of humility. “It won’t happen again, okay?”
“Now I’m afraid he’s gonna come after you.”
“He has no idea who I am.”
“Doesn’t matter. And maybe it’s not obvious to you, but I love you and would die for you. So, if I have to protect two women, it’s gonna be a lot harder than protecting one.”
“Then why don’t you just kill him?”
I released a sarcastic laugh, feeling the pain all the way down to my feet. “I would if I could, Catalina. Trust me, I would…”
When I entered her bedroom, she was sitting on the couch in front of the fire. Instead of watching TV or reading, she was staring into the flames, as if all she could do was sit around and think about our conversation.
I hadn’t spoken to her since our fight because I was so angry. I was afraid I would say things I didn’t mean, push her away when I should be pulling her close. Adding distance between us was the only solution I had at the time.
But now that Catalina had explained what happened, I realized I was being harsh.
When she heard the door shut behind me, she turned her head my way. She was in a baggy white t-shirt and sleeping shorts, her hair pulled over one shoulder with no makeup on her face. She obviously didn’t expect company.
She was beautiful, regardless.
I moved to the couch she was already on, leaving a foot between us.
Her knees were pulled up to her chest, her tanned legs sexy as hell when she wore white. She stared at the side of my face for a while but didn’t make a sound. She held her silence so I could speak first.
“Catalina told me she instigated the whole thing.”
She released a quiet breath.
“I’m sorry I was so harsh with you.”
“It doesn’t matter what she did,” she whispered. “I should have said no, so don’t blame her for everything.”
I let the heat warm my face. It was getting warmer with every passing day, and soon the evening fires wouldn’t make sense anymore. But they were nice to stare at, nice to listen to when making love. “I respect you for not throwing her under the bus.”
“She’s my friend…”
Her loyalty was arousing to me, because I understood the importance of loyalty more than anyone. “Just don’t let it happen again. We have to be smart. I suspect Liam isn’t going to go away. I suspect he’s going to become more aggressive than he was before. We need to be smart.”
“I know.”
I leaned back into the sofa and looked at her, watching the flames light her face with a beautiful glow. I wanted to ask her permission to end this war, but I couldn’t bear to listen to her say no. It hurt every time, and I didn’t want to hurt. I just wanted to be with her…to feel the peace she used to give me.
So, I said nothing.
She moved close
r to me and slid her hand into mine.
My fingers gripped hers in return, feeling the warm softness. My thumb brushed over her knuckles, and I felt her distant pulse deep under the skin.
She rested her chin on my shoulder. “I don’t want you to be angry with me.”
“I’m not…anymore.”
“Good. Because I missed you…”
I stared at the flames as I heard her confession. Then I turned her way and felt my lips move on their own. They pressed into her forehead, coming into contact with the skin I hadn’t felt in so long. I closed my eyes as I treasured the touch, barely registering what I was doing. It just felt right, felt natural.
She closed her eyes and sighed quietly, like she enjoyed that kiss as much as I did.
Instead of pulling away, I left my lips there, let us stay connected that way. It erased my pain, erased my stress. It gave me a sense of peace I’d never found anywhere else, not in a stranger’s bed and not in the bottom of a bottle.
Ten
Annabella
“We miss you at the hotel.” Sofia watched me hold her son at the table. “It’s not the same without you.”
“I miss being there too.” I spoke as I looked into Andrew’s face, seeing the same eyes Hades possessed. “Being cooped up here all day is lonely. Richard invited me to play chess with him tomorrow, and I’ll probably take him up on that offer.”
“Make sure you kick his ass.”
Damien sat across from me, and he was engaged in deep conversation with Hades, their voices low. His knuckles rested against his lips as he listened to whatever Hades said, his eyes focused with intensity. In a t-shirt and jeans, Damien was addictive to stare at, a beautiful man in a hard package.
When Andrew started to cry, Sofia took him back into her arms then grabbed a bottle. “I swear, this kid never stops eating.”
“In his defense, I never stop eating either,” I teased.
She chuckled and put the nipple into his mouth.
“How’s the second baby?”
“Good. He’s getting anxious—as am I. Only six weeks left.”
“Wow…that’s exciting.”