FRAGMENTED

by C. Luca

  The doorbell chimes from downstairs, the sound echoing throughout the estate and startling me.

  Knight pulls back and scowls. “Fuck. Now what?” he bites out, visibly aggravated that we’d been interrupted.

  I’m thankful for the intrusion, because for a moment, I’d completely lost my head while he was kissing me. It’s hard to keep hold of my thoughts when such a strong, sexy man is solely focused on me.

  “Go take a shower. I’ll handle whoever’s at the door,” I suggest, stepping away from him. I need some distance so that I can pull together my scrambled thoughts.

  Knight nods, running a wary hand over his jaw. “We’ll continue this later.”

  Instead of replying, I hurriedly leave the room and rush for the first floor. A little voice inside my head is calling me a chicken, and I don’t deny it. It’s tough turning Knight down, especially when he doesn’t see anything wrong with taking advantage of our attraction. I’m beginning to understand that Knight likes to focus on the present and only the present. He doesn’t concern himself with consequences if they don’t affect him personally.

  When I open the door in the foyer, I find a well-dressed older gentleman standing there. He’s dressed in a suit and tie, and his silver hair is styled to perfection.

  He frowns at me, obviously not expecting a woman to answer the door. “You are…?” he asks, his expression stating that he’s already made up his mind to dislike me.

  Welcome to the club, I think silently with an inward sigh. A polite, professional smile appears on my face. “I’m Elena, the housekeeper.”

  His already severe expression darkens further. “I’d like to see Nathan.”

  “He’s not taking visitors at the moment—”

  “I’m William Lancaster, his uncle,” he informs, speaking right over me.

  Cameron suddenly appears at my shoulder, and he quickly opens the door and motions for Mr. Lancaster to come in. “Mr. Lancaster,” he greets smoothly. “Come on in.”

  Nathan’s uncle moves right past me as if I don’t exist. “I’m assuming one of those damned alters pulled that stunt last night?” he grouses as the two men walk away from the foyer.

  I stand there for a moment, the door still wide open. Slowly, I close it and exit the foyer, trying not to dwell over their easy dismissal of me. I can hear Cameron and Mr. Lancaster’s voices as they make their way upstairs to track down Knight.

  This is such a mess, and all fingers are pointed directly at me.

  Except for Knight.

  Somehow, he makes it all seem like it’s a small bump in the road that will naturally smooth over.

  Not likely, I think to myself.

  * * *

  Later that evening, I’m watching the sunset as I try to ease the day’s tension. I don’t know what Mr. Lancaster said to Knight, but the tension from the confrontation has Cameron and Griffin visibly tense. I’m certain they want me fired.

  Heck, I haven’t even seen Knight. He never did come to find me to continue our ‘conversation,’ and I’m actually grateful. It’s been a very long day, and I’m not sure a conversation like the one that needs to be had is going to make anyone’s day better.

  My thoughts shift as I wonder over Nathan’s relationship with his uncle. From his uncle’s reaction earlier, he clearly has issues with the alters. That must cause tension between them, and I’m beginning to grasp just how much Nathan has to deal with. Keeping up with existing relationships must be difficult considering those around him must also deal with his alters. Now I can understand why he lives up in the hills and rarely leaves the estate.

  “What makes this sunset different than the one you watched last night?”

  I start, nearly spilling my iced tea as I look up and find Knight standing near my lounger. Either he’d tried to be sneaky, or I was just that lost in my thoughts.

  His expression is genuinely curious as he stands there, arms crossed as he gazes down at me. His rumpled appearance from earlier has disappeared, and now he’s wearing fresh jeans that look well-worn, and a gray tee that clings to his muscles.

  “Every sunset is beautiful,” I reply.

  He shrugs and snags one of the other loungers and sits down. “If you say so.”

  His reply brings a smile to my lips before it slowly fades. “How did it go with Mr. Lancaster?”

  Knight’s expression tightens. “The old man has his own opinions and doesn’t hesitate to make them known.”

  “I’m sorry,” I murmur.

  “Don’t be. I just let him talk and then see him out. Nothing he says is ever given a second thought.”

  “Will you have to go to court?” I ask, switching the subject.

  The corner of his mouth tilts up into a slight smirk. “The little prick finally accepted the payoff, so the charges won’t stick.”

  “You guys paid him off?”

  Knight nods. “There wasn’t any other option. It’s not just me that would have to deal with the consequences,” he says dryly.

  Knight’s right. When Nathan finds out… As intrigued as I am by him, I am also dreading his reappearance. This mess is all going to land directly in my lap, and I have no idea how I’m going to salvage it with my job intact.

  I’m torn from my thoughts when Knight reaches over and rests his hand on my thigh directly above my knee, his eyes darkening. “Elena.”

  His warm hand has caused butterflies to stir in my stomach. I’d known he’d want to continue what we’d started earlier, and I have every intention of turning him down, but he’s also so incredibly tempting…

  Nathan already assumes I’m Knight’s plaything, but I want to prove him wrong. It’s important that I begin being acknowledged for who I am not for ‘sex.’

  Knight’s brows furrow as if he can sense the warring emotions going on inside me. “Why are you fighting this?”

  Carefully, I pull my knee from his touch and set my glass of iced tea on the nearby table. I straighten my spine and turn to face him fully. “We can’t.”

  “Why?” he repeats as his eyes remain fixed on mine.

  “I just can’t, Knight,” I say carefully. “I want to be your friend, and I think adding sex to the mix might complicate things.”

  “You’re making it more complicated than it needs to be,” he corrects.

  I’d known he’d react this way. Sex is just a physical release for him. It won’t ever mean anything more, and that’s the problem. Now that casual sex isn’t one of the demands of my life, I want to take back control of my body. I’m not going to give it lightly anymore.

  “It would be another complication added to a long list of complications that are already piling up,” I tell him. “I need this job, Knight. I can’t mess this up.”

  He’s silent for a long moment, and there’s no way to decipher what he’s thinking, because his expression has begun to shut down. “If that’s what you want,” he says finally.

  “It is,” I say softly.

  He nods and rises to his feet. “I apologize for continuing to make moves on you. It ends now. I’m heading out then. Night, Elena.” He walks away before anything further can be said.

  I watch him disappear back inside the house, regret stirring deep within me. He’s going out to find someone who is willing to share her body with him. The thought makes my heart twinge, and I force myself to ignore it. Knight can never be anything more than my employer.

  NINE

  Nathan

  The second I open my eyes and smell the sweet scent of perfume, my mood sours.

  Goddamn it.

  Knight.

  The only trace of relief I feel is the knowledge that I’m alone in the bed, and I shove back the blankets to find that I’m wearing briefs. I prefer lounge pants when I sleep. I’d lost time again, and as I peer down at my body, I can still smell perfume in the air.

  With a low growl, I stride to the connecting bathroom and practically yank the knob off the shower as I turn it to full blast. The least the fucker could h
ave done was shower before dropping into bed.

  After quickly stripping down, I stand under the nearly scalding water and wash my body thoroughly. Another bloody STD test is going to be necessary, and it’s a damned good thing that my physician is aware of my DID. Otherwise, anyone else would think I’m nuts.

  As I shower, I find myself wondering if it was Elena that Knight was with. I’m not sure why the idea bothers me, but it does. Not wanting to delve into why, I focus on washing my hair and then turn off the water.

  Before I face the upcoming day, I strip the bed of the sheets and shove them in the hamper. I don’t want any reminders that Knight was doing only God knows what last night. I’m just thankful that he’s never broken the number one rule: No women in my bed.

  When I check the calendar by the bed, I realize I’ve lost two days.

  Two whole fucking days.

  My head drops into my hands, and I squeeze my eyes shut as I struggle to calm my anger. The deadline has gotten to be too much for me, which is why Knight appeared. I should have never signed that stupid contract. What the hell was I thinking?

  I drop my hands as my fists clench. I know what I was thinking. I thought I could control myself this time, that I could stop the others from taking over.

  Wishful thinking, you sorry bastard, I think to myself.

  If I continue to dwell over the lost time, it’ll accomplish nothing but the possibility of Knight taking over again. So I force myself to calm the thoughts racing in my head as I head for the door.

  This can be salvaged.

  I’ve got all day to work, and I am going to think of something to finish that painting. And if I can’t, I can always paint storm clouds—which is similar to what’s going on in my head. It’s just so…cliché. I prefer my paintings to have meaning, and storm clouds just wouldn’t do it justice.

  I’ve just left the second floor and begun my walk down the hallway when I run into Cameron. “I’m back,” I tell him before he can question me.

  “Nathan?” he asks, wanting to verify who he’s speaking with.

  “Yeah, it’s me,” I confirm. Something odd flickers across his face, and a bad feeling settles in the pit of my stomach. “What happened?”

  “Let’s talk somewhere private,” Cameron tactfully suggests.

  Whatever Knight did is going to piss me off, and I can feel a headache coming on. I nod, and we head to the nearest room, which happens to be a study. We each take a seat on the sofa, and I look at him expectantly, bracing myself for whatever is going to come next.

  Cameron quietly explains that Knight took Elena out to a club the other night and that there was some sort of confrontation that involved Elena and a college-aged kid. Knight defended Elena and knocked the kid out cold.

  As he informs me that Knight ended up in jail, my body continues to tense until I let loose a long string of expletives and shoot to my feet, pacing. Why the hell can’t Knight control his temper? He’s supposed to be the protector, and instead, he’s making things worse by losing his shit over someone that has no meaning in my life, or his.

  “It was taken care of,” Cameron says tactfully as he warily watches me from where he still sits on the sofa.

  I look at him sharply and brace my hands on my hips. “How much?” I clip out.

  “Twenty grand,” he says with a sigh.

  A shudder runs through me, and I can sense Brick wanting to appear. When he’s this close to the surface, the fucker can understand what’s going on, or so Griffin and Cameron have told me.

  This shit just keeps getting worse. What’s to stop the little prick from asking for more now that he’d secured twenty grand? Had anyone thought it fully through before offering him money to drop the charges?

  I fold my arms over my chest and face Cameron, who has remained seated. “So was the guy an ex of Elena’s?” I ask, wanting all the information before I can decide on the best course of action to take with the situation.

  Cameron clears his throat. “I don’t think now is the time—”

  “Our with it,” I bite out, and Brick pushes further to be released. It’s like a building of pressure behind my temples, and I struggle to force it back.

  Then reality sets in.

  If Brick is this close, continuing this conversation is likely going to bring him forth. As much as I want to know everything that has happened, it could do more harm than good at this point.

  “He was an old…client,” Cameron says, interrupting my thoughts without realizing that I’m on the brink of taking his advice of leaving well enough alone.

  “Client?” I ask, entirely focused on the word he’d used.

  Cameron coughs into his hand. “You know, one of her past clients that’ve paid for her…services,” he finishes.

  “She’s a prostitute?” I demand sharply.

  He doesn’t deny it.

  Knight brought a prostitute into my home? Elena’s past is just as bad as I’d originally thought it could be, but I’d been hoping otherwise. She seemed so kind. Did Knight fuck her last night? What is she really after?

  Brick’s pushing at me, and I can’t hold him back any longer.

  TEN

  Elena

  I feel very accomplished and even proud of myself over the egg casserole I’d just pulled from the oven. I set the large dish on pot holders before closing the oven door.

  I’m finding that cooking is enjoyable, and after removing the oven mitts, I return them to a drawer. Humming softly under my breath, I pull the large bowl of fresh sliced fruit from the refrigerator.

  Movement catches my eye, and as I set the bowl on the counter, I see Knight entering the kitchen. His stride reminds me of a predator stalking its prey, and he’s heading right for me. The hard lines of his face and cold eyes warn me that he’s not Knight. I’m not even sure he’s Nathan.

  I instinctively back up a step as he pauses directly in front of me, the look on his handsome face one of malice. “What’s your end game?” he asks in a patronizing tone.

  “Excuse me?” I ask cautiously.

  Cameron hurries into the kitchen, a look of alarm on his face when he sees me cornered. “Brick—”

  “Get lost,” Brick says to him from over his shoulder, his eyes remaining locked on me.

  Brick.

  The worst of the alters.

  My heart rate kicks up a notch as I realize I’m trapped between the counter and a very angry man. There is no escape.

  “I can’t do that,” Cameron says calmly. He’s moving closer to us, his expression calm but set.

  Brick ignores him and glares down at me as his upper lip curls. “You think you’ve got some kind of magic pussy?”

  I flinch and try to shrink away from his crude words. “I…”

  He moves closer, and I back up until I bump into the counter, but Brick keeps coming as he invades my personal space. I have to crane my neck to look up at him, and for the first time since taking this job, I’m frightened. This man, I thought I knew him, but the violence radiating off him has me trembling.

  “You can wear clothes to cover that body, bat those big green eyes of yours, and look as innocent as you want, but the fact is, a whore is still a whore no matter how you dress her up,” he says brutally.

  I inhale sharply, leaning as far away from him as possible.

  “Brick, back off,” Cameron says sharply.

  Brick’s hands reach out, and I flinch as he grips the counter on either side of my hips. His breath brushes my face as he leans in and says, “You’re nothing but a disease carrying whore from the street that doesn’t belong—”

  “That’s enough!” Cameron thunders, inching closer to us.

  Brick’s eyes glitter with spitefulness as they remain on mine. “It’s enough when I say it’s enough.” And then he says to me, “Stop spreading your legs and hoping it’ll turn into a big payday.” Visible threats fill his gaze. “You cause any further trouble around here, and I’ll take care of you myself,” he vows.

/>   Griffin rushes into the kitchen. “Back off, Brick.”

  Brick is momentarily distracted as he turns slightly to face Griffin, his hands no longer pinning me where I stand. “Gonna make me?” he taunts, obviously tempted by the possibility of a physical altercation with someone.

  I’m struggling to breathe through the pain in my chest, but Cameron manages to snag my attention as he motions for me to come to him while Griffin is distracting Brick.

  Not wanting to draw attention to myself, I cautiously ease further along the counter until Cameron can grab my wrist and jerk me out of Brick’s reach. “Go, leave the premises for a few hours,” he whispers as he forcefully nudges me out of the kitchen.

  I nod and practically run from the room. As soon as I’m out of Brick’s sight, I race down the hall to my room and grab my purse. Then, I instinctively go out the back door and make my way through the landscaping to reach the drive.

  I hurry down the paved path, my heart racing.

  Brick had just emotionally butchered me.

  My eyes burn, and I blink rapidly as I continue walking. I won’t have far to go to reach the community’s gate, and I am thankful for that. I half expect to see Brick chasing after me on foot or in one of the cars, so I focus on simply getting as far away from the house as I can get.

  When I reach the gate, the guard hides his surprise at seeing me walking, and I politely ask him to call me a taxi. While I wait for one to arrive, Brick’s words continue to haunt me. He’d called me a disease carrying whore.

  Pain burns a hole deep within me as I think of the diseases I could possibly have. Up until this point, I haven’t considered my health, and now that it’s been brought up, I am desperate to prove that I’m not carrying any filth from the decisions I’ve made. The worst part is knowing that I very well might because of my desperation to keep a roof over my head and food in my stomach. I’d just wanted to survive…

  When the taxi finally pulls up, I slip into the back seat and pull together a wan smile for the older gentleman. “Can you take me to a clinic? A free one,” I add.