by CORY CYR
Both I and Reese choked.
“Oh, it’s way more than sex, Kai. I’ve been livin’ with him for… how long now, sweetie?” Daisy asked, pinning me with a smile.
“Almost four months,” I replied quickly, taking a gulp of hot coffee.
“Wait, what? What happened to Fady?” Kai asked, confused.
“How did you know about her?” I asked, then stared at blabbermouth Reese.
“Just because I’m not here every minute of the day, rest assured, I know everything,” Kai said in frustration.
I smirked. “Well, I suppose you missed Reese’s memo about Daisy.”
“Yes, he definitely did not keep me in the loop about that. I thought we agreed employees were off-limits.”
“It’s too late for that. I’m taking a page from your playbook. I love her.”
Kai snickered as he straightened himself on the sofa. “I swear to Christ. Is there a fucking camera? Because I have to be getting punked.”
Daisy got up and walked to me. “Why didn’t you say anything before?” she asked as her fingers combed through my hair.
“Since this is my confessional, I thought I’d start with that,” I said as I leaned into her hand.
“Do you mean it? I mean, really—”
“Can we all just stop and get a grip, sweetie?” Kai said in annoyance. “I seriously doubt you invited us all here for this outpouring of romance. Jesus, am I on drugs? Wait. Did she lace these cookies?”
“No, there’s more, and it definitely will not be as amusing as confessing my love for this woman. There is much you don’t know about me. In the wake of the Fady fiasco, I think it’s time for me to tell you everything. I wanted Daisy here so she could make an informed decision about staying with me.
“Kai and Reese, we came together because of business funding but then became brothers. I owe you the truth. I owe you all.” I saw a shadow of fear cross Daisy’s face, but the other two appeared ready to be informed. “I tried to suppress a very dark part of my life from all of you. But when Fady found out about Daisy, it pushed her over the edge and she blackmailed me.”
Both Kai and Reese looked infuriated.
“The truth is Fady was always after money, but it seems she hired a rather exceptional hacker, and he was able to dig up some of my darkest skeletons. Fady used the information against me. Had she permitted the hacker to go deeper, she wouldn’t have dared trifle with me. But I couldn’t allow VIP or any of you to be touched by the information. Especially you, Daisy. You’ve gone through enough. I feared you would walk away rather than put me in a position that would undoubtedly lead to Maynard’s demise.
“Guys, you know I came from money. The reality is my father was one of the wealthiest men in England. If he’d lived, most likely, his penchant for creating wealth would have propelled him to being one of the richest in the world. But along with that wealth came threats of violence, kidnapping, and a million other things. I was only fourteen, so I wasn’t privy to everything. My father was rarely around, and my mum worked in earnest to keep her children shielded from his business affairs. They fought constantly about our well-being. I think she wanted us in private schools far away from the constant peril and daily gossip, but my father wouldn’t have it. He believed he could protect his family.
“One night, there was a home invasion. My parents and my two younger sisters were murdered. I survived by getting to the panic room and cowering like a spineless, castrated little boy. Those three men did horrible things to my mum and younger sisters before they slaughtered them like pigs, even after my father gave them what they came for: entry to the vault containing millions of pounds and all my mum’s jewels, along with family heirlooms. They slit his throat, then continued their massacre. I could see everything on the monitors inside the safe room. Even when I finally closed my eyes, I still heard their screams.
“Joy was ten and Eve was twelve. Thankfully, Rumour was out with her boyfriend.”
Daisy gripped my shoulder, sobbing quietly, while Reese’s and Kai’s expressions told me they now understood my behavior.
“I spent the next year in a clinic. They called it that, but really, it was a mental facility. I quit talking. I shut down as guilt took me over. I was broken beyond repair when Rumour finally got me out of that place and gained guardianship. She had no idea how far off the reservation I had gone. I thirsted for revenge. Those animals were never caught. Truly, even Scotland Yard was useless. I knew it would end up as some cold case and those monsters would get away with it.
“But the two surviving Kendricks were rich. We’d inherited everything. Our family solicitor oversaw the fifty-fifty split of the will. Due to my age, I wouldn’t get the bulk until I was twenty-one, but I had enough to set my plan in motion. I became obsessed with getting my body in shape, basically living in my self-crafted home gym, and having a couple trainers teach me everything from martial arts to street fighting. I also hired several weapons experts. There was a war raging inside me, and I wanted to be prepared. Even though I was young, my wealth afforded all the necessities, including valuable information.
“Rumour never suspected until it was too late. She believed the exercise was a good stress reliever, and she understood why I wanted to be able to protect myself. Those three men knew I survived, so I decided to strike before they did.”
I stopped to look up at Daisy. “I need you to leave. I can’t bear for you to hear the rest. I love you too much, and seeing the pity in your eyes and how your view of me will differ, I don’t think I could take the pain of you withdrawing.”
“Would it make it any better if I said I love you, too? Very much, and I have no intention of going anywhere. You forget who I’m married to.”
“She’s married?” I heard Kai whisper to Reese. He mouthed, Not now, in response.
“Oh, Daisy, knowing you love me should have me overjoyed, but it only makes this next part worse.”
Her hand squeezed my arm as she bent to kiss me. She then went back to the sofa and sat between the two men. True to her nature, she took each one’s hand.
“Two years later, I finally got the information I so desperately wanted. Even though I was young, with wealth comes power, so I used a large part of my monthly stipend to retain both. At seventeen, I was not only tall, but muscular and appeared quite lethal. I found out that the ringleader of the three men had killed the other two and kept the money for himself. He also had sold my family’s jewels, along with all the other loot, to the highest bidder. Word had gotten back to him that I was looking for payback. I assumed he wasn’t concerned since I was just a kid. He hadn’t a clue what lengths I’d go to for retribution.
“I trailed him for three weeks. In that time, I’d found out about his extra security measures, including hiring body guards. I simultaneously put all of them to sleep with a rear naked choker hold. I had no intention of mindlessly killing men that were only doing their jobs. I was convinced if they had known who their employer was and what he had done, they would have helped me. I murdered him. I’ll leave out the gruesome details. All you need to know is I got revenge… but at a cost.
“I missed one of the bodyguards. He saw me as I soaked the chopped-up body of his boss in petrol. I stayed too long because he was the one who gave the order to execute my family and he had been the one that sexually assaulted my sisters. I relished watching his corpse burn. Needless to say, I was arrested the next day. Justifiable homicide.
“My stay in the mental hospital, what I had witnessed, and my age basically played contributing factors. The court thought I was out of my mind at the time, and my lawyer used that to keep me out of jail.
“The man I murdered had quite the rap sheet: arson, rape, theft, grand larceny, and suspected murder. He’d spent quite a few years in prison, but they never could prove homicide, which would have kept him locked up for life. And due to lack of evidence, the son of a bitch had been out of jail for five months when he massacred my family.
“For my part,
my seventeen-year-old self was sent back to the asylum until I was twenty-one. Though, I wasn’t insane, just enraged. My records were sealed because I was a minor, and my sister paid high-priced barristers a fortune to have my offenses swept under a rug. I didn’t care because I had no idea how it would affect me in the real world. I kept that part of my life buried, but I was damaged beyond repair… or so I thought.
“When the offer came to me for VIP and it involved only a buy-in partnership, I was glad to leave England and, with it, my past. I never thought we’d develop a friendship, let alone a brotherhood, but you both welcomed me even though I did my best to push you away. I let my rigid personality, coupled with sex, become my way of coping.
“I’m not sure how much Fady found out, but I deemed it necessary to pay her five million to shut her up. I couldn’t take the chance of my actions destroying our venture. The clientele was extremely forgiving of your transgression in regards to Tegan, but brutality and murder would most certainly cause us to lose everything. I don’t particularly care about myself, but, Kai, this was your dream, and I won’t be its downfall.”
“She’s gone now. Let’s hope she stays away. But if she doesn’t, we’ll handle it, as with all things, together. You don’t have to do this alone, brother,” Kai said, standing. “I wish you had confided in us before now.”
“This answers why you’re such a dick,” Reese quipped.
“Best not to rile him. Weren’t you payin’ attention to the story?” Daisy asked as she winked, padding over to me. “I love you no matter what. I have some dark tales of my own. Country folks have been killin’ each other for centuries. I’m just sorry you carried all that pain and suffering alone. You could have divided it up between us three.”
“I had no idea this was the reason for your chilly temperament. You do understand, Jasper, how strong this made you. You witnessed horrific acts of violence, then continued to survive after you got vigilante justice. I can’t condemn your actions, because if it were Tegan and my daughter, I might have done the same,” Kai admitted.
“I’m not sure the end justifies the means. I murdered someone,” I confessed.
“Yes, but did you ever get justice through the legal system? You said they never caught them. You found one and applied a penalty he rightfully deserved. You’ve chastised yourself long enough. You were young and traumatized. You’re allowed closure and some happiness,” Reese said.
“I took a life,” I whispered in a haunted voice.
“And he took four. He had it comin’. You’re a decent man, Jasper Kendrick.” Daisy chimed in.
I had held this burden for so long. I sighed in relief as the weight of guilt lifted from me. I knew Rumour would be astounded that I’d exorcised these demons and all my cards were on the table.
“Daisy and Reese, would you mind if I talked to Jasper alone?” Kai requested.
“Not at all, brother. Daisy and I will go to her office,” Reese replied as he opened the door for her.
“There’s nothing you could do that would make me love you less,” Daisy said to me as she followed Reese out.
“That’s quite a girl you’ve got there. Any other woman would be running away in fear,” Kai said as he pulled a chair up to my desk.
I nodded in agreement. “Yes, she is a very unique person. I’ve never met anyone quite like her.”
“I’m really sorry you’ve had to shoulder this horrific burden by yourself. Even though your sister knew, I wish we could have helped you lighten that load. It’s a heavy albatross to carry for all these years. And when I think back to things I said to you, it makes me feel like a douche. Do you think five million will be enough to keep Fady off your back?”
“Kai, I really don’t know. I suppose I’ll keep paying her should she demand more.”
“I can’t imagine her not feeling some sort of unease. She knows what you did. If it was me, I’d be worried I’d end up buried somewhere.”
“Fady knows what happened was a long time ago, but not every detail. And as much as I’d love to strangle that cunt, those feelings aren’t in me anymore. Besides, I have to think of Daisy. She has husband problems.”
Kai walked over to the microwave to heat his coffee. “So I heard. I’m listening,” he said, sipping from his cup.
“He’s some kind of mafia type, I suppose, or maybe just your everyday criminal. It doesn’t matter because once Daisy realized the extent of his activities, she became an FBI informant.”
“Wait. What?” Kai said with concern. “That puts you in a rather precarious situation. It’s not safe for you to get involved.”
I put my mug on the desk. “You sound like Rumour, but how can I not? I love her and will do anything to protect her. The Feds have the mainland covered. Her husband doesn’t have a clue where she is. I don’t care what I have to do. If he does show up, and I highly doubt it, I will do what is necessary to keep her safe.”
“Jesus,” Kai uttered. “This is a mess. Maybe you two should leave. Get out of the country.”
“That’s not possible. Daisy will never leave her mum. Besides, the Feds would lose their shite. And I truly believe we’re safer here. You know my home. Well, now with the added security, it’s a fortress. She’s right next door during the day, and I’m with her at night.”
Kai chuckled. “I guess Daisy has had an effect on you. I didn’t think there was a woman alive who could get through that armor-plated heart of yours.”
“It wasn’t easy for her. She and I, we’re so different. But it works.”
“So any chance you’ll take it to the next level?” Kai taunted.
“Marriage. Oh, hell no. I’m not you or Reese. I don’t desire a wife and kids. I’ve never wanted that.”
“But have you asked Daisy what she wants?” Kai asked, continuing to press.
“No, but I doubt marrying me would even be on her radar, considering she’s still married and her current husband wants her dead. And kids… She’s forty-three, so I would think that’s not anything she’s contemplating.”
Kai looked surprised. “So she’s older. That must be a theme now. If I learned anything from Tegan, it’s that women want to be asked. Even if they say no.”
“After what she just learned, I won’t put her through a decision like that. I will only hurt her if it is what she wants, and there will never be a time when I change my mind.”
“You can’t allow your future life choices to be dictated by your past,” Kai said frankly.
“Can we not debate this? I’ve always known there is no happily ever after for me. Knowing she loves me is the closest I’ll ever get.”
Kai gave me his hand, then pulled me into a hug, speaking into my ear. “I feel bad that you suffered alone. I will always be here for you, brother.”
I nodded as I broke the embrace.
I wondered if both men would look at me differently. How would Daisy react when we were alone? Had my past scared her? She would be well in her rights to be afraid.
The hairs on my neck stood on end. Normally, when I dwelled on my past, I would quell it by having sex. The kind of fucking that I no longer participated in because Daisy didn’t enjoy it. But I was high from my confession and needed to stifle that pain. I needed to be in control, to dominate. Would she honor my request?
Chapter Twenty-Five
Daisy
I’d just finished lighting candles. Following the recipe dictated by Alexa exactly, I’d made beef stroganoff. I’d decided to leave the office two hours early because, emotionally, I felt drained. On the one hand, Jasper had said he loved me, and then I found out about his past. Both admissions made me want to cry. So I decided to make him a well-deserved meal. The table looked so pretty, and I’d made key lime pie for dessert. I’d decided to wait until he arrived home to bake the homemade rolls.
After showering, I’d chosen to wear my new lingerie that I’d purchased online. Personally, I’d never owned something so feminine and sheer. It was one piece with green satin
triangles covering my nipples and sex, but everything else was delicate white lace. Nothing was left to the imagination. I guess that was the idea—at least, it was mine.
After I’d learned what Jasper had been hiding, I sobbed for hours. In fact, both Reese and I blubbered together. What he had done terrified me. I’d always suspected he was holding back, but the story he told caught all of us by surprise. He was a force, one that should never be trifled with. That Fady, she was sure lucky to be gone, because I would pull out all her hair by the roots, then knock her upside the head for blackmailing my man. I’d give that bitch a proper whippin’, Tennessee style.
It hadn’t quite hit me yet that the man I loved had witnessed almost his entire family brutally murdered at such a young age, then delivered his own justice. Even just as it was, what he had admitted was barbaric and savage. I shivered at the detailed description of his heinous act. Would I have not gotten revenge by any means if it had been my mama?
I didn’t want the information to change me, but how could it not? I loved him, but I was worried about the lengths he might go to in order to protect me, because I now knew what he was capable of.
The man had told me he loved me in front of his friends. I’d felt that way for a while now but never thought Jasper would feel the same. He played his cards close to the vest, and now I knew why. I couldn’t have him going off half-cocked trying to protect me. A man that would kill had me wishing I’d never told Reese or Jasper about my husband.
I made my way down the hall when I heard him come in. His nostrils flared as his eyes scanned my outfit from head to toe.
“Christ, woman, what do you have on?”
“Just something I bought special for you. I made beef stroganoff and key lime pie. Dinner will—”
“No offense, but fuck dinner,” he said as he stalked toward me. “Take it off.”
“But it’s so pretty…”
“Wrong answer.” Jasper caught the lacy material with both hands and ripped it in two.