Raim took in the wires hanging from the drywall and the indentations in the carpet where the furniture used to be. “Were you moving out?”
“No. Brad did, while I was at work. He divided our assets himself, without me knowing, leaving me what was mine and taking everything that was his or ours.” I shrugged, not caring at all, at that point. My parents’ personal things were still here, that was what mattered right now. “Could you give me a hand, please?” I opened the large hallway closet. “Would you be able to reach that white box up there, on the top shelf? Because if not, I’d need to get a ladder.”
Raim had to get on his tiptoes, but the ladder turned out not to be necessary.
“I’ll have to go through these address books,” I told him, opening the box he held out to me and taking a stack of leather-bound notebooks of my dad’s. “I’m sure he had some phone numbers or even maybe email addresses written in here, but it may take some time to find them.”
I also hoped that some names might trigger more of my memories. So far, the only name I remembered was that of Auntie Jennie. She was the one who owned the ranch where that family event took place, along with her husband, whose name I didn’t remember.
“Do you need my help with that?” Raim asked, setting the box down on the floor inside the closet for now.
“No, thank you. I should be fine on my own.”
He nodded, heading to the kitchen area of the open-concept main floor as I sat on the carpet in the living room, the notebooks on my lap.
“I’ll make you some tea,” he announced, passing by the counter.
“Thanks, the tea is in the cabinet, over—”
“I’ll find it.” He waved me off.
I watched him a moment longer as he rummaged through the cabinets, finding the tin with loose tea and the jar with sugar.
“Can I ask you something?” I shifted in my place on the floor. “If I had cancelled the conference, would you really have come here to find me?”
“Yes,” he replied, matter-of-factly. “I was going to talk to you, one way or another, Dee. I’m glad you crossed the ocean, though. The trip to the island would have taken much longer from here.” He grinned, glancing at me from under a stray lock of hair.
“Did you plan the whole thing, then?” I asked. “Was the castle your intention all along?”
“No. Initially, I simply wanted to ask you some questions about the amulet and your family, hoping to fill in the blanks in my research about that. The idea to seduce you came later. When I met you at the club, it proved too hard to simply let you go.”
“I would argue that it was me who seduced you.” I gave him a teasing smile.
“Maybe. But I made it easy for you, giving in without a fight.” He laughed, turning to fill the kettle with water from the kitchen faucet.
I opened the first notebook, leafing through the pages and pages of the names, addresses, and phone numbers of all the people my father considered to be important enough to keep in touch with. Seeing his familiar handwriting tugged at my heart with sadness and longing, the way it always did whenever I went through the contents of the white box.
As if sensing my subdued mood, Raim brought me a mug of tea when it was ready, silently placing it on the floor next to me. Without saying a word, he moved over to the window, leaving me one on one with my feelings and the ghosts of the past.
I recognized a few names as those of the Priory Monks my dad had worked with, some people from his day job, a few close friends . . . In the third or fourth book, I finally found what I believed I was searching for—Robert and Jennifer Carlton, Arizona.
Although I still was not completely certain if Robert was the name of Auntie Jennie’s husband, I believed I’d heard the name Carlton from my parents before.
There was a mailing address and a phone number listed under their names, with no email address. I quickly took my new cell phone from the pocket of my dress pants and entered the number, hoping it had not changed in the years since my dad passed away.
“Hello,” a female voice came on the line.
“Hi, Auntie Jennie? I mean I would like to speak to Ms. Jennifer Carlton, please.”
“Speaking. Who is this?”
“My name is Delilah Neri, but you may know me as Dee? I’m the daughter of Ernesto Neri? I believe he took me to your ranch once, when I was little . . .”
“Ernesto? How is he doing? And Christine, right? That was his wife’s name?”
“Yes. Christine Neri is my mother . . . was, I mean she was my mother. My parents have passed away.”
“Oh, my goodness!” the woman gasped. “Ernesto is dead? Christine, too? Rob, do you hear that?” she yelled somewhere to the side. “I am so, so sorry to hear that, Dee. We never knew . . .”
“We moved away. There was no way for me to notify . . .” I realized I could have done this very thing a long time ago. I could’ve found and called this number much sooner, if only to notify my relatives of my dad’s passing. The reason I had never even considered doing that was because I wanted to honour my father’s wishes to stay away. He believed it was safer for me to keep hiding, and going against that would have been akin to disrespecting his legacy.
Now, things had changed. Enough for me to justify mending broken bridges.
“How did it happen?” Auntie Jennie asked. “When?”
“It’s been over twenty years since Mom died, twelve since Dad’s been gone.” I drew in a deep breath. “A long time ago. Sorry, I didn’t get in touch earlier. I just found your phone number in an old notebook.”
“Oh, sweetie. We are so sorry for your loss. Christine was such a lovely girl, always kind. And Ernesto loved her so much. They also had a son, your younger brother, didn’t they? We never got to meet him. Is he okay?”
The restless anxiety from not knowing Owen’s fate rose in me as it always did when I thought about him.
“My brother, he . . . um, he’s no longer here.”
“Oh Dee. Does it mean you’re all alone now? You must come for a visit, dear.”
“Actually, I was wondering if I could do that. I would love to talk with you, whenever it is most convenient for you.”
“Well, it couldn’t be a better time, really.” Auntie Jennie’s voice lifted. “Our family reunion is next weekend. We always have one in June. Family comes from all over, whoever can of course. You can stay for the whole weekend and share the Miller girls’ trailer for the night. It’s huge, and they’re about your age, you’ll have fun.”
“Um, I’m not sure if I could spend the whole weekend . . .”
“Oh, please stay,” she insisted, animatedly. We’ll have a barbeque. Rob is getting a whole bunch of fireworks . . .”
My gaze fell on Raim’s dark figure by the window.
“May I bring a friend, Auntie Jennie?”
“Absolutely! I’ll get Rob to borrow a trailer from our neighbour for you, then.”
“I’m still not sure we would stay the night, though.”
“Oh, that’s fine if you need to leave. I’ll just make sure the trailer is here in case you decide to stay. You know how it happens when you’re having fun, you don’t notice how the time flies. It’s best to be prepared.”
“Okay. Thank you.” I gave up fighting her over the trailer. “I promise I’ll be there. And, thank you so much for inviting me.”
“It will be so nice to see you again, Dee. Do you know how to get here? Do you have our address?”
I read the address from the notebook to her, and she confirmed it.
“Can’t wait to see you, dear,” Auntie Jennie said one more time before we both finally said our goodbyes and hung up.
I was still staring at the phone in my hand when Raim came and sat on the floor, facing me.
Staring at the dark screen as too many thoughts flew through my brain, I said, “My family, they have been out there all this time, and I . . .” I lifted my head, meeting his eyes. “I should have called earlier.”
Regret o
ver so many lonely days I had spent when I could have had some comfort from my extended family flooded me. Maybe it would have been easier if I had someone to grieve together with after the death of my parents? I had friends, colleagues, and a husband for years, but when something deeply personal happened, I had always found myself completely and utterly alone, dealing with everything on my own. Maybe just a simple phone call to a family member would have helped me, had I repaired these relationships sooner? Maybe, some of my family could have used my help, too?
“Well, better late than never, right?” I smiled at Raim, pulling myself together. At the end of the day, there was something to celebrate, after all. As nervous as I was to be meeting people I hadn’t seen for decades, I also felt hopeful and excited to reconnect. “You and I have a party to go to.”
“I’ll call Andras to update him on what’s happening.” He got his phone out.
“Meanwhile, I’ll have to find a real estate agent, and call a lawyer to update my will.”
“Your will?” he gave me a grim stare, and I nodded slowly.
“It’s best to be prepared, since I have the time for it. I’ll list this place for sale and leave instructions on what to do with the proceeds after . . . I mean if . . .” I trailed off, unable to say the words out loud. Talking about dying felt like inviting death. Clearing my throat, I took a sip of the tea and spoke as calmly as I could, “Without the will, chances are Brad would find the way to get all the money for himself, and I have a few charities in mind that I believe would benefit from it more.”
Taking the mug out of my hands, Raim dragged me onto his lap. “I won’t let you die, Dee.”
The unshakable certainty in his voice filled me with confidence. I knew he couldn’t give me any guarantees, yet I believed he would protect me with everything he had.
“I kind of wish to live a little longer.” I made an effort to sound brighter. “Especially now that you’ve barged into my life—”
“I don’t barge,” he huffed indignantly, but his expression lightened.
“I know you don’t.” I smiled, brushing his hair aside and letting my hand linger at the side of his face. “You strut, saunter, stroll or stalk, but you’re right, you absolutely do not barge.”
“Are you saying you’re glad I stalked you?” His hand under my backside, he slid me closer to him.
“I mean that when you’re staring at me like you’re doing right now, I feel like prey caught in your crosshairs, stalked and about to be pounced on.”
“I don’t see any discomfort in you.” He slid his hands up to my shoulders, the tips of his thumbs skimming along the base of my neck.
“I didn’t say it makes me uncomfortable.” I swallowed against his thumbs now gently gliding along my throat.
“I see something else, though.” His eyelids dropped as he followed the progress of his fingers with his gaze. Moving his hands down, he started unbuttoning my blouse, exposing first my amulet, then my bra.
Hooking his thumbs in my cleavage, he slid them under the bra band, right between the cups, then ripped it open.
“Oops.” I frowned, faking being upset. “I actually liked this one.”
“I’ll buy you a new bra,” he replied, huskily, shoving the cups apart to release my breasts. “One with a front closure, so I won’t have to rip it next time.”
Cupping both of my breasts, he stroked around the nipples with his thumbs, making tight, slow circles but not quite touching the hardening tips.
“Has he ever made love to you here, on the floor?” Raim asked suddenly.
Ready to get lost in the hurricane of sensations I knew Raim would make me feel if he kept touching me, it took me a moment to realize he was talking about Brad.
“Um, I don’t know.” I watched his hands, my breasts feeling tingly and heavy from his attention. My ex was definitely the last thing on my mind at the moment. “I don’t remember. Maybe when we first moved in? Why?”
Squeezing my right breast, he suddenly pinched the bud of my nipple—hard. Air left my lungs in a loud gasp as a charge of heat shot through my lower stomach, making my hips buck against him.
Fisting my hand in his hair, I rubbed my heated core against his growing erection.
“I want this to be your most vivid memory of this place,” he gritted through his teeth, shoving my blouse and bra off my left shoulder. Grabbing me by my upper arms, he yanked me closer, sucking my nipple into his mouth.
With a deep, throaty moan, I arched my back, pressing my breast into his face as he licked the tip, raking his teeth against my sensitive skin, and driving me mad with lust.
His hand moved from my other breast, the thumb coming in contact with my amulet, and Raim froze in an instant.
Plunged in a hot frenzy of desire, it didn’t immediately register with me that he’d stopped. Then I tugged at his hair still fisted in my hand, prompting him to meet my gaze.
“Do you see her in me?” I asked the question I had dreaded to ask but couldn’t hold back now.
He stared deep into my eyes, not saying a word.
It was ridiculous to feel jealous of a woman who had been dead for nearly two centuries.
“You said I have her hair. Do I look like her to you?” Forcing a deep breath in, I tried hard to use my neutral therapist voice. “Could this similarity be why you decided to take me to your castle, in the first place? So you could get with me the closure you never had the chance to have with her?”
His chest rose with a long inhale.
“It’s . . .” He frowned, rubbing his forehead. “There are images. Sudden. Flashing every now and then.” Lifting his hands to my chest, he parted the open ends of the blouse and the two halves of the bra again. Staring at the amulet between my naked breasts, his throat bobbing with a swallow, he continued, “The glow of my amulet on a woman’s skin like that. Until today, I only saw it back when she was wearing it. Now, this image here is much more vivid, fresh. It overlaps with the old one, then obscures it completely.” He lifted his intense blue eyes to mine. “It’s like her presence in my mind fades with every new memory of you being created in there.”
“Do you want her to go, Raim? Or does it sadden you to part with the images you have kept for so long?”
“Sad? I’m not sure that is the right word. I’ll never forget about her . . . or Gremory. I’ll always have the knowledge of them having existed—of the events that happened, of the people they were, and of what they both meant to me. However, carrying the memories of being with her intimately then losing her—the struggle, guilt, and regret—has been torturing and exhausting. Letting go of it now feels liberating. I feel free, not sad.”
I stroked his hair and leaned in to kiss his forehead. He tightened his arms around me, keeping me close.
“You’re nothing like her, Dee. Your scent, your taste, your direct attitude, and your sharp tongue are all you, darling—unique, heady, and extremely addictive.” Sliding his hands under my blouse, he caressed my back. “Your fearless confidence blows me away, and your dedication to what you believe in humbles me. Everything about you intrigued me from the moment I first spoke to you, and I can’t get enough of you ever since.” He moved me closer, placing a small and ever so tender kiss on the corner of my mouth. “I want to learn more about you,” he kissed the other side of my face, “to taste more of you. I never want to stop this.”
I couldn’t hold it back any longer. “Come here, Raim,” I groaned, before kissing him on the mouth. Who knew how long we still had together, and I didn’t want to waste a moment of that time on people who were no longer here.
I only wanted Raim with me right now.
Sliding my hands down his back, I gathered his shirt, yanking it off him and tossing it aside, then kissed him again. Just like he said, I needed more of him, too. More of his kisses, more of skin-to-skin contact, more of his hands on me—everywhere.
I swung both of my legs to one side, and he helped me get rid of my pants and panties.
M
y knees on each side of his thighs again, I pressed my naked breasts to his bare chest, savouring the sensation of his skin on mine. He slid his fingers along the heated folds of my core, and I fervently tried to free him from his pants.
He lifted his hips, finally letting me slide them down and get to what I was searching for, his rock-hard, pulsing erection.
“Dee,” he groaned when I wrapped my hand around him tightly, then pumped it a couple of times.
“Take me, Raim,” I whispered hot in his ear, riding his hand. “Take me right here. Just you and I. No one else.”
“There could never be anyone else for me, Dee,” he growled, grabbing me by my arms and flipping me on my back. “No one else could ever stare at the darkness inside me long enough to see me in it.” He parted my thighs with his knee, fitting himself at my opening.
“No one else could ease my pain the way you did,” I echoed, lifting my hips up, eager to have him inside.
His gaze on mine, he slowly lowered his body, sliding into me—tight and slick—filling me whole.
We kissed as he moved against me, deliciously slow. And when he increased the speed and his powerful thrusts rendered me breathless, he buried his face in my hair, pumping his hips into mine, faster and harder.
“Only you,” I whispered a moment before the orgasm hit me, pulsing through me with intense pleasure that made my toes curl.
“Only you,” he groaned, coming with me.
Chapter 20
“ALRIGHT, HERE WE ARE.” I steered the rented car off the two-lane road and onto the long dirt driveway beyond an open gate with a wooden sign Carltons’ Ranch.
“You’re extremely nervous,” Raim noted, stroking my hand as I clutched the gear shift. A light, chilling sensation spread along my skin, cooling my sweaty palm.
“You’re better than the most effective drugs I know of,” I admitted, feeling the anxiety settle, instantly.
The Last Unforgiven - Freed (Demons, #5) Page 15