by Nadia Lee
I shake my head.
“I want to cover myself with your juices. Shit, I’d do that now if you didn’t have to eat something.”
My cheeks burn, excitement sizzling in my veins. “I don’t have to eat.”
“Oh yes, you do. You lost so much weight.”
“Makes me look fashionable.”
“Bullshit. If you were becoming thinner because that’s what you wanted and it made you healthier and happier, I’d have no problem. But that’s not what’s happening here. As a matter of fact, I’d say it’s stress causing you to lose your appetite.”
I’m surprised at his insight. Most men wouldn’t comment or care. Or just assume I’m trying to become fashionably thin. So I take a big bite this time.
“Besides,” he says, “I’m insecure about your men, too.”
I shoot him a quick glance. His tone is bland, but there’s a crackling darkness in his eyes that shows something different. He probably wouldn’t have said anything, but I recognize it’s a way for us to talk this uncomfortable topic over and bury it.
“First, there were no ‘men.’ There were boys. And second, they weren’t ones I chose, and I only dated them because Mom insisted. None of them meant much to me. Actually, they were all awkward. Imagine a blind date, except your mom did the matching and there’s nothing blind about the date because you know exactly who the other party is, including the parents’ net worth.”
Dominic runs a hand down his face. “Your mom forced you because of me.”
“It had nothing to do with you. It was my choice to give in to her demands.”
“To protect me.”
I squeeze his hand. “Again, my choice. You would’ve done the same.”
He’s quiet for a moment. “We could’ve avoided all that if I’d listened to you back then.”
“No, you shouldn’t have. I was devastated then, but I know it was only right you didn’t let yourself get dragged into my ridiculous solution.”
“Nothing about you is ridiculous.”
“But it was. When I found out what my grandmother was planning to do to you, I ran to Dad. He was the only one who could help me, I thought. He hated Grandma Shirley and would relish an opportunity to mess with her. He offered to fly both of us—and Kristen—to Tuscany, where Grandpa was. Except then we would’ve been runaways. Shirley was incredibly well connected. She would’ve considered it a declaration of war, and made our lives hell. She would have even targeted Kristen, just to show us how much influence she could wield. It wouldn’t have been worth it. And every time we had to ask my dad for help, there would’ve been a price.”
“But you lost your dream because of me.”
“I didn’t lose it. I simply chose to do something else. Do you know how many people I help through the foundation? I’m making a huge difference. Giving up art was…” I shrug, unsure exactly how to phrase it.
The last thing I want is Dominic’s guilt. The deal I had with Shirley could’ve been much, much worse—she could’ve insisted I marry some horrible guy because he happened to be from the “right” family. Or a hundred other more offensive choices. But all she demanded was I devote my life to charity. And for that, I’m admired and respected by my peers and so many people around the world.
“Why did you give it up?” Dominic asks. “You could’ve done both.”
“Shirley wanted me to choose. She thought pursuing art was a distraction, and I could only be one or the other.” Even though my grandma put it so graciously, it’d never been a true choice. There was always only one right answer—the one she wanted to hear. And I understood how it needed to go to protect Dominic and Kristen.
Dominic mutters something that sounds like “fuck” under his breath. “Why didn’t you paint when you had the time after she died?”
“I made a promise.”
“Under duress. You don’t have to honor anything like that.” He takes my hand and runs the pad of his thumb over each finger. “You’re so talented. The world doesn’t just need you to feed the hungry and shelter the homeless. It needs you to share your art too. And I’m going to make sure of it.”
The solemn tone of his voice fills me with joy and apprehension. This happiness is too intense, like what I felt right before our world fell apart.
You still haven’t told him everything. He still doesn’t know how you set his cousin up. Remember how warm he was to Andy?
Shut up, shut up. Andy can be dealt with some other way. Tolyan’ll figure out a solution that will neutralize him and preserve this happiness.
To cover my unease, I clear my throat and turn my voice extra light. “Are you trying to earn brownie points with Ming Ming?” My best friend’s been trying to get me to paint again.
“Nope. I’m trying to be a knight.”
“A knight?”
“I saw your painting this morning. The first time you showed it to me, I didn’t recognize the shapes, but I do now. I love how he faces the dragon, so brave and determined. I want to be your knight and slay all your dragons.”
Oh my… He’s killing me with his protectiveness. I look down at my plate and realize with a start that I finished most of my breakfast. I place the tray on a small table next to me and turn to him, my lips seeking his.
Every knight deserves a kiss from his lady…and so much more.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Dominic
I get two sizable filet mignons out of the fridge for dinner, letting them sit on the counter and warm a bit before I toss them on the grill. Liza and I had a lazy late morning and afternoon in the water, and she’s currently in the studio, trying to finish up her painting before we leave.
I told her to take her time. We don’t have to go anywhere unless she wants to. This island has become our haven—a cozy place where we can be ourselves without worrying about anybody else.
My phone rings. It’s Kristen.
“Hello, sis,” I say.
“Hey, you sound cheery. Having a great time?”
“Yup. Everything okay in L.A.?”
“Of course. I’m just calling to hear your voice and see when you plan to be back.”
I frown. “I don’t know yet. Why?” The company’s doing fine, and Antoine hasn’t sounded any alarms.
“You heard Andy quit his job, right?”
“Yeah.”
“He came by today at work. My work, I mean.”
Kristen’s interning with some up-and-coming designer. “For what?”
“He wanted a place to chill, away from his parents, and asked me if he could go to the Hut.”
I start shaking my head. That’s a hard no. I’m not disturbing the idyllic heaven Liza and I are enjoying.
Kristen continues, “I told him you were probably still staying there, and asked him to let me talk to you first.”
“‘Probably’?” She knows exactly where I am.
“Well, he was so…weird. I can’t put my finger on it, but he looked really haggard and stressed. I’m sure Aunt Dorothy’s driving him crazy about quitting his job, but I also can’t help but remember what Liza told me.”
“What did she tell you?”
“Ugh. You didn’t listen when I told you, did you?”
“I’m sure I did, but you know, my brain’s usually full of super-important stuff.” Like Liza’s laughter earlier today. Her moans when I lick her nipple. Her—
“She told me to be careful of Andy.”
“What?”
Then something that’s been bugging me finally surfaces. Liza reacted badly when I mentioned Andy after my call with Dorothy. At that time, I didn’t know what to think because I thought she had amnesia, but if she never lost her memory…
It would mean that Andy did something to her. Something bad enough to break her calm and control by just mentioning his name. Liza isn’t the type to become hysterical for no reason. As a matter of fact, she’s one of the most controlled people I know.
“Tell Andy the answer is no. Tell him I’m r
enovating the place at the moment, and it’s not habitable. Got it?”
“Okay.”
“And next time, don’t answer his calls or texts. Forward everything to Antoine.”
“Really?” she says, her voice almost squeaky.
“Yes.” I hang up without another word even though it’s rude as hell. I can’t chitchat with my sister like everything’s fine.
I climb the stairs, two steps at a time. Liza’s in the studio, a palette in her left hand and a brush in her right. The canvas in front of her is almost covered with paint—the knight’s complete, and the dragon’s about ninety percent done.
And I finally notice the beast’s features. Its scales are yellow—the exact shade of Andy’s curly hair. The eyes are pale blue—just like Andy’s.
“Liza.”
“Hmm?” She turns, looking at me over a shoulder with a slightly dazed expression of a person just waking up from a dream.
“What did Andy do to you?”
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Elizabeth
I stare at Dominic, my gut suddenly full of lead. How does he know about Andy and me? It’s not possible.
“Liza.” Dominic walks closer. “It’s okay. Tell me.”
After blinking a few times, I start putting away the palette and cleaning the brushes. “I’m not sure what you mean.”
“Hey. Don’t do that. Don’t pull away. I told you I’m on your side. Nothing’s going to change that.”
I lift my chin and look at him. His expression is so earnest. I don’t doubt he’s being honest, but only because he doesn’t know how I set Andy up. If he knew, would he still feel the same way? Tolyan told me Andy deserved it, but Dominic’s fond of his cousin. I saw that in Hawaii. I’m not sure what Dominic will say or do. He’s so protective.
“Let’s go downstairs,” I say in a wooden voice. “I really need a drink.”
Even if Dominic didn’t like Andy, what I’m about to say isn’t something I can talk about without a drink or two first. The horror still lingers in my mind, and I can’t even think about it without shaking.
“Whoa.” Dominic suddenly lunges forward and takes my arm, supporting me. I look down, see my knees bent awkwardly. I almost fell without realizing.
He helps me down the stairs. I almost want to tell him I don’t need it, to get some time to pull myself together and put on a hard, well-composed mask, but I can’t. My legs are too shaky, and my muscles feel about as strong as soaked cotton balls.
I point at an armchair, and he takes me there. The moment my butt hits the cushion, he goes to the bar and brings a bottle of vodka and a tumbler.
“Here.” He pours me a glass and hands it over.
I wrap my hands around it gratefully. “Thanks.” I take a long swallow, then wait for the alcohol to warm my insides.
It doesn’t.
He takes a seat on a couch to my right. I lick my lips, then flex my fingers around the glass. “I already told you Mom wanted me to date.”
“Yes.”
“But I didn’t tell you why.” I swallow hard, then take another sip. “It was a kind of competition. Dad sent me extravagant presents to show off his wealth. Mom made me do things to show him I was beyond money, because of course she and her children were much too refined to be impressed with something so…base.” I snort, then giggle hysterically. “Isn’t that the most ridiculous thing ever? She’s filthy rich, but acts like money’s gross. But if you ask her to be more charitable, she’ll spit in your face. Yeah…that’s my mom.”
That was probably one of the biggest reasons why Grandma Shirley didn’t think Mom would be good for the foundation. She adored Mom, but wasn’t blind to her faults.
“She started to get upset when I kept dating but didn’t pursue any of the relationships past casual dating. She raged that it was taking too long. I wasn’t even old enough to drink the champagne toast at the wedding. Told her nobody had to marry that young, but she didn’t care. She picked out the most suitable families—old money, of course. None of the gaudy nouveau riche like Dad, of course. Then there was influence, which mattered greatly. She was obsessed and became increasingly angry. We argued all the time, but never too loudly. We didn’t want Shirley to overhear, although I’m pretty sure she knew.”
I hand Dominic my empty glass. He fills it to the brim, and I empty about a quarter of it before continuing.
“Then one day, I’d had enough. By then I had Tolyan’s loyalty, so I asked him for a solution. He proposed I blackmail Mom. It would be the cleanest. I vetoed it. Mom would just run to Shirley and bring Grandma’s disapproval and anger over me. She was always so fond of Mom. Tolyan was adamant he could find something so embarrassing that Mom wouldn’t want Grandma to know, but I wanted something more certain than that, because I was only getting one chance.
“His second solution was bold, but dangerous. To me, it was worth the risk even though he disagreed. But it was my decision, so he finally caved in and chose Andy Brown as the target.”
Dominic tenses. “What do you mean?”
“Andy’s good at hiding his deviant behavior, but he’s a sociopath who loves to beat and rape women. Dorothy and Chuck knew, but hid his crimes from the world because they didn’t want anything to mar Chuck’s image with voters. They made sure the women he raped knew what was waiting for them if they came forward. There was no MeToo movement to support those women back then. They’d be vilified, called sluts who got what they deserved because they wore short skirts and drank the drinks he bought them.
“Tolyan found all this out, then slowly pushed Andy into Mom’s orbit. She decided he might do because of Chuck. His family’s produced a lot of state senators and governors. That kind of political influence made up for the less-than-desirable bank account.”
I breathe out roughly, then knock back the rest of the vodka. I need to talk faster. I’m too jittery now—not from the alcohol—and I know if I slow down or think too hard about it, I’m going to lose my nerve and throw up all over myself.
I keep my eyes somewhere beyond the wall in front of me and keep going, my words coming out more rapidly now.
“I had three dates with him. The first time, I was friendly, but second, I was flirty, but without letting him have more than a peck on my cheek. The third one…he wanted a house dinner. He was grilling some pork chops, using his mom’s seasoning mix. Wouldn’t I want it? I knew what was coming, but went anyway. Tolyan and I had already practiced a few maneuvers, and he gave me a panic button I could push when I needed him.
“And sure enough, that was it. Andy was so angry when I fought back. Do you know it really hurts a lot more than you think to get backhanded? I thought I was going to black out. But I managed to stab him with a steak knife. He cut me under my breast, which hurt like hell, then stuck a small butter knife there to ‘teach me a lesson.’”
“The scar—” Dominic says, his voice almost soundless.
I nod. “I hit the panic button, and Tolyan came in and beat the crap out of Andy, dislocating his jaw. He probably would’ve killed him if it weren’t for me groaning in pain.
“But I got what I wanted. Shirley blamed Mom for everything, and Mom was no longer allowed to order me to date or do anything. Grandma then had everything documented and photographed and confronted Dorothy and Chuck. They begged for mercy because it was one thing to harass and threaten rape victims with no money or power, but it was quite another to do the same with someone like me. Shirley promised to forgive them only if they could convince me to do so. I didn’t think she expected them to succeed. She just wanted to watch them humiliate themselves.
“I didn’t want to forgive them. I know Dorothy had egged Grandma on to destroy you and drive that wedge between us. I wanted them all to pay for that and for what Andy’s done for years and years under their protection. But I knew my forgiveness didn’t mean much in the grand scheme. Even if Shirley had Andy prosecuted, he wouldn’t get much of punishment unless we could prove it wasn’t the firs
t time. And even then, some judges are outrageously lenient to young men, worried about how harsh punishment for a minor ‘mistake’ could affect their future.” I curl my lips in disdain. “The worst part is Dorothy and Chuck would walk away—since I didn’t have any evidence to prove that they were part of the problem—and they’d use all their influence and call in favors to protect their psychopath son.
“I told Dorothy I’d let it go if she kept Andy away from me and other women and if she and her husband and their cronies stopped interfering with your business. They were denying you permits and ‘losing’ your paperwork and applications, among other things. Then I told her if she didn’t want to lose everything, she and her husband better be dogs—very good and obedient dogs that did whatever the family wanted. Then, to reward their good dog behavior, I’d have the family support her husband’s career. They fell to their knees and took my proposal. And Shirley let it go, and we all made sure that my three dates with Andy remained a secret.
“I’ll never forget how proud Grandma was of me that day. She said I was becoming a true Pryce. I felt so dirty afterward. I had to shower, even though the cuts and stitches made it painful.”
Sighing, I close my eyes, unable to look at Dominic in the face. My shoulders droop. It didn’t sound too bad, did it? I don’t think I left out anything major, but I also didn’t try to justify my decision to use Andy too much, did I?
Oh, come on, that animal deserves far worse, a voice that sounds suspiciously like Tolyan says in my head.
“When did this happen, Liza?” Dominic asks, soft but dangerous.
“Five years ago.” I open my eyes, stare at the empty vodka glass in my hands.
“That’s when you called me.”
“Yes.”
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Dominic
Liza sits on the couch, her shoulders rounded, her gaze downcast like she did something unspeakable.