by Nadia Lee
Andy comes toward me, his unhurried steps somehow more threatening than a dash would be. I know I’m not leaving here until he’s on the floor, unable to get up.
“I love it that you fight. It would’ve been boring if you gave in like the other girls. I knew you wouldn’t be like them. Too much pride. That fucking Pryce pride.” A soft, hyena-like snigger. He runs the back of his hand over his mouth, swiping the blood trickling down from his busted lip. “It’s going to be so much more gratifying when I finally take what’s mine.”
His hand lashes out—connects with my cheek. A huff of air comes out in a pained gasp.
Half my face throbs. Being backhanded hurts so much more than I thought.
The marble floor is freezing as I crawl backward, my thin dress offering zero protection against the cold or the violence. My fingers brush against my purse, which Andy kicked away earlier. I plunge my hand inside and hit the button.
Then I wait, watching Andy coming closer, closer.
“He isn’t coming.” He laughs.
“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” I say, my tongue thick and awkward in my mouth.
“Your savior knight. He isn’t coming.” He crouches in front of me, runs his hand down my undamaged cheek. “He left you for me. As a present.” He licks his lips, his tongue flicking like a reptile’s. “My precious prize.”
No!
I start awake, drenched in sweat, the sheets twisted and clammy around my body. The sound of my breathing is unnaturally loud. Squinting against the light coming in around the blinds, I look around, adrenaline still thrumming in my veins.
There’s nobody in the room except me, but the air’s too still. Even the waves seem quieter than usual.
My stomach drops half a foot. It’s the same nasty feeling I had before Grandma Shirley told me she was going to have Dominic arrested for rape…and when I went out for my third date with Andy.
The back of my neck bristling, I jump off the bed, put on my robe and rush downstairs. I’m just being paranoid. Nothing could’ve happened.
But I can’t shake the foreboding.
I shudder with relief when I spot Dominic in the kitchen, the coffee maker gurgling. See? Look at that. Nothing’s wrong.
He turns around. His gaze sweeps over me, and instantly, he pulls me into his arms, uncaring that I’m sweaty, my hair tangled like a madwoman’s.
“Are you all right?”
I nod jerkily, then do it again, more to reassure myself than to answer him. “Yes. I’m fine. Just a bad—terrible—dream.”
His arms tighten around me. “Wanna talk about it?”
“No.” It was a fragment of my past, and Dominic already knows about it. There’s no point in bringing it up again. “It’s just a dream.”
“Okay.” He runs a soothing hand along my hair, then down my back. “It’s okay. I got you.”
Only then do I realize I’m still shaking. God. I always thought I was good at hiding my feelings. Grandma Shirley taught me, but the time I spent with Dominic seemed to have undone a lot of her training, making me more exposed.
“I just had a bad feeling after waking up. I’m fine. Really.” But I don’t pull away. His body heat seeping into me feels too nice. The soft, comforting way he strokes me is somehow centering, bringing calm back into my heart.
“I know you’re all right. I just want to hold you, that’s all,” he whispers into my hair, his hand still moving up and down.
He continues to pet me until my tremors subside. Only then does he let me go and say, “Want some coffee?”
“Sure.” I give him a wan smile. “I’d like that.”
I sit at the counter, and he brings me coffee and a bagel. Then he sits next to me with a cup for himself and studies me, scrubbing his jaw and mouth with his hand.
“What is it?”
“I know we weren’t thinking about leaving quite so soon, but we have to pack up and go.”
“When?”
He sighs. “Today.”
He’s too recalcitrant. This isn’t like him. “What happened?”
“Tolyan called.”
My pulse beats rapidly against the side of my neck. He wouldn’t have bothered Dominic if it weren’t important.
“Dorothy and Chuck died in a car accident yesterday.”
A hand flies to my chest, fingers flexing against the hammering beat of my heart. “A…car accident?”
“They’re suspected of driving under the influence, but Tolyan doesn’t think so.”
Then they weren’t. “Bad road? Rain?”
Dominic hesitates, then finally shakes his head. “Tolyan thinks Andy’s involved.”
“Oh my God.” He told me his parents wouldn’t be around forever to keep him on a leash. I didn’t realize that meant he planned to…
I can’t continue the thought. My stomach’s too queasy.
“I… But why do we have to leave? This island’s safe. Andy can’t get here without us knowing about it.” I stare at Dominic intently. “He doesn’t even know we’re here.”
“Unfortunately, he does. Kristen told him.”
I close my eyes. “Why? Why?” I let go of my chest and pound the counter with my fist in frustration. “I told her to stay away from him.”
“She did, but she’s still fond of him in a way. He’s the cousin who used to kill all the ‘gross bugs’ for her when she was little. She doesn’t know what kind of monster he is.”
“Does she know now?”
He nods. “I texted her and told her in no uncertain terms she couldn’t talk to him or meet him in person.”
“Tolyan has him under surveillance,” I say. “We’ll know if he does anything…rash.”
“He slipped away. He also dumped his phone, credit cards and everything.”
I cup my nose and mouth with my hands, breathing noisily. This is insane. I know what Dominic’s trying to tell me, but I just can’t accept that it’s real. I rock back and forth. “This is all my fault.”
“No, it’s n—”
“I should’ve known it would escalate. I should’ve just taken care of him five years ago. Then Dorothy and Chuck would be alive. He wouldn’t be out there…” I can’t continue. I’m hyperventilating, and the edges around my vision start to gray.
“It’s not your fault.” Dominic draws me closer, but I stay stiff. I don’t deserve his comfort.
“I should’ve stopped him,” I say, full of regret and pain. “All I had to do was look the other way while Tolyan did what was necessary.”
Holding my arms tenderly, Dominic squats in front of me, looking straight into my eyes. I turn away. I can’t look anybody in the eye right now.
One finger on my chin, he gently brings my head back around. “Don’t torture yourself like this. You couldn’t have done that even if you could see the future. That isn’t you.”
“No, I’m the kind of person who lets a monster go…”
“You couldn’t have known how it would turn out, or that his parents couldn’t control him. Listen to me, Liza.” His forehead touches mine, and his intense blue eyes bore into mine. “When the Titanic sank, men stayed on board and let the women and children take the lifeboats, even though they knew they would die. Do you think they didn’t want to live? They were adhering to their moral principle.
“If you looked the other way, knowing Tolyan would kill Andy, then you would have been abandoning your humanity for safety. And you aren’t like that. Andy’s an adult, and he chose to do those terrible things. They have nothing to do with you. You did everything you could to ensure he didn’t hurt more people.”
Tears prickle, and I shudder, my breath catching in the start of a sob. “But…”
Dominic wraps his arms around me and rocks me gently. “Ah, my angel, I’ll never let anything happen to you. Andy’s going to pay for what he’s done. I promise.”
Chapter Thirty-Three
Dominic
The rest of the morning passes in strained silence as
we get ready to return to L.A. Although Liza flashes a smile at me every time she sees me, shadows darken her eyes.
Liza blamed herself for not having done more to stop Andy. She doesn’t know I blame myself for not having recognized the kind of monster he is. If I’d been more vigilant, Kristen never would’ve spoken with him or given him our location. Then we could’ve stayed here until Tolyan and Antoine take care of Andy.
But now, I have to drag her into the battle zone because our paradise is no longer safe.
I’m so deep in my thought that I start when she places a hand over mine and squeezes four hours into our flight.
“You’re pretty grim.”
“I was just thinking about some meetings,” I lie, not wanting to remind her what’s waiting for us back in the city.
“You’re a terrible liar.” She giggles. “How did you bluff anybody when you were doing your deals?”
“I’m a fantastic poker player. It’s just that you know me so well.”
Giving me a quick grin, she places her head on my shoulder and uses her thumb to trace the lines on my palm absent-mindedly. “Then cheer up and have faith in fate.”
“Do you?”
“Uh-huh. I do. Fate wouldn’t have brought us together if it didn’t want us to be together. Even if this is the end of the road, I don’t want to waste our time worrying, stressing and scared. That’s giving him the win he wants. I’m not going to let him deprive me of what happiness I can have with you. And I’m not wasting my time and energy on fretting when we already lost ten years and have so much to make up for.”
Her wise, brave words fill me with gratitude and pride. I bring her hand to my lips and kiss the back. “I love you so much.”
“I know. So focus on that.”
“When we are back in L.A., I’d like it if you move in with me.”
“It took you this long to decide on that?” she teases. “I thought it was already a done deal that I move in with you. Where else am I going to stay? Unless you’re going to move in with me in Virginia.” She grows more serious. “I’ve been staying with my brother, Ryder, and even though his mansion’s like a fortress, I don’t think it’s a good idea for me to stay there anymore. His wife’s pregnant, and I don’t want to cause her any stress or put them on Andy’s radar.”
I vaguely remember hearing about her brother and his pregnant wife. I agree one hundred percent with Liza on not putting them in harm’s way.
When we finally land and deplane in L.A., Antoine’s waiting for us on the tarmac. His mouth is set so flat that his lips are barely visible. I don’t need to see his eyes behind dark sunglasses to know he’s irritated. Despite the warm weather, he’s wearing a blazer over his white T-shirt and black jeans.
“Finally,” Antoine cries out, his arms spread wide.
“Our plane landed on time,” I say.
“I know. But I got twenty-six texts from that Russian in the last thirty-five minutes. If he’s that antsy, he should’ve come here himself. But instead, he sends me out here because he has ‘some things to do’ at the penthouse.”
I can feel the eye-roll.
Liza gives him a warm smile. “I apologize. He wouldn’t have done that if it weren’t important.”
Antoine shifts his weight, clearing his throat. “It’s not your fault. Despite our personality differences, we’re working pretty well together. Nothing unites people like a common goal.”
Liza’s smile widens. “I’m glad you’re understanding.”
“I think they loaded your bags in the car,” he says quickly. “Should we get going?”
“Sure.”
We pile into the waiting black Bentley SUV. As we make our way to the penthouse through the crawling traffic of L.A., Antoine explains the safety features of my penthouse.
“When we arrive, we need to enter your thumbprint with the local IT team. It’ll ensure you’re able to get inside the building. The only people who can go past the biometric gates are the people who’re in the database. The elevator’s the same way. It only goes to the floor where your unit’s registered. Since Dominic splurged, he bought the whole floor—his penthouse and a unit next to it.
“I don’t like that there are so many tall buildings around, but your Russian doesn’t believe Andy’ll resort to hurting you from distance. He thinks Andy will want it personal and hurt you face to face.”
“Antoine!” My warning shoots out like a gunshot. There’s no reason to worry Liza with unnecessary details.
“Don’t,” Liza says. “I’d rather know the whole truth than some sugarcoated lies designed to give me a false sense of security.”
“We’ll simply buy all the empty units around the penthouse,” I say.
She gasps. “No. That’s completely unnecessary. I agree one hundred percent with Tolyan.”
“Liza, I can’t risk your safety.”
“There’s no risk, because Tolyan’s right. Besides, it makes it a little bit easier, don’t you think? All I have to do is make sure Andy doesn’t get too close to me. And he’s bound to make mistakes because he’s too emotional if he’s taking it personally.”
“Don’t you think when things are personal, it gives people extra incentive?” I ask.
“Maybe, but it’s balanced out by frustration, impatience and inability to think clearly.”
What she’s saying isn’t entirely wrong, but she seems to have forgotten that things being personal between us is what motivated me to build my empire and plow through the rough patches. But telling her that will only worry her, so I bite my tongue.
Antoine looks in the rearview mirror, and my gaze meets his. Although I can’t see his eyes behind the shades, I know he agrees with me.
Chapter Thirty-Four
Elizabeth
At the top of a luxurious new building, Dominic’s penthouse is close to his office. The lobby gleams with shiny marble and professionally cleaned leather couches.
While Dominic deals with a call from his office, Antoine has the security team take my thumbprint. He wasn’t kidding about that at all. A skinny, pimply young man in a black uniform glances at me and flushes until his face is beet red.
“Add her to the Dominic King residence,” Antoine says.
A beat of silence.
“Eric, you listening?”
“What?” The man blinks. “Oh, right. Dominic King residence. Got it.” Eric’s flush turns darker.
“Never seen a pretty blonde before?” Antoine teases.
“No. Yes. I mean, yeah, sure…but never one as pretty as this.” Eric’s owlish brown eyes dart in my direction. “Sorry.”
I smile. “No need to apologize for thinking I’m pretty.”
“You’re lucky she’s nice,” Antoine says.
Eric finishes entering my biometric data, name and other details. “So, how often do you plan on visiting Mr. King?” he asks.
“She’s moving in,” Antoine says before I can answer.
I give Eric a smile. “What he said.”
“Wow.”
“See you around, Eric. And thanks for the help,” I say as Antoine leads me out of the small office. Then I say under my breath, “You didn’t have to be like that.”
“Like what?”
“So…weird.”
“Me? Weird? Ha! I was helping that boy—don’t even think about it. Don’t you know you aren’t supposed to look at trees you can’t climb?”
I snort. “First of all, I’m not a tree. And second, if you don’t try, how do you know you can’t climb it?”
“Because some trees are too damn tall for such a young fellow.”
I feel my mouth twitch in a suppressed grin.
“I know what happened ten years ago, so I wondered about you. Dominic’s been obsessed with you all this time, and I thought maybe it was a one-way street, but now I see it isn’t.”
“It never was.” And it never will be.
Dominic’s waiting for me in one of the armchairs in the lobby, his legs stretch
ed out. “All done?”
“Yup,” Antoine says.
Dominic gets up and puts a hand at the small of my back as he leads me to the elevator and runs his thumb over a reader. The digital display shows our floor number. “Our bags have already been delivered upstairs.”
“Thank you.”
“Relax,” he says under his breath as the car carries the three of us up. “We’re safe here. Remember my promise?”
“That you won’t let anything happen to me?”
He nods. “I’d rather give up everything I have than to see you hurt.”
I lean into him. “I know. I have faith in you.”
The elevator opens with a soft ding, and we walk into a huge foyer. His penthouse is gorgeous, with a modern, airy feel I love. A high ceiling makes the place look even bigger, and the interior is masculine and minimalist. I can imagine myself being happy and content here.
You would’ve been happy and content even if it had been a hut with a dirt floor…as long as you had Dominic.
Tolyan looks up from the dining table. “You’re back.” His hands are cleaning a gun on autopilot.
“Yes, Tolyan. Good to see you again.”
“Yes. Although I regret you had to return under these circumstances.” He gives Dominic a pointed look.
I put an arm around Dominic’s waist and run my hand along his side. “Me too, but it is what it is.” I shrug.
“We can discuss the details of how to keep both of you safe over dinner.” He scowls and mutters something in Russian. “Why is that girl taking so long? I swear, if you want anything done right and on time, you have to do it yourself.”
Just then, Kristen enters with three brown paper bags of something that smells like heaven. She’s in a green T-shirt and cropped jeans, her feet in cute pink sneakers. She dumps our dinner on the table, then launches herself at me. I hug her.
“It’s so good to see you, Liza!” She tightens her arms around me before pulling back a little, her eyes downcast. “I’m sorry I ruined everything.”
“You did? What did you do?”
“I didn’t take your warning seriously, and told Andy where you were staying. Otherwise, you could’ve stayed at the Hut.”