She smiled and shook her head as she pulled one of the cupboards open and lifted out a large crystal vase.
“I wanted to help. It’s so nice to see Stuart back here at all. There was a time when I’d lost all hope of him returning to us.”
Riley nodded but he didn’t say anything. Simply watching Stuart’s reaction to her words from over the top of his coffee cup was enough.
His brother hopped down from the stool he had planted himself on and grabbed the vase that was now filled with flowers from Isla.
“You should have known that I couldn’t stay away forever. I fought against it, but Breaker’s Point is my home no matter what.”
“Sit with your brother and I’ll make you both something for breakfast once I’m done with the flowers.”
“Don’t be silly, Isla. We’ll go into town and eat at the diner. And anyway, you’re not supposed to be doing anything. I gave you the managerial position so you wouldn’t have to do any of the heavy lifting around here. You’re simply supposed to oversee.”
She shook her head and grabbed the vase from Stuart once more, a look of stubborn determination crossing her face as she headed for the door.
“Sometimes overseeing means doing it right yourself—you know that, Riley,” she said, scolding him the way she used to when he was a young boy.
“She can still put you in your place, even after all these years?” Stuart said, picking up the cup he’d left on the counter.
“Only because I let her,” Riley said. But he knew it wasn’t strictly true. Isla had played a significant role in his life as he grew up. Her opinion mattered to him and he’d always sought her approval. After the death of his parents it had become even more important.
Stuart laughed, choking on the mouthful of coffee he’d taken. Standing, Riley drained the cup he held before putting it into the dishwasher.
“Let’s get breakfast and you can fill me in on how I’ve irritated Anderson,” Riley said, pulling the set of car keys he’d pushed into his pocket after his shower out into full view.
“No way are you driving. Cliff Road is dangerous enough without you careening down it after a bottle of brandy.”
“How’d you know I drank a bottle of brandy?” Riley said, reluctantly replacing the keys in his pocket. The thought of accompanying Stuart in whatever death trap he was currently driving didn’t appeal to him but the last thing he was going to do was give his brother access to his cars.
“You were passed out across the desk when I arrived this morning, the empty bottle beside you. It didn’t exactly take a genius to put two and two together.”
Riley nodded but he didn’t answer Stuart. There was certainly no point in denying it.
“Fine, you drive but that doesn’t mean I have to buy you breakfast,” he said, leading the way out into the hall.
* * *
The noise of the diner crowded around Riley, causing his headache to return with a vengeance. His stomach twisted and it was suddenly a struggle to keep the coffee he’d drunk earlier down.
“So what happened with Holly? You two set tongues wagging last night. One minute you both looked all cosy on the dance floor and the next she’s running out the door.”
“She wanted something from me that I couldn’t give her,” Riley said, staring down at his hands on the diner table.
“Well, what was it? Did she say anything about Marcus, why he’s doing what he’s doing?”
“She wanted to know why I broke it off all those years ago.” Riley clenched his hands into fists until the cut across his palm burned once more.
“Shit… Did you tell her?” Stuart said, catching Riley completely by surprise.
He jolted his gaze up to his brother’s face and stared at him.
“What do you mean? What the hell do you know about why I broke it off with her?”
“Come on, Riley, of course I know—I’m not stupid. I know what our parents wanted from you and I know they talked you out of proposing to Holly.”
Riley shook his head and closed his eyes.
“I was stupid to let them talk me out of it. I should have listened to my instincts but…”
“But you were young and our parents were expert manipulators. It’s how they succeeded at everything they turned their hands to.”
“If they were such expert manipulators then how did you escape them? You never once bent to their will, Stuart. Was I so weak that at the first sign of trouble I gave up the only woman I’ve ever truly cared for?”
“It’s got nothing to do with weakness. I escaped because I was unimportant to the plan they had. You were the eldest son—you’re the one who’s taken everything over. You carry the Reynolds name and it means something. For the rest of us…” Stuart trailed off and Riley waited impatiently for his brother to continue.
This was the most candid he’d ever seen his brother be about the behaviour of their parents. He wasn’t about to open his mouth and spoil it now by rushing him into confessing his true feelings on the subject.
Stuart shook his head and lifted his gaze to Riley’s face, a grin wiping away the look of contemplation that had creased his brow just moments before.
“And anyway, it was my main mission in life to always piss them off at every turn.”
“You were an expert at it,” Riley said wryly.
“Why can’t you tell her the truth? It’s all behind you now. Maybe it’ll help her to understand… How can she trust you, if she doesn’t know the full story?”
“Because now is not the time to dwell on the past. She’s up to her neck and I just need to figure out a way to get her away from Marcus without consequences.”
“What sort of consequences?” Stuart said, lowering his voice as one of the waitresses appeared at the table, her hands full as she juggled their plates.
Riley grimaced as she set a fully loaded plate in front of Stuart. It was practically swimming in grease, but, despite its appearance, it smelled amazing and Riley’s stomach suddenly grumbled in appreciation.
The waitress set his plate of scrambled eggs down on the table. A side of French toast accompanied it and Riley could feel his mouth beginning to water.
He waited to answer his brother until they were once more left alone. Riley suppressed a smile as he watched Stuart shovel a large forkful of food into his mouth.
“How does Ellie put up with you?” he said, reaching across for the salt and black pepper shakers that sat in the centre of the table.
“What?” Stuart said, shrugging as he continued to wolf down his food. Riley grinned before setting into his own food.
“The consequences are extreme enough to force me to proceed with caution. I have to find a way to extricate both her and her father from Marcus’ influence.”
“And you’re going to do that how?”
“I was hoping you might be able to help me with that. You’ve got to know someone who can set something up.”
“You mean, like kill Marcus?”
“No, I don’t mean like kill Marcus. Have you lost your mind? As tempting as that is, it’s not the answer to all of this. How could I ever face Holly again if I murdered someone?”
“You’d be doing it for her.”
“I don’t think she’d see it like that, no matter how noble my intentions. And if she got wind of it, she’d only do something to try and stop me, which would put her in even more danger.”
“Well, what did you have in mind, then?” Stuart said, his voice filled with curiosity.
“I’m not sure, but I have a feeling that once Marcus gets what he wants he’s not going to want to keep Holly around. She’s a complication he could do without.”
“You think he’ll kill her.”
Riley stared at his brother and nodded, his thoughts turning grim and putting him off the food in front of him.
“I think it’s a possibility and I don’t trust Marcus so the faster I can get her away from him the better.”
“I can contact one of the guys I
used to work with. He’s never worked up around here so Marcus won’t recognise him and we can use that to our advantage.”
“Good, and I’d better meet Anderson, see what he found out from Marcus last night.”
“He’s pissed at you. I’m not sure how welcome you’re going to be up there. What did you say to him last night?”
“Nothing that I can remember, but whatever Marcus said to him was enough to get his hackles up.”
Riley pushed out of the booth and pulled his wallet from his pocket.
“I thought you said you weren’t going to buy breakfast?”
“I said I wasn’t going to pay for your food.” Riley grinned and dropped a few bills on the table next to his plate before heading for the door, leaving Stuart to quietly fume.
Chapter 12
Holly started awake, her body cramped and cold against the stone floor of the basement. It had not been a pleasant experience and the short snatches of sleep she had managed to get weren’t enough to properly function on.
But it had been the sound of the lock twisting that had woken her this time. Heavy footsteps started on the stairs and Holly instantly recognised the all-too-familiar tread of Victor’s boots.
Gripping the wall, she used the rough stone to pull up into a standing position. Her limbs felt heavy and stiff, making it painful to actually force herself to straighten up.
“You’re awake?” Victor said, reaching the stone floor and coming to a stand-still in the centre of the basement.
His face was a mottled mixture of black and purple bruising and one of his eyes was a grotesque bloodshot mess. Holly could only imagine how painful it must be and yet he showed no signs of discomfort.
“Sleeping isn’t really an option down here.”
“And yet when I checked on you earlier you were asleep.”
Victor’s statement sent a cold shiver down her spine that had nothing to do with the chill in the basement. She’d always known him to be heavy-footed and a little awkward, so how was it possible for him to have checked on her and found her sleeping?
“I didn’t hear you…”
“I was very quiet,” he said, and there was something in the way he looked at her that instantly set Holly on edge.
She’d certainly never trusted him before but he’d now revealed himself to be even more dangerous and untrustworthy than Holly had ever imagined.
“Is he releasing me?” She chose to change the subject, focussing instead on the reason she was down here.
“He wants to see you upstairs.”
“What for?” she said, fighting back the urge to shudder.
Victor shrugged but Holly could tell from the guilty look in his eyes that he knew more than he was telling her.
“Fine,” she said, stepping towards him and the steps.
Victor moved, one minute standing in front of the steps and then suddenly in front of her, his hand reaching out towards her.
Holly froze, her breath catching in the back of her throat as his fingers brushed against the side of her face, tilting her face towards the light.
He was gentle, his large hands sliding across her skin and down to her neck. Holly studied his face, watching as the look in his eyes softened.
“He shouldn’t have touched you, you weren’t supposed to get hurt.”
Holly struggled to hold still. If she jerked out of his grip the way her body screamed at her to, she’d insult him—make an enemy of him and that was the last thing she needed. The more friends she could surround herself with, the better. Despite her mistrust of Victor, having him as a friend seemed like a good idea.
“If you hadn’t intervened he’d have done far worse. He’s dangerous…”
Victor’s steely gaze settled on Holly, his eyes searching for something in hers.
“We need to go,” he said, grabbing Holly’s arm hard enough to make her wince.
Whatever he’d been looking for in her face had obviously not been what he found.
* * *
Marcus sat in one of the plush armchairs, a petite blonde curled in his lap. Holly tried not to gag as she watched them kiss. If one could even call it kissing. To her it looked far more like he was trying to suck something out of the back of the blonde’s throat.
The grunting and moaning noises coming from them made them seem even more like animals rutting.
Holly turned away. She didn’t have to stand and watch such a vulgar display, but one look from Victor told her otherwise.
Anger tingled along her spine and she whirled around to face Marcus. This was her father’s house, her house. She’d agreed to marry him to save Niall but that didn’t mean she had to become little more than a prisoner in her own home. And if what Victor had said was true, if she wasn’t to be hurt, then what did she have to lose? Without her, Marcus had nothing.
“Did you want to speak to me, or is this just another of your childish games?”
Marcus drew back from the woman sitting on his lap. The grip he had on her hair looked painful, but from the look on the woman’s face she seemed to be enjoying it.
Disgust welled within Holly as she noticed the saliva glistening on Marcus’ chin. He really was an animal and the sooner she could figure out a way to be rid of him once and for all, the better for everyone.
“I see a night in the basement didn’t teach you any manners. I’d hoped it would help you to gain some respect, some perspective…”
“You’ll never have my respect, Marcus, you’re not worthy of it.”
The look on his face darkened and the woman in his lap let out a pained whimper. The sound was enough to draw his attention and he released her suddenly, violently pushing her out of his lap. She hit the floor with a heavy thud.
“Come here, Holly,” he said, his gaze never leaving the woman on the floor at his feet.
Folding her arms across her chest, she stood her ground. Marcus slowly lifted his gaze to her face and the look of pure malice Holly saw in his eyes filled her with dread.
“When I hit you last night, did I damage your hearing?”
“No.
“You can tell me whatever you need to tell me from there. I’m not a dog, Marcus, I won’t come just because you demand it.”
There was a fine tremor in her voice and in that moment Holly would have given anything to sound as strong and as sure as her words made her seem.
He stood, jerking upwards and lashing out with a kick. The sound of his booted foot connecting with the stomach of the woman on the floor was enough to make Holly nauseated. The blonde cowered on the floor, curling her body into the foetal position as she started to wail, her cries ripping through the final shreds of Holly’s determination to stand against Marcus.
She went to him, reaching his side before he could land another blow on the woman whom just moments before he was kissing.
Holly struggled to wrap her head around the man Marcus was. His moods were fluid and constantly changing, making it almost impossible to gauge his reactions.
“You don’t like to see me hurt others, do you, Holly?” Marcus said, dropping his voice, making his question sound almost tender.
Holly shook her head, her voice deserting her as Marcus trailed his hand against her cheek. She flinched away from him, disgusted by the proximity of his hand to her body.
“I like that about you, it makes it easier to manipulate you.”
Holly bit down on her tongue in order to stop herself from blurting out her hatred for him.
“But last night taught me a valuable lesson. I know now that I’ve been too easy on you, given you far too much wriggle room.”
“You can keep me locked in the basement all you want, Marcus, I don’t care. As long as you keep your end of the bargain and leave those I love alone, I’ll marry you but that’s it…”
He smiled, a cruel, cold curling of his lips that made Holly’s blood turn to ice in her veins.
“I wanted to hurt you last night, wrap my hands around your throat and watch the li
fe drain from you…”
The sound of Victor shuffling forward had Marcus glancing up at him. It gave Holly the time she needed to swallow back her fear.
“You don’t need to worry, Victor, I’m not going to lay a finger on her now. You were right, George wouldn’t appreciate it, but he did come up with an ingenious idea.” Marcus switched his attention back to Holly, his hungry gaze sliding over her face and down to her breasts. “He told me about a little technique employed in the English royal courts of old. Have you ever heard the term ‘whipping boy’?”
“Yes.” Holly let her gaze drop to the woman on the floor who was still sobbing quietly against the carpet.
“You don’t need to worry about Nessie. She wouldn’t be an effective whipping boy. I need somebody that you’ve got a real bond with—that was the whole point of the whipping boys. And despite your father’s helpful attitude throughout this entire situation, he’s not right for the position either. We need someone who nobody would miss in the area… Can you think of anyone who might fit that description, Holly?”
The fine tremor had grown until it was a struggle for her to control the movement of her body and she wrapped her arms around herself.
“No.” She squeezed the words out from between gritted teeth.
“Your mother was very happy to hear from me, the man you’re going to marry. She was a little surprised that you didn’t contact her yourself, to invite her home, but I reassured her that you were just so preoccupied with all the plans…”
His words took a few minutes to sink in, their meaning twisting through Holly’s gut until it felt as though it was her he had kicked.
She lunged at him, her arms flailing as she lashed out, but Marcus laughed as he caught her by the wrists and pinned them down by her side.
“I can’t keep you locked away and I can’t leave you with any lasting physical reminders of my anger. It’d damage the reputation I’m trying to build by marrying you. But I can do all of those things to your mother.”
Holly struggled in his grip, her sobs turning to strangled screams as he crushed her against his chest.
Breaker's Point Bad Boy Billionaires Boxset Page 23