by Helen Cooper
“She must have been very special, this girl that you loved.” My voice choked up. Do not be jealous, Evie. Do not allow yourself to be jealous.
“I loved her from the day she was born.”
“From the day she was born?” I frowned. How did he know her then?
“I remember the day my parents brought her home. She was a little pink bundle of tears and wails, but the first time she saw me, she stopped crying and smiled. I gave her my finger and she held onto it tightly.”
“Oh, are you talking about your sister?”
“Of course.” He blinked at me. “She was the only person I’ve ever loved with all my heart.”
“Oh.”
“Things changed when she died.”
“How did she die again?” I asked quietly, my heart breaking for his obvious pain. I knew that he’d told me before that she’d died of a drug overdose before, but something in me told me to ask again.
“I don’t know.” His lips pursed and I could see the vein in his throat throbbing. “One day she was there and then she was gone.”
“Gone?” My head started throbbing again. What did gone have to do with drugs?
“Yes.” He sat up. “I went to Europe for two weeks with some friends. She wanted to come, but I didn’t want the hassle of looking after my little sister. I entrusted her with a friend.”
“How old was she?” I was confused. “And where were your parents?”
“My parents died in a car crash when I was 22 and she was 12. I was her caretaker from that point on. When she turned 16, she became more rebellious, harder to handle and I started to resent the fact that I had to put up with her. I almost wished that she’d never been born at that point.” His breath caught. “It was selfish of me to think that, of course. And she only acted that way because of the lack of discipline I’d instilled. When she was 18, she became a wild child, she became a stripper, she did drugs, and she did all the things she knew I’d hate. And instead of doing something about it, I disappeared. I went to France and England with a girl I was seeing casually and left her in the care of my cousin.” He sighed. “And then she died.”
“I’m sorry.” I bit my lower lip.
“Grant felt awful about it, of course, but what could we do? We both became men we don’t recognize because of her death.”
“Grant is your cousin?” My jaw dropped. “I didn’t know.”
“And why should you know?” His lip curled. “You know what I want you to know.”
“Grant doesn’t know how she died?” I asked softly, my mind racing. Had Grant done something to her? Or had she died like Eugenie had died?
“She left a note.” He closed his eyes. “She intended to disappear and commit suicide. She said that no one would ever find her body. No one would ever know what happened to her. And that was my punishment for leaving her and going to Europe.”
“What?” I gasped. “That’s horrible.”
“She was young and hurt and lost.” He opened his eyes and looked at me, his eyes blazing. “And that’s what hurts the most, the not knowing. Do you know how much pain I feel in my heart, every time I think about her? I miss her so much. She was my life, even when she was a pain. We loved each other with an unbreakable bond. She was my flesh and blood. And then she was gone and I don’t know where, or how, or with who. And it kills me, every single day, I lose another piece of my heart. It’s disintegrating slowly. I almost have nothing left.”
“You can’t blame yourself, Tyler. It’s not your fault.” I grabbed his hands. “You weren’t to know that she would—“
“I want us to do something.” He cut me off and rolled over. “Say you’ll do something crazy with me.”
“What do you mean?” I groaned. “Haven’t we already done enough crazy stuff?”
“You’ve awakened in me something that makes me feel alive. You’ve awakened in me something that makes me remember a life outside of this prison.”
“But this is a self-imposed prison, no one is making you be there in your figurative pain.”
“It’s what I deserve.”
“So to mask the pain, you and Grant sleep with nameless girls?”
“I don’t mask anything, Evie.” He pulled me up with him. “I live life. I do what I want. And I don’t let society tell me what’s wrong or right.”
“What is it you want us to do?” I asked him softly as I leaned my naked body against his. He pulled me up and towards him and started waltzing with me across the grass. “What are you doing?”
“Dancing.” He said simply.
“But there’s no music.”
“There’s always music.” He held my hands tighter as he guided me across the dark field. “One two three, one two three, one two three.” He said over and over again, his moves effortless. It was hard for me to move with him, without feeling self-conscious. I’d never danced naked before.
“Don’t be so in your head, Evie.” He looked at me with a frown. “Close your eyes.”
“But I’ll trip if I close my eyes.”
“I won’t let you trip.” He shook his head. “Trust me.”
“Okay.” And slowly I closed my eyes and gave in to him, allowing him to continue guiding me across the grass. I was sure that the animals of the night were having a good laugh at us. I felt warm and safe in his arms, but I couldn’t stop myself from asking the question. “Why did you tell me your sister died of a drug overdose before, if now you’re saying you don’t know how she died?” I asked him softly. I wasn’t sure he’d heard me at first because he kept moving us through the field without answering me. The grass felt soft and dewy under my feet and it almost felt like we were gliding. But then all of a sudden he stopped and looked at me with sad eyes.
“Perhaps it was for the same reason why you told me your mother stopped dating when you were a child?”
“What?” My face froze at his words.
“I know that your mother dated a man when you were eighteen.”
“How?” I said softly.
“I know you used to sleep with him when your mother went to work at night.”
“It was a ...” My voice trailed off as I stared at him. What could I say to that? It was the truth. It was the reason why I’d been a do-gooder all through school and college. I’d been so ashamed of myself for sleeping with my mothers’ boyfriend. So so ashamed. But how had he known?
“I told you I know your secrets, Evie. We all have secrets. We all have things we’re too ashamed to admit.” He started dancing again. “But why should we all be ashamed? Not a one of us is better than the other.”
“How did you know?” I wanted to run away, the shame running through my veins very much prevalent. I’d been so young when it had happened, yet I’d never forgotten. I’d changed my whole life. I’d become a good girl, but still I’d succumbed easily when presented with a real test. I’d gone home with Grant without blinking. Maybe this was the lifestyle that was in my DNA. Maybe this was who I was supposed to be.
“Grant told me.” He said softly. “There are many things Grant knows about you. Things he knew before you went to the club that night. He likes to find out about the girls we bring home before we bring them home for some fun. He wants to make sure they can handle it. None of our picks are random.”
“He told me on that night that he has a lot of fake bachelor parties.” My head was thudding as I thought. “He uses the same strippers for the parties, doesn’t he?”
“Yes.” He said simply.
“And that’s how he gets the girls, isn’t it?” My heart sunk at what I realized must be true.
“Yes, the girls come through his contacts.”
“And Hailey told him about me. She told him about my past. She told him where we would be so he could take photographs of me. She told him I needed the money. And that’s why she convinced me to work that night.” As I spoke, I knew my words were true. I felt betrayed by her, truly and deeply betrayed. And it was then that I remembered what Eugenie had sa
id. Who had been the one to betray her? “Do you get all the girls through Hailey?”
“She’s your friend right? I don’t know if I should say anything else?” He looked worried.
“You know she’s my friend.” I sighed. “You knew all along, so why are you pretending you don’t know? Why are you pretending as if you three didn’t set this all up from the beginning?”
“I wouldn’t answer that if I were you.” A deep voice sounded from behind us and we both froze.
Chapter Six
Tyler’s body froze as we heard Grant’s voice.
“Why are you here?” Tyler’s voice sounded deadly.
“I knew you were here.” Grant laughed and stopped in front of us. “You always loved this field.”
“You’ve been here before?” I looked at Tyler with hurt eyes, but he didn’t answer me.
“This is not the first time this has gone down.” Grant answered and he looked at my naked breasts. “But I’m here to take care of you.” He licked his lips and stepped forward. “Let me take care of you like I took care of you on that first night.”
“That was a mistake.” I took a step back and held my arms over my breasts.
“It was a mistake, Sleeping Beauty?” Grant’s voice sounded strange in the field and I stared at his dark face, illuminated by the moon. It looked like he hadn’t shaved in a few days and there was a lot of facial hair and scruff covering his face. I shivered as I realized just how alpha and wolflike he looked.
“Don’t call me that!” I shouted at him and looked over at Tyler who was just watching the two of us,
“You like to pretend you’re all prim and proper, but this isn’t your first foray into the world of crazy sex, is it?” Grant’s voice echoed as he took a step towards me. Tyler grabbed his arm and stopped him.
“Don’t move a step closer.” His eyes narrowed at Grant. “Or I’ll hurt you.”
“You’d hurt your own cousin?” Grant looked at him for a few seconds and then he looked back at me with a snarl. “What have you done to him?”
“Did Hailey tell you to proposition me?” I changed the subject, needing to know exactly how I’d gotten myself into this situation.
“She gives the best lap dances, you know.” Grant laughed and stepped back as Tyler glared at him. “Much better than you.” He laughed and I could feel myself growing sick. “She has no problems fucking me while she dances.” He rubbed his crotch through his pants. “I wanted her to come back with me initially, but that would have been a bit awkward, wouldn’t it have been, Tyler?” He looked and Tyler and smirked.
“That’s enough, Grant.” Tyler’s voice was low and I could see and feel his chest moving up and down, even though I wasn’t next to him. He was angry and I wasn’t sure what he was going to do.
“What’s gotten into you? This is what we’ve been waiting for.” Grant looked at him.
“This is different.” Tyler looked at me then, a light in his eyes I’d never seen before.
“How is this different?”
“She’s different.”
“You’re joking?” Grant shook his head. “She’s not different, Tyler.”
“Different from who?”
“Remember what happened to Eugenie?” Grant looked at Tyler. “You don’t want another Eugenie.”
Tyler looked at him and then at me and it suddenly struck me that maybe Tyler didn’t realize that Eugenie was alive. Grant was twisting everything. He was somehow in Tyler’s head.
“Eugenie is still alive.” I blurted out and I watched the expression on Tyler’s face as I spoke. “She’s not dead, Tyler. She’s alive and maybe your sister is as well.” I moved closer to him and looked at Grant. “I think Grant has been lying to you.”
“Stupid bitch.” Grant’s eyes narrowed as Tyler pulled me towards him, his arm around my waist. “You stupid, stupid bitch.” Grant stared at me and shook his head slowly.
“What’s she saying, Grant?” Tyler’s voice was lethal and I could feel the power coursing through his body as his fingers gripped my skin. “Eugenie’s alive?”
“She’s in the house.” I spoke up again. “Grant did something to her. He won’t let her leave. I think he’s been keeping her as his slave or something. I think he’s been drugging her. That’s what her letters said.”
Tyler turned to me, his eyes surveying my face for a few seconds. “Put your clothes on. We need to go.”
I nodded and grabbed my clothes and pulled them on quickly. Tyler and Grant stood there staring at each other wordlessly. I could see that Grant looked scared. I wondered what Tyler was going to do to him.
“You have to let Eugenie go.” Tyler said softly. “And you have to leave.”
“But Tyler...” Grant’s voice trailed off as Tyler glared at him.
“It’s over, Grant.”
“Where am I supposed to go?”
“You’ll find someplace.”
“Can I come back?” Grant looked at me for a split second and then back at Tyler. “I can be your driver, like before, I don’t mind.”
“No. It’s over for you and me Grant.” Tyler stepped forward and grabbed his shirt. “You’ve failed me. You nearly made me lose the one girl I’ve always wanted.”
“Tyler.” Grant’s voice sounded whiny and I watched the man before me turn into a little boy.
“It’s over, Grant. It should have been over a long time ago.” Tyler turned to me. “Thank you for telling me about Eugenie.” He said softly and I smiled at him awkwardly. How had he just accepted what I had to say without questioning me? It was almost as if he had guessed that something wasn’t right. Maybe he’d even heard the slight creaks and noises in the night and wondered what was going on. Maybe he was finally ready to move on from the pain and the heartache he suffered. Now he knew the truth. And now we could be together.
“So you won.” Grant’s voice was a monotone. “Once again you won.”
“Go now, let Eugenie go and leave.” Tyler had a small smirk on his face and I shivered in the night air.
“Shouldn’t we go and make sure that he lets her go?” I grabbed his arm. “Do you really trust him?”
“Grant knows that if he doesn’t let her go, he will find himself in a very bad place.” Tyler’s voice held a lightly veiled threat.
“I’ll go now.” Grant nodded and looked at me one last time. “I wish you would have chosen me, Evie. I wish you would have chosen me.”
Chapter Seven
I watched as Tyler ran into a store and walked over to a fruit stall in the market to buy some fresh oranges and apples. The last couple of days had been magnificent without Grant and Eugenie in the house. I felt like I was really getting to know Tyler well. It felt odd that I still hadn’t gone back home yet. And even odder to be starting a relationship with him under these circumstances, but it just felt right. He had already paid off all of my student loans and while it made me feel slightly guilty, I knew that he could afford to and wanted to help me out. I didn’t see it as anything wrong. He wanted to take care of me because he was falling in love with me. He was my Prince Charming. All of these years I’d waited for him and he’d finally come along.
“You’re the new girl?” An older lady with dark hair stared at me from under her hat as I looked at the fruit in the stall in front of her. “You should leave.”
“Sorry, what?” I frowned at her, wondering what she was talking about.
“You’re the new girl up at Slate Manor?” Her eyes narrowed as she surveyed me. “That’s a scary place. It’s almost like it’s haunted.” Her eyes never left my face.
“Uhm yeah, but Grant Slate is no longer there.” I almost whispered. “It’s just me and Tyler now.” As I spoke to her I realized I didn’t even know his last name.
“Tyler is a Slate as well.” She paused. “They’re cousins.”
“I know.” I stared back at her fearlessly.
She grabbed my hand. “Stand still, let me read your palms.”
�
��Uh okay.” I gazed at her and looked around, hoping that Tyler would hurry up in the shop and come back and get me. I was uncomfortable being with this lady.
“The game has begun again.” She dropped my hand and looked up at me, her eyes alert.
“Grant and Tyler have been playing this game for a long time now.”
“They did.” I sighed, not wanting to explain myself to her. “But it’s over now. Grant is gone. And the last girl, Eugenie, well she’s gone to safety now.”
“I know that.” She shook her head. “I warned her as well.”
“Warned her of what?”
“They’ll tell you anything. Do anything. Each new girl is the old girls salvation. You lose your head when you’re at the manor. They count on that. Every girl loses her mind or thinks she does. They hear things. See things.”
“What?” I frowned. “I don’t understand what you’re saying.”
“It’s not a ghost.” She shook her head and she dropped her voice to a whisper. “It’s in the water.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Eugenie wasn’t your friend, Evie. And the Slate boys, well, the Slate boys have more games than they do condoms.”
“What?” My jaw dropped open. “What are you talking about?”
“The apples are two for a dollar.” She said sweetly and I frowned at the change of subject.
“Are you ready, Evie?” I felt Tyler’s arm on my back and I looked up at his beaming face and nodded.
“Yes, I don’t think I’ll get any fruit today.” I looked back at the lady, but she was looking away from me. What had she been talking about?
“You must be tired after everything. Let’s go home and get some rest.”
“Yeah.” I nodded. “And then tomorrow, we do need to go into town. I need to tell Hailey that I’m okay and pick up some of my stuff.”
“Let’s go home now and we’ll discuss everything else later.” He grabbed my hand and we walked to the car. “Right now, it just needs to be you and me.” He said softly. “We just need to live in the magic of the moment.”