His lips tipped up into a sneer. "Your beauty is the only thing you have going for you, Isabelle. If it wasn't for the promise that those lips would be wrapped around my cock in three months time, I wouldn't bother with your parents. It's the only condition they had and I believe in the power of anticipation." He leaned forward until his nose brushed the underside of her jaw. His deep inhale made the nausea she had been feeling all day come to a peak she never experienced before.
Oh God, hold on, Isabelle. Just hold on.
"You have a deal," Christopher growled. "You get one month, then I expect your full cooperation or you deal with the consequences."
She nodded her head and waited for his hand to release her throat. It didn't.
"Where will you go?" he asked, the nasty smirk on his face clearly saying that her options would be very limited.
Isabelle thought of all the places she had wanted to go in her life. All the things she wanted to see before she died. Only one place stuck out in her mind. A place that she was sure he would allow because it was remote in his eyes. Out of the country where no one could help her.
Her father had the money and so did Christopher. She never asked for anything from them, but she might as well take advantage of the fact that they were filthy, stinking rich.
"Ireland."
He didn't protest. In fact, she could swear she saw surprise on his once handsome face. "You leave in a week. Be ready and prepare yourself. There will be rules."
She nodded once more and he finally released her. Stepping away just before the door to her father's office opened. Isabelle covered her throat and kept her head down as she walked past all three of them and down the hallway to her room.
She had a week before she would taste complete freedom. Temporary complete freedom. A month of that freedom. Her last taste of life. Sure, she would find a way to get out of this mess. If it came down to faking her own death... well, she didn't really like that idea, but it would accomplish what she needed. For now, she would relish in the fact that she had finally gotten something out of this.
Something that would ultimately change her forever.
***
"Isn't this a little dramatic, Isabelle? I mean, a month away from your friends and family. From your fiancé."
"Christopher agreed wholeheartedly, Mother. He said it would be good for us. It would give me some time to realize how much I..." Isabelle cleared her throat so she could continue the blatant lie without the shaking in her voice being so obvious. "How much I need him."
Marjorie stared at her daughter for a few minutes, waiting for her to crumble or tell her that she was just trying to get out of 'doing her duty'. That or she was waiting for some sign that things were not as they seemed. If she had been more worried about her daughter instead of a business deal, she would have seen the signs months ago.
Isabelle never wavered. She wasn't going to ruin this opportunity.
"Isabelle," her mother started only to pause when Isabelle kept her eyes steady on hers. "I don't want you to think that..."
Isabelle held her breath, the softness in her mother's voice surprising her and giving her hope. Maybe this was the moment that everything would be brought into the light. The moment her mother told her that the company was failing, that her father was going to lose everything if Isabelle didn't save them by marrying the only man who could help them. Maybe this was the moment Marjorie Moore decided that all the money in the world wasn't worth risking her only daughter.
Her mother dropped her head and stared at her fidgeting hands.
Strange, she thought. Her mother never felt the need to fidget.
Marjorie took a deep breath and gave her daughter a fake smile. She had apparently changed her mind about what she was going to say, to Isabelle's disappointment.
"I am glad you are cooperating. This will be good for you. This marriage will be good for everyone. Your father will be able to do so much more once the companies are merged. You'll live a privileged life and you will want for nothing."
"You think money will make me happy?" Isabelle whispered, barely holding back the tears.
"You'll have everything you ever wanted, dear."
Everything except love, safety, and family. So I'll have nothing at all.
Her shoulders sagged and she turned away before her mother could see the disappointment on her face. "I understand, Mother. Now if you don't mind, I need to finish packing. I don't want to be late for my flight."
Isabelle struggled to keep the tears at bay. Her parents would never come around and they were going to watch their only daughter die a slow and painful death before they would ever give up a deal that would benefit them financially.
"Of course," her mother nodded, hesitating a moment and looking at Isabelle the way she used to. The way she did when she showed her only daughter a fraction of the love a mother could give to her child. Then, as quickly as it came, the moment was gone. Her mother's expression went from soft and concerned to completely impassive before she quickly stood and left the room.
Isabelle turned to her suitcases and robotically packed the rest of the things she would need for her month in Ireland. The pain she felt because of her parents' ignorance was nothing compared to the anticipation of being far away from every single one of them.
This was her time.
It wasn't until a few hours later that she realized the 'rules' Christopher mentioned were more unreasonable than she anticipated.
He drove her and her parents to the airport and said that he 'only wanted to be able to say goodbye like a fiancé should'. His I'm-not-in-love-with-you-but-trying act was what made her parents so sure that she would come around in the first place.
How romantic of him to try to love the girl that he was intended to marry based off of a business deal. How wonderful a sacrifice it was for him to settle on marrying the daughter of a man who was about to lose everything.
After everything she'd seen and heard, Isabelle knew that was no longer the case.
"A phone call every day seems a bit unreasonable, Christopher."
"You are getting a month, Isabelle. I expect that you want the full month, so these are my conditions," he hissed when her parents stepped away to give them a moment to say goodbye.
She was only feet away from the door that would lead out to the tarmac, which would then lead to the stairs connected to the plane that would take her away from this man.
Thousands of miles away.
"You are forgetting one thing, Christopher. I'm not near as afraid of you as you hoped I would be. My side of this agreement has not been fulfilled yet."
His face turned to stone. He wasn't going to tolerate any misbehavior from her, but if she didn't get what she wanted in the first place, she would do whatever it took to make his life miserable. She would cause a scene anywhere they went. She would act out every chance she got until all the eyes watching him would wonder at his own sanity to be with a woman so... intolerable.
"Fine. What will you agree to? And don't test me, Isabelle."
She couldn't stop the smile pulling on her lips. Another victory was won even if it was minor.
"Every other night. I will call you at your home once I am settled for the night."
He nodded stiffly. "You will tell me everywhere you went. The phone numbers, locations... everything."
She wanted to argue, but he already conceded to more than she expected him to. "Fine. I need to leave, Christopher."
His hand wrapped tightly around her upper arm causing her to wince in pain. She glanced over at her parents and wasn't surprised to see that they weren't watching a damn thing happening.
"You may think you have won this, Isabelle, but you haven't. You must remember who I am."
She looked him in the eyes and said the first honest thing she had said since that day in her father's office.
"I know exactly who you are."
Chapter 2
Liam
Present day...
Will
iam Brannock wasn't sure if he was having a flashback or just a moment of déjà vu. Watching his youngest child and only daughter walk around his kitchen with her eight month pregnant belly looked so familiar. Like a distant memory that kept playing over and over in his head every time he saw Aislinn.
She looked so much like his Isabelle had when she was pregnant with Conall and it amazed him every day to see that they were not only very similar in looks, but in their personalities as well.
Aislinn and Isabelle got along better than most mothers and daughters did. They agreed on almost everything and the way they handled serious situations was identical; humor and laughter. Isabelle had also been somewhat awkward in the first several years of their marriage. Something that he always adored. But what was once clumsiness turned into gracefulness when her self confidence and the love they shared was at its peak.
He worshipped Izzy every day since the very first day. She'd been a bright light in his world, shining like a spotlight from which he could never look away. In other words, he was a goner from the first glimpse of her with no desire to ever come back to reality.
Some days, he still felt like that when he thought of her.
Aislinn and Lucas were nearly impossible to tell apart from Izzy and himself.
"Lucas, I know you think it's silly, but I just think that it would be a good idea, that's all," Ash said, giving her husband of two months that sweet smile that got her anything and everything she wanted. She rested her hand on her protruding belly, caressing their unborn daughter before she looked down and started whispering to her stomach.
Lucas beamed at Aislinn while she told her baby how much she loved her. He then looked to Liam with the faintest color of pink in his cheeks and shrugged.
Liam knew exactly how his son-in-law felt. Talking to his own wife's belly felt somewhat unnatural at first, especially around others. It was always slightly embarrassing, but only because the things he wanted to say to his babies were between him and his babies and his wife. Those were moments that he didn't want to share with anyone else.
Luke was back to staring at Ash in that way that told Liam his daughter would never want for anything. "Ash, Baby, it's not really something I would like to do in front of people."
"Oh, come on. Now that is silly. Who cares?" Ash rolled her eyes before directing them back to her belly.
Luke shook his head with a grin on his face and, again, regarded Liam.
"Don't look at me, son. Izzy wouldn't leave it alone until I spoke to her belly enough to satisfy her. I also felt every single kick when we were together because she would shout for me and I would come running thinking that she had fallen or gotten hurt. She would snatch my hand and make me feel every movement."
Lucas was chuckling and Liam could pretty much guarantee that Ash was the same way. That had been a pet peeve that Liam wished he wouldn't have been so annoyed with. Izzy just wanted to share everything with him and although he was proud of that, it cut into some serious time whenever he ran across the house to find her.
"I just want our child to recognize his voice," Ash informed him. "I've read so many horror stories about the baby taking a long time to adjust to the father. I don't want that to happen. I want Isabelle to know her daddy's voice and already be adjusted," Ash explained.
Liam watched the softness in Luke's expression go softer, if that was even possible. It was then that he wished again that his Isabelle could be there at that exact moment. To see that each of her children found that one person that made them whole. It was something she'd prayed for every day. Something she had for herself and wanted so much for her children to have as well.
"She will know my voice, Ash. I promise you," Luke reassured her.
"How? If you don't talk to her, how will she know it?"
Ash put her hands on her hips and tried to look demanding, but it was pointless. That giant belly she was lugging around lately only made her more adorable and beautiful. She still got what she wanted, though.
"Do you want me to speak to her right now?"
Liam could sense the amusement in Luke's words and knew without a doubt that Ash was in for a surprise.
Ash only nodded with a triumphant grin.
Luke slowly inched toward his wife and just as slowly knelt on the floor in front of her, his hands covering her swollen stomach, protecting his baby.
"Hi, Isabelle. It's your daddy again," Luke said softly. "Mommy obviously doesn't suspect our late night talks since she sleeps like a log these days, but I just wanted you to know that you are off the hook, baby girl. You don't have to keep it a secret anymore."
He looked up at Ash, grinning like the fool in love he was and Ash just stared down at him in awe. "What are you talking about?"
Luke kissed her belly before standing with one hand cradling her face and the other covering her massive belly. "You apparently don't notice, which I'm grateful for, but this little girl goes crazy at night. She wakes me up with her kicks hitting my own stomach or back and I discovered that when I talk to her, she calms down."
"Really?" Ash asked, her eyes wet with tears.
"Really. You're so tired lately and I don't want you to wake up even more than you already do at night. She knows her dad just as well as she knows her mom so trust me, love. We'll be just fine when she's finally here."
"Okay."
Luke pressed his lips to Aislinn's forehead then wrapped her in his arms. Aislinn drew in a long, shaky breath as she burrowed into his chest. Liam knew his daughter would cry for a few more minutes until she could get it under control. Izzy had cried over everything. Luke, however, seemed more prepared for it than Liam ever was.
"I've got to get to the station, Ash. Call me if you need anything, okay?"
She nodded and kissed him tenderly before saying goodbye.
He turned to Liam and nodded, "See you tonight, Sir."
Liam rolled his eyes and waved goodbye. The boy would die calling him 'Sir'.
Ash started clearing the counter of dishes from their shared breakfast and humming happily to herself. Liam just watched his daughter with a smile on his face.
So much like her mother.
He was grateful she and Luke lived just down the road. Seeing her almost every day made it easier to be alone most of the time. They frequently ate breakfast together and Ash always checked on her father to make sure he was well taken care of.
He would never admit that he waited for her visits. It should be him taking care of her. But she had Lucas now and Liam couldn't think of a better man for his only daughter.
"Are you happy today, my beauty?" he asked.
Ash turned around to face him with a huge smile on her face. "Yes, Daddy. I'm the happiest woman in the world."
The familiar answer sent a warmth through his chest. I'm the happiest woman in the world. Isabelle had been happy with him and that was something he would forever cherish.
All his children were familiar with the habits he and their mother established in their marriage. Every day he would ask Izzy if she was happy and every day she gave the same answer. They were used to the love their parents had for each other.
That's what Izzy wanted them to know. To see.
"Did you do that to Mom?" Ash sighed as she settled next to him and leaned over to kiss his cheek.
"Do what?"
"Make her melt every time you spoke to her?"
He knew she was referring to Luke. He saw his daughter's reaction every time the man opened his mouth and it always reminded him of those days in the past when his Izzy hung on his every word. He chuckled and wrapped his arm around Aislinn's shoulders. "You mean to ask if I made her swoon with my romantic ways?"
Ash rolled her eyes, but she nodded.
"Oh, my beauty. Your mother melted when I burped."
She smacked him on the chest with a laugh then rested her head on his shoulder. He soaked the moment in. His children were grown and living their own lives and soon, he would be considered a lonely bastard. But he kne
w in his heart he would never be alone.
"Mom hated when you burped."
"No, she didn't. She secretly loved it, she just knew she had to teach you all some manners."
Ash giggled softly. "She used to stare at you all the time, Daddy. She'd get this sparkle in her eyes and this beaming smile on her face when you weren't looking. She told me one day that her life before you felt like a dream. Like her life didn't start until she met you."
"Both of our lives started with each other," he stated, knowing with every fiber of his being that it was true.
Ash lifted her head off of his shoulder and frowned, those big grey eyes of hers narrowing. "I still can't believe it. What she went through... Mom never even hinted at the crap she endured."
Liam sighed and for the millionth time wondered if he should have waited a little longer to tell his kids their mother's story. It took a long time to explain everything and he didn't touch on the bad things until after Ash and Luke returned from their honeymoon.
Sitting his children down and telling them that their grandparents very nearly ruined Isabelle's life was a feat that he didn't want to have to face again.
"She didn't want that kind of darkness to touch any of you, Aislinn. She wanted you to know love and family without doubt in your minds. It also wasn't her intention to turn you against your grandparents either, so we made the decision long before any of you ever came into this world."
"Do you think she would have gone through with it? If you hadn't come along, do you think that she would have gone back and just taken life as it hit her?" Aislinn's eyes bore into his, begging for the truth. She sounded like she was on the verge of tears once more and he didn't think that was something he could handle today.
"No, my beauty. Your mother was a stubborn woman and devious to boot. She would have found a way out of it, of that I have no doubt."
He'd learned many things about his wife over the years. She was small and sweet, but fierce. The man she was supposed to marry wouldn't have lasted a month with Izzy making his life a living hell and that is exactly what she would have done. Agreement or not, she would have given the man every reason to get rid of her. Liam didn't want to think about the how, but Izzy would have gotten free of Christopher soon enough.
Protector (The Brannock Siblings Book 4) Page 3