by Grace, K D
‘To Vivienne?’
He nodded. ‘I was young and naïve and in love with her at the time. I thought she loved me too. I thought it was just a friendly game. I thought …’ He forced a humourless chuckle. ‘Well what I thought hardly matters now, does it?’
‘So Vivienne owns you?’ Rita breathed. ‘How can that be?’
He cleared his throat as though it would rid him of threatening emotions. ‘I lost control of The Mount and became her slave. Slaves take on the identity of their masters, so you see, effectively I don’t exist. Not as long as I’m her slave.’ As he paused for a sip of champagne, she noticed his knuckles were white around the delicate stem of the glass. ‘Nothing like that in the history of The Mount had ever happened before. The Council of Elders decided, even though, constitutionally, Vivienne’s wager was on shaky ground, to let the bet stand, to teach me a lesson. They hadn’t figured on Vivienne being such a tyrant, or on her knowing coven law well enough to capitalise on her position and maintain it.’
He raised a hand before she could respond. ‘You have to understand, if it were just Vivienne, I would have run away with you, and never looked back. You can’t imagine how badly I wanted to do just that. But everyone here suffers because of what I did. I owe them all, some of them I can never repay. And besides, you shouldn’t have to run away from your rightful heritage.’
‘So my mother orchestrated the whole thing?’
‘Your mother orchestrated our meeting. I agreed to persuade you to undergo initiation. The rest you did on your own. And when Vivienne had you banished, staying was the only way I could assure you’d be able to fight another day. Then the London Coven will finally be free of Vivienne, and I can take back what’s mine,’ he squeezed her hand and raised it to his lips, ‘hopefully all of what’s mine.’
‘And I was a part of the deal?’
‘No.’ He released her hand. ‘You weren’t.’
‘But you just said my mother used you to bring me into the fold.’
‘Oh, she did. She absolutely used me to bring you into the fold. But my falling in love with you was never a part of the deal. There are things that even someone as powerful as your mother can’t control.’
His words left her breathless, unable to speak. She hardly knew what to say. He loved her? Did he really? She’d secretly hoped, but hopes were barely more than fantasies and not to be trusted.
Into the breach of expectant silence, he tugged at his jacket and cleared his throat again, suddenly unable to meet her gaze. ‘Lorelei has gathered the High Council in the Presence Chamber. If you’re ready, I think it’s time you take your rightful place in The Mount.’ He offered her his arm and escorted her away from the table then down the hallway behind the kitchen toward the stairs, a route she felt quite familiar with now.
At the bottom, she stopped, suddenly unable to move, suddenly feeling weak all over.
Edward took her in his arms. ‘Don’t be afraid, my love. You are Rita Holly Martelli. You come from a long line of members of The Mount, longer than anyone in that room.’ He nodded to the doors. ‘And you’ve done everything right. You’ve made your family proud. You’ve made me proud. When you’ve done what has to be done in there, then this is yours to remove.’ He guided her hand to the cheek of the golden mask. ‘And what’s beneath is yours to keep, if you still want it.’
She lifted her mouth to his and kissed him, forcing words around the tight knot of emotion in her chest. ‘You know that I do. More than I’ve ever wanted anything.’
He offered her his arm, and together they pushed through the double doors into the familiar bedroom light of the Presence Chamber.
Chapter Twenty-nine
ELLEN DANIELS WAS THE estate agent who gave Owen the keys to his new villa. Then she’d stayed on for drinks and dinner and sex. Lots of sex. Clearly she found him fascinating, and she was just his type. She had big tits, a pussy with a cast iron grip, and she loved to suck cock. He wasn’t into exclusivity by any means, but, with him just settling in, Ellen offered lots of hot, kinky tail, and she looked fabulous on his arm whenever he went out.
She stood before him dressed to the nines with her arm around the shoulder of a gorgeous brunette, hand resting in a slight cup against the woman’s lovely bra-less breast. ‘Owen, darling,’ Ellen’s throaty contralto always sounded like she was gagging for it. ‘This is Vicki.’ She gave the brunette’s tit a little squeeze, and he couldn’t help noticing those lovely high tits were barely covered by the tiny black dress that looked more like a nightie. ‘She wants to come with us. That is all right, isn’t it?’
One look at the chick’s straining nipples and her nicely rounded bottom was enough to convince him that the only thing better than showing up at The Club with one gorgeous woman on his arm was showing up with two gorgeous women on his arm. ‘Of course you can come, love.’
The woman shot a confused glance at Ellen, who smiled back at her reassuringly and nodded. Then she turned her attention back to Owen. ‘Vicki doesn’t speak English.’
He’d paid a fortune to get reservations for himself and Ellen at the exclusive grand opening of The Club Restaurant. He was pretty sure the place was just a Mount wannabe, but there had been rumours that Vivienne herself might show up, and he wanted to be in the right place just in case.
In her excitement at the news, Vicki gave Ellen an enthusiastic tongue kiss. When she finally came up for air, Ellen smiled apologetically at Owen. ‘Vicki’s very affectionate, and very grateful.’ While he watched, she scrunched the skirt of the brunette’s dress up until her black lace knickers were visible. ‘She has such a yummy pussy. Would you like to taste?’
She shoved aside the crotch of her friend’s panties, and the chick’s eyelids fluttered. She sucked her bottom lip and caught her breath as Ellen parted her cunt lips and slipped a finger into her distended snatch. Owen was already hard enough to strain the expensive fabric of his trousers as he watched Ellen thumb the nub of her friend’s clit, before bringing her juicy fingers to his lips for a taste.
‘Mmmmph. Good,’ he groaned, licking and slurping.
Ellen nuzzled the top of the brunette’s dress open until her dark nipples were forced upward free of the bodice. She pulled Owen, first to her own mouth for a deep-throated kiss, then she guided him down to Vicki’s peek-a-boo nipples. ‘Aren’t they nice,’ she crooned as he suckled and kneaded the brunette.
‘And look,’ she shoved him away long enough to turn Vicki around and bend her over the arm of the couch. There she pushed the dress up and slid the crumpled panties down until the chick’s nicely tanned bottom was completely exposed. ‘Her little bum hole is so nice, don’t you think?’
Owen could barely hold his wad as Ellen parted her friend’s raised buttocks and began to tongue-fuck her pulsating dark pucker.
The brunette groaned and thrust her arse back into Ellen’s face. She grunted some expletive he didn’t understand. Dirty talk he figured, and he nearly ripped out his fly in his effort to free his cock. Desperate for relief, he fingered and poked until he had spread the brunette’s slippery pout. With such a raging hard-on he could hardly walk let alone make it to The Club. That was all right. They’d show up fashionably late and well fucked, the way he figured most wealthy people did. As he shoved into Vicki’s tight snatch, Ellen hopped on to the leather couch, mindless of her stilettos, and positioned herself over Vicki’s mouth, pulling aside her own thong for a good pussy licking.
Owen wondered if it got any better than this, fucking one chick senseless while she ate another chick’s sopping pussy. Just a quickie before dinner, then, after an expensive meal, eaten while being seen and admired at The Club, the three of them would continue the party here at his villa. Unless Vivienne had better plans for him. That thought, along with the brunette’s tightly gripping pussy, was enough to make him jiz.
Owen felt nauseated as the restaurant manager handed him back his bank card. ‘I’m sorry, Mr Frank, but the charge has been declined.’
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br /> The meal they had just eaten would have set him back a month’s salary at Talkabout. He forced a smile, trying to remain calm, trying to keep the expensive dinner from coming back up. ‘There has to be a mistake. Try again.’
The manager shook his head. ‘I’ve tried it three times, sir.’
‘Then try a fourth time’ Owen growled. ‘I know how much I have in my account. What’s the matter with you stupid people?’
Out of nowhere, a very large man in charcoal suit moved to stand protectively next to the manager. People at the tables around them began to whisper among themselves. Ellen heaved a busty sigh and produced a credit card from her bag. The manager studied it for a moment, then looked up at her wide-eyed. ‘You work for Coraline Martelli?’
She nodded to Vicki. ‘We both do. And we’ll take care of the bill.’
‘But I thought you were an estate agent.’ Owen sputtered.
‘I am if Ms Martelli wants me to be.’ She ran a finger down the side of his sweating face. ‘You don’t look well, Owen, darling. But at least you’ve been well fucked tonight, and I can’t think of anyone more deserving. Now why don’t you go on home and take some rest.’
Confusion and panic rose at the back of his throat. Normally he would feel good about being on the radar of someone as important as Coraline Martelli, instead, he felt like he’d just swallowed a fish bone.
The drive home seemed interminable. How could a night that started out so well end up so shit? The closer he got to home, the tighter the knot in his stomach got. He thought of Lorelei’s warning, but he’d done nothing wrong. He’d kept every rule. The whole incident with his bank card had to be some mistake. He’d iron it all out in the morning. He reminded himself things always looked better in daylight. Then he saw the heavy chain and padlock across the gate to his villa with the two uniformed men standing in front, and he knew this time that wouldn’t be the case.
‘Owen Frank?’ The bigger of the two spoke with a heavy Spanish accent.
‘Yes?’
‘We are to escort you to pack your belongings. You are trespassing on Martelli property.’
The nausea returned with a vengeance and, for a second, he thought he’d either throw up or pass out. Instead, he choked out his protest. ‘There has to be a mistake. The place was leased to me. How can it belong to Coraline Martelli?’
‘Oh, it doesn’t belong to Coraline Martelli any more. She has deeded it over as a gift to her daughter.’
‘Her daughter?’
‘That’s right. She says you know her daughter.’
‘How the hell would I know her daughter?’
The big man unlocked the padlock and stepped aside for Owen to enter. ‘Rita Holly Martelli?’ He shrugged. ‘Strange, Ms Martelli said that you would understand.’
Chapter Thirty
THERE WAS NO DENYING the stirring and fluttering of expensive clothing on the dais as Rita entered the Presence Chamber on Edward’s arm. Only Vivienne sat as still and pale as the bas relief of Venus in the library.
‘What’s the meaning of this?’ Vivienne’s voice was barely controlled anger.
Rita stepped forward with more confidence than she would have thought possible. ‘I petition the High Council of The Mount, London Coven, to reconsider my initiation and my acceptance into said coven and to hear my defence in the case raised against me.’
‘I second the petition,’ Leo spoke up.
‘And I,’ Aurora added. She still wore her waitress uniform, and so tight was the tension in the room that she looked as though she were about to catapult from her seat.
‘This is ludicrous,’ Vivienne snapped. ‘Get her out of here, and stop wasting my time.’
‘She has the right to defend herself, Vivienne,’ Morgan spoke up. ‘You know the law.’
Vivienne adjusted herself on her chair like a queen on her throne and forced a chuckle. ‘All right then. If you all insist on humouring her, who am I to disagree.’ She scrutinised Rita with a disdainful eye. ‘At least she had the decency to dress for the occasion this time. Which of you put up the money for her little dress ?’ Vivienne’s scorching gaze moved from Rita over to Edward. ‘I can’t imagine how she got in.’
‘She came in through the front door,’ Aurora said. ‘She had a reservation.’
‘Is this true?’ Vivienne turned her attention to Lorelei.’
Lorelei nodded.
‘You gave her a reservation?’
‘I did.’
There was ice in Vivienne’s voice. ‘We’ll discuss this later.’ She turned her attention to Edward. ‘Come take your place.’ She patted the seat next to her. ‘Let’s get this little charade over with.’
Edward didn’t move. ‘This is my place, Vivienne. This is where I belong.’
There was a collective shifting among the High Council. Even from where Rita stood, she could see the colour rise along Vivienne’s cheek bones. If this didn’t end tonight, she had no doubt Edward would pay dearly for his insolence.
Edward turned to Leo and nodded.
The Zoo Keeper pulled a copy of Talkabout from inside his jacket and opened it to the offending exposé. When he spoke, he sounded unusually formal. ‘Ms Holly, could you please tell the council what is involved in the Crossing Over ceremony?’
Rita shrugged. ‘When someone dies, they’re said to cross over to the other side. I don’t know. What does that have to do with the initiation?’
There was a murmuring among the High Council. Leo raised his hand to silence everyone. ‘What about the Blessing of Five?’
‘I don’t know.’
‘The Making of the History?’
‘No idea.’
Leo frowned down at the magazine open in his hands. ‘And yet is your name on this article, the article which explains all of these secret parts of the final initiation rite.’
‘Oh for heaven sake,’ Vivienne exploded. ‘Can’t you see she’s lying? Of course she’s going to tell you she knows nothing about it. What else is she going to say? She’s a journalist, in case you’ve forgotten.’
‘That’s right. I am a journalist, and I’m a good one.’ Rita took another step forward. ‘One who would never write a story without backing it up with her sources, one who would never leave important questions unanswered. For instance, perhaps you could tell us why Lorelei was meeting secretly with the editor of Talkabout at the Ritz?’
Vivienne spoke as though she were humouring an impertinent child. ‘First of all, girl, I don’t answer to you. Second, I don’t keep track of what Lorelei does on her own time.’
‘Perhaps, in the interest of good journalism, I should ask Lorelei then.’
All pretence of tolerance vanished. Vivienne stood and stomped her foot. ‘I already told you, I don’t answer to you, and neither do my people. Who do you think you are waltzing in here taking control? Guards, get this woman out of my sight,’ she yelled.
But as the guards approached, Edward raised a hand, and they both stopped in their tracks. ‘Who does she think she is, indeed.’ He took a step forward and laced his arm through Rita’s. ‘Shall I tell you who she is, Vivienne? She is Rita Holly Martelli, and she has as much right to be here as you do. More actually.’
The colour drained from Vivienne’s face, and she swayed, grabbing the arm of her chair before she collected herself and squared her shoulders. ‘I don’t care if she’s God. Her own mother would agree with me that she’s betrayed The Mount and is not worthy to be a part of it.’
‘My mother, and everyone in this room, knows I didn’t write that tosh. But we all have a pretty good idea of who did. One person here knows for certain who wrote it, two actually, isn’t that right, Lorelei?’
It was as Rita suspected, the Martelli name held a powerful sway over the woman’s shifting loyalties. Lorelei nodded. ‘I know. Yes.’ She looked at Vivienne.
‘I said get her out of here,’ Vivienne shouted to the guards.
They didn’t move. No one moved. No one breathed. At la
st Edward spoke. ‘All those who are convinced that the initiation of Rita Holly has come to a successful conclusion and that she is worthy of membership into The Mount, London Coven, please stand up now.’
Lorelei was the first to stand, followed quickly by everyone else except Vivienne, who dropped into her chair as though her strength were gone.
Edward took Rita’s hand and led her onto the dais. ‘Members of The Mount, London Coven, may I present to you Rita Ellison Holly Martelli, our new companion in freedom.’
Instead of waiting for each member to come forward and welcome her, as was tradition, Rita moved to stand in front of Vivienne. There was a collective gasp among the High Council, and Edward grabbed her arm, but she gently shrugged him off.
‘Vivienne Arlington Page, your life is mine to do with as I choose.’
The council gasp became a shocked murmur, which Rita ignored.
‘It’s within my power to banish you without any coven support and leave you to survive in the world as you’ve not had to do since you were accepted into The Mount.’ She nodded at the look of surprise on Vivienne’s face. ‘Yes, my mother tutored me well on coven law, and I’m a fast learner.’
The murmur died away and the room was swathed in wire-tight silence.
Rita continued. ‘Coven law states that your position is forfeit to the one you’ve wronged. I think it’s safe to say that includes just about everyone in this room, no one more so than Edward.’ She turned to face the council. ‘As in accordance with the law, who among you wishes to take up this woman’s position and fulfil the duties she has forfeited?’
The silence in the room felt like a tightly held breath. At last Leo took a step forward and spoke. ‘Is as you have stated, Vivienne Arlington Page now belongs to you. Since it is you who have broken her power, then I say that it is to you her power and position should go.’