Blood Script

by Airicka Phoenix

  “Thank you,” she blurted when there was enough space between her and James that she could finally breathe

  Brown eyes caught hers in the rearview mirror. “For what?”

  “Being here,” she summarized. “I know you probably have a million things to do that don’t include babysitting.”

  “This is where the Captain wants me.”

  Cora let it drop. Nicholas had already proven he was a man of a few words and even less humor. The only thing left to do was sit back and wait to see her mom again.

  “Oh!” Cora dug into her purse for her phone. “I don’t know where we’re going.”

  She should have realized her phone would be dead. It hadn’t seen a charger in over a week. But she pulled it out, stabbed at the power button a few times and then pitched it back in with an aggravated growl.

  “I’m sorry, Nicholas. I should have—”

  Without a word, he held his phone out to her.

  The surprise of that took her a moment to process, but she took it with a murmured thanks and called her mom.

  Kevin picked up as she knew he would. His voice was gruff with authority and held a steely undertone everyone found intimidating, but Cora had known him too long to take his phone voice seriously. He only ever used it when the number calling Elise was unfamiliar.

  “Hey Kevin, it’s me. My phone’s dead. Is my mom there?”

  “Cora?” Elise’s uncertain voice replaced Kevin’s. “Is everything all right?”

  The concern in her mother’s voice made Cora wish she’d thought to be clearer when making arrangements the night before. She’d been so surprised by James agreeing to see Elise again that she hadn’t wanted to stick around and let him change his mind. Plus, her mind had been a numb abyss of joy and pain at seeing her parents again and being in her own city that she could hardly remember her own name, never mind making an actual plan.

  “Everything is perfect. I was just wondering where we were meeting.”

  A long strain of silence followed where Cora had to check to make sure the call hadn’t been dropped. Low chatter continued on the other end when she listened hard enough, but there was no sound from her mother.

  “Mom?”

  Finally, Elise cleared her throat. “Duke’s, darling.”

  The moment it was said, Cora closed her eyes in a grimace. The fingers on her free hand lifted to pinch the bridge of her nose as it all came together in the most painful way.

  Of course Duke’s, Cora thought bitterly. It was Elise’s favorite place for breakfast. The only place Elise was willing to eat that early in the morning. It was no wonder Elise sounded so bewildered.

  “Right, sorry, I just ... I forgot.”

  The confession was somehow worse. They’d been going to Duke’s since Cora was old enough to sit through a full meal.

  “But everything’s fine,” she rushed on before her mother could ask. “We’re on our way.”

  “Okay, darling.”

  Cora hung up quickly and returned the phone to Nicholas. She slumped back against the seat and shook her head slowly in disbelief; she’d only been gone a week. How was it possible to forget something so routine? It was ridiculous. Insulting even. But if she were honest with herself, a lot had changed in those few days.

  She no longer even felt like herself.

  James was to blame.

  He had disrupted the whole, natural order of her life.

  He’d thrown a wrench into her entire existence.

  He’d fucked her, literally and figuratively.

  She was addicted.

  Infatuated.

  Mesmerized.

  So fucked.

  So royally fucked.

  But she wanted it.

  Wanted him.

  Wanted him with a severity that hurt.

  Christ.

  That made her as bad as him.

  For allowing him to tempt and toy with her.

  For allowing him to finger her and then put it on her lips and not wipe it off.

  For even considering reapplying like it was normal made her some kind of nutcase.

  What the fuck was he doing to her?

  She shifted in her seat, the damp state of her panties becoming a real problem rubbing against the bare lips of her sex. It clung to her, a sticky reminder of his command to come on his fingers.

  “Fuck.”

  She hadn’t realized she’d spoken out loud until she caught Nicholas’s gaze in the mirror.

  The heat in her face was no longer solely the side effects of her brutal arousal.

  “It’s nothing. Sorry.”

  But there was a knowing glint in the man’s eyes that was beyond mortifying. It filled her with the horrifying realization that he might have heard them. The apartment wasn’t that big. The walls were thin. And she hadn’t thought to be quiet, nor had James cared when he’d torn the ground out from beneath her with every deft plunge of his fingers.

  Oh dear God, Cora moaned inwardly, stopping short of burying her hot face into her palms.

  The remainder of the drive was done with her being excruciatingly still, careful with her every breath in case it let on how fucking horny she was. It was ruthless and vicious. The kind of thrumming that made her want to turn the car around, find James and screw him into unconsciousness.

  But that had no doubt been his plan all along, to get her so worked up she couldn’t think.

  Bastard.

  Well, she wasn’t going to do it.

  She wasn’t going to submit.

  She wouldn’t let him win.

  Clit throbbing, she buckled in for one long ass day.

  Elise was already at their usual table when Cora arrived with Nicholas in tow. The pirate was entirely out of place in the posh and pricy interior of Duke’s. Everything from his leather coat to his long, unruly locks drew eyes the deeper they walked into the exclusive club. Cora would have laughed, if the stares hadn’t grated on her nerves.

  The classlessness of some people.

  The outright gall.

  She’d never been so humiliated.

  “Darling.” Elise waved her over.

  Cora bypassed the gawkers and whisperers to where her mother and Deidra sat. Both were dressed in gorgeous suits in different cuts and colors. Elise wore a dark plum colored blazer and skirt. Deidra was in a white, silk blouse and white trousers. Both looked stunning, and delighted to see her.

  Cora took a deep breath and started forward closing the space between herself and her family.

  “Took you long enough,” was Deidra’s method of greeting.

  “Sorry.”

  Cora eased into the chair Nicholas drew out for her before finding his own seat one table over from the group, despite the hostess’s protest that the table was reserved. The agitated woman wasn’t satisfied until Elise glanced over and gave a subtle shake of her head, which immediately snapped the girl’s mouth shut and had her scurrying away.

  “Kevin and Deidra,” Cora noted, attempting to break the tension. “I guess Dad’s being a bit overprotective, huh?”

  “I’m waiting for a call,” Deidra answered simply, with a sharp edge. “Kevin’s here to make sure your cowboy over there,” she jerked a chin towards Nicholas, “doesn’t take both of you.”

  “That’s not entirely true,” Elise assured Cora. “Only the part about Deidra possibly cutting our breakfast short.”

  Deidra snorted.

  Cora picked up her menus. “Have you ordered?”

  They hadn’t, but it was clear from the glances they exchanged that they had been talking about her. Their concern was written all over their faces, masks of blinding uncertainty.

  “Will you two stop?” She forced a laugh. “I’m fine. Better even.”

  “How are you fine?” Deidra broke in. “You’ve been brainwashed by a sociopath.”

  “James is not a sociopath,” she bit out. “And I’m not brainwashed. I know exactly what I’m doing.”

  “Which is what, exactly
?” Elise asked, albeit not as viciously. “Come on, darling. You must understand why we’re concerned. We love you so much and we don’t want you to get hurt.”

  “James won’t hurt me.” The conviction in her own voice astounded even her. She had no tangible evidence to back that up, except that he’d had plenty of opportunities to do so and never had. But she honestly believed he wouldn’t. “It’s complicated to explain. Now, can we please just have a nice, normal breakfast and enjoy our day?”

  Elise and Deidra exchanged glances.

  Elise relented first. Her nude lips bowed into a resigned smile.

  “All right, love. What are you hungry for?”

  She ordered a mushroom and cheese omelet with steak tips, and a coffee. She missed coffee. August had always brought her juice, water, or milk, as if she were a child, and she’d been too hesitant to ask him for anything else.

  She cradled the dark, rich brew the moment it was placed in front of her and inhaled deeply. A moan escaped her, a lusty, guttural sound that would have been pornographic any other time, except she couldn’t bring herself to give a damn.

  “God, I missed this,” she breathed in between sips that tasted of dark roast and pussy from her own lips.

  “They don’t have coffee on that floating pile of crap?” Deidra ventured.

  Cora allowed herself another greedy gulp, ignored the burn of it racing down her chest and into her stomach, and turned to her friend.

  “Can we not talk about James, or his ship for five minutes? Look.” She fixed them both with a level glance. “I love you guys. I love that you didn’t give up on me and tried so hard to find me, but I’m back. I’m not going anywhere. I promise.”

  “Or until your pirate decides to haul you off.”

  Cora sighed. “You’re not giving him a chance.”

  It was the wrong thing to say. Even she knew it. James wasn’t some rebel without a cause her family and friends didn’t approve of. He was a smuggler, a kidnapper, a blackmailer, an asshole, just to name a few. He didn’t deserve a chance, nor was it right of her to ask them to give him one.

  “I’m sorry.” She sighed and rubbed the tips of her fingers across her brow. “I shouldn’t ask you guys to do that.”

  “You know what we need?” Elise cut in. “A family dinner. Something low key. It might be a good chance to get to know the Captain a bit better.”

  “You want to have dinner with that douche?” Deidra blurted. “He kidnapped your daughter.”

  “And married her,” Elise reminded her. “We may not like the outcome, but so long as Cora refuses to leave him, he’s family. He’s the man she’s chosen for herself. For better or worse.”

  “I don’t like this.” Deidra shook her head. “My assassin senses are tingling.”

  Cora looked to her mother, the woman with the flawless porcelain skin and impeccable manners, a woman who could charm the pants off just about anyone, and tried to channel some of that.

  “It doesn’t matter how James and I were brought together,” she began, keeping her voice calm and even. “The fact is that I made a choice to marry him and I’m sticking by that choice. No one has to like it, but I’m not going to keep explaining myself.”

  Elise immediately gathered up her teacup and used it to smother the grin she was poorly concealing. Her hazel eyes darted to Deidra over the rim, but she kept quiet as the other woman narrowed her gaze on Cora.

  “Fine,” she muttered at last when Cora didn’t flinch under her grilling scrutiny. “But this is a level of Jerry Springer I’m not getting paid enough to understand, okay? Just so we’re clear.”

  Cora nodded, biting the inside of her cheek. “We’re so clear.”

  Deidra gave a brisk bob of her head. “Good.” She snatched up her menu. “I still want to dissolve his body in battery acid.”

  Cora chuckled. “Noted.”

  Deidra cleared her throat and squinted at the morning’s specials.

  Cora didn’t bother pointing out that they’d already placed their orders. She met Elise’s gaze and the two exchanged concealed grins before focusing on their drinks.

  Their moment was interrupted by the buzz of Deidra’s phone erupting in a piercing rendition of Joan Jett’s Bad Reputation. A trio of elderly women in the next table looked over with terse glowers that were met with Deidra’s raised eyebrows and cold stare, as if daring them to say one word.

  The women got the message and quickly returned to their sugared grapefruits. But Cora could hear their hissed words about rude behavior.

  “It’s a fucking phone,” Deidra muttered loudly. “Welcome to the twenty-first fucking century.”

  She jammed the device to her ear and shoved back her chair.

  “Always such a joy.” Elise giggled as Deidra stalked off to take her call.

  “Definitely don’t keep her around for her glowing personality,” Cora replied with her grin pressed into her cup.

  Elise set her teacup down with a sigh. Her chin lifted. Her head tilted. She studied Cora, expression unreadable.

  “What?”

  She shook her head. “You seem different.”

  Cora groaned. “Please don’t say that.”

  Elise chuckled. “Why not? It’s true. You seem ... older.”

  “God, I hope not. I’m already twenty-five. My days of wanting to be older stopped at twenty.”

  Elise swatted at her. “Will you stop! I’m being serious. It’s a good thing.”

  “Not if it means upgrading my night cream. Okay, okay! Sheesh. Continue.”

  “It’s a good thing, because I had no idea if I would get the chance to see you get older.” Her smile melted away. “I didn’t know if I would see you, period. That morning when I went to your apartment after you didn’t answer your phone, I thought maybe you were just sleeping in. But you weren’t there. Your phone, purse, coat were all still hanging on the hook. Your door was open...” she broke off to take an unsteady sip of her tea. Color blazed hot in her cheeks, a sharp contrast to the shine in her eyes. “I’ve never felt like that before. I’ve never been so scared.”

  “Mom.” Cora set her hand over the one Elise had curled tight next to her empty plate. “Don’t.”

  Elise set the cup down with a shaky clatter. “I’ve been married to your father a very long time, Cora. I’ve been scared. I’ve been angry. I’ve been worried. I’ve felt it all. But that morning ... I thought I was going to die. I thought my entire life had ended, and for the first time, I had absolutely no idea what I was supposed to do. For that, I will always want to break every bone in your Captain’s body. However,” she folded her hands primly in her lap and regarded Cora with a look of utmost diplomacy, “that doesn’t mean I still won’t. His life is on a very thin cord, I hope he realizes. He’s already taken you from me once. Anything happens to you while in his care ... well, battery acid may be the least of his problems.”

  Cora sighed, her own eyes prickling. “I wish I could explain him to you. He’s so ... complicated, so frustrating. Every time I think I have him figured out, he does a three-sixty and I’m left wondering where the hell up is. But I do know he’s fair. He’s honorable.”

  Elise nodded slowly. “He seems quite complex. Honestly, he reminds me a little of your father.”

  Cora laughed. “He’ll be thrilled to hear that.” She took a sip of her cooling drink. She set it down and watched the ripples across the dark surface with furrowed brows. “How are you so calm about it all?” She peered at her mother. “You’re the only one who hasn’t told me what a bad idea staying with him is.”

  Elise’s warm, hazel eyes narrowed thoughtfully. “Because I know the daughter I raised. You’re not stupid, Cora. I trust that you have this handled. Plus, it’s like you said, this is your choice.”

  Cora had always considered her mother her best friend, possibly even more than Deidra, but she couldn’t have loved her more than she did in that moment.

  “Thank you.”

  Elise grinned mischievousl
y as she hoisted up her cup. “Besides, I’m not blind.”

  Cora chuckled. “What do you mean?”

  Elise gave a little shrug of one shoulder. “If you haven’t noticed then I’m not going to paint it out for you.”

  The cryptic comment was interrupted by the arrival of their food, and Deidra who threw down a handful of bills for a meal she hadn’t even touched yet, and frowned.

  “Duty calls.” She snatched her coat off the back of her seat and shrugged into it. “But I’ll call you when I get back.”

  “Where are you going?” Cora asked, having always been fascinated by some of the places Deidra visited, even if it was to kill someone.

  “Germany, if my contact is correct.” She rolled her eyes. “Some big wig needs to be removed from office. I won’t be gone a week.”

  “Be safe, yeah?”

  Deidra snorted. “Don’t go anywhere. I’m not done yelling at you.”

  Cora chuckled. “I’ll do my best.”

  Deidra waved at Elise before taking her leave.

  Elise and Cora got through most of their meal without incident. The conversation remained on mindless things, upcoming charity events, the winter fashion show Elise never missed, the Christmas trip they took every year. Useless, normal things Cora embraced with renewed passion while shoveling down her eggs.

  “What did you want to do after this?” Elise glanced up from her neat dicing of her sausages. “I feel like shopping.”

  Elise always felt like shopping. Cora suspected her mother had a slight problem, but it was difficult to determine when the majority of the things she bought were given away without ever being worn. She was the reason Cora owned a million pairs of opera gloves, but hated opera.

  “What’s Dad doing today?” she asked instead.

  Elise paused to consider the question. “I think he mentioned something about a clan meeting. It seemed urgent, but he did tell me to bring you back later this evening for dinner.”

  “Dinner sounds nice. Can James come?”

  Elise frowned mid chew. “Of course ... oh dear lord.”

  She dug her phone from the clutch hanging off the back of her seat. She scanned the screen a long moment, thumb gradually scrolling the screen upward.

  “Everything okay?”