by Malone, Nana
“You know what? Forget it. I’m done here anyway.” Hot tears spilled onto her cheeks as she stalked out of the garden.
* * *
Lex relaxed only marginally as Abbie retreated. Fury nearly blinded him when he’d rounded the corner of the garden and seen this prick’s hands on her. His first instinct was to give in to the violent rage that simmered just below the surface. The rage that had saved his life all those years ago. The rage he’d promised to never lose control of again.
But if he’d done that, he would have scared the hell out of Abbie. She would never look at him with trust again, and he didn’t want that. Getting her the hell away from the arse was the only solution. She’d sounded hurt, but that couldn’t be helped right now.
Lex stepped in Sir Richard Wembly’s path as he started after Abbie. “I think we’ve all had enough disagreements for one day. Wouldn’t you agree?” The idea of this piece of shit going after Abbie made him want to kill something. And with his Jiu Jitsu training he would probably do some serious damage.
Rage clouded the older man’s eyes as he shifted his focus from Abbie’s retreating form to Lex. “If you know what’s good for you, you’ll stay out of my way.”
Lex forced his body into a relaxed pose, though he was anything but. He’d seen the bruises on Emily Wembly. He doubted that Sir Richard would physically attack him, but as the man had physically assaulted his wife and just tried to go after Abbie, he stayed alert.
Lex’s family had known the Wemblys all his life. Not once had he ever had any inclination that Sir Richard was anything other than the refined member of Parliament that he appeared to be. Until now.
The look he had given Abbie had said it all. The refined politician was the mask. This was the real man, and he was no better than a schoolyard bully. If Lex hadn’t come when he had, Richard would have hurt Abbie, would have continued hurting his wife. The angry savage inside reminded Lex how good it would feel to give this fool his comeuppance.
“I’m not staying out of your way. You are clearly having a problem controlling your anger.”
“Where do you get off, you little shit? Just because I’ve known your family for a long time doesn’t give you the right to be so familiar with me.”
Lex let icy menace slide into his voice as he spoke. “Sir Richard, if I were you, I would listen very closely. Just because you sit on Parliament doesn’t mean you control the world.” He stepped into the older man’s physical space and squared his shoulders. “Nick Wexler is a very good friend of mine. I seem to recall him saying you lack a way with cards. I’m sure you would hate for that to become public knowledge. After all, news like that would endanger your political career. You know the public hates a scandal.”
The older man blanched, then backed up a step. “No one would believe a pissy little upstart like you. One word to your father, and you’re done. Cut off.”
Lex let all menace he felt bubble to the surface. “I’m sure you’ve heard the rumors about me and my brother.”
The older man went pale.
Lex continued, projecting a calm he didn’t feel. “I’m sure you wouldn’t want to find out if they were true or not.” It cost him a sliver of his soul to bring those early memories to the forefront, but he needed to make a point. “If I see your wife looking a little worse for wear ever again, or I find out you bothered my friend, you might meet the same fate as Silas McMahon.”
Lex didn’t bother to see how the older man reacted. Instead, he turned on his heel and went after Abbie.
Chapter 24
After an hour and a half of driving Tamsin’s car through the slogging rain, Abbie let herself into the empty apartment. She tossed her keys on the kitchen counter and went straight for the wine. She knew Tamsin needed some time with her man, but right now she could really use her best friend.
After pouring herself a large glass with shaky hands, she quickly changed into sweats before sitting down with her laptop and turning on a DVR’d episode of Eastenders. But she wasn’t in the mood to attempt to look through any of the pictures.
But Tamsin was in Dublin with Liam and Sophie was off to Jersey with Max. So she was all alone for the first time since she’d come to London. It gave her too much time to think, and her brain replayed the scenario from the afternoon over and over and over again. Had she done the right thing? Yes. Should she have gone with some back up? Probably.
It had been foolish, but she was glad to have been able to get that poor woman away, even if it was just for the rest of the party. She’d have to make her own choices when she got home. Adrenaline still coursed through Abbie’s body, making her hands shake, and she very deliberately took a big gulp of wine.
The front door buzzer sounded, and she dragged herself from the relative comfort of the couch. With wooden legs, she trudged over to the answer box and pressed the buzzer. “Who is it?”
“Abbie, it’s Lex.”
Shit. What the hell was he doing here? She didn’t want to see that look on his face again. The fury and disbelief she wouldn’t soon forget. “Now’s not a good time.”
“Abbie, I want to talk. Please let me up. I need to see that you’re okay.”
Oh, really? He hadn’t been too concerned about her well-being a few hours ago. At that point, he’d been more interested in keeping the fact secret that his close family friend was a wife beater. She depressed the buzzer again. “It’s okay, honestly. I’m fine.”
Lex’s smooth voice came over the speaker again. “Abbie, I’m begging you, just hear me out. Just for a minute? I’d rather not have this conversation out here for the whole world to hear.”
She’d rather not have it at all. But the truth was, she wanted to hear him out. Wanted to hear some explanation that would make up for what he’d done. Needed to hear that he believed her.
She buzzed him in and opened the door before taking back her post on the couch.
When he strode inside, the air left her lungs. Every time she left him, she literally forgot just how beautiful he was. And then, when she saw him again, it all came crashing into her. “What do you want, Alexi?” For the most part, she ignored him, only catching his exploration of her flat from the corner of her eye.
“I like your place. It’s cozy and girly, but not in a bad way. You’ve got nice smelling stuff everywhere and actual grown up things. I bet your kitchen drawers are full of all kinds of cooking utensils I’ve never even heard about.”
She wasn’t in the mood for his teasing. “Can you say whatever the hell you have to say and get out? I have to do some work.”
“Are you headed back to the library to print canvases? I could give you a ride and then—”
She cut him off with a look. “And then what? We’ll nearly screw each other in the lab again? I’m not interested in being with someone who doesn’t trust what I say.”
He cursed as he sank down into the couch next to her. As he spoke, he ran a hand through his hair. “Is that what you think? You think I didn’t believe you?”
“You were clearly pissed at me. Look, I know that’s not how you people do things in the rich circles, but I saw someone who needed help, so I acted. You had no right to yell at me like that.”
He scrubbed a hand over his face. “I fucked up. I wasn’t yelling at you because I was angry with you. I just wanted you out of there so you wouldn’t see me lose my shit and give the arsehole a proper beating. I didn’t want you to see me like that.”
He hadn’t been angry with her? “But you looked furious. And the way you spoke to me. I-I thought…”
He shook his head. “I’m sorry that’s what you thought. I didn’t know if he would get violent, so I wanted you as far away from him as possible. When I saw his hands on you, it took every ounce of my control not to knock his teeth down his gullet. It made me want to lose control and hurt him. Bad. That man is a piece of work.”
She clutched the blanket tighter, leaning back as far away as the couch would allow and sniffled deep. “I thought you didn’t believe me
.” She swiped at her nose with the back of her hand. “I’m not a liar, Lex.”
“I know. I swear I know that. I’m sorry. I wish I could explain. I saw him trying to hurt you and it was like my whole body seized. I wanted him dead,” he finished on a whisper.
Her body trembled.
“Abbie, why didn’t you just come in and get me when you saw them?” Frown lines marred the skin on his forehead.
You seemed busy. She swallowed the flare of jealousy. “Well, I didn’t really think. I just saw them and acted. He’s twice her size. I was worried he’d hurt her. I thought if he knew someone else was there and watching, he’d stop. I guess I was wrong.”
“That was dangerous. You can’t do things like that. You can get seriously hurt.”
He might have had a point, but she wasn’t letting it go. She glared at him. “I know. But I literally couldn’t stand by and watch and not do anything. I just kept thinking, what if—”
His voice lowered. “What if, what, Abbie?”
The tiny voice told her to shut the hell up. To not spill the nightmare that kept her up most nights. “Nothing.”
He took her hand in his, but she pulled it back. “Tell me, please. I want to understand. What if, what?”
She shook her head, unable to put voice to the pain she carried around. “Nothing, Alexi. Let it go.”
He shook his head. “No. If we’re going to do this, I want to know what’s scaring you. What aren’t you telling me? Whatever it is, I can take it.”
Her lungs constricted, and she thought they would explode if she didn’t just breathe and get it out. “I kept thinking what if someone had seen Evan with his hands on me. Could it have made a difference? Would it have stopped him from hurting me?” With the gates now open, she didn’t dare look at Lex. Instead, she dropped her head into her hands.
His voice was icy but barely audible when he spoke. “He hit you?”
She could only nod as sobs constricted her vocal cords. She could feel him nearly vibrating next to her.
“Is that why you’re so uncomfortable with touching?”
She wiped away the tears and forced herself to face him. If she could look at him now, maybe she was strong enough to face everything. “I-I don’t like surprise touches. Don’t really do hugging. I generally stay out of striking distance.” Abbie shook her head. “I’ve never told anyone but my mother before.”
“And she didn’t have him arrested?”
Abbie’s chuckle was harsh and mirthless. “She pretty much told me to suck it up. Told me how lucky I was that someone like Evan would want me. With his parents’ money and connections, I’d be set for life, if I could figure out how to keep him happy.”
“Fuck,” he muttered through clenched teeth. “I’m sorry, but I’m not a big fan of your mother’s.” He rubbed his jaw. “Wait, does he know where you are or how to find you?”
She shrugged. “He knows I’m in London. Not even my family knows exactly where to find me. But they have my number, and my mom gave it to him. I don’t know how the system works here. I’m more than a little worried he’ll show up to drag me home.”
Alexi hung his head. “Is the phone in Tamsin’s name?”
“No. Sophie’s. Why?”
“Well, most people port their numbers and take them with them. The system is so backward that it likely will have Sophie’s last known address attached to it. We can check on that.”
She shook. She’d hadn’t given any thought to Evan finding her. She should have taken more precautions. But then she reminded herself that the last time she’d seen him, he’d been on the business end of a knife. He wouldn’t likely underestimate her again. “I’ll need to check and change it if I can.”
“And every time I’ve seen you, I’ve given you no reason to not be afraid of me. I’ve practically mauled you every chance I’ve gotten.”
No. He couldn’t think that. “Alexi. Don’t. You’re the first man I haven’t been afraid of in six years.”
“Don’t do that, Abbie. Don’t gloss over how I’ve treated you. I knew something was up, but I pushed you too fast. Any time we’ve been alone, I’ve put my hands all over you. Jesus, I’m a prick.”
She put a hand on his knee. “Stop, Alexi.” The sound of his full name on her lips must have calmed him a little because the tension ebbed out of his shoulders. “From the moment you pulled me off the street, I’ve felt safe with you. In the thirty seconds I’d known you, my instincts told me I was safe with you. I knew you wouldn’t hurt me.”
“God, Abbie, I wish I’d known. I’ve probably been freaking you out these last couple of weeks.”
“No. You’ve been opening my eyes.” And that was the truth. She didn’t have to live in a constant state of fear with him. It was easier than it ever had been with Evan. Even though there was a hazy edge to Alexi, she’d known from the beginning he would never hurt her. Physically anyway.
“Can I ask you a question?” He gazed at her through lowered lashes.
Now that her deepest darkest secret was out, she didn’t have anything left to hide. “Yeah, shoot.”
“How did you get the courage to break up with him? Men like that are dangerous.”
“Well, what I told you was the truth. When I found out he hid my acceptance letter from me, hid my dream from me, I snapped. It’s like someone splashed ice-water on me, and I finally woke up.” She tipped her chin up. “He hit me for the last time that night. I pulled a knife on him and told him to get the hell out.”
His eyes bugged. “You pulled a knife?”
A faint smile pulled at her lips. “Yeah, I can’t believe it either. London was the dream I had been holding onto, and if he’d had his way, I would have never gotten to realize it. He made me feel like I wasn’t deserving of it. That last time, as the pain ran through me and I could taste the blood in my mouth, I’d just had it. I knew if I stayed, he’d eventually really do some damage, so I turned on him with the knife I’d been using to cut the onions for lunch.” A nervous giggle escaped. “You should have seen the look on his face.”
“I can imagine. But, that was so dangerous. He could have really hurt you.”
Yes, he could have. But he’d already done enough to her. At the time she hadn’t been thinking about that. She’d only been thinking about getting him the hell away from her. “I suppose so. At any rate, I had the locks changed that night and packed. Told my sister to get movers for his stuff then rent my place out. And I ran here for a fresh start.”
Slowly, Lex scooted closer to her. He took care not to make any sudden moves but ever so slightly reach for her face, then stroked his thumb over her cheek. “Is it okay if I hold you for a minute? Your flatmates aren’t due back any time soon, are they?”
She turned her face into the caress. “It’s okay. Tamsin and Sophie are out of town for the weekend.”
He still didn’t move. “If I do anything to scare you, just tell me, okay?”
She nodded, and he gently drew her to him, tucking her against his chest. Together they lay there, and she let the sound of his heartbeat soothe her.
She wasn’t sure how long he held her before she had the courage to say, “I’m sorry I freaked out on you at the beginning of the party. Just seeing you two together, it was like seeing the picture that should be. I knew I didn’t belong.”
His fingers stroked her arms gently. “What do you mean?”
“I mean, look at you two. You fit. She’s beautiful and intelligent. And you two clearly grew up in the same circles. And I am none of those things. I can just see the disaster that would be our two families meeting. My crazy African relatives with their wild gesticulations, your very British and very reserved relatives. In my head, it’s total chaos. I know we don’t make very much sense together.”
He traced his knuckles over her cheek. “Gemma is my friend. Just a friend. I can’t think of anyone else but you. The way you laugh, the way you look at things with wonder, the way you taste. And as far as crazy family
goes, don’t forget my drunken Russian relatives and the crazy Turkish ones. We fit, Abbie. I don’t want you thinking that we don’t.”
His seductive voice rolled over her, and she tried to hold fast, but his hand had transitioned from her cheek to the back of her neck, and he was massaging the knotted muscles there. Coaxing her toward him. “Alexi, I—”
“Abbie, I want to be here with you. More than I want anything else. But I don’t want to push too fast or too hard.”
She shook her head. “You’re not pushing me.”
He pulled her up for a kiss. The brush of his lips against hers was soft and gentle. Completely undemanding. Just pleasant with a hint of electricity.
She drew back a little to meet his gaze, like the night he’d first kissed her. But unlike that night, she went back for more, and she melded her mouth to his. She wanted this. Had since she’d met him. There were still some things to work out, but for once, she wasn’t going to overthink things to death.
Lex slid his tongue into her mouth and stroked hers. The syncopated rhythm had her blood boiling in seconds. He dragged her leg over his lap so she sat straddling him. The thick ridge of his erection melded against her hot core, and she moaned at the contact.
Oh, Jesus. Need and lust wove a heady blanket around them, leaving them completely oblivious to the surrounding world. The television became a distant memory as soon as his hand stole up her sweatshirt, closing around her breasts through her tank top. His thumb rolled over her nipple, and she shivered as she tried desperately to climb closer to him.
He dragged his lips from hers, and his breath came in ragged gulps. “Shit. Abbie. You are completely undoing me. I can’t think straight.”
Loving the heady feeling of making him lose control, Abbie worked her hips again, and Alexi cursed against her lips. Leveraging them both off the couch, he secured her legs around his waist, then muttered, “Where’s your bedroom?”
She stiffened momentarily. She wanted this. Wanted this with him. And this was Lex, he wasn’t going to hurt her. “Uhm, down the hall at the end.”