“My… my uncle has a place on the lake,” he continued. “I think she’ll like it.”
“What does Penny do?” I asked as I closed my mother’s bracelet around my wrist next to the ruby one.
“She… she dances,” Brett said.
My mind filled with ballet barres and toe shoes, but when I gave my ideas voice, Brett slowly shook his head.
“No barres,” he said sheepishly. “Just poles.”
“She’s… she’s that kind of dancer?” I asked.
Brett flinched and curled his lips. I thought that I saw him ready to fly into a rage, like he didn’t know who I was and just wanted to smash into any man, woman, or child who called Penny and her chosen profession into question. But he drew back and waved his hands in the air.
“We gotta pay the bills,” Brett said resignedly. “Especially with a little one on the way.”
“She’s… your girl is pregnant?” I asked, stopping my packing to give him my full attention.
He nodded his head and gave a little smile, and I forgot my packing as I moved to his side. I took one of his hands in mine and brought my other set of fingers to his face as I stared at him hard.
“So she… I mean… she can’t keep dancing,” I said.
“Ain’t that the truth,” Brett admitted. “Maybe you can put a good word in with the boss while you’re out of town. Lord knows I could use a bump in the salary.”
He hung his head, and I suddenly doubted his tale of the bracelet. It wasn’t just there. He had probably turned the entire apartment inside out in the hope that he could just bring me a peace offering. The man had delivered, and I looked down at the gold squares and smiled softly.
“I… I promise that I’ll do all that I can for you,” I swore.
Brett seemed satisfied by my assurance, and I followed him to the door, smiling at the sight of him standing a little taller even if he looked a little embarrassed at having to ask me to help him. The man was proud; it had to kill him to grovel, but I stopped him in the doorframe and turned him back to face me.
“Brett, I…”
Losing my voice, I wrapped him in a hug. At first he stayed tense in my embrace, but then the chauffer seemed to relax in my hold. I pressed my hands into his back and slowly met his eyes with a light grin.
“You helped me today,” I started. “And I give you my word. As soon as I get his ear, I’ll make sure that he does right by you.”
Brett’s lips quivered as they curled towards his eyes. I tried to smooth the tension from his back, but he stayed stiff as he bowed his head and glanced towards the open door.
“I… I better get the car ready,” he said. “Can I have your luggage, Miss?”
Patting his cheek, I turned back to the bed and pressed my case into his hands.
“Peter’s on his way?” I asked with a bright smile.
“I’m sure he’ll be here soon,” Brett said. “You… you just keep getting ready. And I’ll be right outside.”
“Can you leave the door on the catch?” I asked him as he left. “Peter will be here and you might want to come back inside. It will save me keep running up and down while I’m trying to pack.”
I continued with my packing, folding the things that might crease carefully, happy in the knowledge that Peter would be here at any moment. As I looked up I saw my reflection in the mirror and I admired the ruby and held my mother’s bracelet against the crimson stone. They were far from a matched set, but the pieces somehow looked right together. I smiled happily, and when I heard the door creak open, I expected Peter and turned fast with a skip in my step.
“Are you ready to fly?” I asked. “Because I sure…”
All voice left my body as I saw my father sauntering into the room. How had he got past Brett? Had he done something or had something done to the driver? My first thought was that harm could come to Peter as he just tried to work his way home to take me away from all of this.
“Daddy! What…?”
“You keep quiet!” the familiar voice said.
My father gripped my arms and spun me into the wall. His touch was harsh as he held me fast.
“Let me go!” I screamed. “I… how did you find me?”
“Not so difficult,” he spat. “Just had to look where whores go home to roost.”
I started to crumple under his insult, but when I felt him pulling me towards the door, I flexed my heel and kicked his shin.
“Get away from me!” I cried. “I’m not going back with you.”
I shoved him as hard as I could and he tripped over one of the open suitcases. He landed just by the doorway and I made a run for it hoping that Brett was alright and that I could just see Peter again. But I was barely past him when my father grabbed my ankle and tugged hard.
“Don’t touch me!” I screamed. “Stop!”
Falling back without wanting to, my body crashed to the ground. I braced my body on my elbows, but as I tried to crawl back, I saw my father creeping closer with a mad glare in his eyes.
“Or what?” he demanded as he grabbed my hair and curled his hand into a hard fist. “I am not about to let you humiliate me! You slutty little bitch.”
I tried to shield my face with my hands, and as I did he tore my mother’s bracelet from my wrist and tossed it behind it my back. I wept at the loss of the gold, but then my eyes went wide as my father crushed his fist into my cheek. Wincing from the pain, I barely had a chance to recover before the next blow. Blinking hard, I saw my father’s fist coming towards me again.
“What the hell?” my father shouted.
Looking up, I saw Brett hit my father hard, and the man doubled over into a groaning heap. Brett kicked his sides for good measure, and as soon as my father seemed down for the count, Brett lifted me into his arms, and he immediately took note of my bare wrist.
“Where is it, Miss?” he asked.
“I…” I said in bewilderment. I was still stunned from the blow that my father had landed on my face.
“The bracelet!” he explained.
Scanning the room, I saw the gold glinting and pointed towards the shadows. Brett kept me in his arms as he ducked down and pulled the gold from the gray.
“Here, Miss,” he said gently.
I felt some relief as he pressed the bracelet into my hand. Looking over my shoulder, I saw my father groaning as he tried to make his way to his feet. Fearing that the man could still hurt me, I curled closer to Brett and whispered into his ear.
“Where’s Peter?” I pleaded. “Is he okay?”
“I’m going to take you to him now,” he promised. “Just a few more minutes.”
Chapter Ten
I cowered in the back of the car as I gingerly nursed the wound expanding across my cheek. My jaw ached as I tried to speak, and I stopped trying when the pain became too much to bear. Brett twitched behind the wheel, and I gasped as he pulled to the side of the road and crawled into the backseat and looked at my bruised face.
“Where’s Peter?” I asked again, tears springing to my eyes.
“Miss, don’t cry.” Brett said.
“He… he can’t go back there,” I said. “My father… he… he’ll hurt him. I… I don’t want…”
“It’s okay, Miss,” Brett promised.
“No,” I said as I furiously shook my head and gripped his hands. “We… we were supposed to go together. He said he was coming back to get me. I… I can’t stand the thought…”
“It’s going to be okay…”
“I’ve already lost my mother…” I said. “I… I just can’t…”
“Shhh,” Brett said soothingly.
Brett folded me close, and even as I trembled, I let him hold me. His arms were slim but strong, and I started to sob into his chest as he lifted my face back to the light peering through the window and smiled at me softly. His hand ran down my cheeks, feeling the bones as if he was checking for breaks. When I winced under the feel of the bruise crossing my cheek, Brett pulled back, looking carefully
at the bruises. As I caught my breath, I was still keenly aware of Peter’s absence. But I still looked for him. My head started to fall, tears streaming down my cheeks as Brett lifted my eyes back to his and nodded lightly.
“He… he knows where to meet us,” Brett said.
“What do you mean?” I asked.
“I already made the call,” Brett promised. “Told him to hang tight at the airport and just wait. I… here, press this against your cheek. It will help with the swelling.”
Pressing an icy bottle of water into my hands, I took if carefully. Pushing the coldness to my cheek, I sighed in relief, and Brett patted my hair softly.
“I’ve got you, you’re safe,” he said. “Won’t be long now.”
Brett slid back behind the wheel, and the car took off again. As the car sped forward, I removed the ruby and pressed it into my pocket beside the gold squares. I had to keep them both safe.
My head rested against the soft leather seats, and I tried to focus on the sharp coolness soothing the site of my bruise. It felt fine against my skin, and I thought about what Brett had said and desperately wanted to believe that he was being truthful, that Peter was waiting for me. If it was another lie, I would fall into fresh tears all too soon. But maybe Brett was speaking the truth and Peter really was waiting there.
If the latter was true, I had to eradicate my father’s mark. It was the last thing that I wanted Peter to see, and I kept rubbing the icy bottle to my skin. I just wanted to forget all about my father’s visit and fall into Peter’s arms. Catching my reflection in the window, the road passing by, I crawled closer to the glass and stared hard. The bruise was still there. My makeup was in the trunk, and I pushed my hand into the back of the driver’s seat and found Brett’s ear.
“Stop a minute,” I pleaded.
“Miss, we need to...” Brett objected.
“Just stop for a second!” I cried.
Brett hit the brake, and as soon as the car came to a stop, I scrambled out of the back seat and hit the trunk with my palm.
“Open it!” I screamed.
I waited until Brett popped the lid, and I rejoiced at the feel of my hand luggage under my hands. Unzipping the case fast, I found some concealer and a narrow mirror. It hurt to press the concealer to my cheek, but I winced through the pain and blinked back tears as I struggled to hide my father’s blow. Under the pale moonlight, I had to resign myself to a job as well done as possible. Closing the trunk, I slipped into the back seat and tapped my nails against the driver’s seat.
“Okay,” I said. “You can keep going.”
Brett hesitated for all of a second before his foot hit the gas again. I sat straight and tall in the backseat, watching and waiting for the airstrip to come into view. It took more seconds than I cared to count, and I sat on my hands in a desperate effort to calm the trembling coursing through my veins. Once we were there, I sucked in a deep breath as Brett opened my door and offered me his hand.
“I told you I’d get you where you need to go,” he said with a wry smile. “Come on.”
I tentatively took Brett’s hand and stepped out of the car. Brett kept my hand in his and led me towards the steps leaning against Peter’s private jet. As soon as he saw me, Peter’s mouth started to expand into a smile, and he raced forward to take me into his arms.
“You’re here, Gypsy!” he cried.
I nodded into his shoulder and curled my arms around his back. Holding him close, I tried to keep him in my arms, still scared to meet his eyes.
“Brett called,” he said. “He told me that you just couldn’t wait.”
Good on Brett! A lie that worked because it contained just enough of the truth to make sense. All Peter had to do now was just wrap his arm around me and escort me onto the plane. I wanted nothing more than to just fly away and never look back. Peter seemed ready to make the move when the flash from a passing headlight hit my face. I tried to bow away from the light, but when Peter’s hold tightened around me, I had no choice but to look into his eyes as he dragged me closer to his chest.
“Caroline? What the hell happened to you?”
He tried to touch my cheek, and I flinched as his finger moved down the bruise. With the lightest of rubs, he wiped the makeup away and held his hand under my chin. His jaw clenched and his mouth stretched into a straight line as he touched my face again.
“Peter, don’t,” I pleaded. “I…”
“I asked you what the hell happened here?” he demanded angrily.
Struggling to make my tongue work, I hung my head.
“My father,” I said “He found me. He… he didn’t want me to go with you.”
Even as I avoided Peter’s eyes, I felt his hand on the back of my head and sank into his touch when Peter pushed me behind his back and glared into Brett’s eyes.
“What the hell’s been going on?” Peter challenged. “What do I pay you for?”
“I… look, Boss, I…”
“No you look!” Peter bellowed as he gripped Brett’s collar and pressed him close to the waiting wing. I pressed my hands to my mouth as Peter brought Brett’s head close to the sharp edge. I groaned as Brett winced, and when Peter appeared ready to strike him and bash his head hard, I took Peter’s arms in my hands and tried to pull him away from Brett’s side.
“No!” I screamed. “It’s not his fault!”
“You’re bruised,” Peter hissed. “And he was there!”
“Stop, Peter!”
“I should have been there to cut them both down…”
“Can you please just listen to me?” I pleaded.
I was able to turn Peter away from Brett. He clutched me tight for what felt like dear life, and I started to run my fingers through his hair as his eyes turned back to mine. As soon as his gaze locked on mine, I stroked his face and stopped just short of kissing his brow.
“Peter… Brett was there for me,” I started. “He saved me from… I mean… I mean my father…”
Curling away from him, sobbing with each step taking me from the plane, I started to flee when Peter gathered me in his arms and brought me back to his chest.
“Your father did this?” Peter asked as he lightly ran his hands down my bruise. Feeling his soft fingers on my skin, I could do nothing but nod, and I felt him ready to burst into a rage. I looked to Brett and silently pleased for him to run before it was too late.
“Look at me,” Peter said gently.
I could suddenly focus on nothing but Peter’s eyes as his touch, his eyes, examined my bruise. I felt him ready to scream, and I fell away from him as I kept nodding my head.
“Yes,” I said. “He did this to me. I… I don’t know what…”
My voice cracked, and I started to hold my face in my hands. Peter tried to reach for me when I turned away from him and lifted my gaze to the night sky.
“I never… I never saw him like that before,” I said. “Like… like he would kill me if…”
I nearly fell to my knees when Peter collected me in his arms and brought me back to his chest. His hands were hard against my back, and I fell into his hold and tried to forget when I saw Brett turning away. I smiled into his eyes and reached over Peter’s back.
“Wait, Brett, don’t go.”
Capturing his arm in my hand, I managed to drag Brett closer. Peter seemed to tense at the nearness of his driver, but I tugged Brett nearer.
“It would have been worse if you hadn’t been there,” I told Brett.
He seemed shy in the wake of my compliment, but I felt Peter’s rage evaporating under my hand as I turned my eyes back to his.
“And now I need you to take me away from here,” I begged. “Please, I don’t want to see my father again tonight. I… can you…?”
I clutched Peter close and felt his arms tightening around my back. I sighed at the sensation of Peter’s hands pressing into my back, and when our eyes met again, Peter grabbed my face. His eyes were still pained as his fingers moved down the space of my bruise.
But before I made my way up the steps to the plane I reached out and found Brett’s hand.
“Thank you again,” I said. “For helping me.”
“It… it was nothing,” Brett said. “I…”
“It was everything,” I said. “And I won’t forget it.”
Brett smiled shyly, and as soon as I abandoned his fingers, Peter seized the back of his head and made the other man look him in the eye.
“Neither will I, Brett, but next time you let me know what’s going on.” Peter said. “Tell Penny that she has a good guy on her side.”
Peter patted his back, and Brett’s head kept bobbing as he slinked back to his car. As soon as he was behind the wheel, Brett hit the gas and just took off. A part of me was sad to see him go. He had done so much. But he deserved to start making his way to Penny, and I turned my head to Peter’s lips, seemingly ready to do nothing but kiss mine.
“Can I take you away now?” he asked. “Do you want that?”
My hands moved around his cheek, and I smiled into his mouth as he stood ready to lift me into the skies and beyond.
“I… I only want to be with you,” I confessed.
Peter winked and kissed my lips as he brought my body to a soft leather seat. As soon as my body hit the chair, he pulled a blanket from the overhead compartment and wrapped it around my shivering limbs.
“Just sleep now, Gypsy,” he purred as he kissed my brow and patted my cheek. “I’ll see to it that our flight plan is right on schedule and when you wake up, it’ll be to sun and sand.”
Slipping into exhaustion, I felt his kiss on my brow and closed my eyes as the plane started to lift into the sky.
Chapter Eleven
We were airborne when I stirred in my sleep. I felt a finger moving down my neck, stopping at my chin and lifting my lips to his.
“All good, Gypsy?”
My eyes opened slowly to the sight of Peter staring down at me from the adjacent seat as his hands ran down my face. The sight of him brought a smile to my face, and I felt my lips curl up, mirroring his joyful countenance.
The Corrupt Billionaire COMPLETE Box Set Page 15