If You Fight (Corrupted Love Book 2)

by K. M. Scott

  None of this interested me. I wouldn’t get to directly benefit from the appraisal business anyway. My father had been the one who wanted it, and now that Oliver was gone, he’d get it.

  His business completed, the lawyer left and my father poured himself another drink, clearly pleased with how things had gone. “That wasn’t too painful, was it?” he asked with a broad smile.

  “You mean painful like having to live with a man who never cared about me? A son of a bitch who never once attempted to show me an ounce of kindness or warmth? That kind of painful?” I asked.

  Looking past my father as he sipped his bourbon and branch, I saw Ryder’s eyes grow wide in surprise at my words. My father didn’t look surprised but confused, though. Furrowing his brow, he returned to his seat.

  “What do you mean by that? Are you still holding onto those teenage girl fantasies of what marriage is supposed to be like? I would have thought you’d grown out of those by now.”

  “He pushed me down those stairs, Dad. There was no intruder who tried to kill me. Just my husband.”

  My father’s mouth dropped open in shock, and for a long moment, I wondered if he’d say anything. When he finally spoke, he didn’t seem to believe me.

  “Oliver? That squirrely husband of yours did that?”

  I leveled my gaze on him, refusing to let him think I’d made up this story. “The man you decided I needed to marry was nothing but cold toward me. On my wedding night, he left me alone to go to his brother’s house. He hated me.”

  “Well, he couldn’t have hated you that much. You wouldn’t have been able to get pregnant if all he felt for you was hate.”

  The silly grin on his face irritated me. I wanted to tell him the truth of who the baby’s father was, but I knew better. This was a long game I was playing with my father. Someday I’d tell him the truth, but not now.

  For now, I’d have to ignore his grinning.

  “How nice of you to make a joke about me losing my baby, Dad. First, you shackle me to that bastard, and now you think it’s funny to make jokes about my miscarriage that only happened because he threw me down a flight of stairs and then kicked me as I lay in agony at the bottom.”

  The smile slid from my father’s face, and with a groan, he tipped his glass up to his mouth to take a drink. It gave him time before he said, “I didn’t know, Serena. I never would have figured Oliver for a man who abuses women.”

  “Not women, Dad. Me. One woman. He abused one woman. His wife,” I snapped, tired of my father’s willingness to give Oliver the benefit of the doubt.

  For the second time in minutes, I’d shocked my father. He sat back in his chair and groaned as his dark eyebrows drew in like angry black slashes.

  “I’m willing to tolerate many things, but hurting one of my daughters is not one of them. I would have had him taken care of if I knew, Serena. Why didn’t you tell me when I asked you what happened in the hospital?”

  Sure I couldn’t tell him the truth about wanting to exact my revenge on Oliver without giving away that Ryder had been the one who helped me get away from Oliver, I quickly devised a lie. “The man was my husband and he was standing right there when you asked me what happened. I knew I’d have to go back to living with him once I left the hospital. What did you expect me to do?”

  “I’m sorry, honey. I had no idea. If I did, I would have taken care of him like he deserved,” he said somberly before finishing his drink and pouring himself a new one.

  My father so rarely expressed genuine kindness that his apology surprised me for a moment, but I knew I couldn’t forget my pretending was to ensure Ryder and I were safe. Forcing a smile, I said what I knew my father would want me to say.

  “He deserved a lot of bad things, but I’m glad you didn’t have to kill him, Dad.”

  My kindness wasn’t lost on him, and he smiled at me. “You were too sweet for him, Serena. I should have known that.”

  I waited nervously for him to begin making plans for my second marriage, but his mind stayed on Oliver. “I wonder who would have wanted your husband dead since I’ve doubted it was just some robbery gone bad at his office as the police claimed since the very beginning. And now that you’re telling me there was no intruder who attacked you, I’m doubly curious.”

  “Why?” I asked, suddenly terrified by his curiosity.

  “Well, when I thought there was a possibility that some attacker had broken into your home, it made sense that someone would have done the same to Oliver at his office, but since he was the one who attacked you, that theory makes no sense.”

  As he thought about this, I snuck a look at Ryder and saw fear in his eyes that my father’s suspicions could lead to something very bad for us. So quickly, I scrambled to come up with a believable reason why someone would want Oliver dead.

  Someone other than me.

  “Dad, the lawyer said that Oliver and his brother frittered away the appraisal business’s money. We don’t know what that involved. They could have gambled it away, and you know as well as I do that gambling often involves loans and getting into people for large sums of money. Maybe that happened and when they couldn’t pay, whoever they owed got their money another way.”

  My father chuckled. “What do you know about gambling, Serena?”

  “I watch TV. People get into trouble with gambling all the time, don’t they? You know, hit men, concrete shoes, sleeping with the fishes kind of stuff?”

  His chuckle exploded into a full-fledged laugh, and he threw his head back. “I forget how funny you can be, Serena. I’m not sure any of that still happens other than in the movies and on TV.”

  Happy I’d been able to distract him, at least for a few minutes, I smiled. “Well, maybe they don’t, but I’m sure while Oliver and his brother were blowing all their money, they made some enemies. Maybe one of them decided Oliver had crossed him one too many times.”

  Clearly skeptical, he sighed and nodded his head. “Perhaps. Well, whatever happened, I’m glad he got his just desserts, no matter who gave them to him. It’s been a long day for you. Go home and relax.”

  I knew when my father wanted me to leave, so I walked around his desk and kissed him on the cheek like a good daughter should. “Thank you, Dad. It has been a difficult day, so I think I will.”

  “Good idea, honey.”

  I shot Ryder a knowing look to give him the sign that I wanted him to find a way to come see me, but in return I received the same stony look he usually wore while he stood guard in my father’s office. Hoping he understood my hint, I headed out into the hallway and then turned around to ask my father a question.

  Peeking my head into his office, I asked, “Dad, will you be here all night?”

  He looked up from his laptop and smiled at me. “I plan to go out as I usually do. Do you need something before I do?”

  I shook my head. “No. I just wondered since it’s just the two of us again.”

  His gaze darted over toward Ryder and then back at me. “Don’t you mean just the three of us again?”

  Suddenly, I couldn’t help feeling self-conscious. Did he know about Ryder and me? Did he know Ryder was the father of the child Oliver had killed? Did he know Ryder did just as I asked and fixed everything so I never again had to fear another night in the same apartment as my husband?

  With as much control as I could exert on my expression, I tried to remain casual and looked over toward the man who I owed my very life to. “That’s right. I’m sorry, Ryder. I didn’t mean to imply you weren’t here too.”

  As my father watched, Ryder smiled warmly. “It’s okay.”

  “There we go. One big happy family,” my father said with one of his crocodile grins. “Now run along and take care. You have the rest of your life ahead of you starting tomorrow.”

  Something in the way he said that unnerved me, but I didn’t want to stick around to hear any more of his cryptic messages.

  “Goodnight, Dad. Goodnight, Ryder.”

  I left his off
ice and once again hoped to see Ryder leave right behind me. Waiting in the back hallway, I poked my head around the corner and watched to see him. After nearly ten minutes, he finally walked out of my father’s office and saw me waiting.

  Waving him toward me, I said in a hushed voice, “Come here.”

  He smiled but then looked around to make sure no one was watching before hurrying to join me. Gently, he pushed me back into the hallway out of sight.

  “How are you? Are you doing okay?” he asked as he cradled my face and stared down into my eyes with a look of worry.

  I covered his hands with mine, loving the feel of his touch on me. It had been days since I got to enjoy him next to me. Closing my eyes, I whispered, “I’m fine now.”

  Reveling in just being with him, I tried to push the rest of the day away and focus only on Ryder. When he was near me, I always felt safe and protected. Now that Oliver was gone forever, I hoped I’d finally get to be with the man I loved.

  No more running around and hiding how we felt about one another. I wanted the world to know I loved Ryder and he loved me and that love had endured ugliness and meanness, but it had endured and grown stronger through all we’d been forced to suffer through.

  I felt his lips gently brush mine before he whispered, “We can’t risk anyone seeing us. You have to go, Serena.”

  Opening my eyes, I shook my head. “I don’t want to. I want to spend the night in your arms and fall asleep with my head on your shoulder like we used to.”

  Ryder looked around and then quickly kissed me. “I’ll find a way to get to your place. Give me a few minutes. Your father seems preoccupied, so I might just get lucky and not have to do anything for him for the rest of the day. Go and wait for me.”

  I drew him to me for a kiss full of all the need I had for him, and when he pulled away and mouthed, “I love you. I promise I’ll come,” I reluctantly left to go back to the apartment that I now had all to myself.

  Chapter Eight

  Ryder

  When a half hour had passed and Robert hadn’t called me back into his office, I hoped to God whatever had been occupying his attention kept doing it and headed out toward Serena’s apartment. I needed to avoid the cameras positioned outside the living quarters area of the estate, so I made my way around the back of Serena’s townhouse. I found the cellar door open and crept up the very stairs that fuck Oliver had thrown her down.

  She stood with her back to me looking out the kitchen window at the courtyard. Coming up behind her, I wrapped my arms around her waist and kissed her softly on the neck just below her ear.

  “I missed you. It was so fucking hard watching you sit through all that today and not being able to help you get away from all those people.”

  Serena turned in my hold and looked up at me. “I stared out from behind that veil and didn’t feel one thing. Not for him. Not for his parents. Not for my father. All I wanted to do was run to you and beg you to whisk me away from all of it.”

  “It’s over now. He’s gone, and he’ll never hurt you again.”

  She stood on her toes and kissed me softly. “Because of you. I owe you my life so many times over, Ryder. You’re my savior.”

  I pressed my forehead to hers and whispered the only truth I knew about us. “I would do anything to protect you, Serena. I’d give my life for you.”

  “Don’t even think that,” she said, hugging me tightly and pressing her cheek to the spot over my heart. “I couldn’t go on if you weren’t in the world. I wouldn’t want to.”

  Tilting her head back so she had to look at me, I gazed into her beautiful dark eyes. “I promise you, Serena, I’m not going anywhere. They’d have to drag me out of this life to make me leave you.”

  “I laid in bed for the past few nights hating that you were so close by but still I couldn’t have you next to me. I’m tired of playing these games. I’m not married anymore, so what would anyone care if you and I were together?”

  As much as I wished it was that easy, I doubted it ever could be. Not with Robert still living. His need to control everyone in his world, especially Serena, meant we’d never get to be together without his blessing.

  And the chances of him giving that seemed unlikely, at best.

  “I don’t care what anyone thinks, Serena. All I care about is that I love you and you love me. The rest of the world can disappear for all I care.”

  “But do you think we’ll be able to be together now?” she asked, her eyes so full of hope that I hated what I knew to be the truth.

  “It doesn’t matter. We’re together and we love each other. That’s all that matters.”

  She slid her hands up under my suit jacket and slid it off my back. Holding it up to her face, she closed her eyes and inhaled deeply as she pressed the collar to her nose. “I wish I had this with me the past few days. It smells like you. Your cologne and the way your skin on your neck smells like a man should smell. Masculine, strong, powerful.”

  I watched her revel in the scent of my jacket and loved how sensual she was. Since the night I met her, she’d been that same soul who seemed purer than anyone else I’d ever met. I loved that about her. A tiny thing like the smell of my cologne made her smile.

  She was too good for me, but I didn’t care. I needed that sweetness and goodness she brought into my life, and I wouldn’t give it up for anything.

  Opening her eyes, she smiled up at me. “I bet you think I’m being silly, but I read somewhere that of all the senses, the sense of smell can trigger some of the most powerful memories of them all.”

  “Oh yeah? What memories does smelling my suit jacket trigger?” I asked, teasing her even as she charmed me.

  Serena inhaled the scent of my jacket again and smiled. “That first night you wore a suit in front of me. Do you remember that night? I taught you how to dance downstairs in the guest room. Remember?”

  “I remember,” I said as the memory of that night settled into my brain. “You looked so beautiful that night. You were in that little dress and that old guy who’s friends with your father kept grabbing your ass as you danced with him.”

  Her mouth turned down into a pout. “That’s not what I was talking about.”

  I slid my hands around to cup her ass and pulled her to me. “That’s not all I remember, though. The wine cellar. How incredible you felt in my arms. How long I’d wanted to feel your body pressed against mine.”

  “I love that memory, even though you were a huge tease that night,” she said, frowning.

  Kissing her hard, I stuffed my hand into her hair and tugged gently. “No looking sad in front of me today. I want to see you smiling when I’m around.”

  Her tongue slid across her lower lip and she grinned up at me. “I always smile when you’re around, Ryder. Even when I’m mad at you, I’m still happier when I’m with you than I am when I’m not.”

  “Oh, yeah? Why’s that?”

  “Because I love you more than life itself.”

  “Not because I rock your body when I fuck you?” I asked as I slowly thrust my hips forward to press my already hard cock against her.

  She looked down and ran her hand up the front of my pants, thrilling me with her touch even through the fabric. “Definitely because of that too.”

  I pulled her hair hard as my need to be inside her coursed through me, making my body ache. All day, I’d been close enough to reach out and touch her but couldn’t, and now that she was in my arms again, I craved the feeling of having her like no other man on earth could.

  Her fingers slid inside the top of my pants, grazing the tip of my cock and sending a jolt of electricity through me. I bent down and kissed her neck, reveling in the flavor of her skin on my tongue. The mixture of her natural taste and the vanilla body wash she used filled my mouth and nose, exciting me.

  I sunk my teeth into her earlobe before whispering, “God, it was torture being next to you all day and not being able to hold your hand or tell you I was there.”

  Serena
scratched her nails across the back of my neck and moaned. “I knew. I always know when you’re nearby.”

  Lifting my head, I looked down at her dark eyes staring at me. “I wanted everyone to disappear so I could take you into my arms and get you out of there.”

  She slid her tongue along the seam of my mouth and a tiny moan escaped from her lips. “I know. I’m sorry that you had to go through that, but he’s gone now, Ryder.”

  I knew Oliver’s death changed nothing with her father, but at that moment, I didn’t want to think of anything but Serena and how much I needed to be buried balls deep inside her. Whatever Robert would do from this point on, I didn’t care. All I cared about was Serena.

  Slowly, she lowered herself to her knees and pulled my cock out of my pants. Looking up at me with a wide-eyed look full of innocence that had no place between us at that moment, she took all of me into her mouth until I butted up against the back of her throat. Warm and wet, the tip of her tongue flicked against the base of my shaft, making my eyes want to roll back into my head in ecstasy.

  But I didn’t want just that. I needed more than to just watch her get me off. I needed to see her come as I fucked her with all the desire that existed inside me.

  Gently, I pushed her off me, and with a pout she sat back on her heels, her hand still palming my damp cock. “What’s wrong?”

  “Come here.”

  I pulled her up so she stood in front of me. “I want more. I need to feel you around me.”

  Our hands fumbled with our clothes, and in seconds she stood naked in front me and I stood in my pants barely clinging to my hips. Lifting her, I positioned her just above my ready cock and pushed her back against the wall.

  “I want anyone who looks into your eyes to know you aren’t fucking mourning that son of a bitch. I want them to see that sparkle in them I see when you moan my name as my cock fills you.”

  As I spoke, she whimpered and dug her heels into my lower back. “I want them to know how much I love when you fuck me. How I love the feel of you inside me. And how I don’t want any other man ever again.”