Infidelity: Sacrifice (Kindle Worlds Novella)

by Rae Riley

  “Oh my God,” she exclaimed, turning on another light. Her gaze was glued to my arm.

  My eyes widened as I realized that she was staring at the bruise Bryce’s tight grip earlier had caused.

  She walked a few steps toward me before stopping. “Come with me,” she ordered.

  I hesitated for a second, before following her into the bathroom. I squinted as she flipped on the light switch. Her eyes narrowed as she grabbed my chin and turned it toward her.

  “Oh, Chels,” she gasped, reaching for my left cheek.

  I winced as her fingertips made contact with a bruise. Quickly, she pulled her hand away. Her gaze returned to the bruise on my arm. I don’t know what made me decide to show her the rest. Maybe it was that I felt she needed to truly understand the consequences of angering Bryce. Maybe a small part of me believed that she knew what Bryce was doing to me. Bryce had said that she did. Slowly, I raised my tank top, watching tears fill her eyes as she looked at the multiple bruises scattering my abdomen.

  Tearing her gaze away from my bruises, she focused on my face, sorrow on hers. “Why? What the hell?”

  Collapsing onto the edge of the tub, I hid my face in my lap. “I-I can’t… any… more,” I cried. “I tried… for you, but… I’ve never been more afraid.” She needed to understand the seriousness of our situation.

  “Then why?” she asked, falling at my feet. “Why would you do this? Was it really for the money?”

  Anger burst through me as I stood. How dare her! “It’s easy for you, isn’t it?” I yelled. “You’ve always had it. Even in school, even when they took it. You walked right from one bank account to another. That’s fine. Make assumptions, Alex. Thanks for understanding!” I knew that I was lashing out at the wrong person, but her accusations hurt. Yes, money was what started it. It was what had made Deloris’s offer so tempting. Still, no amount of money in the world was worth the hell that Bryce was putting me through.

  “What the hell?” she questioned. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. You’re the one who stepped into my life. I never asked you to do it.”

  “Not you,” I confirmed. “But you said it would be all right. You said to trust her!”

  “I don’t know what the fuck you’re talking about,” she erupted, turning me to face the mirror. “Look at you! Look at your hair. Think about the way you dress. This isn’t you. It’s me – the Alexandria me. Did you lie to me for four years?”

  “Is that what you really think?” I choked, turning back toward her. I didn’t need to see my appearance. I knew who Bryce had modeled me into. “What’s the matter, are you jealous? It isn’t enough that you have Nox, you don’t want me to have Bryce? Well, fuck you. I’m done. I was trying to stay… to help… to take the heat… but fuck you, Alexandria Charles Montague Collins. With each passing day, I see how totally screwed up this whole life is. I don’t want it. It’s not worth it. If that’s what you think of me, then you’re not worth it.” I defiantly lifted my shirt again to remind her of the bruises. “And good luck with this life. You’re going to need it.”

  I moved toward the door, but she blocked my path. “Chelsea, I don’t get it,” she admitted. “I don’t understand.”

  “Of course you don’t,” I huffed. “Have you even tried?”

  “Have I tried?” she scoffed. “No. I’ve been a little preoccupied with my mother.”

  My gaze dropped. I had meant to ask Alex about Mrs. Fitzgerald when I entered the suite. With all that had happened, I had forgotten. “How bad is she?” I asked, my anger dissipating.

  “Bad. The DTs from withdrawal are wreaking havoc on her body. It’s worse than I could’ve ever imagined.”

  Nodding, I said, “You needed to be here. No one else would be watching after her, not like you. Besides, I think he really does like you. I mean, if he’s capable of it, it’s you.”

  “How long have the two of you…?” She hesitated. “This started when? Our freshman year? Sophomore?”

  Running my fingers through my hair, hurt and anger returned to the surface. “Is that what you think?”

  “It’s what you said,” she offered. “It’s what he said.”

  “I didn’t have a choice. And him… he lies more than he tells the truth. I’m his cover for the Melissa Summers scandal. Did that story work so well that even you didn’t see the truth?”

  “I-I don’t know,” she admitted.

  “Alex,” I said, sighing. “Bryce is a pig. I hate him.”

  “Why would you agree to this, to be his cover… to allow all of this?” she asked, motioning toward my body.

  “Agree? Allow? Is that what you think?” I huffed. “Are you going to allow it? Because I have news for you: it will happen.”

  “I’m not marrying him,” she insisted.

  “Really? That’s not what I’ve been hearing. Tonight at dinner Suzanna was going on and on about the perfect gown the two of you found.”

  “This place is an illusion. I’ve told you that before – forever. Nothing here is real.”

  Her comment was like a slap to the face. “It feels pretty fucking real to me,” I muttered, sinking back to the edge of the tub.

  “Chelsea, why would Nox ask me to help you?”

  “He did?” I asked, hope filling my heart. “When?” Part of me hadn’t expected Deloris to tell Nox. Part of me thought that she didn’t care – that she was lying to me on the phone.

  “The last time I spoke to him. He said something about things not being the way they seem.”

  Maybe Deloris hadn’t told Nox. After all, Alex wasn’t allowed to communicate with Nox. She didn’t even have a phone. It must have been before she came to Savannah. “I don’t know.” I sighed, my hope fading. “It doesn’t matter anyway. I can’t do this. Just like Stanford. I can’t even be a whore right. Just another item to add to my list of failures.”

  Sitting near my feet, she patted my leg. “Chels, you’re not a whore or a failure. You’re sleeping with a jerk, but that doesn’t make you a whore. You’re smart. They hired you at Montague for HR. I’ve always thought you were one of the smartest – especially when it came to street-smarts – women I know.”

  Swallowing my emotion, I said, “I-I wish I could explain. I really want to help you, but I have one out and I want to take it. Since you’ve been back, I-I can’t do anything or say anything… he scares me. Really scares me. He’s said a few things. I might be wrong, but I think it was him in our apartment. If not him, he was involved. I don’t know why and I can’t prove it. He would do it, though.” I hadn’t confessed that thought to anybody – not even Deloris.

  “I-I don’t know if he’s capable,” she stuttered.

  “Yes, Alex, he is. Tell me what happened the first day you arrived, during the night?”

  “I wanted to make a call.”

  “Nox?” I questioned.

  “Of course.” She shrugged. “But I didn’t have his number. I had Deloris’s. Alton had taken my phone. I was supposed to be locked in my room, but I had a key. I tried in this wing, room after room, but couldn’t find a working house phone. It was the middle of the night, so I snuck down to Alton’s office.”

  “And?” I pushed.

  “Bryce was there, waiting. He caught me. He pushed me to the floor. Somehow I convinced him to let me up and let me call. He listened to the call and afterward took the key and locked me back in this room.”

  “Were you relieved he didn’t… take it further?” I asked. As much as the memories hurt, I needed her to understand.

  “Yes,” she said, nodding. “He was… aroused. I was afraid. Why? Tell me. Did he go back to Carmichael Hall?”

  “Yes,” I confirmed.

  “That’s where you were staying?”

  “Yes.”

  “Chelsea, what happened?” she whispered, placing her hand on my knee.

  “No,” I refused, bristling at her touch. “I’m not talking about it. No one needs to hear that and I don’t want to relive it.
”

  Standing, she paced. “I can’t tell you more, but I can help you. I can get you out of here.”

  “And then I’m leaving you,” I argued, standing to meet her gaze. “I don’t want to –”

  “No,” she declared. “You’re not leaving me. You’re giving me one less concern.”

  Shaking my head, I didn’t bother to argue with her. It was late and I was tired. “Can I stay with you tonight in your room?” I asked. “I’d like for one night to sleep and feel… well… safe.”

  “Yes,” she answered. “But in the morning… we fell asleep talking. They can’t know that we’ve made up. They can’t suspect or they might figure out that you’re leaving.”

  I yawned. “I don’t want to leave without you.”

  “I don’t want you to stay,” she countered.

  Chapter Fifteen

  My heart beat erratically while I watched the confrontation between Bryce and Alex. He didn’t believe that she had gone to Magnolia Woods with Patrick. He kept saying something about her dress. Bryce was yelling at her, moving toward her. Refusing to back down, Alex yelled back. I was sure that he was going to hit her.

  “Stop,” I begged, rushing toward them.

  Without warning, Bryce turned, the back of his fist connecting with my cheek. My body flew to the floor from the force of the blow. My hands instantly went to cradle my injured cheek as I cried. Alex screamed as she fell to her knees next to me.

  “What the hell did you just do?” she yelled, looking up at Bryce.

  “Get up,” he bellowed.

  It had been a couple of days since my move to Montague Manor. It had been a couple of days since my body was subjected to Bryce’s abuse. The sudden reintroduction was a shock.

  “I said get the fuck up,” he repeated.

  Alex stood. I didn’t.

  “Not you,” he spat. “You.” I cried out as his foot gave my leg a hard kick.

  “Bryce, stop it,” Alex begged, moving in front of Bryce as I scooted away.

  “Get up,” he yelled.

  I moved to obey, wanting the ordeal to end as quickly as possible, when Alex’s words stopped me. “No, Chelsea. Don’t do it,” she ordered. “Bryce, get the fuck out of here.”

  Bryce pushed past Alex. The strength of his grip on my arm as he yanked me to my feet made me yelp.

  “This is your fault, Alexandria,” Bryce berated. “She can thank you later for what’s about to happen.”

  Alex spoke, but I didn’t understand her words. My mind was concentrated on Bryce – his breath on my hair, his glare meeting my frightened gaze.

  “Leave the room, Alexandria,” Bryce calmly commanded.

  “No.”

  “Now,” he roared, making me wince. Blood rushed back into my arm as he finally released his grip.

  My heart sank when Alex moved to open the door. I didn’t want her to witness what I knew Bryce was going to do to me, but I had been holding out hope that she would be able to stop him.

  Suddenly, Alex rushed toward Bryce, meeting him chest to chest as she thrust a key toward me. “Go now. Lock my door,” Alex urged.

  It was all too much. Flashes of memories streamed through my mind – memories of the pain that Bryce had inflicted. I wanted to stay, I wanted to protect my friend, but instinct took over. Fight or flight. I couldn’t fight Bryce. He had proven that, more than once. So I flew, running out of my room and into Alex’s. My trembling hand barely managed to get the key into the lock.

  ***

  I checked the clock again. It was late, long after dinner had ended. Alex had promised to check in with me before going to bed but I hadn’t heard from her. I was worried that Bryce had done something. Earlier she had somehow angered him – something happened while she was out with Patrick. I didn’t know what had occurred, but judging by how upset Bryce was, I knew that he wouldn’t let it go until he unleashed his anger. His behavior before dinner was only a prelude. I was sure of it.

  Slipping into the hallway, I moved toward Alex’s door. It was so quiet. I didn’t realize that anyone was in the hallway with me until a hand wrapped around my wrist, stopping my forward momentum and turning me toward the offending party.

  “Where are you going?” Alton’s voice boomed, his cold eyes glaring down at me.

  My body trembled in his grasp. Never before had I been alone with Alton. Alex had warned me that he was the devil. Bryce was simply his protégé. Suddenly, Alton’s gaze was no longer fixed on my face but on my breasts. I hadn’t intended to see anyone apart from Alex when I made the decision to leave my room. I hadn’t thought to put a robe over my flimsy tank top and shorts. Trying to hide my disgust, I moved my free arm to cover my chest.

  In one swift motion, Alton had me pinned. With my back to the wall, he towered over me. He wasn’t as tall as Bryce, but that didn’t make him any less intimidating. “Don’t forget who – or better yet, what – you are,” Alton snipped, his sickening breath hot on my face.

  Taking a deep breath, I tried to find a shred of courage. If Alex could stand up to him then so could I. “My contract with Bryce doesn’t give you the right to touch me,” I retorted, working to keep the fear from my voice.

  “Think again, Miss Moore. Bryce may have signed the contract, but whose pocket do you think your paycheck really comes out of?”

  Bile rose to the back of my throat when I realized that I was feeling Alton’s erection press against me. I turned away as he lowered his face toward mine. Pushing his forearm against my neck, he didn’t give me the option to turn away again. “Stop,” I commanded, pushing against his chest.

  “You’ve surprised me, Chelsea,” Alton said with a slimy smirk. “I thought my son had finally managed to tame you.”

  His son? “Stop,” I repeated, making my voice louder. If Alex was in her room, I prayed that she would hear me.

  “I’ll have to do it myself,” he continued, moving his free hand under my shirt. “I can’t say that I’m disappointed.”

  As his lips neared mine, I did the only thing that I could think of. I brought my knee up hard between his legs. The brief feeling of satisfaction I felt watching him fall to the floor was almost instantly replaced with sheer terror. Oh my God! …Oh my God, what have I done? Bryce is going to kill me… Alton is going to kill me… Oh my God. I stood, frozen in fear, watching Alton. He stayed on the ground, cupping himself, groaning in pain. Suddenly, Alex’s bedroom door swung open. My wide eyes met Jane’s. She hesitated for only a second before rushing to Alton’s side.

  “Mr. Fitzgerald,” she gasped, dropping to her knees next to him. “Are you okay? What’s wrong?”

  Glancing up, Jane tilted her head toward my bedroom. With Alton’s curses echoing through the hallways, I didn’t need to be told twice. I was just thankful that Alex had left me with a key. Though I followed Alex’s instructions and kept the key in the lock, I was certain that Alton would still get through. But he didn’t even try. I heard him yell several more profanities at Jane before his footsteps disappeared down the hallway. Heart pounding, I startled when there was a light knock on the door.

  “Miss Moore?” Jane’s voice quietly called from the other side. “Chelsea?”

  Hesitantly, I cracked open the door.

  “Are you okay?” she asked.

  I couldn’t hide the tears in my eyes. “I-I don’t know.”

  “Miss Alex and I are supposed to have a movie night tonight but she hasn’t come back from dinner just yet,” she explained. “Would you like me to have her come to your room instead?”

  “No,” I quickly responded, wiping the tears from my cheek. “No. Please. Don’t tell her about what happened. She has too much going on already. Don’t worry her.” It was a half-truth. Alex did have a lot going on, but that wasn't why I wanted Jane to keep my secret. I was more worried about how Alex would react. I worried that she would somehow see Alton's advances as my fault.

  “Okay,” Jane agreed softly. “Keep your key in the lock. Let me know if y
ou need anything.”

  “Thank you, Jane.” I sighed, closing the door.

  Chapter Sixteen

  “Where the fuck are you?” Bryce’s voice snarled through the telephone.

  “I’m in town,” I replied, watching people walk down the sidewalk in front of my car. I had been given a Montague vehicle to use while running the errands Jane had me doing. It was the first time I had driven a car since signing the agreement with Infidelity. It felt good to be behind the wheel, to be in control of something.

  “Why?” he questioned, agitation still clearly present.

  “I’m running some errands for the party tonight.”

  “Who asked you to do this? Was it my fiancée?”

  “No. Jane asked me to help.”

  “Jane?” he asked, incredulous. “You’re taking orders from Alexandria’s nanny now?”

  “She’s not Alex’s nanny – she’s the house manager.” Instantly, I realized my mistake.

  “I don’t give a fuck who she is,” he snapped, his voice low and cold. “Who is the only person you need to take orders from?”

  “You,” I quietly answered.

  “And I’m telling you to come to Carmichael Hall.”

  “What?” I gasped, sitting straighter in my seat. “Why?”

  “Because Alexandria stood me up. And now you have a job to do.”

  “B-but the errands...”

  “The errands don’t matter because I say that they don’t matter.”

  “They do matter,” I insisted, working to keep my voice calm. “And I want to do them – for you. I want to help make your party special.”

  “That’s a load of bull,” he growled. “Get your ass to Carmichael Hall before I decide t–”

  “I need to go,” I interrupted. “If I have time, I’ll come to Carmichael Hall when I finish these errands.” I hung up the phone before he could argue. Resting my head against the seat, I worked to lower my heart rate. My job for today had been made very clear: avoid Bryce Spencer at all costs.