by Anne, Melody
“You can’t just tell me no like I’m two, Damien,” she said with exasperation.
“Then don’t act like you’re two,” he said as if he was making perfect sense.
“I told you last night I don’t want to jump into an affair.”
“It’s a bit too late for that, Sierra. Try this, it’s my favorite,” he offered as if they weren’t having an important discussion.
“Fine, I’ll try the wine if you tell me more about your vendetta,” she compromised.
“You first. What were you dreaming about?” Sierra hesitated, but knew he’d keep on pushing.
“It wasn’t a dream. I just…when I woke up, I couldn’t…um…move, and it scared me, that’s all,” she said half-truthfully.
“That was more than panic over being trapped. What are you hiding, Sierra?”
“Nothing. That’s what happened,” she stubbornly answered.
“I don’t believe you,” he persisted.
“I felt like I was trapped. I panicked, end of story. Now, it’s your turn to talk,” she said as she sent a glare his way, letting him know she wasn’t giving him anything else.
His eyes narrowed as he stared her down. A small shiver passed through her. The man really knew how to intimidate with nothing but his eyes. She firmed her resolve, though, desperate to hold onto her newfound will-power.
“What do you want to know?” he finally asked as he sat next to her and grabbed a cracker and a slice of cheese.
“Everything.”
“That’s a little vague, Sierra.”
“You’re avoiding the subject, Damien. You expect me to turn on my best friend, the only person who’s always been good to me, and you’re not willing to give me any details. I hate to tell you this, but you must not have any friends if you think I’d do that,” she said, refusing to break their eye contact.
Instead of anger, he gave a sheepish smile. The almost unguarded expression on his face sent her heart into overdrive. Wow, he was stunning when he didn’t look so angry.
“Actually, Trinity is my best friend and she’d have my hide if she knew anything about this. She’s amazing.”
Sierra felt the tiniest twinge of jealousy, but then she remembered that Trinity was a happily married woman. Her husband was incredibly gorgeous, too, and seemed like a nice guy. Sierra had been far too nervous on their short visit to really pay much attention, but the little she’d seen of the couple, had made it seem they were in love.
“Trinity seems like a smart woman,” she said after a long pause.
“She is.”
“Are you done stalling? Why do you hate the Anderson’s?”
“It goes back to before I was born. My father was twenty-five years older than my mom. I know, it’s a lot of years, and I wouldn’t even think about dating a woman half my age, but they fell in love, according to my mom. He pursued her, and she fell hard for him. He was charming, wealthy, and promised her the moon. About the time they met, my grandfather passed away and there was a huge race for the company. It should’ve gone to my dad. His brother, Milton had zero interest in the corporation, and my dad had been working there for years,” Damien started.
Sierra was fascinated by the intense look on his face. She still didn’t understand what any of this had to do with the Anderson’s, though.
“Joseph and George are twins, the only sons of Milton, my father’s nephews. When my grandfather died, they both rushed home to get their greedy hands on what my father had worked so hard for. The board of directors chose Joseph to run the corporation and my father was left with nothing. His own dad didn’t leave him a dime in the will. The corporation was all he had. The old man left what he had to charity’s, saying the boys needed to build their own wealth, that they’d appreciate it better in the long run. Well, Milton didn’t have to build his own wealth. He had a nice little ranch that his father bankrolled for him, while my father had nothing, because he’d been sure he’d take over the Anderson Corporation.”
Damien’s eyes narrowed as he told a story Sierra was sure he’d heard a thousand times. Sierra knew there was no way it could be true. Even a young Joseph couldn’t be monster. There had to be more to the story and she was determined to find out what it was.
“Were you able to verify if all of this is true?” she asked, afraid of his reaction, but still having to ask it.
“Of course I verified. I found the old newspaper articles. There was a fight for the CEO position. In the earlier papers, apparently Joseph was playing it cool, because they said he didn’t seem interested in taking over his grandfather’s reign. Apparently, he’d already amassed a huge fortune. However, greedy people always want more, and Joseph was no exception.”
“How do you know it was about greed? What if he wanted to run the business his grandfather put so many years into?”
“If that was the case, why did he leave in the first place? Why wouldn’t he have stayed and learned how to run the business like my father had?” Damien asked with bitterness.
“Don’t you think the best way to get answers to those questions is to ask Joseph?”
“Why? So he can tell me lies? The story doesn’t end there. My father was so upset about his losses that he quickly went downhill, started drinking himself to death. One night he drank too much and lost control of his car. He was dead before the paramedics arrived.”
“Oh, Damien, I’m so sorry,” she said, sincere sadness draping her words.
“I was only a few months old at the time, and later my mother found out she was pregnant with my sister. She went to the Anderson’s for help. Even though begging from anyone was against everything she believed in, she did it for my sake – mine and my sister’s. She showed up at their door, and they laughed at her, told her they didn’t believe her story, that they were glad my father was dead, and then they shut it in her face. She had to leave my sister in the hospital’s care, and my mother lived a rough life from that moment on,” he said, pain evident for the mother he’d lost at too young of an age.
Sierra could relate to how he felt. She missed her mom every day. She always imagined how differently her life would’ve turned out had her mom been there. She may have actually been a normal child. She’d never believe the things her father said about her. She hoped her mother was far happier wherever she was, and the only thing that kept Sierra from falling apart was knowing she’d someday see her again.
Sierra set down her empty glass of wine, surprised she drank the entire amount. It really had been good. She then wrapped her arms around Damien, not able to give him the cold shoulder when he was obviously fighting such a ferocious internal battle.
“I’m fine,” he said, not letting his walls down, but he didn’t push her away. She took that as a good sign.
“What do you plan to do?” This time he didn’t try and pretend he didn’t know what she was taking about.
“I’ve already started. The Anderson’s have a lot of different divisions to their vast empire. I’ve been working for years to take away the one thing that matters to them – their income. They have several shipping yards throughout the world, so I’m building my own shipping company. I’ll supply the same products at a lower cost, taking away their business. If they have a mall in a city, I’ll build a larger, better one with lower rents. Every market they’re invested in, I’ll come behind and undercut them. In the process, it will most likely break me, too, but I don’t care. I’ve lived with nothing before, and I can live that way again.”
“I think you’re making a mistake. I know them, Damien. They aren’t anything like my father. They’re good people. If you’d just talk to them –”
“No! You have no idea what you’re talking about,” he interrupted.
Sierra didn’t know what else to say. Her heart was broken at his internal turmoil and she felt like she was being torn in half between him and her loyalties to Bree and the Anderson’s. She knew without a doubt that she was falling for him, and she also knew they had no chance of
a future together. He was too angry, too set on revenge, and the people he wanted to hurt were the people she loved most in the world.
With a lump in her throat, Sierra lay back down. She didn’t feel like fighting with him anymore that night. She knew if she tried to get up, he’d just drag her back. Hopefully, if she just turned over and went to sleep, he’d leave her alone, let her have time to think.
She was grateful when the light went out and she felt him shift behind her. His arm wrapped around her waist and pulled her tightly against his body.
“I have to do this,” he said, almost a plea in his voice.
“No, Damien, you don’t. What you should do is learn the truth,” she said, her own voice sounding defeated.
It seemed she was destined to go from one battle zone to the next. Sierra was grateful when she felt herself beginning to drift to sleep. She’d start fresh the next day.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Sierra watched Damien walk into the room and her mouth literally fell open. He was beyond simply stunning, he was one-hundred-percent mouthwatering in his custom made tux which fit him to perfection.
She couldn’t take her eyes off the man as he stopped and chatted with various people as he made his way across the large ballroom floor.
They were at a fundraiser for the Red Cross, raising funds to help the military troops during the upcoming season. On one hand she was thrilled to be there, loving fundraisers, and how much money could be raised in a single night. The money that meant little to nothing to the wealthy donors, fed soldiers, supplied their families while they were away, and for the unfortunate many, buried them properly.
A sense of dread filled her, though, because she knew her father would be in attendance. She hadn’t wanted to come alone, but Damien had been called away at the last minute to one of his local factories, so he’d sent her ahead.
She smiled when she thought about the day before. She didn’t know how it had happened, but she’d been living with him for about a month, ever since that first night in his home. He’d changed. He hadn’t brought up his vendetta against the Anderson’s. The way he spoke to her, the many simple things he did, like bringing her flowers when they were apart and always opening doors for her, was securing him tightly into her heart.
As she gazed at him, she knew she was in love – hopelessly, infectiously in love with him. She could tell he was starting to feel the same way about her. She did her job each day and then made love to him each night.
For the past month, Damien had put Sierra to work. Literally. She’d complained he wasn’t giving her a job – well, now she was almost as busy as him. She was more than pleased when she discovered she was actually quite good at being his P.R. Rep.
She handled clients, organized meetings, and typed endless amounts of letters. One thing she discovered about Damien was that he was generous to a fault. He donated far more than what would look good for him on taxes. He personally handled most of the donations, never refusing anyone who called.
Some of the clients received smaller donations, one or two thousand dollars. Some of the amounts he gave were staggering, in the seven figure range. She found the man she’d met who’d been seeking revenge, and the man she was falling in love with were two completely different people.
They’d traveled a few more times to various places, none as far away as Australia, but still beautiful locations. He had a stunning vineyard in California. She didn’t understand why he chose to live in Seattle when he could live in Napa Valley, where it was warmer, gorgeous, and he already had a home waiting for him on the edge of his ten-thousand acre estate.
She’d enjoyed their three night stay there, strolling through the rows of grapes, talking with the workers, and drinking too much wine.
She’d found she was quite limber when she had a couple of glasses of wine in her. Damien had seemed to enjoy that immensely. Her smile grew at the fond memory.
“Don’t you look mighty happy.”
Sierra froze at the all too familiar sarcastic voice of her father. She’d been so focused on Damien, she hadn’t even noticed the man who’d terrorized her nearly her entire life, approaching. She concentrated on putting on her mask before turning to him.
“Hello, Father,” she said formally.
“I’m surprised you remember who I am since I haven’t heard from you once. I’ve tried getting in contact but your old number is turned off and Damien’s security is tighter than mine. Come with me,” he commanded as he tightly gripped her arm and dragged her through one of the many terrace doors to a dimly lit patio. He moved to the edge, ensuring more privacy.
The evening was almost bitterly cold, with a light drizzle filling the air. The small area had a roof but it didn’t offer much protection. Sierra could tell her father felt the place allowed him privacy, as no one else would be foolish enough to venture to one of the balconies without a heater.
“I shouldn’t be gone long, Dad, I’m working tonight,” Sierra said as she pushed down the ever present fear of being in her father’s presence. She was angry that he was able to invoke the emotion after being away from him for months. She’d felt she had made such great progress on her new independence, too.
“You’ll stay as long as I want you to. Have you forgotten who I am! Just because you have a new man in your life doesn’t mean jack to me. I can yank you back to my house anytime I feel like it,” he snarled as his fingers tightened around her arm.
Years of abuse welled up inside her, until she was boiling. She was sick of his threats, sick of his abuse. She was done. She’d much rather he carried out his threat and killed her than for her to ever live under his roof again. Damien had told her about the deal he’d made. She’d been sickened that her father had basically sold her, but she was also grateful for it. The time away from him, her growth as a woman, and falling in love with Damien had all added up to her no longer being that cowering little girl in the corner.
“No, Douglas, I haven’t forgotten anything. The many years of your fist smashing into my face, the threats, the accusations, the slander against my mother, all of it is still fresh in my mind! Do you want to know something, though? I really don’t care whether you want to know or not, because I’m going to tell you. I’ve had enough. I’m not afraid of you anymore. You can’t control me. After this little meeting, I never want to speak to you again. You’re a miserable man who compensates for short-comings by threatening and harming others. You treat your employees like crap, and what you’ve done to me is criminal. Release my arm this minute or I’ll –”
“You’ll what, Sierra!” he interrupted her before lifting his hand and slapping her so hard across the face she became dizzy. She shook her head, trying to clear it, planning on fighting him back for the first time ever. She didn’t care if she lost. She’d get a few good kicks in, at least.
Before she could react, though, he was thrown back from her. Her head finally cleared and she looked down, seeing her father lying on the cold floor with blood oozing from his nose as he released a stream of swear words.
She looked up and saw Damien gazing at her, his eyes flashing with fury. He lifted his hand and she flinched, not knowing why, he’d never done anything to harm her – but that look in his eyes was frightening.
“I’m so sorry, Sierra. He should’ve never been allowed to do that,” he whispered as his hand gently caressed her cheek. His fingers shook as they held her face, his eyes still stormed, but his tone was gentle, pained.
“It’s not your fault,” she whispered as the first tear fell.
“I should’ve put the puzzle together by now. I knew something was wrong, that your life wasn’t what I’d first assumed, but I never thought he was abusing you. I should have figured it out because my mom did the same to me. I, above anyone, should’ve seen the signs. It’s just a part of my life I’ve blocked out.”
His confession shocked her. Even though she’d grown up with an abusive parent, she had a hard time comprehending how anyone who was su
pposed to be your biggest protector could instead be your worst nightmare. A parent’s hands were supposed to be strong, caring, and lift you up, not strike you down and inspire fear.
Douglas had his handkerchief in hand as he attempted to wipe up the blood still oozing from his nose. He was making feeble attempts at standing. She was so focused on Damien she barely noticed her pathetic father.
“Oh, Damien, I’m sorry you went through that,” Sierra said as she wrapped her arms around him. How could he want to avenge a parent who’d hurt him so badly.
“I’ll make you pay for this, Whitfield, just you wait,” Douglas spluttered as he finally managed to rise to his feet.
“You’ll leave this porch, and then continue out the front doors. If I ever see you come anywhere near Sierra again, I’ll bankrupt what little you have left and make sure you spend the rest of your life on the streets. You’ve already proven you’re an untrustworthy business partner; it wouldn’t even take more than a phone call. Make the choice, Monroe,” Damien said, never letting go of his grip on Sierra.
Her father looked at her in shock, then back at Damien before he scurried off like the rat he was. Sierra wanted to fall to her knees, thanking Damien. She had a feeling that her father was truly out of her life for good.
“Thank you,” she offered as her sobs began. She couldn’t say anything more than that.
Damien held her, brushing the back of her head with his hand, making gentle hushing sounds. Sierra couldn’t believe what had just happened and that Damien had come to her rescue. All her life she’d wished for someone to deliver her. It was almost too much of a fairytale to believe. As her sobs subsided, Damien led her back inside, straight to a private restroom where he washed away her tears. Her cheek was red with a slight bruise beginning to form. Out of old habits, she always carried thick cover up to mask her father’s abuse. She grabbed the compact and applied it, and only upon close inspection would a person see the results of her father’s hand.