Skye entered the house behind Christian and barely swallowed her gasp of dismay as she saw Vivian, wearing an ice-blue skirt and matching blouse, perched on a chair chatting politely with Mama Jo. She turned when they entered and fixed a chilly smile on her face. “Skye, so good to have found you,” she said.
Mama Jo looked to Christian and Skye, a bewildered expression on her face. “This here lady says you’re family. Is that true?” she asked of Skye.
Family? Never. Vivian sensed her balking and moved in swiftly, saying, “Yes, Auntie Vivian. We’re quite close. I’d say there’s no one who knows Skye better than me. I know all her secrets,” she added with a slight chuckle that caused the blood to drain from Skye’s cheeks.
“What are you doing here, Auntie Viv?” she asked from numb lips. More important, how did you find me?
“You didn’t answer your cell and I was worried,” she answered. “It’s a good thing we have the GPS tracker on the family plan, otherwise I never would have found you in time.”
Her mind flew to the phone in her purse and she cursed her own stupidity. “In time for what, Viv?” she asked.
“Darling, you must’ve forgotten…your uncle is paying you to assist him in a business thing tomorrow night. You know how he gets when he doesn’t get his way. Dreadful. Sorry to cut your little trip short, darling, but you have commitments I must insist that you fulfill.”
“I thought you said all your family was in Iowa?” Christian said.
“Yes, all but my aunt and uncle,” she answered lamely, sending a quick hatred-filled glance Vivian’s way, which she simply accepted with a patronizing smile. “Surely my uncle would understand if I wanted to stay?”
Vivian’s gaze narrowed to a pinpoint. “No. He would not. Pack your bags, Skye. We need to leave within the next fifteen minutes.” She stood and thanked Mama Jo for her hospitality, then made her way on spindly heels out the door and disappeared into the dark confines of the car.
“I don’t wanna go,” wailed Nico as soon as Vivian was out of earshot. He scuttled to Skye and clung to her leg. “She’s mean and she pinches,” he said, tears welling in his eyes. “Please, Mama…can’t we stay here? I like it better. Thomas is going to teach me checkers next and I want to stay!”
She gathered Nico in her arms and she stared helplessly at Christian, words failing her. “I’m sorry,” she said, despair blotting out everything from her mind. There was no telling what Belleni would do to her when she returned. A beating was likely. She shuddered and clutched Nico to her tightly. “I’m so sorry…I—” tears filled her eyes “—I had a great time. Thank you…for everything.”
“Skye, wait…” he called out, following her but she was already grabbing her bag and heading for the door. “Wait a minute. Let’s talk this out. What’s going on?” he demanded when she refused to look at him for fear of showing him just how terrified she was. She didn’t want Christian’s family to be touched by the ugliness that was associated with Belleni and she didn’t know what Belleni would do to Christian or Mama Jo if she resisted. So, she ignored his confusion and dutifully climbed into the limousine, tears blinding her by the time the door shut behind her.
“Skye…”
His muffled voice faded as they pulled away.
She clung to Nico who had gone quiet in the presence of Vivian. She stroked his hair and tried to reassure him but in truth, she was shaking.
All semblance of warmth fled from Vivian’s face as she said to the driver, “Get us the hell out of this sinkhole of poverty before it swallows us whole.” Then she fixed her gaze on Skye, her mouth pursing but it was a long, terrifying moment fraught with building tension before she said with a short, dark cackle, “Belleni is quite angry with you.”
“It was just a trip with a friend. I was going to come ba—” she began but Vivian cut her short with a glance.
“Don’t try my patience. You ran because of what I shared with you. When are you going to learn that you are not in control in this situation? However, your recent actions have caused Belleni to reconsider his plan.” Vivian cut Skye a short glance. “You’re a difficult woman, but you made your bed and you will lie in it. If I were to offer you a bit of advice, I’d say keep your head down and your infernal mouth shut, but then you’ve never been any good at listening to advice, so why should I bother?”
Sky blinked back tears, overwhelmed by the dread twisting her insides in knots, but she remained quiet in the hope that her apparent contrition might gain her favor. It was a long shot but Skye didn’t have much more to hope for.
“You’re probably wondering what will happen now,” Vivian correctly assumed. Skye nodded and Vivian smirked, exploiting every last moment of power she had over Skye. “Well, it’s not for me to say. At the very least, a beating most likely, however, Belleni has need of your services. Stay focused on that for the time being and don’t bother pestering him with your false apologies for it will only serve to anger him further,” she said coolly, sliding into business mode as if their conversation were completely natural.
“He is entertaining a business client and he would like you to be available as his escort. You will be playing the part of his fiancée. He will expect you to be suitably affectionate but not vulgar. Your regular rate will be waived given your recent behavior and perhaps until Belleni finds a more appropriate punishment.”
Although she’d told herself to remain quiet, her protests burst from her mouth, as a near sense of hysteria threatened to steal her ability to think straight. “You can’t do this to me anymore,” she cried, tightening her arms around Nico when he’d begun to shake. “I’m a person, I don’t belong to Belleni and I can’t—”
“You can and you will,” Vivian cut in sharply. “Belleni is Nico’s father. More importantly, he wants a life with the boy as his father.”
The blood drained from Skye’s cheeks as the plain truth of Nico’s paternity was thrown out there without warning. Vivian smiled, knowing the impact of her words.
“And if I refuse?”
“Don’t be ridiculous. What Belleni wants, he gets. You know that.”
Yes, she knew that well. “Why me?” she asked dully, not quite expecting an answer but she got one anyway.
“I don’t know,” Vivian answered truthfully, a trace of sadness in her tone. “I wish I knew. Once, I thought I knew him better than anyone but I seem to have lost my touch. Among other things.” Vivian plucked at an invisible piece of lint on her skirt. “He is a stranger to me now.” She drew a deep breath as if fortifying herself and forged on, that damnable mask of ice sliding back into place. “But I’ve accepted that I won’t ever understand and I’ve moved on. Now, let’s get to business. Your clothes have been moved to Belleni’s bedroom and Nico’s things have been relocated to a bedroom near the pool.”
That startled Skye out of her stupor. “What? Why? What about my place?”
Plans change. Belleni no longer sees the benefit of keeping you in the apartment.”
Perspiration dampened her underarms, trying to fathom what was happening. She struggled to keep the horror from her voice at the thought of living full-time with Belleni. “But why move Nico down stairs? He can’t be that far from me. He’s not even five yet.”
Vivian smiled. “Well, it’s only temporary, I assure you. We’ve arranged for an early enrollment at Excelsior. Isn’t that wonderful?”
Skye was going to vomit.
Hopefully it landed all over Vivian’s expensive shoes.
CHRISTIAN COUGHED AS the limousine spat out a cloud of dust in its wake, still unable to quite comprehend what had just happened. One minute he was having the best day of his damn life and then the next he was watching as Skye allowed that woman—he wasn’t convinced that they were truly related—hustle her into the car to drive away.
He swore under his breath, not sure what to do. Should he chase after her? No, he answered himself in the next breath, shaking his head in bewilderment. It’s not like she didn’t have a c
hoice. She could’ve flat out told her aunt no, well, she sort of tried, but she could’ve been a bit more firm about it, he reasoned, trying to make sense out of what was shaping up to be nonsense in his head. Things like this didn’t happen in real life. At least not in his. The bottom line was she’d left him behind. He drew a deep breath and slowly walked into the house.
“Christian, what was that all about?” Mama Jo asked, her expression filled with concern. “I didn’t like that woman. She had mean eyes. Even when she was smiling. I felt like I was staring down the barrel of a gun with it cocked and ready. Did you notice that?”
“Well, Skye left with her so she must not have been that bad. I don’t know, Mama, I’m as lost as you about the whole thing.”
“I don’t buy it, son. Skye seemed off, like she was trying to hide something and if that isn’t enough to make you wonder, her boy was downright terrified. No, I don’t like it at all. I think something bad was going on between those two. Bad blood at the very least.”
He shrugged, feeling helpless. “Maybe, but there’s nothing I can do about it now. She’s gone. I’ll try to catch her on Monday or if not Monday, then Friday when she teaches her dance class.”
Mama Jo’s eyes narrowed with worry. “You can’t try to find her sooner?”
“Mama, we’re not even dating. We’re…” Not exactly friends but not attached, either. He finished with another shrug. “I don’t know what we are but I don’t have the right to go chasing after her when she plainly had the option to stay.”
“Oh, pooh on that. I seen the way you look at her and you never would’ve brought her here to meet your family if she was just a fly-by-night acquaintance. I may be old but I’m not stupid. You’re a good-looking man and I don’t doubt that you have your share of pretty ladies on your arm but you’ve never brought one home. That says plenty to me.”
He wasn’t going to argue. Mama Jo saw right through him and she was right anyway. Skye was special. “Be that as it may, she made her choice and I’ll just have to wait to figure things out. I have a business meeting tomorrow night anyway, maybe this is just as well. I don’t need to be distracted right now. I need to focus.”
“This about your nightclub?”
He nodded. “Best shot I’ve ever had to get the club up and running. I can feel it.”
Mama Jo drew a short breath as she regarded him with love. “I want you to be happy. I wish happiness for all my boys and I know you have your heart set on this club business. All I ask is that you’re plenty sure of what you’re going after and the reasons why. Fame and fortune never brought no one happiness and you know I’ve never understood your dream of owning a place where sin and vice go hand in hand but I never said nothing because you seemed set on it. But I seen the way you look at Skye and her boy. There might be a real future there.”
“Mama, it’s too soon to have that conversation.” But her words had already begun to worm their way into his brain, planting little seeds of doubt. He pushed them away. “I don’t know what’s going to happen with Skye—there’s stuff going on with her that’s not my place to share—but I’ve wanted to open a club since I was seventeen and I’m finally at a place in my life where I can make that happen. I’m not walking away from it.”
Mama Jo lifted her hands in surrender. “Not asking you to, son. Just talking out loud is all.”
He nodded but his thoughts were in a tangle. He needed to get his head on straight. Maybe the open road was a good idea after all. He could be home by midnight. As if sensing his thoughts, Mama Jo chuckled and raised on her toes to kiss his cheek. “It was great to see you. Take care, love, and don’t be a stranger. Drive safely and good luck with your meeting.”
He kissed her back and lifted her in a tight hug. One thing was for sure, he loved this little woman right in front of him. “Thanks for the hospitality, Mama. Hey, that reminds me, Thomas said something about you having tests? Is there something I should know about?”
“Only if it’s your interest to know just how quickly this old body is falling apart,” she teased. “Like I told your brother, they’re just routine tests. Blood work and whatnot.”
“Yeah, but what prompted the need for tests?”
She waved him off. “You’ve got enough on your plate you don’t need a spoonful of what’s going on with me. When there’s news to tell, rest assured I’ll be sharing it. Until then, mind your business.”
In other words, back off. He could read between the lines. “Promise you’ll let us know?” he pressed.
“As soon as there’s a need. Absolutely.”
That wasn’t exactly the assurance he was looking for but he’d take it. “All right, I’ll call in a few days.”
“Go on with you,” she said, shooing him off, then returning to her chair and tucking her legs under a lap blanket. “I’ll hear from you when I hear.”
He grinned and went to collect his stuff for the drive home.
CHAPTER TWENTY
BELLENI FIDGETED WITH HIS TIE as the simple task seemed to elude him. His mind was traveling and he couldn’t focus. Perhaps he’d been too harsh with Skye. How does one treat the woman he planned to marry? Marry? The word slipped from his thoughts and startled him. He hadn’t imagined that he would marry the woman but suddenly it made sense. Why not make it official? They shared a child. It would simplify things by half. She would no longer feel compelled to find a life outside of his sphere and he could take her out of the rotation without fear of losing her completely.
Perhaps they should have another child right away.
He smiled nervously at the thought. Of course, Vivian’s strident voice cut into his thoughts as he entertained the burgeoning fantasy.
“She hates you. Have you forgotten that one simple fact? Of course you have, you doddering fool.”
He winced. He could rectify that. He would lavish her with gifts and whatever her heart desired. Eventually she would come to adore him.
A knock at his door caused him to straighten with anticipation. “Come in,” he commanded, turning to face Skye as she entered.
Her beautiful face was pale from her ordeal and he wished he hadn’t had to be so firm in his discipline but she’d broken a cardinal rule and he couldn’t let that slide, no matter his love for her. “Darling, you look ravishing,” he said warmly, his gaze sliding over each subtle curve of her lean body clad in a cream dress that had cost him a fortune. “That dress becomes you. I knew when I saw it I had to have it for you.”
She remained silent, her gaze bouncing away from him but not before he caught the burn of hatred.
“Are you in much pain, my love?” he inquired, searching her body for marks. He’d given specific instructions to his men not to leave marks.
She stiffened and slid her gaze to him. “What does it matter? I’m nothing but your possession, your plaything. As Vivian has informed me on numerous occasions, what I feel doesn’t matter.”
Vivian. He swallowed a beleaguered sigh. That woman sometimes made more trouble than she was worth. But there was no time for such a conversation at the moment. There was business to discuss. “Has Vivian briefed you on your role tonight?”
“Yes. I am your fiancée. I am to be charming, engaging, witty and complimentary as well as affectionate without being vulgar,” she said as if reciting a script without an ounce of passion.
“Yes, that’s right,” he said gruffly, gesturing for her to come toward him. Her gaze narrowed as if to say screw yourself and his temper flared at her insolence. “Do not push me, Skye,” he warned. “I can be a reasonable man but I can be pushed to terrible things.” He didn’t want this between them. He wanted her to come to him, laughing, her eyes full of genuine joy and adoration, like she once did. He had to remember to woo her with soft words. He swallowed his anger and affected a kind smile. “Come, darling. Let me see a preview of the woman I will marry.”
“It’s an act you demand of me,” she said, her tone deliberately cutting. “I would never be your wife
willingly. I would rather die.”
“That could be arranged!” he shouted without warning, the anger slipping from his control with her words. But she didn’t back down or apologize, instead lifting her chin, daring him to strike her, knowing that if he did, she’d be useless to him tonight. He wouldn’t tolerate such a display from the woman of his heart. He crossed to her in a fluid movement that startled her and before she could get away, he gripped a handful of golden hair, mindless of the artful array of curls painstakingly created by the hairdresser he’d paid to pamper her for the evening, and jerked her to him. She yelped as he felt strands ripping from her scalp. “You will be the lady on my arm or you will be nothing,” he snarled, twisting harder until tears sprung to her eyes. “Your body will rot somewhere where no one will find you. Nico will be raised without you and I will never allow him to say your name. I will tell him that you abandoned him. He will grow to hate you for your abandonment. I will see to it!” He gave her a little shake and her cries mollified him only slightly. “Do you hear me?”
“Yes,” she gasped, clutching at his hand, begging him to turn her loose. “I’m sorry. I—I’ll be better,” she cried. “Please don’t take Nico from me. He’s all I have.”
Belleni loosened his grip and she sagged away from him but he caught her and pulled her close. “No, darling,” he corrected her softly, smoothing her hair as best he could. “You have me. And that’s all you’ll ever need.”
VIVIAN WENT TO THE KITCHEN to survey the progress the catering company was making with the dinner preparations and as she tasted and critiqued the menu, Skye came in, her face obviously swollen from crying and her hair in a mess.
“What is wrong with you?” she asked sharply, irritation washing over her. “You look like hell. The dinner guests are bound to arrive in a half hour. Go fix yourself.” She dismissed her with a shake of her head. Skye’s eyes watered and Vivian started at the unexpected show of weakness. “What’s wrong with you?”
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