Sinful Illusions

by Morgan James

  “Fox!” I lightly slapped his chest, and he grabbed my hand.

  “You look beautiful. As always.” I melted a little bit as he bent to kiss me once more. He looked pensive as he pulled away. “Do you think they’ll miss us if we don’t go back?”

  “Considering the arranged seating, I would say yes.”

  “Fuck.” I laughed as he cupped the side of my face in one hand and let out a little growl. His thumb swept over my lower lip, and I sucked it into my mouth, watching his eyes darken all over again. “Keep it up and I’m going to take you home and fuck you until you can’t move.”

  “After the party,” I promised with a grin. “Now go!”

  “What happens to little girls who talk back?” He asked, one eyebrow cocked toward his hairline.

  “They get spanked?” I asked hopefully as I pressed my breasts against him.

  He let out a throaty chuckle and palmed my right cheek. “You’re so fucking perfect.”

  I grinned, a lightness buoying my heart as I stared at him. There was no denying my feelings for him. This overwhelming happiness, the utter rightness… I was completely and totally in love with him. It took everything in me not to say it to him right then, but it was neither the time nor place. I pressed my lips together and straightened his tie. “We better get going.”

  He studied me for a moment, then gave me one last squeeze. “I’ll meet you out there.”

  He stepped away, opened the door and peeked through the crack before stepping out. He shot a wink my way before closing the door again. I sagged against the wall, a smile creeping over my face as heat assailed me. Fox was everything I wanted and never knew I needed.

  Pushing off the wall, I took a step toward the door. A metallic crunch sounded beneath my stiletto as I stepped forward, and I jumped at the sound. Stooping down, I swept my hand over the floor until I encountered the object. I folded it in my palm as I stood and followed Fox’s suit, peering out before slipping from the closet.

  I made my way down the hall to the bathroom. It was blessedly empty, and I strode to the counter. The metallic object pressed into my hand, and I inspected the small, oval cuff link. I immediately recognized it as Fox’s, and I smiled as I tucked it into my clutch. As soon as I got back to our table, I’d give it back to him. Or maybe I’d make him work for it later.

  Once I’d freshened my makeup, I took one last look in the mirror. Fox was right. There was a flush in my cheeks, and his scruff had reddened the skin at the base of my neck. It would be obvious to everyone what I’d been doing—but I didn’t care. Fox had wanted to show me off; I wanted to wear his marks so everyone knew I was his.

  Head held high, I sailed out of the bathroom and down the dim hallway back to the foyer. I crossed to the closest set of huge, carved wooden doors and paused at the edge of the large ballroom, automatically scanning for Fox. My breath caught in my chest as a familiar face came into view, and my feet were carrying me closer before I’d even considered what I was doing.

  Blood rushed in my ears, and my vision tunneled. I felt like I was suspended in a strange kind of alternate reality as I drew up short just a few feet from the small group on the fringes of the room. When I was just a few feet away, my father turned, and our gazes collided. He did a double take, and his eyes widened.

  “Dad.” I breathed the word, and he quickly took a step toward me before turning back to his acquaintances and murmuring his excuses. My feet felt leaden, my body frozen. He grasped my elbow and practically dragged me into the foyer, then down a side hallway. I couldn’t think straight, couldn’t even believe what was happening right now.

  I was caught somewhere between being elated and confused. It’d been months since I’d seen my family, and a gamut of emotions roiled within me. I had the urge to pinch myself to see if it was real, but my father still had my arm threaded through his. I watched the patterned carpet swirl beneath my feet as we moved until we were ensconced in the shadows in some seldom-used part of the house.

  He didn’t look happy; he looked worried. Upset, even. “Dad, what—”

  He gave a little shake of his head as he quickly glanced around. “Don’t say anything.”

  “But—”

  Again, he cut me off. “Just…” He closed his eyes and swiped one hand over his mouth before staring down at me again. “You’re okay?”

  “I am.” Joyful tears welled in my eyes. I didn’t know what had transpired with my family during the time I’d been gone, but there would be time for all of those answers later. I was just so damn happy to see them again, that I threw my arms around my father.

  He caught my wrists, shot a quick look around, then gently pushed me away. My heart split in two as he shook his head. “Listen to me. Just… do what he says.”

  “Who?” Confusion reigned, and my brows drew together as my mind went blank. “I don’t—”

  “Fox,” my father whispered. “He’ll kill me if he sees you with me.”

  I fell back as step, feeling like I’d been hit by a truck. “Wait.” Everything seemed to slow around me as I fought the tightness in my chest. “He knew?”

  “Yes,” he hissed. “He threatened to kill me if I ever stepped in.”

  Oh, God. Fox had known all along who my parents were. He’d lied to me from the very beginning. Not only that, but my father knew of Fox’s reputation. And he’d just… let me go. Like I meant absolutely nothing to him.

  Bile burned the back of my throat, and my legs wobbled. I fell back against the wall behind me, and my father stretched out one hand to catch me.

  “Eva…” He looked remorseful. “I wish I could help you. I just…”

  I extracted myself from his grip and gave a slow nod. “I understand. You… you should get back to your friends.”

  “You’ll be okay?”

  I forced a smile to my lips as I looked up at him. “Of course. I just need a minute.”

  “All right.” Reluctantly, he turned to go. He slowed halfway down the hallway, his voice floating softly back to me. “It was good to see you.”

  I nodded, unable to look at him. I couldn’t breathe, couldn’t think. The only thing that kept replaying in my mind was my conversation with Fox. My father said Fox had threatened him, yet Fox had acted like no one had ever tried to come for me. Why would he lie?

  Like a lightning bolt, the truth slammed into me. He didn’t want me to leave. He wanted me all to himself. To control. To own. I was nothing but a piece of property to him, someone with whom to slake his sexual needs and nothing more. I swallowed hard, an urgency clutching at my throat. I needed to get out of there. I frantically looked around, glancing for any exit. Moving quickly, I turned down two hallways and passed through a sitting room before finally coming across a set of patio doors.

  I shoved them open and practically threw myself outside. A hand clamped down on my shoulder, and I whirled around with a gasp. My gaze landed on Rodrigo, and I glared at him. “Did you know?”

  His dark eyes revealed nothing, spiking my ire. “You knew!” I shoved at him. “You all fucking knew, and you never told me!”

  His eyes narrowed, and he grabbed my wrist as I spun away. I slammed my hands into his chest, shoving him back a tiny step. “I hate you! I hate all of you!”

  “Then go!” His voice was a harsh whisper, and I could barely understand the words over the blood rushing in my ears, my panting breaths.

  I stared at him for a moment, suspicious. “What?”

  He released my wrists. “Go.” He gestured toward the sprawling garden in the backyard. “I’ll take care of it.”

  I felt rooted to the pavestones as I studied him suspiciously. “Why would you do that?”

  He took a threatening step forward, thrusting his face toward mine, and I forced myself not to cower away from him. Rodrigo had always set my teeth on edge, and I didn’t trust him as far as I could throw him.

  “Because he’s better off without you,” he snapped.

  It shouldn’t have hurt as bad
ly as it did, and I swallowed down the spear of hurt. “He’s the one who kept me captive, not the other way around.”

  “He should have listened when I told him to get rid of you. Everything changed the moment you came along. He’s losing focus, losing his touch. There’s too much at stake for him to give it all up for you.”

  “So you’re just going to let me walk away? What would Fox have to say about that?”

  “I’ll figure it out.” He tipped his chin toward the yard again. “There’s a road behind the house. Now go.”

  Eyes locked on his, I took a step backward. Then another. I was vaguely aware of the cold drizzle that misted against my face as I backed away from Rodrigo. He watched me like a hawk from the shelter of the huge house, never moving a muscle. It was a trap; it had to be. When I was far enough away, I turned and ran. The heels of my shoes sank into the soft earth as I wound my way through the backyard.

  I glanced behind me when I reached the gate on the far side of the yard, but the yard was empty. I flipped the latch and escaped onto the sidewalk on the other side. My toes ached already from being pinched inside my shoes, and I paused only for a moment to take them off. The rain increased, the temperature dropping as I started jogging down the sidewalk.

  I had no idea how long I ran, a thousand memories flitting through my mind. A sharp stabbing sensation cut through my side, but I forced myself to keep going. Focusing on the pain in my muscles distracted me from Fox’s betrayal. No matter how hard I tried, though, I couldn’t block his face from my memory. I kept hearing him tell me no one had come for me. That I was his captive. He’d lied. He’d broken his promise to me. He’d had every opportunity to come clean and tell me the truth. Instead, he’d done the very thing he’d promised never to do.

  The pain was unlike anything I’d ever experienced. Every moment spent with him crashed over me like a tidal wave. His controlling tendencies, his adamancy that I stay within the walls of the house and speak to no one. I thought things had changed; I thought our relationship had begun to evolve. He was everything I’d ever wanted. But I was only his property.

  My stomach flipped at the memory of the night he’d come home from being with another woman. He’d told me I was the only thing he could think about; in truth, it was only because he had full control over me. God only knew how many other women he’d been with since then. Though we’d spent most nights together in bed, sometimes he’d come to me later than others, saying that work had kept him away. I trusted him so much that it had never occurred to me to ask. I wanted to throw up.

  A small convenience store came into view, and I followed the fluorescent lights to the parking lot. A shiver racked my body as I leaned against the brick wall of the crumbling old store. I still held my shoes, and the patent leather squeaked as they rubbed together.

  I needed to go inside, but my feet ached so badly that I dreaded putting them back on even to walk inside. I needed to call someone. But who? He would track me down wherever I went, and that was the last thing I wanted. I needed to get away from him, put some distance between us. If I saw him right now, I would throw myself at him, beg him to make everything make sense. And he would. I’d fall back into his arms like none of this had ever happened, and I refused to let that happen.

  From a few dozen feet away, a man standing beside a tanker truck lifted a hand, his face concerned. “Miss, are you okay?”

  I tried to smile but failed miserably as another chill rocked my body. “I…” My teeth chattered, and I clenched them together before speaking again. “I’m fine.”

  “Are you sure?” He approached cautiously, his gaze sweeping over my pitiful form. “Is there anything I can help with?”

  I made a split-second decision as I looked at his truck. “I’m kind of stranded. I hate to ask for a ride, but…”

  He nodded slowly. “Where do you need to go?”

  “Anywhere but here.”

  Taking another look at my cocktail dress and shoes, he waved me over. “Hop in and get warm.”

  The man reached up and held the door open for me as I approached. I’d never hitchhiked before, but I knew how dangerous it could be. At the moment, though, I couldn’t summon the energy to care. I stepped up onto the rail that ran along the bottom of the door, trying not to drop my clutch and shoes as I clambered up into the cab of the huge truck.

  Once I was inside, the man rounded the vehicle and climbed into the driver seat. The truck shuddered as he cranked the engine, and it came to life with a roar. He reached over and turned up the heat, then turned to me. “I’m Joe.”

  I offered him a small smile. “Eva.”

  “Nice to meet you, Eva. Ever been to Omaha?”

  “Nope.” I shook my head as I settled back against the seat. “But it sounds good to me.”

  “All right, then.”

  He shifted the truck into gear, and I tipped my head against the cool glass of the window. Had Fox realized I was gone yet? Would he even care? A dull ache radiated from my chest. I was stupid for even entertaining the idea. Despite knowing better, I’d fallen for him. I didn’t honestly know what was worse—that Daddy had left me there, or that Fox had lied to me—about everything.

  One thing was for certain—I would never allow someone to control me like that ever again. I watched in the large side mirror as the lights of my hometown grew small and smaller, then disappeared into the darkness. There was nothing left for me there. It was time to start over. Closing my eyes, I promised myself I would never look back.

  Chapter Forty-Two

  Fox

  I walked back toward the ballroom, feeling better than I ever had in my entire life. It was cliché, but I knew what people were talking about now. Happiness was that floating on air feeling, like you were untouchable, indestructible. That’s how I felt with Eva. I was no longer the monster I’d been groomed to be. For the first time in forever, I could see the light at the end of the tunnel. And in that light was Eva. She was my salvation, my angel. Once I brought Araña down, I planned to set everything aside—for her. She was all I wanted, all I needed. Everything else was secondary.

  Several people stopped me to say hello, and I made small talk as I waited for Eva to join me. Outside the large double doors, I ran one hand down my jacket, smoothing the material before tugging down my sleeves. The cuff around my left wrist hung limply, and I lifted it up to inspect it. Turning my hand over, I immediately noticed the problem. My cufflink was missing, probably somewhere back in the closet. I bit back a smile. I’d sacrifice a thousand cufflinks for a lifetime of moments like that with Eva.

  I wished I could have seen her face more clearly before I’d left her. I wanted her to see the intent clearly in my face. I wanted to take her home and spend the rest of the night loving her, tell her how much she meant to me. I planned to devote several hours to that just as soon as we could escape this stupid party.

  My gaze roved the ballroom as I stepped inside, and my pleasure from mere moments ago was immediately doused by the presence of a familiar face. I strode toward the man, offering only small nods to acquaintances as I passed, not inviting them to approach me.

  Spencer Masterson’s eyes widened as they caught mine, and he pasted that stupid fucking politician’s smile on his lips as he turned to me. I returned the gesture, mine much more akin to a shark’s as I slapped him on the back a little harder than necessary—twice, just for good measure.

  He stumbled a little bit and swallowed hard. “Fox. Glad to see you.”

  “Are you now?” I pinned him with a sharp glare, and his confident façade bled away, though I was pretty sure I was the only one who could read the discomfort in his eyes. “Because I thought I made it extremely clear what would happen if you showed your face around here again.”

  “But—” He broke off, his gaze darting around the room as he swallowed hard. “It’s my cousin’s engagement party.”

  “I don’t give a goddamn if it’s your mother’s fucking funeral,” I growled. “You leave ton
ight, and I don’t want to see you again.”

  Spencer’s face fell into a pout. “William is here.”

  Motherfucker didn’t know when to quit. Eva’s father, William, was a whole other issue, and one I planned to take care of directly. He knew what would happen if he so much as looked at Eva the wrong way. “He won’t be here for long,” I promised. “Now. Enjoy what’s left of your evening. I have to get back to my girl.”

  “Oh?” His eyes brightened with interest. “You still keeping Eva on a leash?”

  I slanted a look his way, clenching my fists at my sides to keep from laying him out right here in the middle of the room. “She’s free to do whatever she wants, as long as she’s with me.”

  “Even speak with her father?”

  Except that. “He knows better.”

  “Well, you might want to remind him of that,” he said smugly, “because he walked out with her just a couple minutes ago.”

  Goddamn it. “Where?”

  He started to shrug. “I thought I was supposed to keep—”

  I threw a hard look his way, just barely stifling the urge to grab the asshole around the neck and slam him to the floor. “I swear to God I will dismember you right here,” I threatened in a low voice. “Tell me where the fuck they went.”

  “Out that way.” He gestured with his head toward a door in the corner.

  “Stay the fuck out of my way,” I said. “Next time I won’t be so amenable.”

  He nodded but wisely stayed silent, and I skirted the large room until I reached the large set of doors that opened into a long hallway. Quickly scanning both directions, I saw no movement. Taking a gamble, I turned left and headed toward the bathroom. Maybe the asshole was wrong, and she was just tidying her appearance from our romp in the closet.

  The memory simultaneously sent fire rushing through my blood and set my teeth on edge. I had to intercept her before that motherfucker who called himself her father found her. A figure came around the corner, and my eyes narrowed when I saw William.