Beautiful Surrender (The Forever Book 3)

by Priscilla West

  Marty gurgled something incomprehensible, his eyes half-dazed.

  “Nod your head if you understand.”

  Vincent released his grip on Marty’s head and Marty nodded faintly.

  “Take care of him,” Vincent said to Kurt.

  Kurt nodded and stooped to pick up Marty’s glasses. He and Bernie dragged Marty off by the arms toward the stairwell. Marty put up no resistance this time, his feet dragging along ground.

  I couldn’t believe what Vincent just said. Were they going to murder Marty in cold blood? Frantically, I asked, “You’re not going to kill him are you?”

  Vincent looked at me intensely; his brows narrowed into sharp lines frightened me. “Of course not. That was never going to happen. They’ll patch him up and send him away, and then I’ll have them keep an eye on him to make sure he never comes back. Kurt and Bernie are pros. You’re safe now.”

  “You almost killed him! What the fuck is wrong with you?” I began to pound on his chest with my hands, tears forming in my eyes.

  He gripped my arms firmly and stared deep into my eyes. The blazing inferno from earlier was gone, replaced by an equally fierce tenderness. “I needed to make sure he wasn’t going to hurt you again.”

  “But—”

  “Look, let’s go inside before the neighbors call the police. I’ll explain everything.”

  I was still shaking when Vincent put his arm around my shoulders. He ushered me inside, stepping on blue petals in the process.

  I entered my apartment with Vincent’s warm arm around my shoulder. My eyes stung with tears. Thoughts raced through my mind in a swirl. I was flooded with questions.

  He gestured to the couch to have a seat but I turned to him as soon as he closed the door behind us. “What the fuck was that Vincent?” I spat. “Why were my neighbors going badass commando on Marty?”

  His calm facade had returned and he reached out to wipe the tears from my cheek. “They were the security team I hired to keep an eye on you.”

  My world spun. I could feel the blood draining from my face. I no longer knew what was real and what wasn’t. “You hired a security team?”

  “Yes, to watch over you. To keep you safe.”

  The neutral tone of his response infuriated me. “What the hell? I thought you were half-joking about that.”

  His expression became unexpectedly dark. “I’d never joke about something like that.”

  “We talked about this. I told you I didn’t want one and you agreed to that. That’s why we went to Grandpa Rambo’s store on the outskirts of town for mace. You didn’t listen to me. You lied to me.”

  He grimaced. “I did it because I care about you Kristen. It was for your own protection.”

  “My protection? God. What’s wrong with you? This isn’t the wild west, Vincent. Seriously, you almost killed a man today.”

  His mouth was a thin line. “Maybe he deserved it.”

  “Jesus, I feel like I don’t even know you. One minute you’re nice and charming, the next you’re a violent psychopath. You and your security team beat up a single man like some kind of goon squad. I was expecting the couple across the hall to maybe ask for a cup of sugar every now and then, not turn out to be fucking mercenaries.”

  His features twisted in pain. “Please, Kristen. I’m sorry. I did lie to you but please understand I had to ensure your safety.”

  “Keeping me safe is one thing. wailing on Marty like some kind of mobster is another. That crossed a ton of lines. Why didn’t you break his legs with a baseball bat while you were at it? Or better yet, cut off one of his fingers. How do I know that’s not what’s happening right now?”

  “I know it seems extreme but believe me, it was necessary. I’ve seen guys like him before. I know they don’t give up easily. I wouldn’t have gone that far if I didn’t think it was necessary.”

  I put my hands on my hips. “You’ve seen guys like him before? Where? Some TV show?”

  Vincent sighed deeply. “My sister Giselle had an abusive boyfriend. That’s how I know.”

  I grunted in frustration. He was dropping bomb after bomb on me, destroying pieces of reality I thought I had a hold on. “Okay. Why didn’t you tell me about this?”

  “I didn’t feel comfortable talking about it. And I didn’t know if I could trust you before.”

  “Trust me?” I threw my hands up. “I told you secrets about myself I hadn’t told anyone and you were holding back on me. What better time were you going to get to tell me than that night in your apartment when I spilled to you about Marty? But no, you didn’t trust me, even after I took such a risk by trusting you, Vincent. How is that supposed to make me feel?”

  “I was focused on your problem, Kristen. I wanted to keep it about you.”

  “Showing me you understood would have been about me, Vincent. Holding out on me while you made plans about my privacy is about you.”

  “You’re right, Kristen. It was selfish. I’m sorry I didn’t see it that way before. I was trying to do what I thought was best. Hopefully you see that, even if you disagree with my actions.” He gently rested his hand on my shoulder.

  Despite enjoying the sensation, I shrugged it off. “I don’t trust you now though. You lied to me. You fucked Ariel Diamond. You cheated on me. At least Marty never did that.” I tried shoving him away but he was like a wall. Instead it was me that fell backward. He grabbed me before I could fall on my ass.

  “Hang on, Kristen. Listen to me,” he growled, raising the hairs on the back of my neck. “That is all a mistake. The text you saw from Ariel wasn’t what it looked like.”

  “How gullible do you think I am? What else could it mean? It was pretty clear: she liked riding your cock,” I spat. The words tasted like battery acid coming off my tongue. I regained my footing and pushed out of his arms. He stepped forward and pulled my waist to him demonstrating his persistence. I knew I wouldn’t win a battle of wills with him so I let it pass.

  “She meant my surfboard. The new product my company launched—which is why I went to Brazil. It’s called the Shuttlecock.” He articulated his words carefully but assertively.

  What. The. Fuck.

  The room spun. “You’re lying,” I said uncertainly.

  “No.” His voice softened and his eyes carried the tenderness they had earlier. “I’m not lying. I’m sorry you saw that, but Ariel was just being flippant in that text like she usually is. It’s her personality. You saw how she was when you met her. I’m sure she had no idea you’d be seeing that message. Even she’s not that much of a trouble-maker.”

  A wave of embarrassment washed over me. I’d run out of the restaurant upset over a misunderstanding. Realization that my actions must’ve seemed absolutely childish to him made me pissed off. At him.

  “‘Shuttlecock?’ You have to be kidding me. That’s the stupidest name I’ve ever heard.”

  He allowed himself a smile. “You thought ‘Pier Pleasure’ was pretty clever.”

  “That at least makes sense. Shuttlecock makes no sense.”

  He took a deep breath and sighed. “You’re right, it’s dumb. But it’s edgy and it’s selling well. As you can see, people love making cock jokes.”

  I took a step back and folded my arms across my chest. I eyed him sternly. “So you didn’t have sex with Ariel?”

  “No. God no. I haven’t even seen her since the time we ran into her on St. Lucia. I told you we’re just friends and have been for years. I’d never cheat on you Kristen. Now that would be stupid. Unbelievably stupid.”

  My arms tightened. “I don’t know if I can believe you.”

  “It’s true. There’s not much I can do to prove it so you’re just going to have to trust me.”

  “I’ve trusted you all this time. But now with the whole security team thing, you going psycho, Giselle, and everything else, I don’t know what to think. What else are you hiding from me?”

  “Ask me anything. I’ll tell you.”

  I clenched my jaw. “Bu
t I don’t even know what to ask, Vincent. You can’t do that—put the blame on me for not asking the right questions.”

  “No, Kitten. That’s not how I meant it.”

  After lying to me, he was still calling me Kitten? Give me a break. “Don’t call me that. You’ve lost that privilege.”

  He exhaled heavily and gestured to the living room. “Okay, let’s sit down on the couch, cool off, and talk.”

  Because my feet were getting tired, I begrudgingly obeyed. Once we were seated, I ran through in my mind what I had just learned, deciding what to ask. There were so many pieces missing that needed filling in. I decided to start with the first question on my mind. “So what happened with Giselle?”

  He shifted in his seat beside me. “She was in a relationship with someone she met in college for two years. Jim. No one knew she was suffering. There were small signs like arguing but it seemed normal—couples usually have fights every now and then. It wasn’t until I saw her bruises that . . . that I decided I needed to intervene. I made sure he got the message.” He sighed.

  “I’m sorry about what happened to your sister, but in this case you took it too far. Way too far. You didn’t have to break Marty’s face. He wasn’t going to hurt me.”

  “What did he want?”

  “He said he just wanted to talk.”

  Vincent’s eyes narrowed as he ground his teeth. “I wouldn’t believe him. That’s a classic trick they use. He hurt you before. That’s enough to establish that he’s dangerous.”

  “He said he was sorry and brought me flowers. He just wanted to apologize.”

  “You don’t know that Kristen. Kurt and Bernie were watching. If they made a move, it meant they thought you were in danger.”

  “You don’t know either. He was just extending his hand to say sorry. Last time I checked that wasn’t a felony.”

  He looked at me probingly. “Why are you defending him?”

  “Jesus, Vincent. Can you be any more insensitive? I’m not defending him.” My eyes began tearing again. “Don’t treat me like I’m a helpless victim. I can’t stand it.”

  “My team will make sure you won’t be.”

  “Why aren’t you listening to me?” I screamed. “Get rid of them! I hate the idea of being watched and monitored.”

  He kept his gaze firmly on me as I broke down. “Kristen, he might come back. You have to take this seriously.”

  “You nearly killed him for bringing me flowers, Vincent! I doubt he’d be coming back. I think he ‘got the message’.”

  He quietly handed me a tissue. I took it and wiped my eyes, pulling mascara off in the process. I knew I looked like a mess but I didn’t care.

  “I don’t like it. I want you to feel safe. If he does come back, you’ll be completely exposed.”

  I closed my eyes for a moment and forced out a shaky breath. “Right now, I’m more afraid of you than I am of him.”

  He narrowed his brows. “You don’t mean that.”

  I looked at him directly. “I do. You don’t know what it’s like watching your boyfriend nearly beat your ex to death. I’m scared of you and what you’re capable of.”

  Vincent staggered back for a moment, no doubt reeling from my response. “All right, fine. I’ll get rid of the security team. I’ll tell them to put a tracking device on his car so we can monitor his whereabouts.” He stared into my eyes. “But you should know that I’d never hurt you.”

  “You already have. Maybe not physically like Marty did, but you hurt me emotionally. You betrayed my trust.”

  “Okay. How can I make this right?”

  I shook my head. “I don’t know if you can.”

  “I really care about you Kristen and if you need space, I can do that.” He got up from the couch. “But if I had to choose between us breaking up and you being safe, without a doubt I’d choose the latter. I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if you got hurt and I had the ability to prevent it. I’d even lie to you if it meant saving you from harm.”

  “You can’t do that. You can’t take away my choice from me. I’m a grown woman who can make her own choices balancing her privacy and her safety. You made it your choice.”

  “It’s what happens when you—” He cut his sentence short. “When you really care about someone. If you’re asking if I’d do it again. I’ll tell you right now: I’d do it in a heartbeat.”

  After he left, I locked the door. Then I went to my room to cry.

  ***

  I’d cried until I felt nauseous from everything and vomited. It was incredible the police didn’t show up. The commotion from the fighting, shouting, and cursing was probably heard on multiple floors. I didn’t know my other neighbors on the floor that well but I knew they were in their mid-twenties. They were probably out clubbing. It was Friday night after all.

  I walked from the bathroom to the kitchen to get a cup of water. It was past midnight and I was exhausted from the evening’s events. I couldn’t wait to fall asleep and block everything out until tomorrow. During a long sip of water, the front door unlocked, opened, and clacked against the chain lock.

  “Kristen? You left the chain lock on. Open up.”

  I nearly choked on my water before I recognized the voice.

  “Riley, is that you? Are you by yourself?”

  “Uh yeah, duh. Were you expecting someone else?” She jiggled the door again but it wouldn’t budge. “Are you naked right now with whip cream on your nipples waiting for Vincent to show up? Is that why there are flower petals all over the doormat?”

  I breathed a sigh of relief. Typical Riley. “No, I’m not naked,” I hollered. “I’ll open the door.” I went to undo the chain. Once she was inside, I redid the chain.

  The short blue dress she went out in was rumpled and there were drink stains on it. She must’ve danced pretty hard, even if she’d gotten in early. “So how was dinner?” she asked.

  I groaned. “Bad.”

  “Bad? Or badass?” Riley said, her mood chipper as she flung off her shoes into the corner.

  When I didn’t respond, she looked at me and studied my face. “Whoa Kristen, were you crying? Oh my god, what happened?”

  I told her about how I saw Ariel’s text message during dinner with Vincent and how I ran home and then Marty showed up.

  Riley dropped her bags, gripped my shoulders, and shook me. “Are you okay? Did you call the police?”

  “No. Kurt and Bernie tackled him. Turns out they were Vincent’s security team he assigned to watch over me.”

  She squinted. “You mean the gay couple across from us?”

  I wasn’t sure about the gay couple part. In fact, I didn’t know what to believe about Kurt and Bernie. They could’ve been Navy SEALs or trained killers for all I knew. “Yeah.”

  “No way.” She put her hand up to my forehead to check my temperature.

  “Yes way. They restrained Marty and Vincent showed up and beat the shit out of him. I thought Vincent was going to kill him.”

  Riley gasped. “Wow! I’m sure he was just protecting you though, right?”

  “Yeah, but it was way overboard. Marty wasn’t even doing anything threatening. We were just talking outside my door when he was tackled.”

  Her voice lowered. “But he could have done something. It can happen in a split second.”

  I shook my head. “Still. You don’t go as far as Vincent did. He was punching and kicking Marty so hard I thought he was going to die. Plus, he lied to me. He asked me before if I wanted a security team and I told him no and he ignored my answer completely. It makes me feel so small and powerless!” I began to cry.

  Riley pulled me to her and hugged me. “It’s okay. You’re safe now.”

  I sobbed into her shoulder. “I don’t know what to do, Riley.”

  “Are you afraid Vincent’s going to hurt you?” Her words were careful.

  “No, I don’t think he’ll hurt me. But then again I didn’t know he was capable of what he did to Marty. I don’t know if
I can trust him. I don’t know what to think.”

  “You said he cheated on you with that chick Ariel, right? Then fuck him. Let him go surfing with sharks and have his dick get bitten off.”

  “I saw a text from Ariel saying she enjoyed riding his cock—and I freaked out. But Vincent explained that she was referring to his company’s new surfboard called the Shuttlecock.”

  She pulled back and looked at me. “Are you serious? You have to be kidding.” She laughed. “That’s hilarious. What a clever name.”

  “No it’s not! It’s stupid.”

  “A shuttlecock in badminton moves back and forth through the air—kind of like how a surfboard moves across a wave. Plus it has the word ‘cock’ in it. You have to admit that’s pretty genius marketing.”

  Apparently I wasn’t the target audience. “You’re the worst.”

  She laughed. “Aw, I’m sorry Kris. I’m listening.” She led me by the hand and we took a seat on the couch.

  Riley whipped out her phone and began pecking at it. “Looks like there really is a surfboard named that. It’s got rave reviews already. People are saying they love the handling but the best part is the name. So I don’t think he was lying to you. It was just an innocent misunderstanding.”

  “He lied about the security team though. And he acted like a psycho. He told me it was because his younger sister Giselle had an abusive boyfriend and he beat that guy up.”

  “Sounds like he’s a knight with shining abs.”

  Her tone was starting to piss me off. I needed my best friend to take me seriously. “Or a guy with a temper problem. I never knew Vincent had that side to him.”

  That wiped the smile off her face. “Stop it. Vincent’s totally different from Marty. He had a good reason for doing what he did. Marty hurt you before and I can see why Vincent reacted the way he did. Hell, if I was here when Marty showed up, I’d probably mace first, ask questions later.”

  She put her phone back in her pocket and rested her hand on my knee. “Give Vincent a chance. He’s not perfect. You showed him your baggage, now he’s shown you his. Take some time to think about it.”