Chapter 35 Everett
EVERETT
“What, you’re driving me today?” The awe on Aurora’s face is almost enough to undo me.
She stands in my driveway, hands shoved in the pockets of her black slacks, chest rising and falling as she stares at me. At the fob in my hand.
Her small feet bounce impatiently in ballet flats.
This beautiful woman, she’s been undoing me all weekend. Alone, in bed, she’s given me everything. Her soul, her body, her submission.
She ruined me in the best way. And me, I didn’t just rail her—I worshipped her. With my hands. My mouth. My words.
As much as a man like me is capable of worshipping anyone.
She needed it. Needed me, and I was more than happy to serve her, take care of her. Her cramps were killing her.
Her heart too. She mumbled Winston’s name in her sleep, asking why and what happened. She suspects he’s tied to Lotus’s death, she just doesn’t know how.
After today, we’ll have our answers.
My eyes cut away from Aurora to the glove compartment of my idling SUV, where I hid Lotus’s hairbrush last night, then back to Aurora. On the collar at her throat. On her lips, still swollen from my kiss.
The lips I need wrapped around the coffee mug in my hand to get her DNA. I could’ve gotten her hairbrush, but I didn’t want her to suspect anything. Didn’t want her freaking out about being the product of rape when it’s possible she isn’t.
“Yes.” My voice is steady. Soon I’ll have the full picture. Until then, no planting doubts in her head. She’s had too much already. “I’ll be driving you today.”
“Why?” Her brow furrows.
I slip a painkiller from my pocket and press it to her lips.
Blush creeps into her cheeks, her eyes watering. I hate myself for it. For using this as a trick to get her to drink from the damn mug.
For how kindness feels so foreign to her.
I should’ve seen it sooner, that she was a prisoner in her own home.
I shouldn’t have been so fucking self-absorbed.
I should’ve made sure someone, anyone, was watching over Winston’s daughter.
Most of all, I should never have let her rot in that house for twenty-two years.
“Here.” In front of the gardeners, in front of the driver who brought the car around for us, I step closer to Aurora. “Open up.”
She does. I place the pill on her tongue, biting back a groan. Her mouth is where I want to spend the rest of my life.
“Drink.” I would’ve spit in her beautiful mouth like I did this morning.
But I grit my teeth and hold back.
Eyes fixed on mine, she accepts the cup. Her left hand wraps around it, her engagement ring and wedding band glinting in the sun. The possessive animal in me stirs at that.
It’s a fucking wonder how her every movement gets my dick unbearably hard when she presses her lips to the rim. The way her throat works when she swallows.
Aurora sees what she’s doing to me. Her pupils grow larger, pushing out the blue. Her breath quickens.
I don’t scare her anymore. She doesn’t hate me.
She wants me.
I want her so much more. I haven’t wanted anything as much as I want her.
“All done.” She hands over the empty cup, swiping her tongue over her wet lips.
It takes immense concentration not to crush the cup in my hand.
“You good?” Her hair falls to the side as she tilts her head.
The little brat has learned how to tempt me. I fucking admire her for it.
“Hmm.” I take her jaw in my palm, looking at her as if she means nothing to me. As if I hate her.
She shudders, then leans into my palm.
I lower my face to hers.
“No, I’m not good.” My lips brush over her ear as I speak. “My cock isn’t tearing into your pretty little pussy. My teeth aren’t leaving marks on your flesh. I’m not belting you, am I?”
“N-n-no.” Feeling her shiver is one of my favorite things. “You aren’t.”
“That’s right.” I step back, adjusting the ache in my cock. “But you’ll make it up to me tonight, won’t you?”
She’s flushed, stunning. “Yes.”
“Good girl. Now get in the car.”
She places her hands on her hips. “Not before you tell me why you’re the one driving me?”
“Because I want to.” I dip my chin, pinning her with my coldest look. Useless, really. We both know I’ll never hurt her like I did before. “But if you make me ask again, you won’t come for an entire week.”
Aurora is quick to pinch her lips and glower at me.
For a second there, I think she’s about to give me attitude. If she does, I’m fucking done. I won’t punish her.
I’ll throw her over my shoulder and spend the day loving her with my cock buried in her ass.
She’s skipped the plug today. That means she’ll be even tighter. Hotter.
“Okay.” She rolls her shoulders, her face hardening into indifference. I know that look, the mask she wears whenever she thinks I’m holding something back. “Let’s go.”
I’m not worried. I don’t feel guilty or twisted about this. Her days of being kept in the dark will be over soon.
My revenge will be hers as well.
The clock will start ticking as soon as I drop her off.
In twenty-four hours, I’ll have my results.
Three raps on my home office door, and my head snaps up.
My teeth gnash.
I’ve been on edge since I dropped the DNA samples at the lab this morning.
There was no way to expedite the already expedited test, no matter how much money I threw at the lab.
My mood isn’t any better for it. The physical limitations, the wait. My head is pounding from all the things that are out of my control.
Showing up to rule over my court while I’m in this state would’ve been a disaster, so I’ve taken the day off. Which is why I’m here.
Aurora has no idea that I haven’t gone to work. This morning, I dressed in one of my dark suits to keep up the pretense. To protect her from the unknown.
Only my staff knows I’m here. But lunch was served an hour ago, so it isn’t them.
Doesn’t take a genius to realize the only one who’s conniving enough to track me down is none other than Winston.
My gaze is trained on the door. “Come in.”
I reach into my desk drawer, clasping my fingers around the handle of my Glock.
One can never be too careful.
“Mr. Alder—” someone from my staff starts.
I hardly register who, because my guest pushes past him.
“Everett.” Winston barges in. In a gray suit and a douchebag smile, he acts like he owns the place. As if the whole month didn’t happen. He’s up to something, the bastard. “Son.”
My fingers tighten around the handle of the gun. One squeeze, then I let go.
Though I’m entitled to shoot this intruder, he’ll suffer longer behind bars.
He won’t get to win. Alive or dead, Winston is bound to lose.
The asshole offers me his hand. I arrange my features into an expression I hope reflects my disinterest.
Given the way he drops his hand to the side, I’ve got it right.
“What do you want, Winston?”
He has the nerve to scan my office before taking the seat in front of me.
If he were hoping I’d offer him a drink, he must be more of a sociopath than I’ve realized.
“We”—he undoes the button of his suit jacket, his eyebrows lowering—“have a problem that needs to be dealt with.”
“Oh?” Instead of throwing accusations at him, at how he’s been the fucking problem all along, I tilt my head to the side. Steeple my fingers on top of my desk. “Enlighten me, please, on what that problem might be.”
“Aurora.”
One word. One fucking word and my pulse spikes, my blood roaring in my ears.
My eyes have gone dry because if I blink, I’ll lose it. I’ll take the gun out of the drawer and empty it on his repulsive, contented face.
“I thought I made it clear.” I’m talking as slow as possible.
Anything to keep calm. Anything to hide the fact that I’m about to empty my gun on his ugly face.
“Aurora is mine. She isn’t your daughter anymore. She sure as fuck isn’t your problem.”
“My point, exactly. You’re furious and I’ve barely said anything.
And it’s her fault.” A smug smirk spreads over his lips.
Staying in place is an effort. How I’d love to bash his face in.
“The moment she came between the members of our Royalty group, Aurora made herself a problem. We pledged our loyalty, or have you forgotten about that?”
Says the fucker who broke his vows in the first place.
Tick tock, tick tock, the dials of the clock on my wall go as I examine my opponent. My enemy.
He doesn’t break a sweat under my inspection.
He should.
Because Lord help me, I’m trying not to shoot him. I’m doing my absolute goddamn best to keep silent when all I want to do is kill him.
“I haven’t forgotten.” I’m the picture of calm as I continue, “Stop beating around the bush and say what you came here to say. I’m busy, in case you haven’t noticed.”
“Busy doing what?” He places an ankle over his knee, practically gloating. “You’ve taken the day off. You can’t be that busy.”
It shouldn’t surprise me that he’s had me followed. I suspected as much, hence why I had a rental car waiting in the hospital parking lot this morning.
My driver was already there, ready to switch places as soon as Aurora disappeared behind the sliding doors.
Once I confirmed no one had tailed me into the lot, we swapped cars.
He drove home. I went to the DNA lab. Left a stack of cash instead of a paper trail.
Winston may know a lot, but this time he has no idea.
If he did, he wouldn’t look so damn relaxed.
“Okay, okay.” His laugh is nails scraping the inside of my skull. “I’ll cut to the chase. For years, I’ve been diligent in teaching her how to be a functioning member of society. Of our society. All so I could marry her off in a way that would be beneficial to both me and her future husband.”
The mere idea of having another man so much as looking at her sends a surge of adrenaline through my veins. Despite myself, my jaw tics. My fists clench on my desk.
“While you weren’t my first choice—since our businesses already benefit from one another…”
His business benefits from mine. The only reason I let my proxy at the law firm keep him as a client was for the sake of pretense. Of lowering Winston’s guard.
My money though? I’d rather die than allow him to manage a single dime of my fortune.