Chapter 15
Chapter Fifteen
BLAKE
I’m sitting in my usual spot in the library, trawling through page after page of information about Harper.
I’ve highlighted text, left notes in the margins, and set a pile aside for anything that could potentially be helpful.
The only problem is, I can’t find anything useful.
I sit back in my chair, arching my arms above my head.
What am I missing?
“You okay in here?” Aimee asks, strolling into the library and sitting opposite me.
“Aren’t you supposed to be answering the phones?” I chuckle.
She waves a hand in the air. “Meh, they can do without me for five minutes. I just wanted to check on you. See how you were settling in.”
I blow out a breath. “It’s okay, I guess. Everyone seems nice.”
“And…” Aimee says, giving me a knowing look.
“And it would just be nice if Theo would take his head out of his ass and let me help him.” I shrug. “Two heads are better than one and all that.”
“Unfortunately, Theo has an issue working with other people. I’ve never known him to be any other way. He’ll come around though.”
“Doubtful,” I reply.
“Oh, I forgot. Frank wants to see you in his office.” Aimee stands up and makes for the door. She stops before turning, her eyes soft as she says, “It’ll get easier, just give it time.”
I nod, but she’s already gone. Packing up the books, I place everything back before heading to Frank’s office, hoping it's nothing bad and I’m not about to get fired. With everything between Theo and me at the moment, I wouldn’t put it past him; he has kept threatening it after all.
The office is abuzz with the noise of clacking keyboards, ringing phones, and people coming and going.
Some are in a rush, while others are at a slow, sauntering pace.
It’s a sound I’ve always loved. When you grow up worried about the silence and what it could mean, noise is the only thing that makes you feel safe.
I smooth down my blouse and pencil skirt as I walk toward Frank’s office, but a voice stops me.
“Blake.”
My shoulders droop, and I huff out a breath.
Here we go.
I made an effort to be civil the other day, to take the high road and offer peace.
But the way he dismissed me—cold and abrupt—said everything.
He looked so unlike himself, pale and shaken, and for a second, I couldn’t process how harsh he was.
He’s always been difficult, but that was something else.
I didn’t handle it well—I got angry when what I really felt was pain. I don’t want to feel anything for him.
I turn around and come face to face with Theo, his imposing stature threatening to make my knees weak.
This man has always towered above me. His muscular build makes him look more intimidating than he actually is.
His hair hangs down, hitting his shoulders as he walks toward me, and I remember what it felt like to run my hands through it.
“What shampoo do you use? Your hair feels incredible.” I chuckle, stroking the strands.
His head lifts off my chest, his blue eyes piercing me as he replies, “If you think I’m giving away all my secrets, you’re sorely mistaken, firefly. I’m gonna need something in return for that kind of information.”
“Okay, what do you want?”
If it weren’t for the fact that his face was straight, I’d think he was joking with his next words.
“You. For life.”
“Blake?”
My head jerks up, pulling me from my thoughts. “Sorry, what?”
Theo looks annoyed, but that seems par for the course when he’s around me now. I just didn’t realize how much it would hurt seeing him look at me as if I’m worth nothing more than the dirt on his shoe.
“Field trip.”
“Frank wants to see me,” I argue, knowing it’ll fall on deaf ears. This man hates anything I say or suggest.
Right on cue, his eyes darken, telling me he didn’t like my response. “And I told you we need to go. We have a meeting.” He turns without a word and walks away.
I trail after him, because honestly, I don’t know what else to do. I should’ve told him to fuck off and walked away, but he’s finally letting me in on the case, so I guess that means something. I just hope Frank wanting to see me wasn’t about anything important.
The air in the car feels thick, like it’s pressing down on me.
I sit quietly, watching the world slip by through the glass.
Theo hasn’t said a word, and I haven’t dared to try.
The last time I did, he forcefully told me to leave his office.
I’d rather not take the risk of being dumped on the side of the road when we’re heading off to… wherever it is we’re going.
I glance at him from the corner of my eye.
His jaw’s clenched tightly, the muscles working overtime as he tries and fails to stop grinding his teeth.
His knuckles are white as they hold onto the steering wheel in a vice-like grip, his wrists moving every so often to squeeze harder.
But his eyes are what give him away. It’s the sadness etched into them, like he’s holding all the pain in the world.
“Are you okay?” I hear myself ask, and I immediately wish I could take it back.
So much for not talking to him, Blake.
I don’t know what possesses me to keep asking questions. Maybe it’s the silence? Maybe it’s also because a small part of me hates knowing he’s in pain?
“Do you want to talk about it?” I ask gently.
He pushes out a frustrated breath. “No,” he says, his tone cold and final.
I shift in my seat, turning to face him. “The clenched jaw and white knuckles suggest otherwise, Theo,” I point out, a joking hint to my tone.
Is it good that he’s spoken, even if it’s in an icy tone? I always thought I knew him during our time together, but now I’m thinking that he’s right, and I never knew him at all. That he showed me what he showed everyone else. And I’m not sure how that makes me feel.
“I’m trying to concentrate,” he says through clenched teeth, sweat beading on his brow.
“Theo,” I sigh. “We’re stuck in a car for god knows how long, so just get whatever it is off your chest and be done with it.”
He scoffs. “You don’t want to know what’s going on in my mind, firefly.”
“I just asked, didn’t I?” I roll my eyes, but he stays silent, not uttering another word.
It takes us thirty minutes to reach our destination, and my brows furrow when we approach a stately home off a beaten path. The electric gates allow us entrance as soon as we arrive, so they were clearly expecting us.
Theo drives up the long, winding drive until what can only be described as a mansion finally comes into view.
Beige windows and doors are set into a brick-colored building with a balcony above the front door. Trimmed trees and potted plants surround the building, with a garage and stable to the left. The place is freaking huge. Bigger than anything I’ve ever seen outside of the internet and TV.
Theo stops the car outside the garage and gets out, still silent. I unbuckle my seatbelt and follow after him. He rounds the car as I’m getting out, pushing me with his chest so I have nowhere else to go but back against the car, my feet stumbling along the way.
He leans in so close I can smell the coffee he had before we left along with the sharp scent of his cologne. “You do not speak. You do not move. You sit quietly and look like”—he wiggles a finger around my face—“this.” His voice is low, dark, and with a hint of something I can’t name.
My breathing picks up, my mouth dry as I look into eyes that threaten to destroy me.
“You watch. You observe. You do not get a say in anything, am I understood?”
Jesus.
I nod, unable to form words. I hate myself a little bit more when my clit throbs and my panties grow damp. Soft, sweet Theo is one thing, but dominant Theo? Fuck, he’s on a whole other level, and I’m not sure which one I prefer.
Neither Blake. We don’t like this man.
“Good.” He stays still for a beat, and my eyes dart between his, but all I see staring back at me is hatred.
He walks off, anger in every step, and I trail behind him, wondering what delights I’m in store for now.
“Senator, so good to see you,” Theo says, extending his hand.
Senator Thomas takes Theo’s hand, and they go for one of those quick, firm shakes. Theo doesn’t introduce me again, instead acting as if I don’t exist. I roll my eyes internally and step forward, offering my hand to the senator.
“Please, have a seat,” the senator says, gesturing to the sofa behind him.
The inside matches the outside of the home, and it’s like someone threw up beige and cream with no color in mind. I’d hate my house to look like this. I mean, I love having everything in its place, but I couldn’t live without any color—I’d go mad.
Sitting down on the sofa that’s hard as nails under my ass, I cross my ankles and wait.
“How is she?” Theo asks.
The senator’s brow pulls down. “My daughter still won’t talk, still won’t leave her room, and I’m at a loss as to what to do.” He sighs, raking a hand down his aging face. “I don’t know if I can force her to leave and go somewhere that isn’t home.”
Theo shifts in his seat, elbows resting on his knees. “I appreciate that, but this is the best thing for Harper. I know it’s difficult, but we’ll get to the bottom of this, and she’ll be able to start healing.”
“Will she, though, Mr. Moore? Or have I lost my daughter for good?” The senator’s eyes become glossy, and I try not to let my own fill. The pain he feels for her is clear when he speaks, and it makes me all the more determined to find the guy who did this.
Theo stays quiet, but I can see from the way he moves his jaw that he’s thinking about what he wants to say.
“Sir, you haven’t lost your daughter. Yes, Harper’s going to be different when all of this is over, but she’s still in there somewhere.
She’s been through a horrific experience I wouldn’t wish on my worst enemy”—he pauses, clearing his throat—“but she will get through this. Sometimes we have to be broken down to the barest of shells to be rebuilt into the person we were meant to be.”
“And what if she comes out worse?”
“She won’t. I have faith that Harper has a fantastic support system around her which will keep her from falling.” Theo’s voice catches, and I glance at him. This seems personal to him, but why? “We’re going to have to leave soon. Say your goodbyes, and we’ll be on the road.”
The senator nods glumly, clearly not liking this, and to be honest, neither do I. Theo’s still keeping me in the dark about his plans. I’m just hoping they’ll come to light soon.
Senator Thomas walks off, and I’m left with a brooding Viking.
“You still haven’t told me what’s going on,” I mumble.
He stands up and walks to the bookcases lining the living room walls. “That’s because you don’t need to know.”
“Like hell I don’t,” I whisper-yell, standing up and storming toward him. “I’m your partner in this. What you know, I need to know.”
Theo’s head whips around so fast I wouldn’t be surprised if he gave himself whiplash. “You never have and never will be my partner, Blake. I despise you. Hate everything about you. I will never give you what you need.”
“You hate me?” I sneer at him and get in his face, which is kinda hard to do when he towers over my 5’8” frame. “You hate me?”
This fucking idiot.
Theo’s eyes darken, his jaw clenching and his nostrils flaring as he stares down at me. “I. Hate. You,” he reiterates with more bite to his tone.
I scoff. “You were the one who walked away from me, big guy. You left me, so you don’t get to hate me.” I poke his chest with each syllable, anger boiling away at the audacity of this man. “You don’t get to hate me when it was your actions that caused this.”
“Typical, Blake.” He laughs bitterly. “Always blaming someone else when it was you.” He leans into my space, filling my senses with everything that is him. “You broke my heart for a quick fuck. I’m more than entitled to hate the mere sight of you. You disgust me.”
The resulting sneer and look of hatred tells me he speaks the truth, but I have no idea what he’s talking about.
Just as I’m about to tell him as much, the senator walks in with Harper.
She’s hidden under a large hoodie that falls to her knees, her head is down, and she shuffles along like she would rather be anywhere else but here.
My heart hurts for this poor girl who’s suffered so much.
Theo brushes past me, heading straight for the girl. “Sup, Harper. I’m Theo, your designated driver and lover of all things Tay Tay.”
I watch as he doesn’t crowd her, doesn’t hold his hand out to her, simply talks like he would to anyone else. I’m baffled by the encounter. I would have definitely given her space, but I would have also spoken to her in a softer tone.
Harper looks up at Theo, and it happens so quickly I wonder if I imagined it, but she gives a slight quirk of her lips as if he made her smile. The senator’s eyes going wide means I didn’t imagine it.
“Awesome. You’re riding shotgun,” he continues. “That one over there has a stick up her ass, and I’d rather sit with the cool kid.”
It takes me a minute to work out that I’m the one Theo meant had a stick up their ass.
This motherfucker.
“Excuse Mr. Moore, his man bun is a little too tight today, and it’s cutting off his circulation,” I quip, rolling my eyes at Harper. I give a small wave as I say, “Hey, I’m Blake. The one with the stick up her ass who also loves Taylor.”
Harper nods, her dark hair falling out from beneath the hood with the movement. She brushes it back, and the sleeve moves up, revealing a bandage on her wrist. I suck in a breath, my eyes going to Theo, but his are firmly on Harper.