22. Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Two
Carys
F inn should be done with his meeting soon. Kim and I are headed for a rear entrance that’ll take us into the fields for a walk, if anyone asks us. Really, I’ve managed to schedule a call with Demid to discuss a ‘business opportunity’ instead of trying to talk him into something via text or email. Maybe if he hears the naked pleading in my voice, he’ll be reminded of how much his daughter meant to him and how he was willing to do anything to get her back. Would he wish the kind of pain he suffers on me?
We’re at the top of the rear set of stairs Kim found yesterday when I spot Jade coming toward us. Even though we’re pressed for time, I tip my head in her direction. “Let’s wait a minute and at least speak to her.”
Kim’s face remains a cool mask of indifference, but she’s voiced her suspicions. They may match Finn’s, but it doesn’t mean I can’t cultivate a wary friendship with Jade. My guard is up. I can’t stomach leaving a woman in a vulnerable position if we have the means to help her.
When she gets close enough, the bruise around her eye is obvious despite the concealer to mute the black discoloring. “You’ve hurt yourself.” I point to my eye, and I scan the rest of her for signs of violence. “Are you okay?”
Her chin trembles, and she won’t meet my gaze. “I—I tripped, and my cheek caught the edge of a table in our bedroom.”
Kim remains emotionless beside me. Anger stirs my stomach. She’s lying. Does she realize we know or suspect a different reason for the dark bloom?
“I’m sorry to hear that.” I keep my voice pitched low. “Sometimes you really have to watch your step.”
She brushes away a stray tear, concealer appearing on her finger. She winces at the contact of her fingers on the tender skin. With a deep breath, she straightens her shoulders before meeting my gaze. “Were you serious about us being friends?”
No matter how hard I try, I can’t shake the impression I’ve seen her before somewhere else. There’s the vague outline of a memory, as though I could use a pencil to shade over the imprint and fill in the empty space. The flicker of familiarity draws me closer. “Of course.” I smile. “Women should stick together.”
“PJ needs me right now. But maybe tomorrow, sometime? We could go for a walk or… I don’t know.” Her expression turns amused. “Share a cuppa and some biscuits.”
“Sounds lovely.” I take her hand and give it a gentle squeeze, making eye contact. “I’m looking forward to getting better acquainted.”
She touches her hair with her free hand in a gesture that reminds me of myself—a nervous habit. I cock my head, trying to decide whether the movement is genuine. Are Finn and Kim right?
“Tomorrow,” Jade whispers, stepping past us to stride down the hall.
Kim watches her go and when she’s clearly out of earshot, she says, “A cuppa and some biscuits.” Her accent is mocking.
I roll my eyes and lead the way to the staircase. “Can you pretend to like her a little? She might be a valuable source of information.”
“I cannot believe these words are going to leave my mouth, but Finn and I are in agreement about her. Maybe you can get something out of her. Will it be real? Will the information put you in more danger? She’s trying to deceive people with her fake accent. What else is she pretending?”
“That bruise is real enough.” I stride out into the fields with Kim a few steps behind me. “Your accent isn’t real either.” Though, now that she’s pointed out the oddity of Jade’s accent, it’s all I hear when she speaks. Is she attempting to blend in? Or hide another accent underneath? Maybe it’s simply PJ’s French merging with Jade’s Irish. That happens. Couples who spend a lot of time together adopt each other’s traits.
Kim doesn’t say much while we make our way toward one of the outbuildings. When I find a spot sheltered from the wind and from the prying eyes of the mansion, I take out my phone. I scroll through my contacts for Demid, but before I can hit Send, Kim puts her hand on mine.
“I know why you want to believe her. Under normal circumstances, I would too. If she’s manipulating the abuse to gain sympathy or if she’s pretending to befriend you for a power move, the deception goes against who you are at your core. I get that. Hard to believe she’d do that.” We stare at each other for a beat. “But trust me when I tell you, she’s not your friend. She’ll never be your friend. Her loyalty lies with the PLA. I guarantee it.”
I clench my jaw with the things I want to say but keep discarding. She and Jade could be twins, given their deceptive natures. “I guess you’d know.” Then I hit Dial on Demid’s number and put the phone to my ear. I turn my back on her and her hurt expression. Did she betray me when she worked for me? No. Only because I didn’t give her the chance. I’m not going to allow Jade the chance either. I’m too smart to be sucked in.
“Carys.” Demid’s voice washes over me like an old friend.
We haven’t spoken since I sent flowers for Valeriya’s lavish funeral and made a hefty donation to the charity he named in her honor. I’m hoping he remembers those things during the next few minutes.
“You said you had a business proposition for me?”
“Tied to a favor, I’m afraid.”
There’s a beat of silence on his end before he says, “Ah yes. Nothing is ever free. For both of us.”
“Because I respect our previous working relationship, I’m just going to come out with it.” I pause to draw a deep breath of courage. If he says no, I’m not sure what we’ll do to protect everyone who isn’t here with us. “I’m in a bit of a sticky situation with the PLA. They’ve threatened my child and my associate’s family as well. I was hoping I could call on you to take them in. Offer them protection for the next little while.”
He sucks in a breath. “The PLA? Carys, why are you dealing with those thugs?”
“It’s a long story. I—I can’t get into the details, exactly. I need to know what you’d want from me to help us.”
He clucks his tongue and makes various humming and hawing sounds over the phone. Kim raises her eyebrows when I glance at her. My odds are fifty-fifty right now, and the sinking sensation in my stomach is about to drag me under.
“The only thing you can offer me is what you no longer have.”
His words are a knife slicing through my heart. “The ammunitions business.”
“Your father has not been good to me since he’s taken control.”
Of course, he hasn’t. My father understands money, not loyalty. Demid and I worked well together. Rarely legally, but always well. “Do you want me to talk to him?” I’m not sure what else I can offer.
“In exchange for my risk in taking in your family, I want discounted rates and preferential treatment from Van de Berg Ammunitions.” His smile is clear even over the phone. “For life.”
Oh, sweet Jesus. My father is never going to agree to that condition. “I must talk to him. I can’t make that decision on the spot.”
“I understand. I am in no hurry. You, however, may be.” His thick Russian accent makes the words sound more ominous than normal.
“I’ll be in touch,” I say and hang up the phone. I tap it against my palm and glance at Kim. “Did you hear?”
“Enough. He’s not a quiet talker.”
“What do you think?” Words are out of my mouth before I can consider whether I should be seeking her opinion.
“His terms aren’t terrible. The issue is that you can’t fulfill them without getting Charles involved.”
“Yeah. Small glitch.” I use my fingers to indicate it’s not a big deal even as my heart pounds. “He won’t agree.”
“Doubtful.” She peers into the distance, across the remote fields of the property. “You need Demid.”
“What if my father offers to protect them,” I whisper the words, not sure they’ll be true.
“Your father works with bad men, and maybe he’s not a good man, but he’s not a bad man. He won’t inspire terror in the PLA. He’s no Finn.”
I should resent the comparison, as though Finn is the worst of the worst. Instead, a streak of longing runs through me. When my back is against a wall, there’s no one else I’d rather have on my side. He’d walk through hell and welcome the flames if it meant protecting me. It’s a level of comfort and security I never thought I’d get from a man. “I need to talk to Finn.”
“They should be back now. I’ll have to meet Lachlan out front. I’ll walk you to your room first.”
We make our way into the mansion and up the stairs in silence. My mind keeps seeking another way to protect Lucas, Luciana, Rosa, Lena, and Sofia, but I fear Kim is right. My father won’t be enough to deter the PLA from coming after my family. We need real consequences.
When I return to the room, the door is ajar. Kim shakes her head and gently shoves me aside to prod it open with her fingers. Finn is packing a bag on the bed with his back to us. At the creak of the hinge, he turns.
“Are we going somewhere?” I step around her.
“I am. You’re staying here.”
“By yourself?” I ask.
Finn’s finger goes to his lips, a reminder about the bug. I suppress a sigh. The worst thing about our time here has been the constant vigilance. Considering how he’s packing, it doesn’t seem like I’ll get to talk to him about Demid or my father. I might have to make that decision on my own.
“Lachlan’s coming. Kim, he’s waiting for you in the car.”
She disappears from the doorway, closing it behind her.
“I was hoping we’d have a chance to talk.” I sit beside his bag, wishing I could blurt out the details of my phone call.
“About face creams or blow jobs or something else?”
I give him a wry smile but don’t answer. The only positive of the nameless listener is Finn’s joking manner. Witty remarks live in him, but most of the time they’re hidden under a serious, menacing demeanor.
“Hand jobs?” He shoves the last item of clothing in his bag and zips it up.
“You’re putting me to work before you leave me?”
His grin is wicked. “I don’t mind doing some of the heavy lifting.”
Butterflies of anticipation flutter around my stomach. I can’t get enough of him. The mere mention of sex, and I’m aching with desire. “Are you calling me heavy?”
“Never.” He scoops me up and tosses me farther onto the bed. He rises over top of me, and his lips connect with mine. Our tongues tangle, and I ease him between my legs. He rocks against me, already hard and ready.
“How long will you be gone?” My voice is breathy with need.
“A week at most.” His lips slide along my neck. “I’ll call you every night to make sure you’re missing me enough.” He draws away and lifts my skirt, tugging my panties down. His fingers skim my slick folds, and he groans. “We don’t have much time.”
“I’ll take any time we’ve got if it means I get you.” I unzip his pants to release him and run my hand along his shaft.
His eyes close, and his jaw tenses with pleasure.
“What kind of job do you wish me to perform?” My voice is husky. I want to clamber on top of him and ride him until we both get the release we crave.
“Surprise me.” A hint of a smile tugs at the edges of his lips, and I close my own around him. “Fuucckk,” he mutters as his hands dig into my hair. “God, I love you.”
We shed our clothes, and any thoughts of talking turn to finding a few last moments of pleasure in each other. When I climb on top of him, and he grips my hips, our gazes connect. The combination of love and lust in his icy-blue depths squeezes my heart. To be loved by this man is tied for the greatest gift of my life. Not before him, and not after him, has anyone consumed me so fully.
My breasts brush against his chest as I rise and fall over him in the slowest, sweetest rhythm. Being without him again so soon catches my breath, and I kiss him deeply and cling to him. His hand slips between us, brushing against my clit, and I gasp into his mouth as I grind on him, seeking my release.
He tugs me a fraction of an inch closer, and I come apart, gripping his shoulders with the ecstasy, and he follows behind, crying out my name.