Chapter 27
Chapter
Twenty-Seven
ARIANA
T his week has been a blur, and I can hardly believe it’s Saturday. Between the beginning tendrils of friendship with Anabelle, Rapsody, and Cinder, and having Obsidian tell me he loves me, I’m floating on a cloud.
The only shadow to be found was in his confession of the abuse his father inflicted on him. I can’t believe men like his father actually exist. Thank God that man is already dead, or I might have tracked him down and murdered him myself.
The day after Obsidian and I made love, I googled his father and found out that he was murdered just like his mother. The only difference is that Obsidian and his brothers were all suspects in his death at one point or another, but the police never had enough evidence, so the death remains unsolved.
Truth is, even if one of them did kill him, I’d be unbothered. Every monster deserves a monstrous death.
The driver stops the vehicle in front of Black Magic Bar, and I step out. My mood plummets when I stare at the door because I’m here empty-handed. I couldn’t go through with stealing from the man I love. The moment Obsidian told me he loved me, it created a mountain of problems for me.
The guilt is so hard to wade through. Most of the time I can push it off, but if I happen to think about what I’m doing in his presence, I might burst out crying.
I had a small figurine in my hand earlier today, and I just couldn’t leave the room with it. My feet were cement because even knowing I can never have Obsidian since he’ll never forgive me, I still can’t steal from him. And now I have to somehow tell my brother.
Pulling the door open, I step inside and find Bastion at his usual table. Once again, he’s chatting with the bartender, but she leaves as she sees me approach.
He gets up from his seat and walks around the table to give me a hug. “How’s it going, sis?”
I return his hug then sit. “It’s going. You?”
He leans back in the chair, stretching one arm out in front of him on the table. “My sugar mama broke up with me.”
“Let me guess, you’re heartbroken?” I roll my eyes.
He chuckles. “No, but I do miss the influx of cash. And the sex was good.”
I stick my finger in my mouth and gag. “Please don’t share any details. What happened?”
Bastion shrugs. “Figured out I sold the watch she got me.”
I cringe. “That’ll do it.”
“Yeah…” He sighs as the bartender returns, setting a beer down in front of each of us.
I nod toward her retreating back. “I bet you could solve the sex portion of your issue tonight.”
His eyes watch her go back to the bar. “Yeah, if I had time, but I gotta visit your ass then jump on the red-eye home. Maybe she’ll take pity on me and let me fuck her in the back before I leave.”
“And they say romance is dead.” I bring the beer to my lips.
“Do they?” He winks and takes a pull from his own.
“How’s Dad?” Just like every week, I brace myself for whatever my brother is about to say.
“Managing to stay out of trouble.” His gaze flicks from the beer in his hand up to me and back.
Something is off, and it’s not his sugar mama breakup. He’s not telling me something. “What?”
“What what?”
My head tilts. “Stop messing around. What is it? There’s something you’re not telling me.”
He frowns. “Uma’s not happy.”
My heartbeat picks up speed. “Why isn’t she happy? We’ve been paying off Dad’s debt faster than she thought possible.”
“I think that might be the problem.” My forehead creases, and he continues. “She didn’t say anything the first time I gave her a large sum of money, but every week when I’m there, she seems more put out. She’s started asking how we’re getting all this money and why I’m the one delivering it and not you. I think she has a real hard-on for you.”
I think back to her comments about how she could use someone like me working for her. How together, we could do big things. My hand tightens around my beer. “You didn’t tell her, did you?”
He shakes his head. “Hell no. The last thing we need is her sniffing around here and ruining a good thing.”
“Agreed.” My lips press into a thin line as suspicion rears its head. “Did she say anything else about me? Ask anything about me?”
He shakes his head. “No, she just wanted to know why you hadn’t been back and where the money came from. When I wouldn’t tell her, she dropped it. But I have a feeling it’s going to come up again.”
I lean over the table. “Whatever you do, do not tell her where I am. I don’t want that viper anywhere near here.”
Bastion scoffs at me. “As if.” He lifts the beer to his lips.
I take a hefty pull off my beer.
“So, how’s life working for the other half?”
“It’s not so bad.” My mind drifts to Obsidian and the vision of him naked in bed where I left him a short while ago. Hopefully he’s still there when I return.
“What’s that smile about?”
“What smile?”
“You just had this goofy smile on your face.”
“I did not.” I lift my beer to my lips.
“You did. What were you thinking about?”
“Nothing. Enough with the interrogation.” I scowl at him.
Bast sets his beer on the table with force and sets his hands on the edge of the table. “You know, I thought something was up weeks ago, but now, I’m positive.”
I shake my head. “I’m not going to listen to this.” Standing, I grab my bag off the back of the chair and walk toward the door.
I’m only ten steps outside when Bastion flies out of the bar and brings me to a halt with a hand on my elbow. “What the fuck is going on, Ari?”
I’m cornered. There’s no way to do what I feel is right in my heart and help my family.
Tears gather in my eyes, and I shake my head. “I can’t.”
“Tell me.” He sets his hands on my shoulders and brings his face down to meet my eyes. “Are you sleeping with him?”
“Worse,” I whisper, not wanting to tell my brother. I’ve broken every rule my dad has set when we go after a mark.
His hands fall to his sides, and he steps back then pushes them through his strawberry-blond hair. “You can’t love him?”
I sniffle and nod. “And he loves me.”
Bastion shakes his head. “C’mon, Ari. Why would a man like Voss fall in love with you? No disrespect, but the guy is a billionaire. He could have anyone—models, movie stars, other billionaires.”
My brother’s comments crack me open. He’s only repeating everything my subconscious has been telling me since Obsidian said the words.
“I don’t know, but he does,” I shout at him.
Bastion grips my arm and walks me down the stairs at the side of the porch, moving me into the parking lot away from the bar. “So what, you’re going to ride off into the sunset as a billionaire’s bride and leave Dad and I to suffer the consequences? I’m sure the billionaire can keep you safe, right? Why worry about us?”
I rip my arm from his hand. “I’m not the one who got us into this mess!” My finger stabs him in the chest. “And of course I’m not going to leave you two to deal with it on your own. I don’t know what I’m going to do, though. I can’t steal from him anymore, Bast.”
His mouth drops open. “You didn’t bring anything with you tonight?”
“No! I couldn’t do it. I’ve betrayed his trust so many times already, and I can’t do it anymore.”
A tear drips down my cheek, and Bastion pulls me in for a hug. “Okay, okay.” He’s quiet while he comforts me. “We’re so close, Ari. With another couple of decent lifts from you, we have it paid off.”
I shake my head into his chest, knowing I can’t do it anymore, then I step back, wiping the tears from my face with my hands. “We need to figure something else out.”
He places his hands on his hips and looks at the ground. Then his head whips up. “If this guy loves you, could you just ask him for the money?”
“Bast, no! It would raise too many questions. I can’t admit to him what I’ve already done, how I was raised, and who I used to be.” The idea of Obsidian knowing that information about me spurs nausea as if I’m abandoned at sea on an innertube.
He blows out a breath. “I don’t know what we’re going to do then.”
“Did your sugar mama give you anything else you can sell?”
Bastion shakes his head.
“Well, find another one then. Fast.”
He nods.
“I’ll see if I can think of something one of us can do,” I add. We’ve spent a lot of my paycheck on Bastion flying back and forth every week. No matter, it’s not going to cover a fraction of what we owe.
His disappointment is obvious, but he doesn’t say anything further.
“I have to travel with Obsidian for work again this coming week, so I won’t be able to meet you next Saturday.” It’s a lie. This Saturday is another Ritual Room meeting, but I can’t tell him that.
God, I feel as if I’m lying to everyone I love, and I hate it.
Bastion eyes me suspiciously but accepts my excuse. “Fine, I’ll see you in two weeks.”
“Okay, take care of yourself.” I give him another hug.
“Be careful, Ari. Remember, those people aren’t like us.” He squeezes me before letting go.
I used to think that, believed my dad when he told us that. But now I realize they’re just as broken as the rest of us.