Chapter 10
CHAPTER TEN
NATASHA
A lthough Lachlan hadn’t put away nearly as much booze as I had, he poured himself a double shot and drank it, then poured another.
Strangely enough, I felt almost completely sober.
Maybe unloading on him with all the words I hadn’t spoken in so long drove the alcohol from my system, along with the poison that had festered in my heart for almost my entire life.
It was too bad too. Being drunk might have made it easier to return to the kennel after the tiny taste of humanity he’d shown me.
“All right.” He put his empty glass to the side and folded his hands in front of him. “What’s your final truth?”
As much as I wanted to, I didn’t touch the last of my scotch. I’d had quite enough already. After taking a deep breath, I said, “I’m sad for Dante because I love him, and I know you’re going to put him down. All I ask is that you do it humanely and let me hold him while he passes.”
He studied me intently for several seconds, his piercing blue gaze seeming to burrow into my chest. “I’m not your father, Natasha. I’m not going to destroy an animal for doing exactly as he was trained. Your feelings for him are irrelevant.”
“Yeah.” The answer disappointed me, although I had no idea why. I should have been happy to learn he wouldn’t harm Dante. Besides, my feelings had never mattered to anyone in the first place—least of all to the man who only married me to exact revenge on my not-so-dearly departed sperm donor.
“I also know you’re lying,” he said, surprising me from my morose thoughts. “How did you learn his kill cue?”
“If I tell you, will you let me go?”
“I’m still thinking about it.”
Although his answer was better than an outright refusal, I bit back a sigh. He might have been willing to give me this moment before I went back to my regularly scheduled public disgrace and humiliation, but I’d never be free of him unless I could make him let me go.
Then again, I’d done it with my father already. It would just take time to work out another plan for Lachlan.
“I listened to Jerome when he worked Dante with the training dummy. It’s not English, so I practiced before I used it.”
He barked out a dry laugh. “It’s the Gaelic word for rabbit.”
“Have you decided if you’ll let me go?”
“If I do, what are your plans?” He gave no indication that he cared about my answer.
“I’ll go home long enough to pack a suitcase. I don’t know what will happen after that.”
It wasn’t exactly a lie, but even if I had a plan, there was no way in hell I’d share it with Lachlan O’Donnell.
Tucked into plastic zipper bags taped to the underside of a loose floorboard in my closet, I had almost five thousand dollars saved from a decade of lunch money and the pittance of allowance my father usually forgot to give me.
I’d also have whatever I could get from selling my jewelry, and there might even be something I could sell in the safe in my father’s office.
I’d never dared open it. My father would have killed me for knowing the combination in the first place.
Assuming everything was still there, I would have enough to get me far away from California. I wished I had a passport though. A whole ocean separating me from my asshole of a husband sounded like a damned fine idea.
“And what would you want from me?” The skin around his eyes crinkled and he laughed mirthlessly. “We didn’t sign a prenup, and I imagine you’d be able to impoverish me after you tell the judge what I’ve done to you.”
“That’s certainly a tempting offer.” I stood and went to the window overlooking the expansive lawn. It was dark, but I could almost see the tree at the back of his property where he usually took me to do my business . How many times had I watered that tree?
Even more stupidly, I had to remind myself how to pee without an audience when I sat on the toilet in his bathroom.
“Natasha?”
“I don’t want your money,” I finally said.
“Then what do you want?”
“I want Dante.” I felt no need to add that I didn’t trust Lachlan not to hurt him the minute my back was turned.
“Done.” He rose to his feet and crossed the room to a dresser, then tossed a pair of gray sweatpants and a dark blue T-shirt on the bed. “I’ll have someone take you home.”
He walked out, leaving me stunned. Although I knew he was probably setting me up, I grabbed the clothes and strode into the bathroom. After hanging the robe on its hook, I stared into the mirror, trying to make myself remove the piercing jewelry.
He will hurt you when he finds out…
As much as I wanted to, I couldn’t do it. My hands refused to move toward any of the piercings.
If he wasn’t trying to fuck with my head, I’d sleep in a comfortable bed with real sheets tonight.
I could watch television or make a cup of chamomile tea to help me sleep and soothe my turbulent stomach.
I could call a friend and arrange a lunch date—not that I had any friends—and I wouldn’t need to worry about my father harming them.
My pussy clenched and moisture dripped down my inner thigh when I thought of how Lachlan smiled when the bell attached to my clit ring chimed.
I’d never hear him gasp when my tongue piercings hit just the right spot on his cock.
All the times he’d beam proudly when I learned a new trick would never happen again.
God, I hated myself even more than I hated Lachlan.
Shamed beyond measure at my body’s reaction, I grimly wiped the mess with a tissue and threw it into the wastebasket.
The sweatpants were way too big and I hated the way they felt between my legs, but they hid the brand on my ass.
It was the only thing I couldn’t erase and would forever be a reminder of a man I wished I’d never met.
As I slid the T-shirt over my head, Saoirse entered the bedroom without knocking. She’d changed out of her green cocktail dress into black jeans and a dark gray sweater. Looking me up and down, she said, “Are you ready? I’m supposed to drive you home.”
“Yes. Where’s Dante?”
“Waiting by the car.”
Barefoot, I followed her from the room, down the stairs, and outside.
Just as she’d said, Dante sat on his haunches, alive and well, next to a sleek gray Mercedes.
His leash was attached to his collar but rested on the ground next to him, along with a canvas shopping bag of dog food.
Someone had even cleaned my father’s blood off his fur.
“There’s my good boy.” I knelt and wrapped my arms around him as the tension leached from my spine. A part of me hadn’t quite believed Lachlan when he said he wouldn’t harm my dog. “Ready to go home?”
He licked my face, making me giggle. After loading him into the back seat, I got in to sit next to Saoirse. Without a word, she drove away from the source of my torment. She didn’t speak for the entire drive to my father’s house.
Neither did I. I couldn’t think of a single thing to say to the woman who had aided and abetted my torture and degradation.
Well, nothing polite anyway. Besides, I didn’t want her to change her mind and take me back. It was bad enough that I didn’t have the nerve to take out those damned piercings.
She parked close to the steps leading to the front entrance. The house was dark, and I couldn’t see any guards.
Maybe it was just as well. I’d intended to fire the guards anyway. I had Dante, and I wouldn’t tolerate them anywhere near me—not after all the times they’d watched and participated in all the awful things my father did to me.
Before I could exit the vehicle, she said, “I saw what you did.”
“Excuse me?” I turned slightly to look at her but kept my hand on the door. “What are you talking about?”
“Does my brother know you gave Dante his attack cue?”
“Yes.”
“Interesting.” She turned to look at me, and to my shock, a tear left a silvery trail down her cheek. “Why didn’t you have him kill Lachlan?”
“Because I hated my father more than I hate your brother.” I opened the door, but didn’t get out. “Or you.”
Shivering, she pulled a large manila envelope from the slot between her seat and the armrest and held it out. “Your phone is in here with keys to the house and a document transferring ownership to you. There’s a debit card too. Don’t know how much is on it, but the banking details are there.”
I took the envelope and tried not to show my surprise. Things like debit cards and property transfers took time. Had Lachlan planned to let me go all along? I felt some kind of way about that but didn’t have the emotional strength to parse through my feelings.
“Thanks, but I’m not staying.”
“For what it’s worth, Lachlan and I loved our brother. I tried to stop him, but…” She shrugged and didn’t look at me. “I’m sorry you got caught up in it. We thought?—”
“Does your brother love you?” I interrupted.
“What?”
“Answer the question. Does Lachlan love you?”
“Of course, he does. Why are you even asking me that?”
“Loving someone makes a person vulnerable, don’t you think?”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“Sure you do. You and Lachlan thought my father loved me. You thought you could hurt him by hurting me.” I paused and met her gaze, letting my lips turn up into a smile when she blinked nervously and looked down. “Why are you sweating, Saoirse? Why do your hands shake so badly?”
“I—”
“Ask yourself what I might do to make your brother hurt.” Leaning close, I tucked a lock of hair behind her ear and felt her tremble when I stroked her cheek.
The perfume of her fear smelled so damned good.
“Tell Lachlan I just learned how to give him more pain than he could ever imagine. Most importantly, tell him I’ll like it. ”
Hoping my threat would stick, I got out, then grabbed the shopping bag and opened the back passenger door to let Dante out. We walked away without looking back.
* * *
LACHLAN
The legal-sized manila folder rested on my desk, but I didn’t open it.
Not yet.
I knew what was inside though. It was the much-amended document that would end my marriage to Natasha.