Chapter 8
Chapter Eight
REBECCA
When Tobias made his offer of a job, accommodation thrown in to boot, I had every intention of refusing. It’s crazy. For a woman to move in with a stranger is the stuff you see on movies where you yell at the screen for her not to be an idiot.
So, I did what he suggested. I researched him and his family and discovered he’s legit, the family are legit, and all their businesses are legit.
I even found a soundbite from a former employee who’d moved to Wales to be with her ailing father, and she’d had nothing but glowing praise to say about every member of the De Vils.
Even then, I went back and forth until I realized accepting help isn’t the same as giving up control.
Marcus would tell me I was useless, weak, and nothing without him.
I see now that it was all a play to exert his power over me.
Tobias has been kind, gentle, and patient, everything Marcus didn’t know how to be.
I’m going into this with my eyes wide open. I’ve weighed the risks, and I’m making an informed decision for myself and for Isla. It’s not like it’ll only be Tobias and me there. His entire family live at Oakleigh, plus staff. I’m not on my own.
Despite that, though, my stomach’s in knots as the car Tobias sent for us winds its way through massive wrought iron gates with tighter security than Buckingham Palace.
It takes seven minutes driving to get from the imposing front gates of the Oakleigh estate to the house itself.
Seven whole minutes in a car that wasn’t exactly trundling along.
Wealth on this scale makes the La Salles look like paupers. It’s massive. Overwhelming. Scary.
The car rolls to a stop, and before I can reach for the door handle, it’s opened for me. I have a feeling a lot of things magically happen with this family. Or maybe it’s just Tobias who makes the magic happen.
For her comfort, and mine, I hold tightly to Isla’s hand. A man in his early sixties, dressed in a smart suit, with gray flecks in his thinning hair, greets us at the door with a reassuring smile. Tobias’s father, maybe?
“Mrs. La Salle. Welcome to Oakleigh.”
“That’s Alan,” Tobias says, appearing on my left. “My father’s butler.”
Good Lord, an honest-to-goodness butler. What world have I been thrust into?
I hold Isla tighter, tugging her close to my side. A younger man hurries past us. He pops the boot and takes out the suitcase I’d packed to run from Felicity’s custody threat.
“I thought it was your father,” I whisper to Tobias.
“I asked my family to give you some space.” He motions to the entranceway. “Once you’ve had time to settle in, I’ll introduce you to everyone.”
That feels… like something I’ll be happy to avoid. Permanently. Once again, doubts raise their head. I’ve let a stranger into my life, and now I’m in his domain. At his mercy. Have I put us in more danger than the danger I was running from?
I peek up at Tobias, and the momentary panic fades.
He’s a stranger, yet he’s also been nothing but kind to me.
He’s on my side against Felicity and Preston, and that counts for a lot with options as limited as mine.
It’s hard to admit that I can’t fight my in-laws alone.
I have no money, no assets, no contacts.
Without Tobias stepping in to help me, Isla is as good as lost to me.
I refuse to let that happen.
Sure, I’m out of my depth, but I can cope with some mild discomfort if it means staving off a custody battle. Felicity won’t give up easily. I’m hopeful a family such as the De Vils has a broad reach.
The opulence that greets me when I step inside unhinges my jaw.
How do they get to those chandeliers to clean them?
Even a ladder wouldn’t reach, the ceiling is so high.
Perhaps they have to put up scaffolding.
They’re spotless, so someone must clean them.
Ahead of me, a sweeping staircase leads to the upper levels, and the wooden floor had to have cost a fortune to lay.
Not that someone with a house this big needs to worry about such things.
“It’s a lot to take in, I know.”
“It’s… I have no words.”
“I’ll have Alan laminate a map.” Tobias winks.
“Mrs. La Salle’s and Miss Isla’s rooms are ready, sir.”
“Thank you, Alan.” Tobias cocks his head. “Follow me.”
I glance down to check on Isla. She’s glued to my side, sucking her thumb.
This is a lot to absorb for both of us. We’ll be fine.
We will. Besides, it’s only for a week or two.
Long enough for Tobias’s lawyer to do what’s necessary to get Felicity off my back, but not long enough for this to become the norm.
I’m sure I can still be his assistant without actually living here.
If the job offer is still open, that is.
I squeeze Isla’s hand. “Do you want me to carry you?”
She shakes her head. We begin the slow walk upstairs, but I don’t hurry her.
Tobias matches our pace, chatting about the history of Oakleigh and how long it’s been in the family.
Which, by the way, is centuries. Paintings of people and landscapes in fancy gold frames line the walls along the second floor.
Eventually, Tobias stops outside a door with intricate carvings etched into the wood.
“This is you.” He opens it, then motions for Isla and me to enter.
Tentatively, I step over the threshold. Inside is a living room with a comfy couch and two armchairs organized around a glass coffee table.
There’s a TV affixed to the wall and a small bookcase crammed with what looks like children’s books in the corner.
There’s also a toy chest overflowing with the kinds of toys a child Isla’s age would love.
“Your bedroom is through there, and there’s an adjoining bathroom, too. I asked the staff to put Isla’s bed in your room. I thought you would both be more comfortable sleeping in the same room.” He shrugs. “Strange house, strange people.”
Isla’s hand slips from mine, and she races over to the toy chest.
“Isla, no,” I say as she plucks out a toy. “They don’t belong to you.”
“It’s okay. They’re hers.”
I gape at the man who, less than two weeks ago, didn’t even know I existed, and the same goes for me. Yet he’s helping me fight off the La Salles, offering me a job, providing a safe haven until the custody threat has receded, and now buying toys for Isla, too.
Tears prick my eyes, hot and sharp. I blink them away.
“Why are you doing this for us?” Even though it’s not the first time I’ve asked him, I can’t help wondering if there’s more to this than a feeling of responsibility because Marcus died at his club.
Living with Marcus and being around his friends taught me that people don’t do things for others, especially strangers, unless there’s something in it for them. What’s Tobias De Vil’s angle?
“Aside from what I’ve already told you, I can’t abide bullies. Felicity and Preston La Salle are the worst kind of bullies. Unfortunately for them, they’ve met their match this time.” He grins, and his entire face lights up.
He’s awfully handsome. He must have the ladies falling all over themselves. If Marcus hadn’t broken me, he’d be the sort of man I’d go for. Now, the thought of letting another man touch me makes me want to throw up.
“But, if I’m being honest, it’s more than just that.”
My stomach drops. Ah, here we go. I’m about to learn the real reason he’s offered me a safe haven. If he wants payment in kind, I’m out of here.
“The truth is that I can’t get you out of my mind.” He must read my thoughts because he lowers his voice. “Don’t misunderstand me. This isn’t sexual. It’s hard to explain.”
He invites me to sit, and I do. He chooses the chair, his respect of my boundaries not going unnoticed.
“Remember I told you I had a sister who died?”
I nod.
“Well, it wasn’t an accidental death.” He glances at Isla, as do I, and sees her engrossed in her new toys, paying us no attention.
“What happened?”
“She and my eldest brother, her twin, were kidnapped. He escaped, she didn’t. The men who took her…” He glances away for a second, blinking slowly when his gaze shifts back to mine. “They raped and strangled her. She was sixteen.”
My hand flies to my mouth. “Oh, my God. That’s… horrific.”
“I was only seven at the time. Old enough to know something dreadful had happened even if I couldn’t properly process it. Two weeks after my sister’s funeral, my mother killed herself.”
According to Marcus, I’m overly emotional at the best of times, but Tobias’s story breaks my heart.
“I am so sorry.” I reach over and place a hand on his forearm.
He flinches and moves out of my reach.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to touch you without consent.”
“It’s fine. Your husband shot me without consent.
This is considerably better.” He chuckles, but I get the feeling the joke is a cover for his physical response to me touching him.
“Anyway,” he continues, “my older sister’s murder changed all of us.
Made us… over-protective of the women in our lives.
Just ask Saskia, my younger sister. We drive her crazy most of the time, and she isn’t shy about telling us, either. ”
“I don’t mean this to sound ungrateful, but I’m not a woman in your life. You don’t even know me.”
“True. I know men like Marcus though.”
This time, it’s me who flinches.
Tobias clasps his hands together. “Me helping you doesn’t have an agenda other than one human reaching out to another in a time of need. I understand you only have my word for that, of course.”
I run my forefinger along my bottom lip and look over at Isla.
My world. My only reason for staying with Marcus for as long as I did.
For suffering through his cruel punishments and violent outbursts.
Without Tobias’s help, all that will have been for nothing.
Felicity will take Isla unless she’s stopped. I can’t stop her, but Tobias can.
“I’m grateful to you. More than I’ll ever be able to express. Thank you.”
He gets to his feet. “I’ll leave you both to settle in.
If you need anything, call me or send a text.
You have my number. Or, if you prefer, use the phone on the occasional table to call housekeeping.
Just dial nine.” He crosses the living room and opens the door.
“Oh, your suitcase is here.” Picking it up, he takes it into the bedroom, leaving it just inside the door. “I’ll see you both soon.”
The door closes with a quiet click, and we’re alone.
The adjoining bedroom is as luxurious as the living room, with thick carpeting beneath my feet, a giant king-sized bed, and expensive sheets.
Next to my bed is a single for Isla. One look at the cover on the quilt brings more tears to my eyes.
Paw Patrol. Her favorite cartoon. Something tells me this is Tobias’s doing, too. How did he know?
There’s also a dressing area, a walk-in wardrobe, and the bathroom is bigger than my bedroom back home.
Not that it ever felt like home. More like a prison where I never knew if something I said would set off the guard, and I’d get a beating for my insolence.
I can’t believe that part of my life is over.
Once this custody battle is sorted, Isla and I can hopefully move on.
To what, I’m not yet sure. That’s tomorrow’s problem.
Tobias may have offered me a job, but it’s another part of his altruism.
I don’t, for one second, believe he needs an assistant, though I appreciate the kindness.
I might never be able to pay him back, but I’ll do my best to figure something out, however long it takes.
I unpack and put away our things. The bathroom is stocked with the most delicious smelling shampoo and bodywash. I put my own stuff on the shelf anyway. This is a temporary situation, and the last thing I need is to get used to the finer things in life only to lose them once this is over.
A knock at the door startles me. I answer it to find no one there, only a trolley loaded with small bites: pita, hummus, chicken pasta, crackers, slices of cheese, carrot sticks, and what looks and smells like sticky toffee pudding with custard.
There are also a couple of boxes of juice, a bottle of still and sparkling water, and a few cans of soda.
Isla will love this. It’s exactly the kind of choose-your-own-lunch-adventure she adores.
I take the tray inside and put it on the coffee table.
Isla devours the food, but I pick at it, my appetite nonexistent.
Once she’s finished, I put her down for a nap.
The “how to raise your child” books all say she shouldn’t need naps by now, but she gets cranky without one.
Besides, I hate that every child is the same bullshit.
She falls asleep within seconds. I sit beside her bed, watching her sleep like I used to when she was a baby. My heart squeezes tight.
“We’re going to be okay, pumpkin.”
And for the first time since the terrifying events at Tobias’s club, and what came afterward, I truly believe we are.