Prologue #2
We talked about what happened, and the fear that I’d come so close to losing her overrode everything else.
I wanted to see her. Not just to make sure she was all right, but to feel like myself again.
When I suggested I fly over there, she told me I didn’t need to.
That she was well looked after. That she knew how hard it was for me to get the time off work.
I wasn’t even crushed by her lack of needing me because I felt so guilty and ashamed instead. I hadn’t told her I’d quit my job after the day I’d gone into work with a black eye from Nick’s fist.
We hung up, and the self-directed disgust grew into a monstrous shadow towering over me in that beautiful, cold penthouse.
My best friend in the whole world had been stabbed because she refused to give up on fighting for justice for her parents. Even now she refused to back down. Tierney was brave. The bravest person I knew.
And what was I?
Weak and cowardly, giving in to Nick’s demands.
A kernel of fire lit in my gut, and it began to grow and grow as that shame turned outward into fury toward my boyfriend. Why hadn’t I gotten Cammie’s or Tierney’s calls?
Before I could talk myself out of it, I called Nick.
He answered after five rings. “Busy, baby. Let me call you back.”
“Why didn’t I get Cammie’s message about Tierney’s attack?” I spat. “Why don’t I have the voicemail Tierney left on my phone yesterday? What the hell are you up to, Nick? How dare you keep this from me!”
“One, don’t use that tone. Two, we’ll discuss this when I get home. For now, suffice it to say that you are mine to protect, and I’m protecting you by keeping those people out of your life.”
“Those people? Tierney is my family. You don’t get to decide if she’s in my life or not.”
“Wrong. It is entirely up to me who is in your life.”
That tightness in my chest intensified, and I’d had enough. This had pushed me too far. “Not that it ever was, but it definitely isn’t now. We’re done. You and I are over.”
Nick hung up.
A choked scream burned in my throat.
That fucker!
Done! Done, done, done! I was getting out of here, damn the consequences!
Fifteen minutes later, I’d changed out of the clothes I despised, and I’d thrown his precious mother’s pearls onto the bed.
When I realized Nick had instructed the housekeeper to start ridding the walk-in closet of the clothes I’d brought with me, I’d started squirreling them away in a suitcase I’d stashed under the bed.
If the housekeeper had spotted it, she’d done me a favor by not mentioning it to Nick.
I’d just changed into jeans and a sweater and had placed my passport on top of my purse when I heard the elevator doors ping open.
Ice-cold dread prickled across my skin, but I held onto that flame in my gut. The piece of the old me that hadn’t died after all. When he strolled into the bedroom and saw the suitcase, I watched his entire demeanor change and knew what was coming.
This time when he attacked, I fought back. I raked my nails down his face, taking savage satisfaction in the fact that now he had to go out in public with my mark on him, that he had to explain that shit.
By the time he was done with me, I was curled on the floor, couldn’t see out of one eye, and it felt like my entire head was one throbbing wound.
I wheezed as a splintering pain shot across my chest. He’d kicked me in the ribs.
It felt like he might have fractured something.
A sharp tug on my hair had me crying out as Nick dragged me up so I was sitting against the wall.
Through my one good eye, he was still a blur as he lowered to his haunches with a grim expression. Nick had striking blue eyes and a chiseled handsomeness that was edgy, dark, a little dangerous, in contrast to his slick tailored suits and elegant public manners.
Once upon a time, I’d flushed hot with desire just looking at him.
Now all I felt was a mixture of fear and loathing.
His eyes were ice-cold as he pressed his thumb to his cut lip.
I smirked at the sight of the blood, at the inflamed red scratches down the left side of his face.
“Pleased with yourself, are you?” Nick asked calmly.
I nodded, an exhausted bob of my head. “I fucking hate you.”
“No. You love me. Because I’m the only one who loves you.” He sighed heavily and stood up, crossing the room to open my suitcase. He quirked an eyebrow. “You’ve been hiding this from me.”
“Pot, meet kettle.”
He closed the suitcase and strolled over to my purse. My heart rate escalated as he picked up the passport. As he opened it, he confessed, “I installed a program on your phone that allows me to access it. I can delete calls, texts, voicemails.”
That now familiar, suffocating, crushing feeling weighed me down on the floor along with my injuries.
“I also have your phone tapped.” Nick strode back to me, my passport still clasped in his hand.
His knuckles were swollen from battering them into my face.
“Which is why I knew Tierney was onto Halston Cole.” His tone was unremorseful.
“He’s a friend, so I warned him, and that’s why that stupid bitch ended up with a knife in her gut. ”
Horror flooded me. Followed by utter rage. “You … you bastard,” I spluttered. “I’m gonna—”
“You’re going to what?” He knelt beside me. “You’re the reason Tierney ended up in the hospital. She’ll never forgive you for that. Unlike me, who will forgive you for everything. For this”—he gestured to his face—“and for threatening to leave me when you know how much I love you.”
“This isn’t love.” Tears filled my eyes. How had I ended up here? How had this happened to me?
“No one has ever loved anyone as much as I love you.” Nick caressed my good cheek. “But if you try to leave me, London, I will kill you.”
I froze, shocked to my core.
He leaned closer. “I will kill you and I’ll get away with it. You’re with a Huston, baby. There’s nothing in the world that we can’t get away with. Trust me.” His smile was so sinister a cold shiver skittered down my spine. Did he mean … had his family … had they killed someone before?
Terror was a sick wave in my gut.
“So, this”—he waved my passport—“is going into the safe and will only be used when I want you to leave the country with me. I’m not playing, London. This isn’t an idle threat. You leave me, I kill you. Do you understand?”
His tone was so mild, like he’d asked me if I understood what his stance was on wine selection.
Despite my terror, that little ember of defiance wasn’t doused.
But Nick saw it.
Like he saw everything in me.
“And if that doesn’t dissuade you from doing something foolish, I will make sure Halston is successful in eliminating Tierney Silver as a threat.”
I sucked in a painful breath.
He smiled tenderly. “Good girl.” He leaned forward, and I turned my head to avoid the kiss that landed on the corner of my mouth.
“Do you think I want to hurt you like this?” He leaned his forehead against my temple.
“I love you so much. I hate hurting you. So just be good. Be a good girl for me, and this never has to happen again.” His lips brushed my cheek, and I shuddered.
Nick sighed heavily and stood. “I’ll give you some time to remember how much you love me.
I need to change my shirt. You got blood on it.
I don’t know what I’ll tell my colleagues about the scratches.
Maybe that an obsessed ex-lover wouldn’t take no for an answer.
They’ll like that. And I’ll call Mother and let her know you need to reschedule lunch. ”
As I watched him stroll into the closet, as I heard him open the safe I didn’t have the code to and place my passport inside, I knew I had to get out. Once Tierney was safe from him and Halston … I had to get away from him.
If I didn’t, one of us was going to end up dead.