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Damien sits silent and keeps his eyes on me. His presence is keeping me sane, but he can’t stick around in New Orleans forever. He has a business to get back to. Then what? I always knew my decisions would come back and haunt me one day, but I thought I’d get a lot longer than three years.
“I’m sorry, Clark. Kally is marrying your brother on Saturday.”
I feel like a stake has been driven through my chest and twisted for added effect. The bile threatens to rise in my throat, but I push it down. I grab my cell and stand up abruptly.
“Where are you going?” asks my brother as he stands and follows me out of the room.
No one else dares stop me or ask me questions. I’m a good boss. I treat my staff fairly, but they’ve all kept away from me this week. My face or posture must tell them something is off with me.
“Clark! Stop!” Damien grabs my arm and turns me to face him. “Where are you going?”
“I can’t accept this lying down. I understand that you can’t get in the middle of this, but I need to know I’ve done everything in my power to stop this sham.”
“I’m always going to be on your side. Just…” He runs his hand through his hair. “Just don’t do anything stupid. I don’t want to have to bail you out. Think about the life you’ve made for yourself… alone. Pops knew what he was doing the day he left us a trust fund. He knew we were different. Don’t play into our father’s hands. I beg you. You’re better than this.”
Hearing Pops’ name makes me realize why I did all of this. My grandfather was a good man. He believed in his boys. That was what he called Damien and me. He knew we’d always do the right thing. He wanted to give us a way out of the life we were brought up in. But I can’t ignore what’s going on. It goes against everything I believe in.
“I can’t promise anything. I love her, Damien. She’s mine.”
I don’t wait to hear what he says because I turn and flee from the office building and find Jared standing at my SUV. No doubt Clive or Damien gave him the heads up.
I can only imagine what my pops thinks of me now because I’m disappointed in the way this sorry mess is taking hold of me, but the right thing isn’t to stand back and do nothing.
“Where are we going?” Jared asks.
“I think you know the answer to that already, but I’m going to see my sperm donor.”
I climb into the SUV, and Jared and Damien follow. I feel their eyes on me, but I don’t care.
“I will only take you to your father’s house if you promise not to be reckless.”
“I have nothing else to lose, Jared. Just drive!”
I’ve never spoken to Jared that way before, but I’m losing patience with everyone telling me what to do. I’m not some stupid kid that can be controlled. I’m a grown-ass man. I can make my own decisions and take responsibility for my own actions. I always have, even as a child.
I can’t sit back and do nothing. I must try one last time to make my father see sense.
Chapter 4
Kally
I can’t forget the look on Clark’s face the night he saw me in the middle of his family, celebrating my engagement to his brother. It was a kick in the gut for me to find out what was going to happen, but I hurt more looking into Clark’s eyes, seeing the pain and disgust. I had to act like I was the happiest woman alive, but I was dying inside. It was a good thing I took acting classes in high school so I could play the part.
Now, no amount of acting is going to make me look like the doting wife. I can’t eat. I can’t sleep. I’m constantly dizzy and nauseous. I don’t feel like me anymore, and this is only going to get worse the more Colton’s claws get stuck into me. His venom is seeping into my pores a little at a time, but before long, my whole body and soul will be poisoned by him.
Everything that has happened to me this week because of the Collinson family comes as no surprise. That’s the way they are. They get everything they want and to hell with the consequences. They don’t care who gets caught in the crossfire. However, my family has shocked me to the core. How my father can allow this is beyond me. Parents are supposed to protect their children. They’re not supposed to sell them to the highest bidder to get themselves out of a hole.
It’s like I’m living in a nightmare. I knew my family was involved with Clark’s parents, and I knew what they did for a living, but this betrayal is the worst feeling in the world.
“Hiding out in here, I see,” comes the voice that curdles my stomach and makes my blood boil all at the same time.
I want to fight back, be the girl who never lets anyone take advantage of her, but I’m terrified of Colton. I always have been. Even as a child, there was just something about him that didn’t sit well with me. I was never alone with him; I’d follow Clark to the bathroom if it meant I wasn’t alone with Colton. His morals aren’t the same as his brothers’. He genuinely doesn’t care who he hurts if he gains from it. His humanity switch was flicked a long time ago. There’s no coming back from that.
Growing up, Clark and Damien tried to tame Colton. They tried to show him other ways, that he didn’t have to work for their father, but he will always be a daddy’s boy. Mr. Collinson got his claws stuck in, got under Colton’s skin, and corrupted him. Colton was blinded by money and power.
“I’m not hiding, Colton. I wasn’t feeling too good.” I speak the truth, but I honestly think it’s my body’s way of coping with everything. I just wish I could shut down and only wake up when it’s all over.
Colton walks over to where I’m sitting on the side of the bed. He pushes in between my legs and tilts my chin up to look at him. My body shivers, and I hate that I can’t hide my fear from him. There’s no love in Colton. No warmth. Everything is cold and dark. Hard and painful. Being here with Colton is the most unnatural feeling in the world.
