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It is like I slapped him. His whole body contracts at my words and he looks at me as if it is his fault that Gavin is a bastard. He takes my hand gently as if he is afraid I would break there and then, and I say clearly. I want to spare him the humiliation of being here. Of having his heart ripped out of his chest in front of an audience. ‘Go now. I’m all right.’
‘But you …’ he trails off as if it is too painful to even say the words.
‘I’m a big girl. I can handle this.’
He nods, turns on his heels and walks out of the room. The room is so silent you could have heard a pin drop. I walk up to Octavia. She blinks slowly at me.
‘Get out of my house you vindictive bitch,’ I growl at her.
There are shocked gasps all around us. No one has seen this side of me. I am the loony little sister. Be nice to me to get to my brother.
She takes a step back. ‘What’s wrong with you all? Don’t kill the messenger. I’m not the bitch here. Tori Diamond is a lying, cheating slut and I just exposed the truth. You should be thanking me. She was about to ruin your brother. Couldn’t you see, he was intoxicated by her?’
I look at her. Yes, Tori turned out to be a snake in the grass, but I always liked her, there was something warm and kind about her, but this cold, black-hearted, mercenary bitch, I disliked her from the first second I laid eyes on her.
I let my eyes run down her skinny body in her designer leather dress. ‘Tori has more class in her little finger than you ever dreamed of having.’
Her eyes register shock and fury. She always dismissed me as the inconsequential little sister. Well, I’m not. Not anymore. Thanks to Tori. So I’m not going to say a bad word about her.
‘You don’t mean it,’ she says, trying to look dignified, but her face is red with humiliation.
‘I never wanted anything more in my life. Get out of my house before I get the bouncers outside to escort you out. With the paparazzi vultures gathered outside that would make very interesting breakfast reading.’
For a second she hesitates, then she lifts her chin proudly, and leaves the room. The sound of her heels clicking on the hardwood floor is loud.
I look at the DJ and smile at him. ‘Can we have some music before this party dies of boredom.’
He raises his eyebrows in an impressed way and spins a revved up version of Taio Cruz and Ludacris’ Break Your Heart. Adrenaline is pumping in my veins, but soon the tears will come. With my head held high I walk away to the kitchen. Cora. Cora will know what to do.
Cash
Clutching Tori’s poisonous diary in my hand, I go out through the kitchen door, cross the garden, and vault over the brick wall. I’m halfway up Mrs. Herrington-Little’s garden when she spots me through her kitchen window and comes to open the sliding door.
‘Wipe your feet,’ she instructs as if I’m still thirteen.
I wipe my feet and automatically ask about her son. My voice sounds normal, not like my head is on fire and Tori’s name is vibrating in my chest like a fucking cell phone. Cash calling Tori. Cash calling Tori. Cash calling Tori. Fuck it.
Mrs. H chatters about her son as she walks me to her front door. I don’t hear a word.
I open the door. ‘Thanks, Mrs. H.’
I walk on to the street and stride down it, my head lowered. I take a left at the end of the road and casually walk towards my car. A scruffy man standing near my father’s front door spots me. Shit. He raises his long lens camera and starts snapping away. It alerts the others and they begin running towards me. Everybody wanting to get the best shot. They remind me of a pack of hyenas. I get into my car and floor the pedal.
I dial Gavin’s number.
He answers on the third ring. His voice is cautious. ‘Hey, Bro.’
‘We need to talk,’ I say, my voice completely normal.
‘Yeah, I agree. Let’s talk, dude.’
‘Where are you now?’
‘Home, but I’ve got company.’
‘Get rid of her.’
‘Right. Right. Got it,’ he stutters.
I kill the connection.
As I’m driving, my mind veers back to Tori. I can still smell her on me. Fuck, I was inside her pussy less than an hour ago. My hand slams into the steering wheel and the car swerves wildly. Someone behind me blows his horn. Asshole. I hit the button that brings the glass of my window down. Cool night air rushes in as I give him the middle finger and accelerate so fast my tires screech.
The security guard at his post nods and lets me through the gates. I stop the car at the front of the house and run up the steps. Before I can put my finger on the doorbell, Gavin’s butler, Jeremy, opens the door. He is so pale and still, he always reminds me of what you’d expect to find inside a satin lined coffin.
‘Good evening, Mr. Hunter,’ he greets formally.
I have no time for pleasantries. ‘Where is he?’
‘In the Blue room, Sir,’ he says, his eyes showing just the flicker of surprise. There is hope yet for him.
I stride towards the room and open the door without knocking. I stand at the doorway and stare at him. I’ve known him since I was fifteen, but it would seem I’ve never really known him at all.
He is standing nervously by the great marble fireplace. He has obviously heard me come in and is waiting for me. He has the expression of someone about to bolt. Fucking coward.
‘Why Britney?’ I ask, the fury in my voice barely leashed.
Gavin shrugs. ‘I was drunk, man. I didn’t know what I was doing. I would never have touched her otherwise. You have to believe me.’
I stare at him. Fucking liar.
‘I was drunk. It was dark. I didn’t even know it was her. I thought it was some chick. Come on. You must know I’d never do something like that.’
‘Tell me something I can believe,’ I tell him coldly.
His mouth quivers as he analyzes his next move. ‘It’s the truth, man. You gotta believe me. I swear it’s the God’s fucking truth.’ He takes a couple of steps forward, his voice pleading, his expression shifty. ‘We’re mates. You know me. I can get any girl I want.’
Look at him. How weak he is. I haven’t even swung a punch yet and he is shaking like a fucking leaf.
‘So why her? All the women in the world and you picked my sister. Did you think I wouldn’t find out or when I did, I’d stand back and watch my little sister be hurt by a little, coke snorting, acid licking, waste of skin like you? What do you think I am? A moron? A coward like you?’
‘Oh fuck, Cash. I was so wasted. What’d you want from me? She came on to me,’ he cries desperately.
Of all the things his twisting, turning devil tongue could have said. That was the worst. In the blink of an eye I had covered the distance between us and slammed my fist into his face. Pain blazes up my arm as my hand connects with his jaw. He stumbles back, blood flowing from his mouth and spilling down his chin. I don’t allow even a brief second for him to catch his breath. I drive back into him and he tries to throw a sloppy blow. I dodge it easily.
Blood hums in my veins as I grab his head in my hands and bring my kneecap to his nose. There is a blunt crack before he screams in pain. I release his head. Two streams of crimson are running from his nostrils and his nose is twisted. He grabs hold of my body in a kind of protective hug. I tilt my head back and smash it into his. Stars burst in my vision, but he sinks to the ground barely conscious.
His mouth moves, no words come out.
‘You tell anyone your version of what happened, call her name, or you come near her again and I swear I will fucking destroy you.’ I grab a handful of his hair. ‘Do you understand me?’
He nods weakly. I open my wrist and his head lands on the carpet with a soft thud. I stand over him watching his chest rise and fall with every shallow breath he takes, then I walk to the bottle of whiskey on the table and I pour myself a generous measure.
Jeremy enters the room. His face is impassive. ‘Should I pour, Sir?’ he asks.
‘I’m good, thanks.’
‘Should I perhaps call for a doctor?’ he asks as if he is asking me if he should bring in the tea.
‘That’s a damn good idea, Jeremy.’ I down the rest of the drink and walk away without looking back.
I get into my car and I fucking stamp on the accelerator. The car flies until I hear the sound of sirens. I look in the rear view mirror and see the blue flashing light. Fuck them. With the horsepower under me I could have outrun them, but I don’t.
Sometimes the future is written in the stars. I pick up my mobile and call my lawyer.
