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“I don’t know anything,” I croaked desperately.
“What does Calvin want from you? Does he really plan on marrying you?”
“I don’t know.”
“Are you pregnant? Did he knock you up already? Tell me or I’ll cut your womb open and find out myself.”
“No,” I said, trying to shove his hand away, and failing. He wasn’t as big as Calvin, but he was strong.
“I believe you. You’re a pretty girl. I can’t imagine you’d willingly spread your legs for a demented creature like my brother.” Noah showed his teeth again. “Did Calvin’s deal go through in Latvia?”
I decided lying was silly. He’d find out either way. “Yes, it did.”
“How?”
“He went directly to the prime minister.”
“Brnovich fucked up then.” Noah snarled. “You should be dead. You know that? You should be buried.”
He released me. I fell to my knees, gasping. I saw stars at the edge of my vision as Noah paced in front of me, his hands behind his back. He looked unhinged and psychotic. Fear pulsed in my core, fear mixed with anger.
What the hell did Calvin drag me into?
“What do you want from me?”
“I want you to stay away from my brother.” He stopped and stared. “Do you understand? Stay away from Calvin. If you don’t, I will find you, and I will kill you.” He stooped down. I could smell his rancid breath. “You know I’m not lying.”
I met his gaze, but I trembled. I was weak and fighting for enough oxygen to stay conscious. “I know.”
“Good. Ending your miserable life would’ve been easier on foreign soil, but don’t think it’s impossible here.” He straightened and took a step away as if I was an infectious disease. “Stay away from the Solar family. Don’t marry my brother. Don’t speak with my father. Stay away, do you hear me? Stay away.” He glared for a moment longer, then stalked off, leaving me there to gag and choke as I tried to catch my breath.
I spit over and over into the dirt. Students passed by as I got myself together. They didn’t notice me hidden in the bushes back away from the sidewalk, and I didn’t cry out.
I didn’t want to see anyone. Not yet.
It took a few minutes to find my equilibrium again. My heart was racing and my head was pounding but at least I could think. I squeezed my eyes shut and pulled my knees to my chest. For now, I was safe.
If Noah wanted to kill me, he would’ve done it already.
Calvin pulling me along to Latvia was bad. Getting me embroiled in that nightmare was horrible. But this was too much.
I thought Blackwoods was safe, but I was wrong.
Everywhere was tainted. Home was filled with terribly memories of my abusive father, and my poor, wretched mother still lingered around like a ghoul, caught between life and death. Cora’s trailer with Jarrod was warm and cozy, but it wasn’t mine. I was welcome, but I couldn’t stay there. I couldn’t find solace there.
Blackwoods was my last refuge. The library with its big, vast windows and its quiet, dark interior rooms, and the lecture halls and their ancient wooden seating. Blackwoods and the trimmed hedges, the manicured grass, the sidewalks twisting and winding like something from a story. I felt good here. I felt safe and productive.
Blackwoods was tainted now.
All thanks to Calvin.
That bastard.
Heat rose to my cheeks. I struggled to my feet and gingerly touched my throat where Noah had squeezed. It was tender and raw.
I wanted to punch Calvin in the dick until he exploded.
I pulled my backpack on and stepped out into the path. Nobody was around, and I wasn’t ready to face anyone yet. I hurried away from the library to the edge of campus, and began the long walk home. I texted Cora to let her know that I wouldn’t be meeting her later on after all. Something had come up.
And something had.
It was time to fight for my life.
13
Calvin
My house wasn’t home.
I didn’t have a home. I had places where I lived—my family manor, the ocean residence, the apartment in Manhattan, the row home in Paris—but nowhere was entirely my own.
Everything came from my family. Everything stemmed from my father.
I didn’t want to check in with them. By now, they’d know about the deal. I couldn’t keep it secret for long, not with the sheer amount of cash that would’ve flowed into our coffers. My brothers would hear about it, and my father would be informed by his sycophants and ass-kissers.
For years I kept out of family politics. I let my brothers suck up to Father. I let them play their games, stabbing each other in the back, fighting with father’s trusted advisors, jockeying for positions of power by his side.
I stayed aloof. I kept to myself. I did the bare minimum to let Father know that I cared about the family, but I didn’t engage in the cutthroat fighting that characterized life in the Solar family.
