AllFreeNovel
Share Us
His anger fizzled out like a snuffed flame, leaving him cold. She was right. He wouldn’t have believed her. But it still didn’t take away the ugly feeling of being used.
“Where are you going?”
“To the entertainment room. I need a drink,” he flung over his shoulder, not caring if she followed. He headed down the stairs, the tap of her footsteps echoing behind him.
Since he’d come into wealth, he’d been on the receiving end of more pleas for money than he cared to count, most of them scams. Women propositioned him routinely. Everyone wanted something. Everyone had a price. Did anyone tell the truth?
He reached the room and found the whiskey behind the bar, splashed some into a glass. He didn’t trust easily, but for some reason, he’d trusted her.Hell.Hadn’t he suspected Lillian of having ulterior motives? What other secrets were hiding behind her cool composure Brian had yet to uncover?
He raised the glass and eyed the amber drink as if it held answers, ignoring the woman who stood in the doorway. Lillian hadn’t wanted his money. She’d wanted something much more valuable. Something she’d taken from him without his knowledge. He lifted the glass to his lips—he’d welcome the burn.
“I wouldn’t do that if I were you.” Lillian stepped into the room.
The lady was back to giving orders. Well, he didn’t feel much like marching. He narrowed his eyes, tipped the glass, and swallowed the whiskey, then turned and grabbed the bottle.
“Alcohol dulls your energy. We’re going to need every bit of it if we hope to cure your mom.”
He hesitated, then set the whiskey bottle down with a sigh and faced her. He was being selfish, wasn’t he? What did it matter if Lillian used him? She’d agreed to cure his mom, if that were even possible to do. Wasn’t that all that mattered?
“Fine. I won’t drink, but I’ve got a few questions for you, and I want the truth.” He moved forward until he towered over her.
She nodded. “I will tell you what I can.”
He had to give her credit; she didn’t back down. “If I’m a burner, as you call it, why didn’t I sense when you were siphoning my energy?”
“I was careful not to use too much. I didn’t want to hurt you.”
Tristan didn’t miss the way her fingers clutched her sides. He tightened his brow, his mind locking in on the truth. “You protected me, didn’t you? That’s why I didn’t feel anything. You used your own energy until you passed out.”
She shrugged as if it were nothing. “Perils of the job.”
He lifted her chin until their gazes clashed, injecting steel into his voice. “I don’t want you passing out to heal my mom. You can have as much of my energy as you need. You’re not to put yourself in danger.”
“Believe me, I try to avoid passing out.” She cleared her throat and spoke so low, he had to lean forward to hear. The smell of strawberries filled the air. “Tristan, I never meant to hurt you. But I was desperate to save Hannah, and I can’t always control the process.”
“You should have trusted me with the truth. What else are you keeping from me?”
She dropped her gaze, her shoulders slumping.
“Zoey, look at me.”
She lifted her chin, and he read sorrow, fear, and something that looked a lot like resolve in her eyes.
“What do you see when you use my energy to heal…a glowing light?”
She frowned and played with her dress—a pattern he noticed her doing whenever she felt uncomfortable. He didn’t think she’d answer, but she did, her voice low and hesitant and laced with vulnerability.
“Usually, it’s more of a dark figure in my mind that I wrap light around.”
“How does it work?”
She hesitated, then grabbed his hand. “It will be easier if I show you. Hold my hand and keep your eyes closed.”
He did as she asked. He didn’t notice any change at first, but gradually, his palm warmed, then his arm, then his whole body. If he didn’t know better, he’d think he was standing next to a fire.
Desire hit him hard, the hair on his arms on full alert, his whole body tingling. He basked in Lillian’s heat, which seemed to bring new life to his heart and limbs. He might have stood with his eyes closed forever if she hadn’t pulled her hand from his.
He opened his eyes and blinked. “Is that what you did to Hannah?”
