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“Hello, beautiful,” he growled, and I sat down across from him, feasting upon his handsome features. “I’m glad you could join me.”
If he was playing a game, he was doing a damn fine job of it.
We fell into an easy conversation as he uncovered our plates, presenting a gorgeous meal cooked just for us. There was no one around, no maids or guards or anyone. I was grateful for it, especially after the previous night and what he’d made me do. I glanced at him over the table, the electric candles illuminated in his eyes as he stared at me openly.
Suddenly, I had nothing left to say, my mouth dry as I cut my steak.
“Don’t be afraid,” Thorn told me gently. “I just want to talk for starters. Is that alright?”
I was surprised, he never asked for permission. But I knew better than to question him, so I just nodded and continued eating.
“I wanted to talk to you about something that changed my life,” he went on. “Someone that came into my life and changed everything. Do you know who I’m talking about, Harlow?”
I shook my head, inwardly praying that it wouldn’t be Pia.
“It was Ellis,” he said simply, and my heart lurched at the mention of his name. “He was only twenty-six to my thirty-nine, Harlow. I felt such a responsibility for him. I think it’s the same way you feel about Amber, am I right?”
I nodded reluctantly, too emotional to trust myself to answer.
“I cared for him deeply,” Thorn went on. “I think I saw him as part of my family – the family I’d lost over the years. I’ll tell you about that, too. Did you know my father was a gardener? He worked right here, at the Mansion. His employer was a cruel man who treated me and my father horribly. Years later, I bought the house from him when he went into debt. And I’ll never forget the look on his face when he realized who bought it from him.”
He smirked at the memory and I cocked my head to the side, saying, “Seems a little vengeful.”
“You could say that,” Thorn laughed out loud. “But for me, it was symbolic. I was younger back then, cockier. And I wanted to have what I’d admired my entire childhood. The man I bought the house from shot himself a week after the sale.”
He kept on eating, but my fork clattered down as he ate. I’d suddenly lost my appetite.
“He had a son,” Thorn went on. “A son who came to me, because he had nowhere else to go. And I saw more of myself in the young man than I did of his father, so I decided to be the graceful one and help him. I felt guilty about his father’s death and I wanted to be a better man. Little did I know what kind of trouble he would get me into. That he would hurt you… that he would betray my trust and end up dying at my hand.”
“Ellis,” I whispered, and Thorn nodded slowly and thoughtfully. “He betrayed you.”
“He did,” Thorn went on. “And the betrayal hurt even more because I truly trusted him. There were only two people I trusted implicitly, and in the past year, both of them have let me down completely. Even I feel alone sometimes in this world, Harlow. Even I feel out of place.”
He finished his meal as I looked on, and then pushed his chair back, offering me his hand.
“Come with me,” he said. “Let me show you something.”
We started walking slowly, my arm in his, and my head resting on his shoulder.
“Was the other person Pia?” I finally asked, and Thorn nodded.
“You will find out more about her soon,” he promised me “But she was… an integral part of my life. Until she let me down and broke my fucking heart. Made me cruel. Made me the man I am today.”
We came to a stop amidst the roses, and he took my hand in his and held it close.
“What did she do?” I asked softly.
“A story for another time,” he said with a gentle smile. “But just like you, Harlow, she made a mistake. I offered her to pay for it by doing something for me. Did you know Pia is afraid of heights?”
I gave him a surprised look, shaking my head and not understanding where he was going. “No, I wasn’t aware of that.”
“I gave her a choice,” Thorn went on. “I told her she was free to leave me and start a life of her own. Or she could face her fear for me. Become a stronger person. And I would consider keeping her. You will have the same choice tonight.”
The possibility of him letting me go filled me with fear, and I turned my eyes to him, begging him to reconsider.
