AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I was going to have to put her back in her place and convince her that what we shared was right and meant to be. We’d be able to connect all over again. Just the way it was before, but away from the rest of the trouble that had surrounded us.
My heart raced as I turned onto our road. Our road, because I made sure to get a place not far from hers. Diagonally across the street and directly above her floor so I could see through her glass windows perfectly, to be precise. Penthouse for penthouse. It had worked out better than I could have dreamed. But it came with a price. Her sadness turned mine into fury. The tears she shed while she looked off into the distance were equivalent to razorblades over my skin. She needed me, and fuck if I didn’t need her, too. Soon, I’d stop all the pain and replace it with the kind I knew she enjoyed. Lily would be crying, but only for release.
Chapter 2
Lily
If there was one thing I’d learned on my journey, it was to shut myself off. The numbness left me cold. Distant from everyone around me. It worked with the position I held at Slade Industries. People were scared of me, and for the first time, it wasn’t because of who my brother was. They truly feared the killer that walked their halls. Their silence may have prevented the truth from being said, but panic couldn’t stay hidden from the depths of their eyes when they had to face me —especially alone. Both men and women fled when I appeared. When they were called into my office, they cowered. That sort of power corrupted the weak, made them hungry for more. With me, it left me feeling dirtier than I already was. But I didn’t balk from my job and I didn’t show weakness. I couldn’t afford to if I was going to stay in control of this new stranger lurking inside my body.
Who was I?
“Ms. Roberts, you have more flowers. Would you like me to bring them into your office?”
My eyes flickered to the clock on the wall. Eleven thirty-two. They always appeared around the same time. Who they were from, I had no idea.
I hit the button on the phone to answer. “Bring them in.”
On instinct, my stare went back my inbox. Still, no news from Slade on whether he wanted me to go after Kingston Corp. Not having anything to do left me jittery. Boredom brought dangerous thoughts. Ones I couldn’t let linger for too long.
The door opened and I glanced up, expecting more white roses in a light pink vase. The red petals had my eyes flashing wide and me easing to stand.
“What is this?”
Patrice shrugged, a smile coming to her face. “I was surprised, too. Seems your secret admirer wanted to change things up. Three weeks, Monday through Friday, and only now he decides to send flowers with some color to them. About time.”
I frowned, walking over. “There’s a card.” The surprise was etched deep in my words and I regretted it almost instantly. I didn’t want to sound like I was intrigued by the daily ritual. I’d always pretended to be annoyed by their presence. Somehow, I’d come to depend on them, even if the gesture was something as simple as flowers. Their arrival was becoming my one bit of happiness for the day. Stability of the comforting kind.
“Look at that. You’re right.” Her hand reached forward before she seemed to catch herself. “I’m sorry, Ms. Roberts, I’ll leave you.”
I nodded, already walking closer to the large bouquet of roses mixed with lilies. The card was perched at the top in a plastic stand and for the life of me, I couldn’t reach forward with Patrice still in the room. As the door closed behind her, my fingers moved. Would it say who it was from? Would it be empty? Or would a signature be present so I could finally discover who this mystery person was?
The door eased shut only to swing back open. The space was almost completely filled with my brother’s towering frame as he barged through. My hand drew into a fist and I stepped away from the flowers.
“Slade. I was just waiting for your email. I didn’t know you were back in San Francisco. What has it been, over a year?”
The dark suit clung to his wide shoulders as his eyes cut over to mine, but he continued toward the desk.
“Couldn’t be helped. Mary needed off the yacht.”
“Off?” My arms crossed over my chest. The suit jacket I wore hugged to my back and I shifted at the exposure to my wrists. Even now, I couldn’t take my scars showing in public. Behind closed doors, the crescents and claw marks didn’t bother me in the least, but they were mine to see, no one else. They told my story. My gruesome life of witnessing the horrors of beaten and broken slaves. Ones who died in my arms and others who suffered from fractured bones and internal injuries. I was there for them through the worst. The only one who was there for them. Of course, I couldn’t have been if it weren’t for the permission of my Master.
I sighed as Slade pulled out the chair and began messing with the computer.
“Mary’s pregnant. She can’t take the motion anymore. She’s sick and I can’t stand it. I feel so damn helpless.”
“Pregnant?” The excitement sounded so alien that I wasn’t even aware it was me who had spoken the word. Confusion had my brow drawing in before I could stop it.
“That’s right. Eight weeks.” His gray eyes rose to mine. “What do you think about being an aunt?”
I could see my brother’s smile wanting to surface and it pulled mine out, until I could feel my teeth become exposed. “I couldn’t be happier. Congratulations.” Slade stood as I rushed over, throwing my arms around him. I couldn’t remember the last time I had any sort of contact with another person. My skin prickled and I tried not to flinch at the discomfort. How had we drifted so far apart? Slade practically raised me. Sure, we weren’t super close as we grew older, but I couldn’t remember being this withdrawn.
“Is Mary excited?” I pulled back, distancing myself.
“Elated,” he breathed out, sitting back down. “We weren’t trying, but we weren’t opposed to it either. Months went by and it just…happened. Amazing, really. I’ve never been able to picture myself as a father.” He smiled, again. “I think I like it.”
“You’re going to be great. You’ll see, it’ll come natural.”
Typing sounds filled the air and he paused to look up. “Listen to you. You sound so grown up. Full of wisdom. What do you know about babies?”
