Damaged: A Dark Bully Romance (The Primes Book 2), page 15
I never gave up hope that they’d get back together. Perhaps she was ready to forgive him. With a wide grin, I asked teasingly, “What? Tell us.” Ally had a way of bringing normalcy into our group. My world would be darker if she weren’t in it.
“Nothing.” Ally blushed harder. “He asked how I was doing then said he still cared about me and was there if I needed him.” That was my boy.
“What are you going to do?” Leah’s tone held a tinge of excitement. “I mean, are you two getting back together?”
Ally ducked her head behind a notebook, which I grabbed, then laughed at her embarrassed expression. Ally made a face at Leah and me, failing to hide a smile. “Maybe,” she said cryptically.
It was only a matter of time before they were back together. I always knew they shared something deep; only Ally’s stubbornness kept them apart this long.
As expected, Christian’s eyes were on me when I looked behind me. My chest warmed, and a tremendous sense of gratitude filled me. I didn’t deserve such a great guy.
I got up and pressed a kiss on his neck. “I love you.” He responded by tightening his hold on me.
“What were you girls gossiping about?” Rome asked loudly.
I shrugged, but my lips turned up into a smile. I was so grateful to have good people around me.
William was just a hiccup, a bump in the road, and I wouldn’t spend another minute worrying about him. He was out of my mind for the rest of the day until we stepped out of the building. Mason stood a few feet away, giving William a death stare.
“What the fuck do you want, spare?” Christian and Klause descended the stairs while Rome remained with us.
“I was sent here to retrieve something for my father. If you want me to allow this . . .” He drew a circle in the air, gesturing to the four of us. “. . . then I suggest you give it back. You have until midnight.” He stared at Klause and Christian with a smug look, and his attention turned toward me. “I miss you, Catherine.”
“I suggest you leave before I make you,” Christian said in a low tone.
William’s eyes danced with excitement. He had a sick fascination with watching people’s pain. “How does it feel to know I am allowing you two to be together? Because no matter how much you want to pretend, it doesn’t change the fact that Catherine is mine.”
Christian punched him, but Klause and Mason pulled him off before he could land a second blow. William laughed as blood dripped down his nose. There was a manic tone to his laugh. He flashed me a bloody grin before he gestured for Lauren to follow.
I didn’t even realize she was there. She’d been like a ghost since William arrived. “You shouldn’t have done that. William thrives in pain. He savors it but uses it as an excuse for his monstrous actions,” Lauren hissed before running after William.
“Christian, are you okay?” He still couldn’t bear to touch others. That punch couldn’t have been easy on him. Christian didn’t respond except to pull me close and lead me inside the car. Rome assured us he would get Ally home safely. The four of us spent the ride home silent while Christian broodily stared out the window.
Luc, Noah, and Tilly waited for us when we got home. I guessed we were having a family meeting.
“We wanted to discuss Heather,” Tilly said without preamble. Something in me wanted to defy William, even if it meant keeping Heather locked up longer.
“Call Rome and set the bitch free,” Klause told Christian. He hadn’t bothered to contain the scary look on his face. Klause always held himself formally and had a way of masking the darkness, but he didn't bother hiding right now. He looked like someone who’d gone through something unspeakable.
“Not until I speak with her,” Christian said. I wanted to ask what he wanted to do with Heather, but I didn’t want to push him in front of everyone, especially because he looked on edge.
“I’ll go with you.” Klause straightened and turned to Leah in question. When she nodded, Klause pressed a kiss on her temple. Christian placed a kiss on my cheek before following Klause toward the elevator.
“Iz, are you okay?” Tilly asked.
I shrugged. Standing up to William would probably give me nightmares for weeks, but it also felt cleansing. “I’ll be okay. I needed to learn to face William eventually.”
The brothers wore identical frowns as they stared at me. They knew how much William terrified me, so I appreciated that they didn’t refute my statement. It helped me believe in my false bravery.
“We can do this.” Leah scrunched up her face, and her determined look bored into me. She was more in danger than I, but she wasn’t afraid. I reached for her hand and squeezed it in assurance. No matter what, I would protect Leah.
“I’m ordering takeout. Why don’t you girls go to the theater room? I’ll bring it up when it gets here,” Mason said.
“Oh, good. There’s this movie I wanted to watch.” Tilly jumped up and led the way, then turned to Leah before taking a seat. “I want to see this, Leah, please. No talking.”
“What? I don’t talk—” Tilly flashed her a look of disbelief, which made me laugh. “Yes, you do.”
Leah stuck her tongue out at us and took her spot while Tilly found the right channel. Leah, who sat to my right, turned to me. “What do you think will come next?”
“What do you mean?” Sitting on my left, Tilly kept flipping the channels.
“Arnoult Senior is throwing everything at us. First, he sent Lauren.” Leah ticked off one finger, then another. “Followed by Baron and Klause’s and Christian’s parents.” She ticked off her middle finger and another. “Now William. What’s next?”
“What else is there?” I had the same thought earlier but learned to expect the worst from the Arnoults, so this didn’t surprise me. The psychopath wouldn’t stop until he was dealt with.
The problem was a patriarch was untouchable, and we couldn’t make our move unless there was a certainty that it would work.
“It isn’t something we’ll figure out right now. Let’s focus on the movie, okay?” Tilly hit play.
It took me a moment to get into it. My thoughts kept drifting to Christian. I was worried about his safety and the fear that I’d lose someone I loved was in overdrive.
“Oh my god, you’re such an idiot,” Leah yelled at the character on screen, and Tilly glared at her. “What did I say?” Tilly pressed rewind.
“What? How can she not see he’s totally in love with her?”
“Leah, I mean it . . .” I laughed at the two as they continued to argue until Noah and Luc came in, bringing dinner. “Mason took his to his office.” Luc claimed the seat next to Tilly, while Noah sat beside Leah. “You know how obsessive he is, especially now that William is back in the picture. He’ll probably demand that we work eighteen-hour days.”
“How come we didn’t know William was coming?” I asked because Tilly, Ross, and Lilian were supposed to keep close tabs on him.
Tilly’s jaw clenched. “I asked the same thing from my team. Let's just say no one is taking any vacation or working on special projects until they can prove their worth.”
Luc chuckled. “I don’t envy her people; they got an earful from Tilly for an hour after William contacted you.”
Tilly’s jaw tightened. “We expected the Arnoults to have top-of-the-line security, but we were supposed to be better. We don’t pay them an ungodly amount to be second best.”
Luc, Noah, and I shared a hidden smile. Tilly took it personally whenever technology failed her, and she had little patience when it didn't meet her expectations.
Arguing with her when she was in this mood was no use. I took the remote from her and hit play. We ate our dinner quietly, except for Leah, who continued to talk.
It wasn’t until half way through the second movie that Klause and Christian walked in with dinner. “Are you okay?” My eyes assessed every inch of him, but aside from looking tired, he was unharmed.
He sat on the foot of my recliner, almost toppling us over. I got up and offered him my seat. He shook his head, pulled me over his lap, and ate his food one-handed.
Everyone pretended to watch the movie, but Leah’s lack of commentary showed no one was paying attention. When the credits started rolling, no one got up.
The room waited for Klause and Christian to report on Heather.
“The bitch is free,” Klause said with a loud sigh. “I don’t like it, but Arnoult wants her to distract William, so let’s see how good she is at her job.”
Christian clenched his jaw, but he remained quiet. I got up and said, “It’s late. Good night, everyone.” I led Christian back to my room, where I ran a bath. As soon as I joined him, he was seeking my entrance.
This was how he coped with his emotions. He fucked hard.
But I wasn’t complaining, especially as I screamed out my third orgasm. When Christian dropped his head on my shoulder after he filled me with hot cum, I asked, “How are you doing, Christian?”
He shrugged. “I hate giving Arnoult what he wants. However, Klause is right. If Heather can distract William, then she needs to be free.”
“What happened tonight?”
“She needed a little reminder that if I have no use for her, she doesn't need to continue walking this Earth.” I figured as much, and I couldn’t say I disagreed, because that bitch cast her lot a long time ago and deserved whatever came her way.
“Did it work?”
“We’ll see.”
That was all we could do right now—wait and see. “Ready for bed?” With Christian’s mood, I didn’t bother getting dressed; we’d be fucking several more times before school tomorrow and if he didn't initiate, then I'd have to because I needed to feel him inside me.
More so now that I was reminded of how much I needed him.
I fell asleep after Christian and I made love one more time. It felt like I was only asleep for a few hours when Christian shook me awake.
“What? What happened?” I blinked away from the sleep fog, but something felt wrong. It was a dreadful feeling, like lead sat in the pit of my stomach.
“You were crying in your sleep. Are you okay?” I didn’t recall my dream, but it gave me a nagging feeling.
I nodded and settled back into Christian’s chest. The soothing motion of his fingers drawing circles on my back allowed me to fall asleep.
It was no surprise to find William in the quad the next day. Students, including Rose and Lauren, surrounded him. When he spotted me, he waved and blew me a kiss to piss Christian off, but other than that, nothing. There was no incident in school either until Lauren and Rose approached us before lunch. They walked straight to Leah. “Hi, Lee. May I call you Lee?” Lauren asked.
“No, you may not.” Klause stepped forward, looking imposing with his menacing look. “What are you doing, Baron?” Klause asked Rose, but she kept her gaze on the ground and didn’t respond.
“Oh, c’mon now. I just wanted to tell Leah that we got off on the wrong foot and I’m here to make amends.” Lauren’s overtly sweet tone wasn’t fooling anyone.
Leah’s face paled, but I didn’t speak up to defend her.
What was wrong with me? I tuned them out, bothered by my inaction. This thought plagued me all day. Leah, Ally, and Christian kept asking if I was okay, but I just nodded because I still couldn’t figure out what happened to the fire in me. I was back to being pathetic.
How could I protect Leah and Ally?
A part of me knew it had something to do with William's arrival. I'd been anxiously waiting for his retaliation because he wasn't one to let my rebuttal and Christian’s punch slide. I was terrified that someone I loved would pay for my actions.
I told Ally and Leah to go ahead of me while I remained distracted. The door in the locker room opened a few minutes later, and Lauren walked in.
“Hi, Catherine. My brother has a message for you.”
My heart thundered in my chest. I couldn’t come up with a retort, so I only pathetically looked up at Lauren.
“He wanted me to tell you he’s still waiting for your reunion. He missed you and he said to ditch your bodyguards and come see him.”
My veins flushed with cold. Why would he think I’d go willingly to him?
Was he planning something?
Lauren left with a satisfied smirk on her face. I wanted to run home but couldn’t leave my friends and Christian. Also, William would know that he was getting to me. The bell rang, but I remained seated while I struggled with indecision.
My phone beeped; it was a message from Tilly. You got this, Iz. You’re strong. We love you, and we’re here for you. You are not alone. She was right. I wasn’t alone and helpless anymore. I looked up, not knowing where the camera was, and smiled, and then joined the class in the gym.
“Are you okay? I was about to come get you.” Christian looked concerned. I nodded and flashed him a reassuring smile. However, I couldn’t shake the funk I was in. Lauren’s message meant they were planning something, and everyone was in danger as long as I was the weakest link.
Anxiety followed me on our ride home and past dinner. I knew vaguely that I was worrying everyone, but I couldn’t help it.
“Enough,” Christian barked as soon as the door to my room shut. “I’ve been patient with you all day, but I'm gonna lose it if you don’t start talking. Tell me what happened?”
“No. I . . . I dunno. Lauren—”
“I knew that bitch was behind this.”
“When she approached Leah today, I couldn’t . . . I froze and couldn’t defend Leah.”
“Iz. I thought . . . Was that it?”
“No. She approached me in the lockers, and I couldn’t retaliate again.”
“Tell me what she did, so I know how much to make the cunt suffer.”
I shook my head. “Nothing. Just passed on a message from William.”
“What did he want?”
“That’s not the point.”
“What did he want, Izzy?” Christian’s voice rose.
“That’s not the point!”
“Tell me what happened?” He glared at me stubbornly, and I knew he wouldn’t let this drop.
“The point is, I was crippled in fear, and I couldn’t defend Leah and stand up against Lauren.” My throat tightened, and I sat heavily on the couch. “Perhaps everyone will be better off without me. I’m just placing everyone else in danger.”
“You’re fucking joking, right?” Christian stared at me in disbelief, which had me dropping my head in shame.
“I’m sorry . . . I don’t know what to do.” Tears started flowing down my face.
“Izzy. Look at me,” Christian snapped. “This isn't you. Don’t let William win. You’re stronger than this.”
I wanted to believe his words, but how could I? Our enemies were more sinister.
“I’m sorry.” I kept my head bowed because I couldn’t look at Christian. Perhaps he’d realize how pathetic I was and he’d leave. Then I’d be truly alone.
Feeling pitiful, I got up, crawled into bed without changing, and closed my eyes until I fell asleep.
I woke up screaming and found Christian staring at the ceiling. He said nothing and didn't comfort me like he used to. When my heart settled, I lay back down in bed. The few inches separating us felt like a huge void. It made my lips quiver at the rejection.
“What did Lauren say?”
“She wanted to pass a message from William. She said he missed me and to ditch my bodyguards and come see him.”
“And do you want to see him?”
“Of course not.”
“Why are you acting this way? Snap out of it, goddammit.”
“I’m sorry.”
Christian stared at me with a look of disappointment. Tears fell down my face, but I couldn’t bring myself to comfort him. I couldn’t give him false reassurance when I was filled with fear and doubt.
I was in and out of sleep for the rest of the night, and I woke up the next day feeling cranky and exhausted. Christian didn’t look any better. He wore a permanent scowl on his face that enhanced the dark circles under his eyes. He stared at me with a clenched jaw when I emerged from the bathroom.
I looked like shit.
He said nothing but hadn’t left, which was a good sign. He held the door open for me but walked half a step ahead of me toward the breakfast room. I kept my head bowed. My body felt heavy; it took a lot of effort to go on as if nothing were wrong.
When we stepped into the room, we were greeted by my parents.
The frown on Leah’s and Klause’s faces lit a fire in me. “What’s going on?”
“Sweetheart.” My mom got up and pulled me into an embrace. I didn’t return her hug because I couldn’t pretend.
“What are you two doing here?”
“That’s not a nice way to greet your parents,” Father said, but I ignored him and sat beside Leah. She looked like she was crying. “What happened?”
However, Leah continued to push the food around her plate and didn’t look up. Father got up and said, “We want Leah to move in with us. She and Klause shouldn’t be together, and this is the only way we can ensure Leah respects the wishes of Mr. McLaudre and Mr. Baron.”
Perhaps keeping her away will be the safest option for Leah. It was a moment of hesitation that Christian noticed, and it was enough for him to glower at me. It was a fleeting thought because I would never abandon Leah to my parents, but I still felt shame for even thinking about it.
My parents didn’t have her best interests in mind and wouldn’t hesitate to use her.
I shook my head. “No,” I said with a tone of finality and added, “Thank you for stopping by; please give us notice next time. Don’t just show up unannounced.”
“Are you throwing us out?” Mother stared at me in disbelief while Father fixed me with a stare. “We’re not done,” he said in a matching tone. “We’re not only here for Leah. You and Christian shouldn’t be together. You are betrothed to William—”
I shot out of my seat, shaking in anger. “Out. Get out!”
Father’s face reddened. “We’ve given you the freedom to live on your own, and we’ve tolerated your insistence of rebuffing William, but I am the patriarch, and I demand respect!” His fist landed on the table, toppling the coffee cup before him.
