“You hateful little brat! Don’t come crying to me when you find out just what sort of trash your Dominic is!”
She spins on her heel and storms out, slamming the door with enough force to shake the walls.
I deflate in my seat, my head back and staring at the ceiling. Five minutes. Five minutes to compose myself. Then I have a man to love, a charity to run and a psycho to catch.
Chapter Thirty-Seven
Elizabeth
There’s something comforting about being back in the routine of things—get up, have breakfast, go to the foundation to work on whatever project is pending, come home, have dinner. But there’s also some newness—Dominic, Kristen, Tolyan and Antoine. I’ve never had breakfast with more than one or two people, except when I was staying in Tuscany with Grandpa Thomas. And I’m not used to coming home to the love of my life…or spending evenings and nights with him, sharing my dreams and my body.
But there’s a small part of me that can’t forget the danger lurking outside. The guns Tolyan stashed in various nooks and crannies throughout the penthouse for me and Dominic are constant reminders that Andy’s waiting to smash my happiness. Dominic swore he’d take away what mattered the most to me, but it’s his return that’s mattered more than life itself, and it’s Andy who’s threatening it all.
I do my best to live every day like it’s a normal, ordinary day and not waste a moment thinking about Andy or all those horrible things Mom said during her last visit. Dominic’s people deliver Grandpa’s painting and the supplies from the studio on the island, and I’m thrilled when Dominic partitions a small section of our ginormous master suite into a studio and hangs the portrait where I can see it while I work.
“Only until we can find a place that works better for us,” he says, kissing me on the forehead.
“You’re the best!” I tackle him onto the bed and proceed to show him my appreciation for the rest of the night.
However, after three weeks with no move from Andy, I can’t help but wonder if we’ve miscalculated. Maybe he ran, and isn’t going to come back to hurt us.
I’m not the only one who thinks that. Kristen yawns over a coffee one Saturday morning and says, “Maybe he gave up. I mean, he knows we aren’t just going to be stupid and sit around and wait for him to come get us or something.”
I nod. “It does look that way…”
“Don’t get complacent,” Tolyan says, pouring himself a cup. “A man like Andy needs closure. He won’t give up until he has it.”
“But it’s been three weeks,” Kristen says.
“Lizochka got away from him. Twice. That makes what’s between them very, very personal. He’s going to want to finish what he started. This is precisely the time to be more vigilant.”
I sense a tremor start, and I clench my hands so Kristen doesn’t see my reaction.
“To you, he’s a nice, awkward cousin who killed bugs for you when you were little,” Tolyan continues. “To everyone else, he’s a sociopath who deserves to be put down like a frothing, rabid dog.”
She gapes at Tolyan, then finally says, “I can’t believe you talk like that.”
“I don’t sugarcoat things. If reality bothers you that much, you’re welcome to stick your head in some sand.”
“Tolyan,” I say softly. Kristen’s lived her entire life sheltered by Dominic, and violence and threats are the kind of things she sees only on TV. There’s a vast gulf between intellectual understanding and actual experience. I didn’t know how terrible it was to leave myself exposed until I did it and almost got raped as a result.
I look for something to steer the conversation away from the uncomfortable topic…then notice a unique ring on her finger. It’s silver with multiple lines rippling like waves. Little chips of colored stone are embedded in even intervals. “That’s a gorgeous piece. Where did you buy it?”
“Oh, this?” She waggles her finger. “I designed it a couple of years ago. I wear it every time I want to feel extra lucky.”
I gasp. “You didn’t tell me you designed jewelry too!”
“Because I don’t. It’s just something I did for fun.”
“I want you to design me one.”
“No way. Don’t you have a ton of super-fancy ones made by famous people?”
“So? That doesn’t mean I can’t have an original Kristen King as well.”
“I don’t know…”
“Come on. Don’t be shy. Custom jewelry is a great business if you want to get into it.” I lean closer. “If you want, I can have my brother Ryder buy something from you.”