Eternal Love (Bend to My Will #11) (8 page)

On the way down in the elevator, Jacob texted:
I have to see you now. It’s urgent
.

The reply was instant.
I’m here. I’ll wrap up, so I can leave when you arrive
.

At the garage, Jacob got in the car and Ian drove him to Vee’s, then waited out front for them. He returned with Vivienne and slipped into the back seat.

“Take us to King Cole Bar.” Ian nodded, and headed toward St. Regis Hotel.

Having Vivienne beside him was reassuring. As long as they were together, she was safe. But Jacob couldn’t shield her from the media, not if things developed as he feared. She held his hand and didn’t ask any questions. Certainly, she knew that whatever had upset Jacob was important.

When they arrived at the hotel, Jacob escorted her to the bar. “A table in the back, please,” he said. The greeter grabbed two menus before leading them to their seats.

Vivienne ordered a Manhattan, and Jacob a whiskey. He didn’t speak until the drinks were served. After downing half of his, he took Vivienne’s hand. She looked at him questioningly.

“I wish this hadn’t happened. But it has. And you need to know about it.”

“What, Jacob? What happened?”

It seemed like a bad dream, but then, all his memories of Carl Hahn were nightmares. “I was on my way to lunch, but I ran into a man who was waiting for me along the way.”

“Who was it?”

“Carl Hahn.” Jacob wouldn’t give him the honor of calling him
father
, not even to Vivienne. “After all these years, there he was.”

Vivienne’s eyes were big. “Oh my God. How did he find you?”

“It’s not a question of how he found me,” Jacob said. “From what I can tell, Daniel Kenyon made it a mission to find
him
.”

“Why? What possible reason could he have?”

Jacob proceeded to recite the conversation, word for word, as well as he could remember it. He couldn’t keep the disgust out of his voice. Talking about the vile abuser made his stomach churn.

Vivienne looked stunned. “So this is all because of Daniel Kenyon?”

“It would seem so,” Jacob said. “And it wouldn’t be difficult to gain my father’s support in taking down the Rinaldis. As a youth, I was aware of how much he despised the wealthy.”

Jacob gulped the rest of his drink and held up the glass. The waitress swooped by and took it, along with Vivienne’s empty glass.

“I remember him saying, ‘
Those wealthy assholes, with their big money and big egos. They think they’re better than everyone else
.’”

“So that’s his opinion of Vico and Sophia?”

“He’s a bigot. The man isn’t sophisticated enough to have an opinion,” Jacob said. The waitress returned with their drinks. Vivienne pulled hers closer, and Jacob chugged half of his.

“Carl is bitter, am I right?”

Jacob nodded. “And vindictive. But he doesn’t need a reason. He used to beat on us, just because he felt like it.” He sighed. “If you can believe it, he claims that Vico
took
his son away from him.”

“He gave up any rights to you when he abused you,” Vivienne said. “And when he neglected you.”

“That won’t matter to a man like Carl. He feels that he has been wronged, and that’s all he will see.”

“What does he intend to do?” Vivienne said.

“He wants to embarrass the Rinaldi family. And he will have Daniel Kenyon’s support.” Jacob rubbed his temples. “That idiot Kenyon is using my own father to take me down.”

“What does Kenyon want?”

“He intends to force me to relinquish my position at Rinaldi Imports, and probably give up my family, too.” Jacob stared at his whiskey.

“How can he possibly do that?”

Jacob had trouble envisioning any way that the scenario wouldn’t end up in disaster. “Kenyon dug my father out of a dive somewhere, and has allied with him in order to orchestrate my demise.”

“That’s ruthless.”

“But clever,” Jacob said. “Carl has told him about that time I tried to kill him…plus the other times.”

“There were other times?”

Jacob shrugged. “I was determined…it’s just too bad I didn’t succeed.” He looked into Vivienne’s eyes. “If I had, this wouldn’t be happening now.

“Carl knows all about my youth, and that I was hauled away from the scene that day to be charged with attempted murder. He will claim that I belonged in a reform school, and that I’m still a danger to society.”

“But the authorities can’t take you away for an act that you attempted as a boy.”

“No, they won’t have to,” Jacob said. “It’s all a matter of reputation. If word gets out, my sordid past will be broadcasted in the media…it will be very damaging.”

“But how will they know, Jacob? It’s a family matter.”

“Not anymore.” Jacob’s heart sank. “Carl threatened to go public with everything he knows, and I have no doubt that he can get his hands on records of the times I was picked up by the juvenile authorities.”

Vivienne was silent for a moment. Then she reached for Jacob’s hand. “What now, Jacob?”

Jacob looked across the table at her. “I don’t know…I just really don’t know.”

# # #

“Will Jacob lose his chance at love?”

Read next: Sweet Promise (Bend To My Will #12)

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This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are the products of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual events, locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher.

Eternal Love by Emily Jane Trent ©2016 All Rights Reserved

Published By Camden Lee Press

Cover Art by Kellie Dennis at Book Cover by Design - www.bookcoverbydesign.co.uk

Emily Jane Trent writes steamy romances about characters you’ll get to know and love. The sex scenes are hot, and the romance even hotter! If you are a fan of stories with a heroine that’s got spunk and a hunk of a hero that you’d like to take home with you, these stories are what you’re looking for.