London Bound: New Adult Romance (Chase Brothers) (2 page)

University of West London.

Twice, her brain tried to make her lips cooperate. Twice it failed. On the third attempt, she managed with a shaky breath, “Listen, Dad, I have to go. Evan’s going to want his lunch soon.”

She bid a quick goodbye to her father. Unable to swallow and unable to breathe, she slowly reached into the already opened envelope and pulled out the papers contained inside.

Her brain short-circuited as her eyes flitted over the cover sheet.
…Great happiness that we offer you a spot…our students…we look forward to hearing…

Numb with shock, the only coherent thought her brain managed was,
Get lunch ready, otherwise it’s going to get ugly.

In the kitchen, her body worked on automatic pilot. Chicken salad would not have been her choice of lunch, but Evan hated any Ghanaian food she cooked. She added the mayonnaise and the additional spices she knew Evan liked. She always saved the scallions for last because he liked them fresh but not too big and not too fine like the food processor would have done.

“God, I needed that shower. That run was brutal.” Evan’s voice was jovial.

She was too numb to answer, rage battled for dominance with disbelief and sadness. Instead, she just continued chopping. Her mind was unable to form coherent thoughts anyway.

He continued without waiting for a response. “I went down by the library then up Independence. It was pretty. Still spring but with a touch of summer heat in the air.”

Abbie smoothed the scallions off the knife into the chicken salad with her finger. While she worked, the bitter scent burned her nostrils. She still didn’t speak.

“What’s with you?” His tone was cold and held little note of concern.

She knew the moment his eyes landed on the envelope from the school. The air around him shifted subtly, and she braced herself.

His voice was barely above a whisper as he spoke. “Where the hell did you get that?”

Stupid move or not, she wasn’t going to let this one go. If there was ever a time to stand up for herself, it was now. She was not the pathetic girl he thought she was. She had been strong once and she reached deep into the depths of a long forgotten girl to find a sliver of that strength. “Where the hell you hid it.”

She’d braced for shouting, but nothing happened. Instead, when Evan spoke, his voice was pleading. “Look, I know I shouldn’t have kept it from you, but you have to realize that London isn’t going to happen. We won’t survive if we don’t go together. Law is a more stable profession than photography. I mean, what are you going to do with that anyway? I had your best interest at heart.”

Her best interest? Her best fucking interest
?

Her fingers curled around the knife handle as her anger bubbled to the surface. She forced a deep breath, then another, and peeled her fingers off. “You lied to me. Every day I asked you, and every day you hid it from me.” She searched his handsome face. How had she become this? What had become of the real her?

He waved a dismissive hand. “Look. I did it for you. You needed to make a decision. The
right
decision. And you wouldn’t have been able to make it if you’d seen that envelope. Besides, you and I both know that you wouldn’t be happy in London.”

“Don’t!” Her body vibrated with fury. “Don’t talk to me like I’m a child. You did it for yourself because you wanted me to make the choice that
you
wanted. You’re dispica—”

The stinging crack across her cheek snapped her head to the side. A pinball of pain ricocheted in her skull. The burning pain spread from her face to her neck and well into her hairline. She knew from experience now would be a good time to shut the hell up.

But it was as if the stronger woman inside her finally refused to be silenced. “I will not shut up. You lied to me. You hid this from me. You made me feel like I wasn’t good enough to make this dream happ—”

The next crack was enough to knock her over, and she tasted blood on the tip of her tongue. Desperate to steady herself, she reached up to the counter for purchase, but only managed to bring the diced chicken, mayonnaise, and chopping board down with her.

Evan kneeled in front of her. His tight face registered a barely concealed mask of rage. This was it, she’d done it now. There would be no concealer good enough to hide the bruises he would give her. And she didn’t give a damn. She was tired of cowering.

But instead of lying there, she probed for the cutting board to use as a shield. Her fingers wrapped around the knife handle instead. Shaking, she gripped it tight.

Over the years, she’d lost count of the number of times he’d hit her. Once, she’d even tried to run home. Her mother had made it clear, in no uncertain terms, that Evan was the kind of man Abbie needed in her life. And she had better learn how to please him because she wasn’t going to do much better than a Peters.

Her mother had also pointed out that Even would be powerful someday and Abbie would benefit from that. Abbie had learned that day not to go running home with her problems. Once, she considered telling her father, but that would end in bloodshed, either with her father dead or in jail for murder. Neither outcome was acceptable. So, as always, she suffered alone.

When Evan spoke, his voiced sounded controlled, but Abbie didn’t buy it.

“You know better than to provoke me. I don’t want to hurt you, but Abena, you cannot speak to me like that. Are we clear?”

Decision time. She could nod her head and say yes. Or for once, she could stand up to the person who’d hurt her over and over again. The person who’d deliberately tried to keep her dream from her.

With the taste of blood in her mouth and her heart hammering in her chest, she tilted her head to meet his gaze as fury chased away the fear. Slipping the knife between their bodies, she glared at him. “No. Not clear. You have two minutes to get the hell out of my house, or I swear before God, I will not be the only one bleeding in this kitchen today.”

Evan blinked hard, then blinked again, as if he couldn’t believe his ears. “Abbie…” His voice held a hint of warning.

Her hands shook slightly as hysteria threatened to take over. “Fine, have it your way.” The tip of the knife sliced at his T-shirt as she pressed just enough to show him she meant business. The rush of euphoric triumph when the blade carved through skin was hard to ignore.

With a wince, Evan stumbled backward and fell on his ass. “Abbie, calm the fuck down. Look, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have lost my temper. We can talk this out.”

“We won’t be talking anything out. You now have sixty seconds to get out.” She dug into her back pocket and pulled out her phone. “Or do I have to call the police? Imagine what that will do to a political career not yet started.”

His face paled. “You know my family has enough money to make any charges go away.”

“Maybe, asshole, but the media just loves a smear campaign. Just another example of rich kids behaving badly.” She knew she’d hit a nerve.

“Listen to me, Abbie.”

“Thirty seconds.” She forced her body into a wide stance, knife held with both hands and pointed in his direction.

Eyes wide with panic, he pushed himself to his feet and headed for the front door with his back to the exit. “Okay. I’ll go, but we’re not done talking yet. I’ll call you later, and we’ll talk this out calmly, when you’ve had a moment to think about things.”

“You won’t be calling me because we’re done. I will never lay eyes on you again. Ten seconds.”

When he reached the front door, he turned and strode through, then slammed it shut behind him. Despite the auto locks, Abbie still ran and engaged the deadbolt. Adrenaline coursed through her veins, making her shaky, as she sank to the floor in the foyer.

Jesus, had she just done that? Her body shook with adrenaline. She’d broken up with Evan. Hell, she’d all but threatened to kill him. Now what the hell was she supposed to do?

She laid her head against the door and stared up at the engaged deadbolt. Even though her body shook, her logical thinking functions kicked in. “First things first.”

She pulled out her phone and called a locksmith. The call after that was the most important she’d ever made in her life. She clenched and unclenched her fists as she listened to the double ringing, willing the line to be answered.

“Hiya, this is Tamsin.”

She tried to steady her voice, but it trembled nevertheless. “Tams? It’s Abbie. I need a place to stay.”

Chapter 2

London

Three Days Later

Alexi Chase thrashed as the darkness threatened to overtake him. “No. Please. We’ll be good. Please…Don’t hurt him.” Wet, cloying, cold wracked his body with shivers. Distantly, he saw a figure silhouetted by light, and he reached for it. Desperate for help and companionship, he twisted to try to reach it, but the silhouette remained forever out of range. When the darkness overtook, burning pain seared through his body.

With a cough and a silent strangled cry, Lex bolted upright in bed, panting for air. Sweat clung to his skin, and his sheets were twisted around his legs. He freed himself and dragged his now-wetT-shirt over his head, then tossed it toward the hamper. It used to be months and months between nightmares, now it was days. Any first year psychology student could tell him it was stress. His birthday was coming up, and with it, the anniversary of the one night he never wanted to remember.

But the impending sale of his small software company meant freedom. Not just financially, but from the oppressive disappointment of his family, especially his father. Though, what he wouldn’t give for a week of dreamless nights.

Throwing off the sheets, he climbed out of bed and stalked to the dresser. As he dragged on a new T-shirt, he noticed the light coming from underneath the door. He padded into the living room to find the television still on and a lithe brunette huddled in the corner of his couch with a quilted throw slung around her shoulders. “Gemma, what are you still doing up?”

She turned wide eyes toward him. “I got caught up watching horror movies, and then I couldn’t sleep.”

“Yeah, well, that makes two of us.” He shrugged.

She narrowed her gaze and studied him. “Another nightmare?”

He stiffened. He didn’t like her knowing about his demons. “No big deal. I’m going to get some water and head back to bed.” He glanced at the clock over the television. It was only one thirty. He’d only managed an hour and a half of sleep so far. “I assume you’re staying the night?”

Gemma nodded. “Yeah. I’m knackered. No point driving back to the house just to go crash in bed at home when I can sleep here.”

Lex only nodded. Gemma crashing at his place was nothing new. “Should I bother telling you that the guestroom is all made up, or are you planning on sleeping on the couch?”

She grinned sheepishly. “I could fib and tell you I’m going to bed, but we both know I’m just going to pass out right here.”

He shook his head. Since University, they’d spent too many nights like this. Neither of them wanting to go home or be alone. To the outside world, they were the perfect couple. No one would believe it if they knew the truth behind the veil. That for years he’d been protecting her, pretending to be her boyfriend. If anyone found out she was into girls, she’d lose everything, and he wasn’t going to let that happen.

“Your dad at home?”

She nodded but didn’t meet his gaze. “Yeah, so I figured it best to avoid him as much as possible while he’s here. It’s only for a week, then back to normal.”

Gemma didn’t have to explain avoiding her father to Lex. The old man traveled on business most of the time and only came home for a week out of the month. While home, he generally made Gemma’s life hell with his bigoted views and domineering attitude. “Stay as long as you like.”

“Thanks.” She scratched her nose. “Uhm, Lex?”

“Yeah, Gem?”

“You’re a really good friend to let me crash and stuff.”

Lex crossed his arms over his chest. He knew where the meandering path she’d taken would lead, and he was in no mood for sharing. “Stop. It’s what you would do for me.”

“Yeah. I suppose. Just, you know, after everything we’ve been through, and everything you’ve done for me, you never let me be there for you.”

He forced a casual smile. “That’s because I don’t need anything. When I do, you’ll be the first I call.” In another life, if things had been different, maybe he and Gemma would have been the perfect couple they portrayed.

“Lex, I notice, you know. The nightmares. The fact that you talk, sometimes shout in your sleep. I notice.”

Fuck
. What dark and slithering secret had his brain released when he’d been too out of it to control himself?

“What do I say in my sleep?” He cocked his head and tried for a look that was humored and indifferent. “Am I calling out Giselle Bunchen’s name? Because that’s entirely possible.”

Gemma flattened her lips. “You never really say anything I can understand, but that’s not the point. I love you, so I worry.” She slid her gaze away. “Maybe you can talk to Xander.”

He gritted his teeth. He was
not
going to call his brother. That was the last person he could talk to about any of this shit. He worked hard to school his expression. “I appreciate the concern. Honestly, I do. But you have nothing to worry about. Now get some sleep.”