Monster (11 page)

Hell, he hadn’t even acknowledged Liam’s presence until only a few hours ago, and that initial introduction had seemingly impelled him to reveal something so personal, something Eden wasn’t meant to hear undoubtedly. But she had heard it, and not for the first time in the last five hours since he did, she wondered whether this was another finely developed ploy. Another one of Dominic’s schemes to bring Eden to heel. He’d continuously proven that he would stop at nothing until he had her exactly where he wanted her even if that meant using their child to do so. So she wasn’t wrong in being overly suspicious, doing otherwise was a recipe for disaster.

For someone who’d come to relish her freedom over the last year, having it so abruptly snatched away made it extremely difficult to remain in place. She’d remained in captivity for a week now, and though Dominic had not directly prohibited her from venturing out, the pervasive team of bodyguards stationed outside the mansion had spoken loud enough for him. Eden had yet to make an attempt to leave, but if the head of his security detained her like he had at the hotel, they were going to have problems. There was no way in hell she was going to be locked up like some eighteenth century damsel. It’d taken her a good long week before forming a tentative plan. It wasn’t much, but at least it would get her back on her feet again.

With Dominic having taken everything she’d worked so hard to attain, Eden literally had nothing to call her own. Despite her current resolve to remain at the mansion, she refused to ask Dominic for anything; she would not lower herself again to depend on him like she’d done in the past. He’d made good on having the items from her condo brought to the mansion and aside from her car she had nothing. She needed financial freedom and to have that she needed a job. She’d scoured the meager internet job offers in real estate and had been able to find only a few. The job search was bleak, but Eden was anything if not determined. She’d made a few calls and had sent emails to others with her resume attached. But no one had called her. With Jenna readily accepting to watch Liam while Eden hit the pavement, she slipped into a pair of black wedges and headed out the door.

“Ma’am—”

Eden held up a hand, and though the wedges gave her slight frame an extra three inches, it did very little giving her the height needed to look James the watchdog in the eye. But craning her neck gave him a good look at her glowering face and that was all she really needed him to see. “Let me tell you how this is going to go down, James,” she began levelly, “you’re going to step aside and let me continue on my way, otherwise I’m going to call your boss and let him know you’ve touched me inappropriately.” It was a dirty move and Eden immediately felt guilty for hitting below the belt, but honestly what choice did she have? Playing fair had gotten her back at square one, exactly where she didn’t want to be. So if she stood any chance of making it out of this with a modicum of pride left, she needed to fight fire with fire and to hell with the casualties and her conscience.

The astonished expression that flitted across his normally impassive features was subsequently followed by one of chagrin as he vacillated between letting her go and following his orders. “I wonder how long he’ll let you keep your job...or your life,” she intoned blithely.

“You know I’m going to be tailing you,” he tonelessly informed her.

“I don’t really care what you do as long as I get to leave.”

With a curt nod of acceptance, he simply moved aside and allowed her to go on her way. It was only when she was safely inside her car that Eden allowed herself the joy of her momentary victory. It wasn’t much and it certainly wasn’t a victory over Dominic, but Eden took it for what it was.

A few hours later, her joyful mood took a hit, turning into hopelessness. No one seemed to be hiring. She’d gone to nearly ten different real estate agencies in the area, and they all had the same answer, “We’ll call you,” while inconspicuously shuffling her resume beneath the reject pile. Feeling like the world’s biggest failure, she stopped at Carver’s Grill to drown her sorrow in a cheeseburger, an order of fries, and a large chocolate milkshake. A bolt of panic rent through her at the prospect of having to subject herself to Dominic’s brand of mercy. Everything came at a price with him and what he wanted from her, Eden was not ready to pay. Pushing her fries around on her plate, she barely tasted her burger and her milkshake had turned to liquid some time ago.

“If your face were any longer, it’d be in that burger, honey.” Eden looked up into the smiling face of her scantily clad waitress before scrounging up a halfhearted smile. “Is the burger no good, hon? Carl can grill you up another one.”

Eden shook her head. “No it’s not the burger.” She sat up straighter, struck by a thought. “You wouldn’t happen to be hiring would you?” It was a desperate attempt. “I can…I can wait tables or wash dishes or—”

“How soon can you start? We just had one of our regular girls, Tina, quit on us a few weeks ago, and we’ve been sort of shorthanded.” Sheer dumb luck was on her side it seemed, and Eden wanted to whoop out in joy because finally something was going right.

“When do you need me?”

“Well, we get pretty swamped here on weekends, so we’ll need you then. The weekdays are covered, but I know Lena said we needed a few girls on the night shifts. But that’s something you’re going to have to discuss with her.”

“Lena…? Is she the manager?”

“Yup. She’s in the back. Come to the bar when you’re done, and you can talk to her then. But I’m pretty sure you’re going to get the job on the spot. You’re fucking gorgeous.” She leaned down slightly to stage whisper, “House rules: we only hire pretty girls. The customers love getting food from attractive waitresses, and we make good tips. I’m sure you’ll have no problem raking it in.”

“Thank you so much.”

She smiled prettily, eyes like sapphires gleaming. “Don’t sweat it. I was in your situation not too long ago and someone here gave me a chance. Just thought I’d pay it forward. Don’t forget to come by the bar when you’re done.” She turned to leave, but stopped. “I’m April, by the way.”

“Eden.” Eden retuned her smile.

Lena was a thirty something woman with skin like burnt sienna and exotic almond shaped eyes that made it difficult to discern her ethnicity, although if Eden had to guess she would say there were hints of African American roots there. She was Amazon warrior tall, with neat, tightly locked dreads that she’d gathered in a high ponytail. Her outfit differed slightly from the black daisy duke shorts, tight white tank top that had Carver’s Grill inscribed across the bust, and black low tops. She wore the same shirt, but rather than the shorts, her legs were encased in tight black skinny jeans that displayed spectacular curves. When she walked from around the bar, she took the empty seat adjacent to Eden and gave her the onceover, from the tips of her wedged soled shoes, to the top of her auburn head to finally meet Eden’s gaze.

“Why do you want to work at Carver’s?” she asked curtly.

Taken aback, Eden froze for a second; unsure of whether this was an interview, she scrounged for a response, “I…uh…I need a job?”

She raised a perfectly arched brow. “Are you asking me?”

Color shot to Eden’s cheeks. “I need a job,” she said with a little more conviction. “I’m a really hard worker and I can do whatever you want me to do. I don’t mind getting my hands dirty—”

“So you wouldn’t have a problem cleaning up bathrooms? We have very exuberant customers here and they love their alcohol, but some of them can get a little sloppy. Puke…urine…”

Eden hesitated, trying to tamp down her disgust and find a suitable response. “I have a three month old, so if I can clean up after him, I’m sure I can handle whatever slovenly mess I have to.”

Lena snorted. “Trust me, sweetheart, cleaning up your baby’s shit isn’t nearly as bad as some of the things that go on in these bathrooms. But luckily for you, we have a cleaning staff to handle that. April was right, you do have a beautiful face so that’ll definitely play in your favor; it’ll bring in good tips. We have a community tip jar and at the end of every shift the girls divide their tips. Work the outfit, charm the hell out of your customers, and you’ll make good money. If you’re on the prudish side, I suggest you leave that at the door. You’ll get more pinches and pats on the ass than you’ve ever gotten in your life. If you have a jealous boyfriend, tell him to stay the hell outside until you’re done with you shift. Carver doesn’t put up with that shit. Any question?”

“Who’s Carver?”

“Carver is the owner. He comes around mostly on the weekends. Big guy, tattoos and piercings, you can’t miss him. Any other questions?”

“Do you I have the job?”

Finally Lena smiled. “Yeah, toots, you’re hired. Come by tomorrow night and we’ll fill out the paperwork. If everything goes well, I’ll put you in the schedule this Friday.”

“That fast?”

Lena frowned. “Is that a problem?”

Eden shook her head, taking a deep breath. “No…no, it’s not a problem and thank you. Thank you so much.”

“Just be here tomorrow.”

Just like that—that quickly—and her life was once again back on track. A flurry of excitement and anxiousness rushed through Eden on her drive home. The hours were going to be long, strenuous, but Eden wasn’t afraid of a little hard work. Her mom had worked three jobs to support them, and even then it hadn’t been enough, but Eden was determined to provide a better life for her son. This was only a temporary thing until she landed a real estate job. Eden wanted to return to school. She needed to know business if she wanted to open up her own real estate brokerage firm, which was ultimately her goal. Waitressing was just a pit stop. It wasn’t real estate, and it sure as hell wasn’t stripping, and the money was nowhere near the former or even the latter, but it was something. It was a way for Eden to make her own money, and regardless of how long it took her to scrimp and save, she would regain everything Dominic took from her.

“So, I found a job,” Eden announced later that evening. They were once again in the living room and while Eden held Liam on her lap, intermittently cooing at him, her best friend was polishing off the rest of her meal.

“You did?” Jenna raised an arched brow, her puzzlement written clearly on her face. She was still trying to understand how Eden’s mind worked; how one could be so opposed to simply basking in the luxury that surrounded them. Despite her best efforts, Jenna could not prevent the small stabs of jealousy that had been frequent as of late when she thought about Eden. If a man of Dominic’s caliber wanted to cage her in his twenty six thousand square foot home and shower her with innumerable gifts, while only asking for the pleasure of her body every now and then, Jenna knew she would’ve spread her legs open in a heartbeat. She couldn’t understand why Eden fought so hard against it. Why go out and bust your ass looking for work when you had a sugar daddy that could support you? Why runaway to nothing when you had such an abundance of wealth waiting for you right here? Not only that, but Eden had a child with Dominic, a surefire way to guarantee her livelihood for years. Yet with all this, Eden wanted to leave. She wanted a life of misery and hard work.

Eden smiled brightly ignorant of the resentment that afflicted Jenna. “Yeah, it’s a waitressing job at Carver’s Grill on North Main Street,” she divulged. “It’s only part time for now, but I can make really good tips. If it’s going to be a problem watching Liam, I can find a sitter—”

Jenna snorted. “What and let someone else watch my little butterball? Don’t worry about it, Ede. I told you I’m here for you. Do what you have to do; I’ll watch Liam whenever you need me.”

“I feel like I’m taking advantage of you. Are you sure you’re okay with this, Jen? Please don’t feel obligated—”

“Eden,” Jenna interrupted, looking pointedly at the other woman. “I’m good. If I wasn’t, I would’ve told you by now. Don’t stress about Liam, he and I are used to each other now anyway. Bringing in someone new might mess that up.”

“You’re the best, Jenna. Thank you. Did you hear that, Lee, Auntie Jenna can watch you while Mommy’s working. Yay, Auntie Jenna!” With Eden so absorbed in speaking to the infant on her lap, Jenna’s resentment abated somewhat at the image. Regardless of her own complex emotions, Jenna was glad to know that at the very least she could take joy in watching her best friend with her baby. Eden had done a lot for her so far and Jenna owed her a lot, it was just going to take some time to come out of her own head.

Now that Liam finally slept through the night, Eden was given a reprieve from her every-four-hour scheduled feedings to sleep, too. When she woke up the following morning, she was well and thoroughly rested. But alarm swiftly shot through her when she headed to Liam’s crib and found him missing. She told herself not to panic but hastened to Jenna’s room, sure that she would find him there.

“I didn’t take him.” Jenna informed her moments later, clearly as rattled as Eden.

“Oh, God.” Color bled out of her face as terror seized her, making her world spin. She put a hand to her chest, feeling the thundering of her heart against her clammy palm. “I…we need…we need to find him, Jenna.”

Jenna took Eden’s other hand within her own and held on tight. “Don’t worry. He’s probably with the housekeeper. I’ll go check downstairs; you stay up here and wait to see if she comes back.” She took a deep breath, attempting to bolster her friend’s flagging spirits. “She probably took him down to give you time to rest.”

It wasn’t likely though, because despite Jenna’s reassurance, they both knew no one else in the house came near Liam except for the two of them. If it wasn’t Jenna, it was always Eden, and that was exactly how Eden had wanted it. She hadn’t wanted to rely on Dominic’s people and she’d made that clear in the first few days of returning to the mansion. She knew the housekeeper, Jacqueline, a stout, matronly woman who’d been in Dominic’s employ for years. She had been there when Eden had initially moved in after her wedding and had been a quiet spectator to their dysfunction, turning a dutiful blind eye to her employer’s oftentimes sadistic vices. Eden knew she couldn’t have possibly taken Liam, at least not without telling her first. But then again, Jacqueline didn’t work for her.

That sudden thought was swiftly followed by another and working on nothing but her suspicion alone, Eden raced from Jenna’s bedroom down the hall. The master bedroom was in the east wing at the end of the hallway she shot right and sprinted to the bedroom she’d once shared with Dominic. She wrapped both hands around the matte black handles and yanked them open. Memories instantly assailed her, crashing into Eden like a massive wave at the sight of the massive sleigh bed that stood raised on a dais. She shook her head to dislodge them; there was only one thing on her mind now, and as she searched the expansive bedroom, her eyes shooting from one extravagant corner to the other, she found no hint of him. The bed was neatly made, the pristine cream colored sheets and curtains standing out against the dark chocolate of the furniture.

Everything was custom made, built exactly to Dominic’s specifications, even the tray ceiling with its sunken levels and crown moldings was precisely how he’d wanted it. The white double pillars framed French doors that led to the open terrace. A flash, a memory of a chain, a delicate, fine black lace domino mask, a riding crop and Dominic gripping her as she stepped between those pillars. But again, Eden shoved those memories where they belonged and continued forward. It was there that she found him, seated in a wicker recliner, one leg slightly tossed over the other so that it formed a square and it was in the cradle of that square that he had Liam nestled on his lap. It was beautiful outside and even though there was a slight warm breeze blowing every now and then, Liam was well and truly bundled.

Utterly conflicted by the image, Eden summoned an emotion that was far more familiar to her and used confront him.

“How dare you just come and grab him from my room without my permission,” she kvetched, coming around to face him, hands at her hips and a fire in her gold eyes that could scorch a lesser man.

Impassive features conveyed nothing as Dominic quietly surveyed her, attuned to the anger that burned off her like sparks; he wanted nothing more than to capture the succulent pout of her lips and taste that fury for himself. “I didn’t realize I had to ask permission to visit with my son.”

“Your son?” she exclaimed. “When did he start becoming your son? Or is he your son when it’s only convenient to your needs.”

“Keep your voice down,” he instructed, the rumble of his voice conveying his burgeoning irritation. “He has always been my son.”

“You told me you didn’t want him.”

“It appears I’ve changed my mind,” he imparted coolly.

“Change it back,” she returned, hating his cavalier approach to something so meaningful to her. “He isn’t a toy, Dominic. He’s not something you can pick up and play with, and then abandon the next day. He’s a child, he’s my child, and I am the only parent he’s going to need.”

“He needs a father.”

“You’re the furthest thing he needs. You are as incapable of being a father as you are of being a good husband,” she spat venomously.

For a long moment he said nothing and when he unfurled his body from the recliner and came to his full height with Liam held carefully in his arms, Eden stood her ground to face him. Standing there, towering over her, it seemed as though he would say something. In his dark green eyes, Eden tried to decipher the emotions that were whirling like black smoke, but he closed himself off before she could glean anything, withdrawing into the depths of his twisted mind. He wordlessly turned from her and headed back inside the bedroom with Liam.

“Oh thank God, you found him!” Jenna exclaimed, having found her way to the master bedroom with Jacqueline’s help. She’d practically ran to find it. She nearly lost the breath she was trying so hard to recuperate when her blue eyes landed on Dominic’s formidable form as he entered the bedroom. She’d only seen him once before in passing over the last week, but was finally given the opportunity to look at him fully, and the full-on view was astounding. Dominic Armstrong possessed the sort of look that made a woman instantaneously aware of herself, made her aware of the sort of wickedness he could invoke with just one look from those smoldering, dark green eyes.

He was strikingly handsome, tall in the way that made a woman feel delicate and vulnerable beneath his towering height. Dark, jet black hair was cut stylishly short to fit the symmetry of his face. True masculine beauty shone in his lean features; a perfect aquiline nose, high cheekbones and a wide, sensual mouth made her stare openly. The long sleeved sky blue shirt he sported, neatly tucked into a pair of fitted dark trousers, outlined the definition of his physique. Broad shoulders, long muscular arms, what she could only assume to be a washboard abdomen led to narrowed hips. Knowing she was gawking, Jenna returned her gaze back up to that beautiful face and flushed embarrassingly at that one curious raised brow. There was a frighteningly powerful energy about him, something dark and a little sinister that threw Jenna off balance, and she was forced to avert her gaze when he regarded her in kind, those rapier sharp green eyes skewering her.

Beautiful and frightening. That was Jenna’s impression of Dominic Armstrong, and she was now vaguely aware why Eden wanted nothing to do with him. He looked like he could pleasure a girl and devastate her all in the same breath without even trying. And that was even more dangerous than the glint in his green eyes.

“Yes, but given that he was not lost in the first place, I don’t see the cause for alarm,” he drawled.

“Of course you don’t see the cause for alarm because you can’t possibly know what it’s like to wake up and find your child missing,” Eden fumed, reaching out her arms to take Liam from him, but he used his substantial height to evade her, smoothly sidestepping around her. “Give me my son.”

With complete disregard to Eden, he handed Liam over to Jenna. “If you will excuse us for a few minutes.” His dismissal was said with the cool confidence of a man who was used to getting his way, and against her will, Jenna found herself ready to do his bidding.

“Jen…” Eden called hurrying after the other woman, but Dominic’s immediate snatch of her wrist prevented her from going too far. “Jenna!”

Jenna turned. “We’ll be right outside, Ede.” With that she made her exit, the door closing quietly behind her retreating back.

Whirling on him, Eden wrenched her hand from his grasp and shoved at his chest for good measure, but assault did very little in budging him. “Damn you, Dominic, damn you to hell!” she screeched, so consumed with anger that she was shaking from it. Tears of frustration stung her eyes and made her heart race. She cursed him again, cursed him to the deepest, darkest part of hell and hoped that he burned.

“You’re trembling,” he noted quietly, advancing on her, closing the space between them in one long swift stride that imprisoned Eden between his all-consuming body and one of the pillars behind her. And in a move that was at contrast with his typical cool, he cupped her face in his hands and took possession of her lips in a kiss that split through Eden like a bolt of lightning. She fought, honestly she fought against it, fought him to release her, fought not to succumb, but failure was imminent in the face of his expertise. Balled fists, unfurled to flatten against his hard chest, only to clench again, holding on to his shirt as he pried her lips open with a tongue eager to delve deeper. God, the man could kiss.

Her heart felt like a battering ram in her chest, while blood rushed to her head, making Eden lightheaded, so she held on even tighter, knowing she should push him away but failing in doing so as she surrendered to him. Recognizing her submission, a ragged groan of intense need rumbled through him as he wrapped a possessive arm around her waist to pull her inexorably close to his straining erection. He threaded his fingers through her hair before fisting and anchoring his hand in the warmth. Eden whimpered at that marked assault of dominance. He awakened her, made Eden painstakingly aware of the pleasure that pooled between her thighs and dampened her panties. He was waging an all-out war against her, one that her body was ready to surrender to if the prize was his ravishment. But Eden wasn’t ready, she wasn’t mentally ready for this and as she found herself moving painstakingly slow against the thigh he’d thrust between her parted legs, she was completely appalled at herself.

“St…stop…” she managed unevenly, looking down to avoid his gaze and to calm her beating heart. An unbelievable wave of shame washed over her, putting color high on her cheeks. “Let me go.”

“Look at me,” he ordered from above her, not at all rattled like she obviously was.

“No,” she replied petulantly, childish to even her own ears. But she couldn’t possibly look at him knowing how close she’d come to betraying herself. She felt like the world’s biggest hypocrite in that instant and fleeing would’ve been her best option had he not been blocking her path.

Slipping his thumb beneath her chin so that she had little choice but to look up, Eden caught her breath at the rapacious gleam she saw in his hunter green eyes. “I hate you,” she declared wretchedly in the vibrating, lust filled air.

He leaned in close, lips barely touching hers as he nudged at her cheek with his nose, his warm breath a seduction of its own until he was at her ear, “No, sweet pet, you hate that you want me,” he imparted huskily. “Do you feel that?” Her kiss bruised mouth parted in a soft gasp, her golden eyes widening as she felt his fingers dancing just beyond the damp barrier of her panties. “How wet you are? That’s your pussy salivating for my cock.” The words crackled through her like electricity. It didn’t take him much at all to nudge that delicate barrier aside to gain access to her volcanic center. Eden’s eyes clenched shut as she bit hard on her bottom lip to keep the moan from tearing through her. “Say it,” he demanded raggedly, barely restraining himself in the process of his seduction. “Tell me how much you want it.” He laid an open mouth kiss on her cheek and sensually ran his tongue down the side of her neck.