Retribution: An Alpha Billionaire Romance (Secrets & Lies Book 3) (10 page)

“You think we'll ever be safe like that?” Melissa asks, stopping and looking at me. “Lately I've been having more dreams that we'll never be safe, and they're scarier than my memories.”

I raise her hand to my lips, kissing her knuckles without even realizing I'm doing it. “Melissa, I promise you, there will come a time when you will be safe and secure.”

She moves closer, a shadow in the darkness, and wraps her arms around me, hugging me. I hug her back, and would stay there forever except that my cock betrays me, stirring in my pants as it realizes the woman I've been fantasizing about for the past four months is now holding me. And she isn't holding me for support, but rather because she wants to hold me. I let go and step back, taking her hand again. She looks at me, slightly confused. “What, Nathan?”

“Nothing, 'Lissa. I would like to finish a wonderful walk with a wonderful person though, and then maybe share a cup of cocoa in the kitchen?”

Melissa laughs nearly silently and shakes her head. “What happened to your tea fetish?”

I laugh in reply and shake my head. “I am a tea snob, unfortunately, and we have burned through the little stash of good tea I brought with us. And I’ve seen you drinking cocoa with your sisters.”

Melissa smiles, beautiful in the starlight, and nods. “Okay. You're right, I am pretty much a chocoholic.”

We turn back, and when we get back inside, I make Melissa a mug of cocoa, noting we're going to have to go on a supply run tomorrow, unless we plan on drinking nothing but water in two days. “Here you go.”

We sit quietly, and I find that despite it being too sweet and a bit cloying, sharing a mug with Melissa is nice. The fire is just the right size to give us enough light and heat to be comfortable. “I wonder if they set this up for us.”

“Probably,” Melissa admits, sipping at her drink. “I think I was a bit too open telling them things.”

“I know. Having Katrina threaten to kick my ass was a good hint. I'm not upset about it, I know she loves you. Besides, I’ve been thinking...”

Melissa sets her mug down, and gives me a hopeful look. “Thinking about what?”

“That after this is done... I would like to stay part of this family, if it’s okay with everyone else,” I say, feeling unusually unsure. “I just... I would really like that. Especially since you do help me feel like the world is better.”

“I'd like that too,” Melissa says, and we finish our cocoa. “Thank you, Nathan. I feel a lot better about being here after our walk.”

I nod, smiling. “Actually, Melissa, I have a request. Would you mind if we did this again sometime soon? I mean, it doesn't have to be a walk every time.”

Melissa gives me an angelic smile and raises an eyebrow. “Why, Nathan Black, are you asking me on a date?”

It's been so long since I’ve been on something that could be called a date, but with Melissa I’m actually looking forward to it. “Yeah, I guess I am. What do you say?”

I expect her to stutter, it'd be so normal for her, but for some reason she doesn't, and instead her answer is immediate and strong. Maybe because she knows this is highly unusual for me. “I'd love to.”

I stand up, gathering our mugs. “Okay then, well, I’m going to wash up, and then hit the sack. Goodnight, Melissa. I had a fun... date.”

She smiles, just a hint of her normal shyness, and her eyes sparkle in the firelight. “Me too.”

I
'm in the chapel
, marveling at how different it looks from just a month ago. Now that we're in February, I'm finally feeling better about our living situation, and I can appreciate the unique beauty of the compound.

Mostly though, the memory of the huge granite stone in the chapel keeps tickling my mind, and I came in here today to see if the stone was just as remarkable as I remember. I'm not an exercise enthusiast or martial artist like the rest of the family, so I don't come in here that often.

But when I woke up this morning, I had an image in my mind, the green flecks of the emerald crystals from the granite gleaming mellowly in morning sunlight. They reminded me of Nathan's eyes, and I decided to check out the rock again after breakfast.

Which is why I'm here now, looking at the stone under the powerful beam of one of our flashlights. Katrina and the others like keeping the chapel lit only by natural light, they say it helps them with the reality of their training. I don't quite understand it, but that's why I brought the flashlight, I need to get a really good look at the stone.

It's amazing, just as flawless as I thought, although I think the line of what looks like maybe quartz through the center runs in a jagged diagonal that wouldn't let me carve the whole stone in one piece, but that's okay. I've never done stone so big before, and I think I'd like to use smaller pieces anyway.

“What're you seeing?” Andrea asks as she comes up next to me. “I saw the door open, and thought maybe Katrina and Nathan were in here getting ready for their throwdown.”

“Are they doing that today?” I ask, surprised. They'd talked a little about it, but both of them know I don't have the stomach to think of either of them being hurt. Still, if they're going to fight, then I'll be here to watch, I love them both too much to avoid it. “Did they figure out rules?”

“I’m sure they worked it out. It’s more of a spar anyway. I think they're both going to avoid actually hurting each other, and Jackson's going to act as a ref just in case,” Andrea replies, kneeling down next to me and examining the stone. She gives me a long look before speaking again. “You okay with it?”

“Not really,” I admit, running my hands over the stone, “but I won't ask them to stop. There's no point. They've been wondering who's better for six months now. And they're healthy, I guess. At least Katrina isn't ready to kill him anymore.”

“Those little walk dates you two have been doing have certainly helped there,” Andrea says before stopping, rubbing her stomach. “Whoa, settle down there, baby.”

“What's wrong?” I ask, immediately concerned. “It's too soon for you to be feeling the baby kick.”

“No, no... just a bit of indigestion. I’ll be fine, don't worry. Tell me what you're seeing in this rock here.”

“I'm not sure,” I admit. “But with the size, it's too much for me to handle at once. I was thinking maybe breaking it up, chunks about the size of a football or a little bit bigger, and then working with that.”

Andrea nods, then takes a look at the stone. “Do you want to smash it up now?”

I blink, stunned. “What?”

My sister gives me a grin in reply and nods. “Come on, we've got the tools, right? We can get the other tools so you can shape it later. So can we crack it?”

“I think,” I say, excitement growing within me. “Do you really think the two of us could do it?”

“Damn straight we could. Come on, if we need some grunt labor we can get Carson involved, too. Besides, the worst that can happen is we crack this thing up and you don't have any good pieces. But knowing you, I could hand you a chunk the size of my hand and you'd come up with a beautiful piece.”

I nod and get up, excitement going through me. “Okay, let's do it.”

* * *

“
W
hat a giant mess
.”

Andrea and I look up, sweat running down our faces and grin as Carson surveys the damage we've caused to the large block of granite. “Yeah, cool, isn't it?”

“If you say so,” Carson says, shrugging. “Andrea, are you sure you should be exerting yourself so much?”

“I'm making sure she doesn't overdo it, Carson,” I reply, wiping my forehead. “Besides, we just need to crack this thing, not break it up totally.”

“And you think you can do it?” he asks, watching as I lift the sledge up and let it drop onto the cold chisel. That's the key to my work, just letting the weight of the hammer do the work for me. It's slower than trying to muscle it down, but it works.

“I think so,” I say as I drop the hammer again, where it smacks the top of the chisel, driving it another small bit. “The line of quartz is our first key. From the little bit I remember about rocks, that sort of flaw is a weak point, and probably why it wasn't used before for other work. It's too inconsistent for structural loads.”

“It's been a long time since you did stone carving,” Carson reminds me. “And that was marble.”

“That's okay, we're just exploring to see if there's potential here,” Andrea replies, giving a smile. “If that's okay?”

Carson huffs, but nods. “Of course it is. Just... mind if I watch? I don't need either of the two most special women in my life get hurt fucking around with a big rock.”

“Hmm, he thinks we're special,” Andrea wisecracks as she steps back and lets me swing the hammer again. My shoulders ache from lifting it over and over, but I seem to be able to get more progress with this than I did with splitting wood. The chisel bites deep this time, and there's a cracking sound deep within the stone. “
Sugoi, oneechan!”

“Thanks,” I reply, smiling as I set down the big sledge. “I think that's enough for today though, don't you?”

“Are you sure?” Andrea asks, her enthusiasm driving her. “I mean, we can get a chunk off if we go at it hard and...”

“And I think 'Lissa has a point, my love,” Carson says, his voice gentle but firm as he puts his hands on Andrea's shoulders. “Exercise is good for you, but you don't need to throw out your back trying to break off a chunk of rock before 'Lissa even knows what she wants to do with it, okay?”

“Yes sir,” Andrea says immediately, her mood not so much dimming as shifting.

“It's not that I don't appreciate your helping 'Lissa, Andrea,” Carson says softly, taking her in his arms and kissing her sweaty forehead. “I just don't want you to hurt yourself. We can take our time with it. I know 'Lissa, when she's burning with inspiration, she'll have us all out here taking turns smacking this rock until it breaks. Isn't that right, 'Lissa?”

“He's right,” I admit. “I've had a lot fun cracking this rock with you though. Come on, let's clean up for this sparring session tonight.”

* * *

“
O
kay guys
, remember this is just for fun. Respect each other and respect my commands. You ready?” Jackson asks, slightly nervous as he looks from side to side. We've actually lit the chapel up tonight, Carson and Andrea sitting together with BA between them and munching on some popcorn for entertainment while I sit on the other side, chewing my fingernails nervously. I don't want either of them to get hurt, and my stomach is in knots, but I can't look away as Katrina bows to Nathan, who nods his head respectfully in return. “Then fight!”

I thought the fight would start out like a kung fu movie, with dramatic moves and lots of spinning and dodging. Instead, Katrina and Nathan both come out, their hands up a little bit but just circling constantly. Nathan's got some height on her, but I don't think either is worried about the extra three inches or so.

Katrina flicks out a left punch, and Nathan casually slaps it away while throwing a little kick toward Katrina's knee that she knocks away easily. Suddenly they're both in motion, a blurring mix of bodies that I can only see because Nathan is wearing all white while Katrina is in her typical black. Nathan has Katrina and goes to throw her, but she twists somehow in the air, landing on her back but not with the concussive impact I expect. Instead she throws Nathan, who rolls easily, and both of them are back on their feet, back to circling.

“Impressive,” Carson comments, chewing some popcorn. “Nice job, guys!”

“Shut up, Carson,” I half-growl, earning a surprised glance from everyone as I stare at the two people in the middle of the mat. Even Katrina and Nathan glance over quickly before resuming their fight, this time tumbling together to the mat. Nathan flips somehow, keeping Katrina with him, and his elbow is digging into the back of her neck, his hand cocked to deliver what looks like a fatal blow.

“No,” I gasp, fear gripping my stomach, and Nathan glances up, his hand relaxing just enough that he instead slaps Katrina in the back of the head. Katrina doesn't realize that he’s given her mercy, and instead rolls herself, her legs coming up and trapping Nathan's right shoulder in some sort of lock that wrenches his arm deep behind his body, and she sits up. Before she can though, Nathan grunts and slaps the mat, surrendering.

“All right, that's it!” Jackson says, putting his hand on Katrina's shoulder to stop the action. “He tapped out, Katrina.”

Katrina stops and lets go of Nathan's arm, rolling backward and to a standing position. Nathan climbs off the mat and shakes out his arm. “Good job, you caught me with a good one.”

Katrina smiles, and reaches out to shake hands, but Nathan's having none of it, hugging Katrina and then kissing her on the cheek.

“You sure you don't want to go another round?” Katrina asks, and Nathan shakes his head, still with that little half-smile on his face. “Well then, maybe we can do some training together sometime soon? Please?”

“That's a promise,” Nathan says, hugging her again before leaving the chapel. Katrina watches him for a moment before pulling her gloves off and picking up BA, everyone celebrating her
victory
.

* * *

I
wake
up from my sleep, escaping a nightmare of nameless, dark dread. It's not like my normal nightmare, but this time the sense of loss is sharper, more immediate and closer somehow. I'm not sure what it all means though, and as I sit up, panting and sweating, I'm more disturbed than with my normal dreams. With them, once my initial panic wears off, I feel shame and anger with myself. This dream though... I'm not ashamed, but for some reason I'm still afraid.

I get out of bed, shivering slightly as I reach for my heavy sweatshirt. The new furnace may be working, but to save propane we keep the thermostat very low, only just above fifty degrees.

I slide my feet into my slippers and head toward the big room, hoping that a little bit of watching the fire might help calm my nerves. I'm surprised to find Nathan sitting up, his own eyes watching the firelight as he sips at some sort of amber liquid. “Nathan?”

He looks up, giving me a half-smile and setting down his glass. “Hi. Sorry we didn't take a walk tonight. After my little sparring match with Katrina, I just was not feeling up to it.”

“That's okay,” I reassure him, sitting down on the couch next to him and taking his hand. I pick up his glass, shocked when I smell nothing. “I guess I owe you an apology. I thought this was liquor.”