Rock Bottom (21 page)

Chapter Forty-five

“I have a gift for you.”

My shoulder bounced off the cool glass where I sat curled up in the window seat. So engrossed in the mystery I’d been reading all day, I hadn’t even noticed the sun setting outside. Or heard Damien arrive home. Or come into my room. Yet there he was, standing at the food of the bed, a long garment bag draped over one arm.

Stuffing a bookmark in place, I set aside the novel and approached him slowly, curiosity mildly outweighing my trepidation. Other than the vast array of clothing provided in my walk-in closet, he’d never tried to tell me what to wear before.

Damien’s deep chuckle chilled my bones and sent fire and ice through my veins. “Relax, pet. You’ll like it. I promise.”

Hooking the hanger over the canopy frame, he unzipped the bag and carefully guided a long black sequined dress into the light. It was obviously meant to be skin tight, backless, and absolutely stunning. The kind of dress that belonged on a red carpet somewhere.

“W—” My fingers strained to touch the shimmering material. “Why?”

“We’re hosting a party this evening. Get ready.”

As expected the dress clung to my every curve. I twisted this way and that, examining my reflection in the full length mirror in my private bathroom. I’d studiously avoided mirrors like it was my job for weeks, but now I took a long, hard look. And I honestly didn’t know what to think about what I saw.

I was still too thin, but I’d put some weight back on. My skin was pale from lack of sunlight, but it had lost the yellow pallor. My eyes looked different. More alive. And my hair was getting back some of its thickness and shine. Whether or not I wanted to admit it, being locked away in Damien’s apartment seemed to be agreeing with me. I was sheltered, pampered, and the drugs were entirely out of reach. Even when I found myself craving them—when I was so overcome by stress and boredom that I physically shook with my need for them—I knew I could never relapse simply because Damien would not allow it.

Pressing the palm of my hand against my churning stomach, I spritzed on a perfume Damien seemed to favor and finished pulling my hair up to expose my neck. God, I looked incredible. And all I wanted, more than anything, was an oversized hoodie and sweatpants. I wanted clothes I could hide in. I wanted body armor. Instead, I reached back and unsnapped my bra. No use trying to be modest now.

“You look ravishing.” I watched Damien’s reflection as he approached. Felt the heat of his body against my back. His eyes caught mine in the mirror and flared before he bent his head and his hot, wet mouth traveled along the slope of my neck and across my bared shoulder. “I could just eat you up. And perhaps I will.
Later
. The guests will be arriving any minute now.”

I felt the evidence of his dark promise pressing against my back and shuddered.

“The rules for this evening are very simple. You will stay with me at all times and you will not speak to anyone except me, unless given my approval. Is that understood?”

I nodded, sincerely doubting there would be anyone in attendance I’d be interested in speaking to anyway.

“I don’t like to threaten, Star, but I think we both know that a violation of these rules will be met with . . . consequences.” His fingers glided up and down my throat, barely a wisp of a touch, but I felt the threat nonetheless.

Swallowing hard, I almost choked on my reply. “I understand.”

Damien’s head dipped to trace the shell of my ear with his nose. “Good girl.”

He had a way of leaving my head spinning and when he pulled back abruptly, I had to grab hold of the sink to keep myself upright.

“Come.” He whirled me around and linked his arm with mine. “I need to check on the arrangements.”

Everything seemed to be in order in the kitchen. Rows of champagne glasses were lined up and ready to be served, trays of fancy finger foods were garnished to look more like works of art than hors d’oeurves.

“And the buffet?” Damien addressed a man in uniform who looked flushed and out of breath.

“Just finishing up now, sir. Everything should be prepared in the dining room.”

“Excellent.”

Silver trays covered the long ebony table from end to end, laden with everything from steak to pasta. Oysters, scallops, lobster, pools of melted butter . . . Some kind of black globules sat in a bowl beside a plate of crackers. At the far end, was a tall, decorative fountain, splashing with liquid chocolate and surrounded by delicately carved fruit, so beautiful it was almost a shame to eat.

I surveyed the banquet laid out before us and stumbled to a halt. Beyond the chocolate fountain flashing silver eyes collided with mine and my knees gave out so fast, if Damien hadn’t been there to catch me, I would have hit the floor.

“Careful there.”

“I’m sorry.” Regaining my wits, I righted myself and smoothed out the material of his jacket sleeve. “These heels. I’m not used to them.”

“That’s alright, my Star.” Soft, smooth, well-manicured fingers stroked my cheek, pausing to play with a loose curl, and my stomach knotted knowing Elijah witnessed it all. “Just means you won’t be able to stray far from me this evening. Come, pet. Everything seems to be in order here. We need to greet our guests.”

Head bowed, I followed obediently out of the room, resolutely refusing to so much as glance in Elijah’s direction. I would have collapsed all over again. With longing? Relief? Terror? All three.

Damien Cross was not a man to be trifled with.

***

“Martin, glad you could make it this evening. And, Susan, it’s a pleasure to see you as always.” Damien greeted each of his guests by name as they came through the door, asking about their lives, children, sick family members. He was a very gracious host.

I stood by his side, smiling politely and praying like hell Rafe hadn’t made the guest list.

“That should do it.” Damien slid his arm around my waist as the door shut behind Martin and his wife and I breathed a quiet sigh of relief.

We mingled. I heard name after name, saw face after face, unsure which, if any, would be of use to the investigation. But God help me if every last one of my thoughts wasn’t focused solely on where Elijah was at all times and what he was doing. I could sense the moment he stepped into the room. Feel his eyes on me as he made rounds, passing out napkins and shrimp on tiny toothpicks. Recognized the coldness creeping over me the instant he was gone again.

“Damien.” A man not much older than me—maybe mid-twenties—pushed his way through the crowd toward where we were chatting with an elderly couple. He wasn’t dressed to impress the way everyone else was, but he radiated a certain careless style in his designer chinos and loose fitted silk tie.

“Brian.” Damien scowled at the interruption before politely excusing us from our company. One hand secured firmly around mine and the other cuffed around Brian’s wrist, he escorted us both across the room to a semi-private corner. “What are you doing here?”

“We have a . . . problem.”

“What kind of
problem
?”

Brian pointedly scanned the crowded room and I got the impression it wasn’t the kind of problem either of them would want to discuss here.

Damien must have come to the same conclusion. “This couldn’t wait until morning?”

“No.”

The two men stared at each other for a long moment and I felt a little like a mouse caught between a pair of alley cats.

“My office. Now.” Damien twisted until I found myself staring at the solid wall of his chest. “I’ll only be gone a minute. Don’t
go disappearing on me.”

Brian smirked at Damien’s teasing tone, but the dead sincerity of each word was etched into his face. His words were more than a reassurance. They were a warning.

Groups chatted here and there. Drinks flowed and laughter filtered through the room. I watched as Damien and Brian disappeared into his office and shut the door. He didn’t want me disappearing on him, so it made sense that I should stick as close as possible. Didn’t it?

No one paid me any attention as I wandered down the hall. Lingering outside the office door, I scanned the party to make sure it stayed that way before leaning into the wooden surface. Even with my ear pressed right against the door, it was no use. The barrier was too thick and the sounds of the party too loud. I couldn’t hear a thing.
Dammit.

A toilet flushed and I righted myself just before the bathroom door swung open and Martin stepped out. “I’m sorry. We’re you waiting long?”

“Oh . . .” He was talking to me. “. . . no.”

“Well, when you’re finished, come and find us. I’m sure my wife would like another woman to speak with. She gets terribly bored at these things.” He flashed me a smile before heading toward the living room and I was suddenly overcome by an even greater sense of dread.

I was on my own. In a room full of strangers. Without Damien to control the flow of conversation or answer questions I didn’t know the answers to. I couldn’t talk to anyone without his permission, but what was stopping them from talking to me?

Needing an escape—somewhere I could hide until he returned—I wandered into the kitchen. A woman with a bottle of wine and a pair of glasses nearly slammed into me as I stepped through the door. Servers scurried in and out, refilling trays and glasses, but no one seemed to take notice of my presence.

Several clean glasses sat near an open bottle on the counter. Not even caring what it was, I poured myself a healthy dose of the amber liquid and took a cautious sip. It burned all the way down and pooled in my belly. Just what I needed. Liquid courage. I needed more. I needed—

“Don’t.” Fingers curled around my wrist as I lifted the glass for another sip, forcing it back down to the counter with a dull thud.

Chapter Forty-six

“Don’t, Ry. You just kicked the drugs.” Elijah’s voice made every last muscle in my body clench and my fingers curled into fists against the countertop.

Seeing him . . . having the chance to speak to him . . . it was all I’d wanted for weeks. And there he was. Close enough to touch. And I was so furious I couldn’t pull together a single rational thought.

“Don’t be mad. I know I shouldn’t be here, but I couldn’t help myself. I needed to see you. He never lets you leave this place.”
Has he been stalking me? Staking out the apartment all this time?
“So I found a way in. Declan got me the job. Please, Rylie? Just look at me.”

I couldn’t deny him. I could never deny him anything. Turning slowly, I peeked up through my lashes at his worn and weary face. Dark circles shadowed his beautiful eyes. Deep creases bracketed his full, soft lips. This whole experience was taking its toll on more than just me.

“There she is.” His gentle words whispered over me. “There’s my girl.”

I shook my head in disbelief. “Are you crazy?”

“Crazy about you.” That grin. That obnoxious, cocky grin. Was there a better sight in the whole world?

I wanted to strangle him. I wanted to kiss him. I wanted to tell him how much I missed him. How glad I was to see him. Even if it was completely insane. But I couldn’t. So I slid my hand into his and squeezed with all of the emotions choking off my voice.

He understood. He heard all I was trying to tell him. I could see it in his eyes. He was telling me the same when he squeezed my fingers in return.

“What have you found?”

Business
.
Good
. I could talk business without destroying the hours I’d put into my makeup application. Not that it was good news. “Nothing yet. He watches me like a hawk when he’s home and the rest of the time . . . When he’s working and at night . . .”

“What?”

I didn’t really want to tell him Damien kept me locked away like a dog in a kennel.

“What about at night, Rylie?” Pain marred his handsome face and I knew whatever he was imagining was worse than the truth.

“He keeps me locked in my room. I can’t get out to search for anything.”

Equal parts relief and anger shone in his eyes as his fingers gently gripped the hair at the back of my neck, holding me close as he pressed a firm kiss to the top of my head. “Which room is it?”

“Last door on the left, down the hall, but I—”

Elijah shoved me away, nearly knocking me to the floor, and began reorganizing appetizers on a silver tray.

Damien’s gaze flicked from me, to him, and back again. “What are you doing in here? I’ve been looking for you.”

“I apologize. I-I was only looking for something to eat.”

“Here you go, ma’am.”

I nearly fumbled the plate of varied foods shoved into my hands at the sound of Elijah’s voice speaking to me in front of Damien. He’d be angry, but Elijah didn’t know that.

“Thank you.” The words were less than a whisper, certain each syllable I uttered would earn me more trouble than it was worth.

“Come.” Damien reached for me, casting an icy glare over my shoulder at Elijah. “You’re not to leave my side again. You know the rules.” ‘
And the consequences’
was left unspoken, but I heard it anyway.

“Yes. Of course.” I scurried over to him. Was that
jealousy
I sensed when a solid arm wrapped around my shoulders, clamping me to his side like a steel band?

I could have imagined it, but I swear I heard Elijah’s teeth grinding behind us as Damien escorted me back to the party.

***

It was well after midnight and my head was throbbing. The buzz of conversation had given way to the clatter of dishes and the clipped dialog between the caterers as they went about their clean-up duties. My eyelids were beginning to droop as Damien bid goodnight to our final guest.

The door shut and I slumped against the wall.

“Tired, pet?”

“Mmm.” I nodded and the clips in my hair stabbed at my scalp.

“Then, by all means, go get ready for bed.” He blocked the hallway in the opposite direction, brokering no argument about where I was to go.

Heading straight for my bathroom, I removed the abundance of pins I’d used to keep my hair in place and rubbed at my tingling scalp. Sometimes being a girl just sucked. My feet didn’t disagree as I made my way back into the bedroom to change.

Damien pounced before I could blink, backing me against the wall. I hadn’t even heard him come in behind me.

“I have an apartment full of caterers to oversee.” He sounded put-out by the idea.

I was still recovering from his unexpected, overwhelming presence when he gripped my wrist and spun me around. My hands flew out, bracing against the wall to steady myself and his weight returned, pressing against my back, pinning me there.

“But I also have a business meeting in an hour. And you . . .” I felt a puff of hot breath against my shoulder before his lips trailed over my skin. “. . . in this dress . . .” My hands fisted as his mouth traveled lower, caressing my exposed back with his lips and tongue and teeth. “. . . refuse . . . to be . . .” His fingers twisted in the hem of my dress lifting it slowly until he reached my waist. “. . . ignored.” All at once he whipped it up, over my head, and tossed it in a heap on the floor.

Squeezing my eyes shut, I fought the desperate urge to cover myself as I waited to for him to do . . . whatever it was he was going to do. When nothing more happened, I peeked over my shoulder to see if I’d angered him in some way. He stood there—still fully clothed—just watching me. The way a lion watches an antelope. I’d seen enough
Animal Planet
to know what that look meant.

“On the bed. We’ll deal with your . . .
indiscretions
tomorrow.” He considered me a moment longer. “Keep the shoes on.”

My heart rioted in my chest as I stumbled toward the bed.
Elijah’s out there. Right in the next room.
Did he see Damien come in here? Does he know what we were doin
g? My eyes stung and I bit the inside of my cheek hard enough to draw blood.

Damien didn’t waste time. Foreplay was not part of his repertoire. He was a busy man. He took what he wanted when he wanted it. Without hesitation or apology. My approval was unnecessary.

But if, in some alternate reality, Damien actually cared—actually sought my consent—wouldn’t I have given it to him? Hadn’t I
already
given it by returning to Rafe, knowing full-well what would happen? Wasn’t that a form of permission for everything that came next?

Afterward, I sat on the floor of my shower, swallowing my sobs. My emotions felt like strings of yarn hopelessly knotted together. I hated the man Damien was, the things he did, and yet I pitied him, found a strange sense of relief in his company, a security I couldn’t understand. I craved Elijah worse than I’d ever craved the drugs, the peace of his presence, the comfort of his touch, and yet his being nearby caused me more distress than anything.

Voices slowly diminished as I tugged on a satin nightie and dragged the throw blanket from the window seat over to the couch. I couldn’t bring myself to get back in that bed. Not tonight.

Terrified of what tomorrow might bring, I sought the reprieve only sleep could offer. I hovered on the razor’s edge of oblivion when I heard a click. My body solidified, my brain catapulting back into wakefulness. Perhaps his meeting had been cancelled. Or maybe he simply couldn’t wait any longer.

Whatever the reason, it was time to face the consequences for my ‘indiscretions’.