Wicked Knight (20 page)
No. It wasn't hard
. When Kirsten had told him her plan, he accepted it as if it was the natural thing to do. “I don't mind marrying you.”
“Really?”
“Not at all. If I didn't, I wouldn't be lying here with you right now. And I'd never know how to make love with a virgin.”
“Ah, free sex. Okay. Well, Doctor Knight, remember the deal. After the wedding, we'll be over. So this,” she pointed her finger back and forth between them, “is going to end also.”
“I know. Believe me that fact's been in my head since we signed the wedding license. I forgot to tell you last night I got an email from Dad.”
“Yeah?”
“We can get married today. The clerk at the city hall recognized me. Dad prosecuted and put a street drug dealer who killed the clerk's brother. So she called Dad and told him about the license. Gawain and Bors are flying in today.”
“Okay.”
“Okay? Too soon?”
“No. It's just—I'm surprised.”
“Getting cold feet? Or you wish you were having a grand wedding with five bridesmaids?”
“No on both. We are only doing this because of Marla, not because we planned this or anything. Good. If we can wed today, you can go back to work right after and I can begin living again. Let's just hope Marla won't show up today. She knows my out and might suspect something. She might grill us.”
“I'm ready. I know enough about you to pass as a real fiance. Right now I'll show you everything about me is real.”
“Oh, I could believe that.”
They were both still panting from the aftermath of another
round
when rapid knocks on the bedroom door sounded.
“Hey, Doctor! This is Teta aka your Nurse Betty. The bitch and the asshole are at the door. The bitch is the woman who looks like a million dollars in her suit and the asshole is the man with an inner tube around his middle.”
Like a Jack-in-a-box, Julie bolted off the bed. “Marla and Sebastian! Omigod! They're here?” She grabbed a pair of jeans in her closet, and a green and brown striped blouse. She then tied her hair in a bun. “Damn it! We're not married yet. Damn, damn.”
Tristan watched her from the bed, wondering if she owned other clothes that weren't green or without a tint of it.
“What are you doing? Get up! Use that door, you'll find yourself in a different room. And... Where the heck are your clothes?”
“Stop, Julie. Breathe. Take a deep breath. There's nothing to worry about. Didn't you say you trust me?” He languidly got off the bed and pulled Julie in for a hug, but she shrugged him off.
“Yes, I trust you—and no. You don't know how vile Marla can be. We're not married yet. She'll use you against me, and she'll get this house and everything else my mother worked hard for.”
Another knock came and Teta aked, “Should I let them in?”
“Yes. Tell them I'm coming down, Teta. Please, Tristan, get dressed and hide in there. Let me handle this and then we'll think of something later. There is so much at stake here and I can't afford to lose everything. Go, now. Please.”
“Look at me, Julie. Haven't you heard anything I've said in the past day and half? When I said
I'll help you
, I meant every single word. Trust me on this. We'll go down there together and face Marla. We'll achieve your goal
together
. Together, you hear me?”
“I know, but I don't want to take a chance. Mother's memories are all I have left, Tristan. And these people will take them away from me the moment you give them an inch.” Julie tapped her arm rapidly.
She was nervous, Tristan thought. It made him mad to see her this way. She didn't deserve to be treated as if she was still a teenager.
“Tell me what Sebastian has done to you. Kirsten told me he's an asshole and has never treated you like a stepsister.”
“Whenever they stayed here with Dad, he would come up with something—to come near me. Like sneak behind me to grab my butt, jump in front of me so we would collide on purpose and he would grab my breasts or my thighs, anywhere. Marla always pretended not to notice.”
If he gritted his teeth more, Tristan thought he would crack them.
Damn
. He'd better hold his temper, otherwise Julie would definitely lose everything if he blackened Sebastian's eyes. “All I ask is you trust me. Can you do that, Julie Knight?”
“I'm not a Knight yet.”
“For me you are already.”
Julie nodded. A sigh of relief came from the pit of his stomach. In truth, he didn't know the people waiting downstairs, but
whatever
they were, Julie would not be facing them alone.
Teta knocked on the door for the third time.
“Let them in, Teta.”
Chapter Thirteen
* * * *
Not a smoker himself, Tristan knew if someone had been smoking. And he found out the culprit who desecrated the clean air in the house. Julie's nemesis.
Mother and son were waiting in the living room. Marla was sitting with her legs crossed, a cigarette in between her fingers. On her lap was a white long tube, the kind draftsmen used to keep their blueprints inside.
Sebastian cradled a white bag with a
Dunkin Donuts
logo on the front. While looking at him with a nasty smirk on his face, Sebastian's meaty hand went in the bag and took out two donut holes. He popped them into his mouth, then the hand went back inside the bag again. Tristan wondered if he could beat Gawain in a hotdog-eating contest. He bet it would be a neck and neck race.
Teta was right. The man looked ready to jump overboard, with his potbelly for a lifesaver. The two looked up when Tristan, hand-in-hand with Julie, came down the long stairway. Tristan squeezed Julie's hand. “They look like normal people to me,” he whispered, trying to relieve Julie from nervousness.
“Just wait. They can transform into rapid rats before your eyes. Believe you me.”
True enough, Marla's nose flared and her eyes glinted with malice. Not bothering to look for an ashtray, she jabbed her cigarette butt on the glass coffee table and stood up so fast it was as if someone poked her ass with a needle. Sebastian followed, chewing with his mouth open.
“Finally came out of hiding to show the world that you're not what you want us to think you are?” Marla said with derision.
“Hello, Marla. What brought your here?” Julie asked without wavering.
“Oh, got fangs now, do you? Is it because of hotshot here?”
“Who the hell are you?” Sebastian asked, still chewing with his mouth open.
Tristan avoided looking at his masticated donuts.
“This is Dr. Tristan Knight, my fiance. Tristan, this is my stepmother, and her son, Sebastian.”
Tristan saw Marla's shock reaction, but it was brief. Sebastian concerned Tristan most. The man's color turned into a fried lobster. He was afraid he would keel over. If he suddenly had a heart attack, Tristan would call 911, but would not perform CPR. He flexed his muscles. He didn't like the two, not even a bit.
“Nice to meet you both.”
“Fiance? Since when did you start dating real men? A week ago, you were in a gay bar with your girlfriend and few weeks before that you played bingo with your bassoon for a housekeeper. No man was around, so how did you manage to get engaged? Unless he's only a man who sees you to scratch your itch. And not really your fiance.”
He'd give it to her—Marla was smart. Tristan thought it was time to step in.
“Marla, would you like to sit back down? We can talk about this like civilized people. You're probably not happy about being out of the loop about Julie's recent engagement. Which I understand, you, after all, are her stepmother.”
Marla eyed him from head to foot before she went back to sit on the sofa. She searched her purse for a smoke.
“If you're thinking about smoking again, please don't. Second hand smoke is a killer.”
Marla smirked. “Why, is she pregnant? I know she's a whore pretending to be a virgin.”
“Watch your tongue, ma'am.”
“Whatever,” Marla said sardonically.
“Julie, should I bring out snacks? Looks like your stepbrother is deflating. He needs more food. Oh, I have a better idea. Why don't I serve them bullets?”
Everyone's gaze pointed at Teta. She was holding Cinnamon's collar, trying to stop the dog from running. Cinnamon could smell the bag of donuts on Sebastian's lap. Tristan wished Teta would let the dog go.
“You. Why don't you go back to the Amazon forest?”
“I will, but not without your baboon for a son. His kind misses him so much.”
“Fuck you, hag!”
Teta huffed then let go of Cinnamon's leash. Cinnamon's paws slipped on the marble floor in her haste to run. Sebastian thought it funny, but stopped laughing when he realized the dog was running toward him.
“Stop that dog!” Sebastian yelled.
To Tristan's dismay, Julie grabbed Cinnamon's leash.
“I hate that dog!”
“And I hate both of you.” Teta reached in her purse with a glint in her eyes. No doubt she was happy to find the opportunity to use her Remington. “Let see what's in that ugly head of yours. I bet it's empty. Just as this bitch's chest is. No heart, no soul.”
“Teta, no.” As much as he wanted to see Sebastian's thick, big head explode, he didn't want his brains on Julie's couch and floor. Besides, he wasn't worth a bullet—if Teta indeed put bullets in her gun's chambers.
“Can't believe you're letting your housekeeper talk to us this way.”
“What way, Marla? Like you two are unsightly scabs?”
“Fuck you and your beehive hair.”
Before Sebastian even blinked, Cinnamon lunged on Sebastian's lap and grabbed the bag with her mouth. Based on Sebastian's howl, Cinnamon must have nipped his crotch.
“Take your blasted dog out!” yelled Marla. “And stop your howling, Sebastian. You idiot.”
“Teta, please take Cinnamon out.”
“Are you sure you don't want me to use my Remington with these two? I'm sure I'll do this country a favor if I get rid of two more scabs. God knows we have lots of them around.”
“I'm sure, Teta. Thank you.”
Teta harrumphed, placed her two fingers inside her mouth, and let out a high-pitched sound. The sound bounced around the walls and hit Tristan's ear. Cinnamon went to Julie's side and wagged her tail.
“Go to Teta, Cinnamon. Good girl.”
“One word, Julie, and I'll pump my bullets on these two. Come on, dog.”
As soon as Cinnamon and Teta were out the door, Julie faced Marla. “Why are you here, Marla?”
Her voice didn't shake, but Tristan knew she wasn't as composed as she let on. Julie gripped his hand as if it were her lifeline.
“You know why I'm here. It is time for you to pack up and leave.”
“That'll never happen. You have nothing against me.”
“Oh, yes, I do. Your mother—as feeble as she was—was right about adding the stipulation in her will. Because you cannot be trusted, cannot behave, and were born to disgrace your family's name. Right now, I have the strongest proof that you are what I thought you were the moment I met you. A whore. You'd better give it up and leave, Julie. Or do you want this to go to court?”
“No.”
Tristan could feel Julie's body tremble beside him. He hoped she wouldn't crumble. He squeezed her hand to remind her that he was there to help. Un-fucking-believable. He could not believe he'd actually meet the fucking bitch in person. The woman was as greedy as
Cruella Deville
, mean as Cinderella's stepmother. And Julie fended her off all by herself for years.
“Well, then, I have a prewritten form you need to sign.”
“What form?”
“Form that says you broke the condition. Sebastian,” Marla snapped her fingers. “Show your stepsister the pen and form. Come on!”
Sebastian grinned, showing his crooked teeth. He opened his black leather briefcase, took out a white sheet of paper and shook it in the air. “We finally got you.”
Tristan took a step forward. “Hand me the paper, Sebastian.”
“Why? You're not part of this.”
“Oh, yes I am. And if you don't give me that paper, my fist will leave an imprint on your face.”
Sebastian blanched. He practically threw the paper at Tristan.
“Ha! This intimidation will go to court also, Julie. I say you tell your Rottweiler here to back off.”
“Tristan, please...” Julie's voice was barely a whisper but he heard her.
Glancing back at Julie, he gave her a reassuring smile. “Julie will sign the form.” Behind her Julie let out what sounded like a gasp and whimper. Patience, Tristan thought. A good stratagem was all he needed to trap the snake in its own pit. “But first, we need to see your proof that she indeed has broken the condition.”
“It's a waste of time, if you ask me. Just let her sign the paper to save her from further embarrassment. This is what I've been trying to tell her lawyer. She's such a bad girl, her own mother created her daughter's invisible noose. Imagine that.”
“Show us your proof, Marla.”
“This is the reason.” Marla pulled a picture out of her purse and threw it on the table.
Tristan picked it up and did a double take. Seeing Julie's naked body in the bedroom was un-fucking-believable. He stared at the glossy picture. It was Julie, all right, lying on a plush sofa, as naked as the day she was born.
She looked beautiful. Her hair pinned up and tied with a blue ribbon. The style gave her a look of princess. She was coiling a lock of hair around her finger while her other hand was flat on her midriff. Her left leg was bent and leaning against the couch while the other leg...dangling with her toes barely touching the floor. The position provided a great view of her exquisite body, luscious breasts and pussy. The picture was so clear he could see her clitoris.
Good God!
Fucking Sebastian must have looked at this picture a million times. He'd bet his medical license the dirty slime ball masturbated while staring at Julie's nudity.
“Where did you get this?”
“Someone gave it to me.”
Julie's loud breath intake took his eyes away from the picture. “Oh my God, that's me,” she whimpered, covering her mouth with her hand.
