Authors: Lynn Montagano
I’d been on this yacht so many times I’d lost count. Most of the memories were pleasant, thankfully. I ran my eyes over the length of the vessel. It had sleek lines and curves with dark tinted windows. Emblazoned on the back in proud block letters was its clever name; Aye Candy.
Exactly what I was for him. Something to show off.
“Lia. You brought company.”
Nathan’s voice echoed from the hull. I looked to my right and saw him grinning down at me. Alastair stood silently to my left, hands balled into tight fists.
“Don’t be shy. Come aboard.”
Taking Alastair’s hand in mine, I guided him to the small door at the stern. We stepped on, then went up to the main deck. A flood of memories drowned me. I could see myself lounging on the deck chairs, soaking in the golden rays of the sun.
How lucky I believed I was
, I thought bitterly.
Nathan approached carrying two glasses filled with wine. “Welcome back, Sparkle.” He smiled and passed me a glass. Alastair wrapped an arm around my waist possessively and snatched the glass from him.
“This isn’t a social call,” he sneered.
Nathan’s eyes darkened to midnight blue as he glared at him. “You’re a guest, Holden. Act like one.”
“Alright, you two, enough,” I said.
My ex sulked and crossed his arms. “This was supposed to be just you and me, Lia. He doesn’t need to be here.”
“That’s where you’re wrong, Greyson,” Alastair said in a dangerously calm tone. “I told you to stay away from her. I told you to leave her alone. And yet, here we are. This ends tonight.”
Furious anger billowed around me as the two of them glared at one another. Neither one moved or appeared to have any intention of backing down. I feared the worst was about to come.
Nathan took a step towards me and was immediately cut off by Alastair. They stood nose-to-nose, shooting daggers from their eyes. Nathan was the same height as Alastair but not as athletic. I moved slowly to one of the chairs, clutching the cushion.
“I won’t tell you again,” Alastair growled. “Stay out of her life.”
“Some boyfriend you are. You’d rather see her be humiliated in public than stop it from happening.”
Alastair bared his teeth and released a quick, short breath. “There is nothing to humiliate her with, you lying bastard. Everything you’ve put her through this month was fabricated in your twisted mind.
You
stalked her.
You
sent her the photos.
You
wrote the emails to entice that reporter. And you made her believe
my family
was behind all of it. Why? So she’d break up with me and go running back to you? Hell will freeze over before that happens.”
“You’re just as cunning as I am. What are you covering up with that trust account? Who did you fuck over and have to pay off? I’m not stupid. I know what a ghost account looks like.”
“That’s none of your business, Nathan,” I yelled.
His searing gaze burned through me. I’d never seen him so angry. “It is my business when compromising photos of you appear on my doorstep with a note threatening to go public with them if you don’t drop his sorry ass.”
I froze in place, unable to breathe. Nausea rolled my stomach and for a second I thought I might be sick. “What are you…?” I couldn’t finish the question.
Nathan barely took three steps in my direction before Alastair put him in a chokehold against the glass doors leading to the yacht’s interior rooms.
“What the fuck are you talking about?”
Nathan gasped and clawed at Alastair’s hand. “Let go of me or I’ll call security.”
“You will tell me what you’re talking about and then I’ll think about letting you go.”
Breathing hard, Nathan gestured to the folder on the table. Alastair flicked his incensed gaze to it as well, and then to me.
“Grab the folder but do not open it.”
Too frazzled to do anything but what he asked, I picked up the folder and handed it to him. He loosened his grasp on Nathan’s neck long enough to open it. His face paled immediately, sending my anxiety through the roof.
“What is it?” I asked.
He thumbed through what I assumed were photos and glared at Nathan. “Where did you get these?”
“I told you, they were dropped off anonymously. I have no idea who sent them.”
“Stop lying,” Alastair bellowed, throwing down the folder. Some of the photos slid out but I couldn’t see them clearly. He pulled his cell phone of his pocket and dialed a number. “I need her out of here. Now. We’re on the yacht in back.”
Seconds later, Paxton appeared and escorted me off the boat. Alastair and Nathan were still locked in a heated conversation. I didn’t want to leave him. Shaking, I stopped walking and turned around.
“We have to go, Miss Meyers.”
“I can’t leave him.”
“We have to go.” Paxton gripped my arm tightly and led me back to the SUV. The panic attack that threatened to unhinge me at work yesterday arrived with full force. I couldn’t breathe. I couldn’t move. I was helpless.
Stephanie opened the door and nearly threw it off the hinge.
“What’s going on? Are you okay? Where’s Alastair?”
I walked into her bare living room and saw Darren standing by the kitchen. His usual cheerful demeanor was clouded with worry. I didn’t want to burden anybody else with this. Tears pooled in my eyes before I could get a handle on my emotions.
“Miss Tempe, I’ll be back later. Please don’t hesitate to call if you need anything.” Paxton excused himself from the room and left.
Stephanie led me to the couch and sat down. “Is everything okay with you two?” She eyed me with caution, obviously thinking back to what happened at the estate in England.
“Yeah, we’re fine. It’s Nathan.”
“What did that asshole do now?”
“All the pictures and…articles and…the thing with Rachel. He was behind all of it.”
She smoothed down my hair in soft, mothering strokes. “Are you really so surprised? He’s a master manipulator.”
Darren crossed the room and sat on the floor in front of us. “Is that the ex you were telling me about, Steph?”
She nodded. “They broke up after New Year’s. He clearly has issues and doesn’t know how to move on.”
“I’m sorry he’s giving you so much trouble, love,” Darren said, covering my hand with his. “Our boy will set him straight.”
I shifted uncomfortably on the cushion. I wouldn’t be able to relax until I had Alastair next to me and I was wrapped up in his arms. Nathan wasn’t the type to resolve situations with a conversation. He preferred intimidation and loved using his security team to ‘fix’ problems.
“Would you like some tea, Lia? I make a pretty awesome cuppa.”
Darren’s question actually made me smile. “Do you even have a teapot?” I asked Stephanie.
“Nope. I have a microwave though. Darren thinks it’s sacrilegious but he’s been suffering through it all week.”
“I’ll get that ready for you straight away. How do you take it?”
“Just honey, please.”
Stephanie pulled me into a warm hug. “I am so sorry this is happening. I wish there was something I could do.”
“Stay up with me and wait? I have a horrible feeling he won’t be back until much, much later. If at all.”
“Don’t think like that. And of course I’ll stay up with you. Darren will, too. We can watch stupid reality shows to keep your mind occupied. How’s that sound?”
“You’re amazing. Have I told you that lately?” I squished her in a big hug.
When Darren finished making my tea we passed the time playing card games.
“You know what I’ve noticed about Americans?” Darren asked.
“Oh God, what?” Stephanie groaned.
“You’re all really invested in asking others how they are all the time. Like today, I was doing some shopping and this lady just started chatting me up and the first thing she wanted to know was, how I was. I don’t think she really cared how I was, she just asked me. I felt obliged to give her an answer so I made something up.”
“What?” I laughed.
“Aye, I told her I had blister on my toe from all the walking. She actually started giving me names of medicines and creams to rub on it.”
“That’s called ‘being nice.’ You Scots should look into it.” Stephanie teased.
“What? We’re nice.”
“You have your moments,” she giggled.
We finished our game and spread out on the couch and floor to watch some bad reality television. Darren sat wide-eyed and slack-jawed while we watched a bunch of twenty-something mansion living girls fight with one another and throw mattresses into swimming pools.
“I bet those girls wouldn’t stop to ask me how I was.”
“Darren, those girls would devour you if given the chance,” I laughed.
“You say that like it’s a bad thing.” He winked.
By the time midnight rolled around I could tell they were both exhausted. I felt bad keeping them up. After some protesting, they agreed to go to sleep only if I woke them up when I heard anything about Alastair. I curled up on the couch and snuggled under a blanket. Grabbing my phone, I sent an email to Bruce letting him know I wouldn’t be coming in to work tomorrow. I made up something about having the stomach flu. It wasn’t a total lie. My stomach was a mess and I would be useless at work.
I let the tears fall freely instead of stopping them. Not knowing if Alastair was okay tore me apart inside. If only I hadn’t agreed to that dinner with Nathan, when I thought he really wanted to give us an interview.
If only
…
He would have tried something else. I had no doubt. Sinking further into the cushion I felt my lids become heavier and heavier. Sleep would be a welcome escape.
Soft knocking on the door woke me up. I sat up with a start, staring into the darkness. It took me a second to get my bearings.
I’m at Steph’s
. Another soft knock startled me. Clutching the blanket around my body, I went to the window. Relief flooded through me when I saw Alastair standing on the front steps.
I opened the door and bolted into his arms, unable to stop more tears from falling.
“Inside, love,” he whispered. “Come.”
I hugged him fiercely for an eternity when we walked back into the living room. I didn’t plan on letting him go until someone pried me off him.
“Easy, Lia, easy,” he said, trying to loosen my grip.
In a panic, I pulled back and looked at him. His clothes were a mess. The shirt collar was stained red and torn.
“Oh my God,” I whispered, touching his face. Dried blood marred his skin just above the right eye and at the corner of his mouth. No other bruises were visible but it didn’t make me feel any better.
“What happened? Are you okay?”
“I’m fine,” he reassured me. “It looks worse than it is.” He smiled, wincing a bit. I ran my hands down his chest and sides. He flinched when I touched below the left ribcage.
“He hurt you,” I breathed. “I’m so sorry.”
“There’s no need to apologize, love.” He cupped my chin and kissed me softly. I knotted my fingers in his hair, holding him close. He whimpered quietly, deepening the kiss. Every stroke of his tongue and movement of his lips calmed me.
“Lia?”
I turned and saw Stephanie by the doorway. Alastair buried his nose in my hair, refusing to let me go.
“Is everything…are you alright, Alastair?” she asked.
“Yes I’m fine, Stephanie, thank you. And thank you for being here for Lia tonight. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate it.”
“She’s like a sister to me. I’ll always be there for her.”
Pressing a kiss to my forehead, he broke our embrace and went to Stephanie. She saw his bruised face, frowned and looked at me. Holding both her hands, he pulled her into a gentle hug. “Thank you,” he sighed.
“We both love her.” She smiled at him when he released her. “We’d both do anything for her.”
Nodding, he turned back to me. “Ready to go home?”
“It’s late,” Stephanie interjected. “You both can stay here. I don’t mind.”
Alastair grinned and touched her cheek. “Much appreciated, love, but I think I’ve imposed on you enough for one night.” He held up a hand to halt her protests. “Tell Darren we’ll go out for dinner later tonight.”
“Okay, fine.”
I smiled and wrapped my best friend in a bear hug. “Thanks.”
“You go take care of yourself and him. Call me when you wake up.”
Paxton waited next to the SUV as we walked out. Not willing to be apart from Alastair for a second, I curled up on his lap in the backseat. He held me close, stroking my hair the entire ride back to my apartment. When we arrived and went inside, I made him sit on the edge of the bathtub so I could clean his face. I wet a washcloth with warm water and gently wiped the dried blood away. It broke my heart to see him like this. A pretty nasty gash looked raw and tender above his eyebrow. I rummaged through the medicine cabinet and found some Band-Aids and Neosporin.
I rubbed the antibiotic ointment on his wound and covered it with the bandage.
“That should help prevent infection,” I said, kneeling in front of him. “Can I get you anything? Tea? Water? An aspirin?”
“Shower with me.”
I hesitated, not really in the mood for a steamy rendezvous at the moment.
“I need to feel you close, Amelia.”
The vulnerability in his voice almost shattered me on the spot. Standing up, I turned on the nozzle. Alastair slowly removed his clothes. I watched him closely, noticing a large purple and yellow bruise had bloomed on and below his left ribcage. Hatred for the man who did this coursed through my veins.
“Hey,” he murmured, tipping my chin up. “It looks worse than it is.”
“This never shou—”
Silencing me with a kiss, he unbuttoned my capris and pushed them down. I let him finish undressing me and climbed into the shower. A heavy sigh deflated his lungs as he stood beneath the streaming warm water. I grabbed the shower pouf, lathering it up with almond scented body wash. Starting at his shoulders, I lightly scrubbed his skin leaving behind a trail of frothy bubbles. When I reached the bruised area, I used my hand and carefully moved the soap over his damaged ribs.