My brain told me not to, but my hand moved to cover his and I spoke calmly, trying to bring down the burning inferno radiating off him. “Don, listen, this is a mess.”
“You can say that again, a mess… That’s what you come up with,” he gritted through his teeth, staring at my fingers covering his.
“It’s more than a mess, but I don’t know what to call it. Your mom is going to lose it. My mom is going to run to the Minister, and we know they are both going to come down on me hard.” He side-eyed me. “I know, this isn’t about me, but those two are going to want action. And Cinder… Oh God, Cinder is going to be hit with such a harsh reality. A kid. One with magnificent powers, and our tiny country will go to war for her.”
“Tell me something I don’t know, Tulya. I have maybe three days to wrap this adventure up. You will be home for your precious Christmas.” Despite his harsh rebuttal, he wound our fingers together.
“This doesn’t have to all fall on you, Donovan. You don’t have to be your brother’s puppeteer. I will do what my mom has asked of me. I will transfer the pain, but Magnum should come and deal with Valerie and his daughter.”
“No. He will never accomplish what needs to be done. He’s gone for them. The most I can hope for is he’s telling our mother now about the reality we’ve discovered and doing that dirty work.”
“I don’t know if I agree with any of this, but I’m going to go along for you, Donovan. Because you deserve it. You’re a good man.”
I said it; I meant it. Not once had I needed to take pain away from someone Donovan hurt. I was beginning to see that even if he had capability to cause pain, he didn’t wield it unnecessarily when it came to the heart. If his brother was the devil, he was the white knight—just not mine. I was in the middle of reminding myself Ceci had an arrangement for Donovan when I felt his palm slide up my cheek and his lips met mine. At first gentle, but applying pressure within moments of us connecting, we sat making out in a car in South Florida. I heard Donovan rustling and pivoting to meet me better, his other hand leaving mine and cupping my cheek. With his palms holding my face to his, he ravaged my mouth. I met his tongue stroke for stroke, leaning in, wanting more, whatever that was…
And then he pulled away.
“I know, I didn’t ask. I’m sorry, but you do this to me, Tulya. Something no one has ever done. You bring up feelings and desires I shouldn’t have.”
“You didn’t have to ask. I reciprocated,” I breathed out, forbidding myself to beg for more.
“Now isn’t the time for us to get involved,” he responded and started the car. “Another time, years ago, maybe. But my sights are focused on my next steps, and now there is an extra one. Cleaning up Magnum’s mess.”
He pulled away from the curb without giving me a chance to respond, which was quite okay because I didn’t have one. Instead, I sat there, my pointer finger touching my lips where he’d kissed me and wondering why they felt so ice-cold.
“Mom, I know.” Donovan answered his phone as we walked back into the suite after remaining silent for the rest of the car ride.
In the elevator, he’d avoided eye contact, and it was only when his palm found the small of my lower back as we made our way down the hallway that I realized his shying away from the kiss was self-preservation.
“I didn’t know. What the fuck?”
I watched him nodding his head, unsure if I should go to my bedroom and let him be, or stay. It was only a matter of time before my phone rang.
“Yes, I’ll watch the swearing, but how would I know about your granddaughter? Magnum acted as if this all happened recently, post-engagement. Obviously, not.”
I rolled my eyes at that as I bent down and helped my tired feet out of the strappy sandals I’d been wearing.
Padding barefoot to the bar, I checked the time. Almost one in the afternoon, which was well past my not-before-noon rule, signaling a vino was a-okay, according to me. I poured myself a glass of Cabernet and headed toward the balcony.
Donovan was in the middle of giving the same spiel he’d given me—the nose twitch, the emotions, his brother needing to man up—when my phone buzzed. There was no delaying the call, so I hit answer and slid the balcony door open, balancing the stem of my wineglass in my fingers and the phone in the crook of my neck.
“Tulya, are you there? I don’t have time for games.”
“I’m here,” I told my mom, gulping some vino. Closing my eyes, I allowed the sunlight to wash over me.
My mother was in a state. “Ceci told me. She’s making me go see the Minister with her. Thinks since I’m his sister, he will soften his words. Doubtful. It’s imperative you do the paintransfer now. We need Magnum here with Cinder, raising that girl. As theirs. I heard what she can do.”
I took a long inhale. I should’ve known those two would have a plan within moments.
“We didn’t find Valerie, Blake’s mom,” I said, knowing these real people with names were nothing more than pawns to my mother.
“You will. Donovan will see to it.”
I didn’t bother trying to explain how I wasn’t sure I could even do what they were asking.
“Okay,” was my response, deep in my own thoughts.
“We plan to do as much damage control as we can. Magnum’s daughter will live among us. Eventually she won’t remember life before Rubia.”
