“Take your hand off me.” Liv’s voice is still flat, but I can hear the determination in her voice.
Briefly, I wonder if I am about to see her punch someone first-hand.
“How is my company?” he spits.
“Doing considerably better than when you had any involvement.”
“You little bitch!”
There sounds to be real menace in his voice, and I am genuinely concerned for Liv’s safety. This is her former boss who with no reason disliked her, his dislike turning to vitriol contempt once she became involved with Mase and he in turn involved himself in her career.
I do cross the threshold now in order to somehow protect Liv, but when I do, I am rendered immobile and speechless at the sight before me. Liv looks angry rather than scared and is shaking herself free. My gaze moves from her wrist to the other person’s hand, up his arm until my eyes come to rest on a face I unfortunately know. No wonder his voice sounded familiar.
He turns to see the source of the interruption and the hatred his face morphed into for Liv, is nothing compared to the look of loathing when he takes in my face and the penny of who I am drops.
The others, including Liv had called her former boss Christian. I had no idea if that was his name, but assumed it was. I had known him as Tristan.
I am still rooted to the spot as Liv passes me by with a muttering of, “Come on, he really isn’t worth our time.”
With a slack jaw and feet of lead, I remain, unlike Christian or Tristan, whoever the fuck he is. He closes the gap in no time and as he glares at me, he laughs.
“I couldn’t have dreamed this up. You, and her? You’re the sister? The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree with you Carrington girls, does it?”
He steps closer still and my breathing hitches, seeming to please him.
“If the rumour mill out there is to be believed, our Dec is smitten with you.” His face forms a scowl, and his mouth contorts into an evil looking grimace. “I wonder if he’ll feel the same way when he discovers what you are and the depths you’ve sunk to? The fact that my dick was inside you long before his?”
I feel sick, like, really, vomit down myself sick, but somehow, I hold it down. Not that what Tristan is saying doesn’t scare me shitless because it would completely blow me and Dec out of the water if everything comes out and I know everything will come out if he follows through with his threat.
Somehow, I manage a reply and act far braver than I feel.“Maybe we should return to everyone else…perhaps you could introduce me to your wife and children.”
Chapter 19
Declan
There is no disguising my smirk as, from a safe distance, I watch my brother undergoing an interrogation from our sister. I assume the ‘Liv’s pregnant’ cat is well and truly out of the bag now.
I’m still lost in my smug enjoyment of my brother’s discomfort when I catch Liv in my peripheral vision coming alongside me. She looks flustered and a little upset.
“You okay?”
“Fucking arsehole dickhead twat in there.” Her thumb is thrown back towards the kitchen.
I skim the room. She can only mean one person, Christian.
“What did he say?” I know it will be vile, but nothing prepares me for the fact that not only did he say shitty things, but he actually lay his hands on her, grabbing her. “Are you okay? Should I get Mase?”
“Fuck no!” She looks horrified. “The last thing any of us need is for Mase to lose his shit with Christian, so, thanks, but no thanks.”
“Fair point, but you’re okay?” I am genuinely concerned for her wellbeing.
“Yeah, Anita kind of came to my rescue,” she says and then looks around. “I am sure she was with me when I left.”
I look around, following Liv’s gaze, neither of us finding Anita.
“Well, I don’t see her, so you go and lend your husband some support and I will go and find Cupcake.”
She grins up at me and my term of endearment for her sister and I swear she looks ready to cry.
