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“Ewing stopped by the gallery.”
She was right: I do not like it.
“And?”
“And you don’t need to freak out; I already took care of it. I just thought you should know because Daph seemed a little pale during lunch, and the last thing she needs right now is for you to go all silverback gorilla on her?—”
“Tell me what happened.”
Sofi sighs. “He assaulted her. In the showroom.”
My chair tumbles to the floor. I think I throw my desk to the side, or at least I try to, because it’s a loud series of crashes and shit breaking en route to my office door.
“I just told you not to freak out!” Sofi grabs my arm and drags me back before I go barreling out into the building. “Sit down before you break anything else.”
“I’ll fucking break his fucking face. Goddammit, I knew I should’ve made him disappear a lot sooner.”
She doubles down on her grips on my forearm and I reluctantly go still. “Be that as it may, you’ve got a lot of cogs in the machinery you need to pay attention to. Like the mother of your child, who is pretty shaken by the encounter.”
Fuck. Daphne. Is she okay? “Why the hell didn’t she call me? What the fuck was she doing alone with that weasel?”
“Whoa. Pause. One thing at a time. First things first, we need to dial back the anger with Daphne.”
“I’m not mad at Daphne.”
“No? So the yelling and accusing is your way of comforting her?”
If looks could kill, my little sister would still laugh in my face and tell me to try again. “I’m not mad. I’m… frustrated. She should trust me. She should have me on speed dial for situations like this.”
“She will. She’s just not there yet. Tell me: in all the times you two have talked, and in all the surveillance you’ve done on her—when has she ever indicated she’s used to being taken care of?”
I suck air through my gritted teeth. She’s right. I’m not going to say that out loud, but I’m pretty sure she can see it in the way I slump back in my chair.
Daphne’s little flinches in response to any sort of kindness are proof in the pudding. She’s never been cared for. Or protected. Hell, I don’t know if she’s ever experienced love. The kind where we look out for each other against all odds—and all enemies.
It’s the biggest wall between us. I want to take care of her—she just won’t let me. I want to take over so she can relax and enjoy life, but she’s got such an iron-fisted grip on everything in her world.
As if she’s waiting for someone to take it all from her.
I’ve long wondered who would ever dare to try. It sounds like I have a good chunk of the answer.
“I promise, I will be patient with Daphne.” I tap a finger on my chair. “After we visit this ex.”
Sofi’s face breaks into a mischievous grin. “I was hoping you’d say that.”
The door flies off the hinges almost too easily.
“Knock-knock!” Sofi calls into the apartment as she steps over the splinters.
I’m following her into Ewing’s home when I see her suddenly freeze at the opening to his living room. When I look over her shoulder, I see why.
Holy shit.
It’s… something. Something from a nightmare, more specifically.
A huge canvas, large enough to almost cover one wall, surrounded by dozens of lit candles. It’s not just a painting of Daphne—it’s an eerily accurate painting of a very naked Daphne, as if she’s posed just for him. It’s half-finished, but it’s enough.
Soft music fills the air. Silken sheets cover the floor, with rose petals scattered everywhere like Ewing was preparing for a seductive date.
