AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Once upon a time, I had the same monsters, and so did my brothers and sisters. I chased them all away.”
“Tyrant,” she whispers. “That’s impossible.”
Not for me it isn’t. And she can have a therapist or whatever. There’s nothing wrong with some head-shrinking. The point is that Vivienne stays with me, and far away from those assholes she calls family.
I plant a kiss on her nose, gather her up, and lie down on the sheets with her, tucking the blankets around us. “I’ll worry about what’s possible. You just go to sleep.”
“But—”
“Sleep.”
Vivienne watches me for a moment and then she closes her eyes. Slowly, her body relaxes and her breathing deepens. My woman falls asleep in my arms, and my black heart feels strangely full. Tomorrow, I’m going to do what I do best, which is taking shit apart and putting it back together. I did it with my family when my brothers and sisters were young and Mom couldn’t take care of us. I did it with Henson when I took over and threw out every lowlife piece of shit who wouldn’t follow my rules. Now I’m going to do it for Vivienne. I’m going to do it for me as well. My life needs to be smashed apart and rebuilt from the ground up, just like hers. When I’m done, our pieces are going to fit so tightly together. Hers. Mine. Barlow’s. Because fuck giving him back to those snakes.
I close my eyes, and Vivienne is a warm weight against my chest.
Sleep is deep, and dreamless.
Hours later, I’m awoken by sunlight coming through the bedroom. Without opening my eyes, I reach out for Vivienne. The space beside me is empty. Confused, I lift my head and look around, but she’s not here. My room is silent and still.
Panic slams through me, and I leap out of bed and grab the bassinet, only to find it empty. Maybe Vivienne is just in the bathroom or kitchen with Barlow. I check the en suite and then yank on my pants and race down the hall to check the room I was using as a nursery, but that’s empty too. So are all the bathrooms. When I ask, none of my staff have seen Vivienne this morning.
I stand at the window and stare out onto the garden where I had Vivienne trapped just a few hours ago. I promised Vivienne the world, and now she’s nowhere. She’s gone.
19
Vivienne
It’s an hour past dawn when I walk up the front steps at home with Barlow in my arms. I left Tyrant’s house before the sun came up. My bare feet are sore and muddy, and there’s an ache deep inside me. An ache that’s different from the one I’m sure I’ll feel in my core later after the triple-pounding Tyrant gave my virginity in the space of a few hours.
As I raise my hand to knock on the front door, I swallow the lump in my throat. I was well within the time limit that he gave me. I won Barlow back fair and square.
I won, but I feel empty.
There’s the sound of footsteps coming down the hall, and the front door is yanked open. Dad stands there with bloodshot eyes, and for a moment his expression is baffled. As if he’s forgotten that I live here when I’m not at college.
Then his gaze drops to Barlow and he gives a ragged cry.
“Who’s that?” Samantha calls, and her voice is high and stressed as she approaches us. Her eyes are red from crying, and she’s wearing the same clothes as when Tyrant took Barlow last night.
Samantha screams when she sees that I’m holding their son and dashes forward to rip him from my arms. She’s crying as she rocks Barlow back and forth. Dad’s staring at his son in shock with his hand on Samantha’s shoulder, asking over and over, “Is he all right? Are you okay, Barlow?” Barlow begins screaming because the noise and emotions are too much for him.
No one looks at me, and so I come inside, close the door, then stand here feeling like an uninvited guest.
Finally, Samantha turns her tearful gaze on me. “How did you get him back from Mercer?”
This is the part I’ve been dreading, but I gather my wits about me and resolve to keep my explanation simple. “I came home last night and was hiding in the hall when Tyrant took Barlow. I ran out and got into his car, and he drove to his house because he didn’t see me. I waited until Tyrant was asleep, and then I grabbed Barlow and I ran.”
Dad and Samantha both stare at me in surprise.
“When Tyrant wakes up, he’s probably going to be very angry, so I hope you’ve got his money,” I tell Dad.
Dad glances fearfully at Samantha, and my heart sinks. I know that look. He hasn’t got the money. I wonder if I’ve endured the craziest night of my life for nothing and Tyrant is going to burst in here at any moment and take Barlow back.
Samantha frowns at me and wipes her eyes. “Vivienne, what are you wearing? Are those men’s clothes?”
I glance down at myself. I’m dressed in an oversized black T-shirt and some sweats. Things I stole from Tyrant’s walk-in wardrobe. “I fell in a lake, so I stole some dry clothes from Tyrant.”
This is the part where they thank me for bringing Barlow back. I don’t need their unending gratitude, but just a small acknowledgment for what I’ve been through would be nice. Dad is tiredly rubbing his eyes and giving his son a rueful smile. Samantha is still frowning at me as if she’s trying to make sense of what I just told her.
