Page 26 of Dark Rules

I wanted to look at him, but I couldn’t open my eyes. My mind still drifted, and now and then sparks would shoot up my spine or down it. My body wasn’t done, not quite yet. I’d hoped he was right, that this wouldn’t happen every time because all I’d wanted to do was cry, to empty my soul to him and tell him all of the problems I’d had in my life, all of the secrets I’d kept hidden from the world. Instead, I’d curled my hand tightly around his and just hung on.

Emily

A few days later and we were sitting on the deck of a restaurant on the beach. We’d gone to look at a property Dylan was considering. So far, he’d had no luck finding a place that he could actually buy. He’d filled me in on how it had gone so far as we waited for our lunch to arrive.

“It’s this family, well, one of the brothers anyway. Trent Thompson. That bastard just took a dislike to me for some reason.” Dylan swirled the ice in his glass of tea and looked out at the water in the distance. “I don’t get it. Why take such an interest in me?”

“I don’t know,” I’d murmured as I sipped my tea through a straw. I knew part of it, Trent thought Dylan had killed his parents. He hadn’t elaborated much, but I knew my brother hated him.

I felt disloyal suddenly then squashed it. Trent didn’t give a fuck that I’d needed time away, he didn’t care that he’d treated me like the help my entire life; why should I care now? I didn’t owe him my loyalty, not just because he was my blood. That fact obviously didn’t mean much to him.

Dylan sighed and sat back in his chair. “You know, Stephanie, you’re the only thing that’s made this whole thing worth my while? The only reason I’m still trying is because you’re here.”

I cut my eyes up at him, shocked. He’d never admitted anything like that to me before. What did it mean? That he’d wanted this to become something … more? I’d wanted that not long ago, but now, did I? I didn’t want to be a contracted mistress, a contracted sub, for much longer. I’d only given the previous signed contract to him because he’d insisted before he’d have actual sex with me.

We’d done that now, so many times, I thought with a secret smile, and I couldn’t get enough of it. The point, however, was we no longer needed a contract. I’d signed two now, how many more would he need?

My mood soured a little, but the food showed up. We didn’t talk about much while we ate, just how the food tasted, and I was glad about that. I didn’t want to be crabby with him, but this whole thing was a bit fucked up. I’d wanted more, I’d wanted to try for a future with him, even if I barely knew him.

I knew the important things, like how he’d treated me, even all this time later, and that he was just what I’d wanted in a man. At times, I caught myself thinking about love, but it was too soon for that, I was certain. You couldn’t love someone you barely knew, could you? No, the thought was ridiculous. But sometimes, when he’d give me a certain look or a smile, when he’d make me laugh in just the right way, I’d wanted to blurt it out to him. I love you was right there on the tip of my tongue so many times, and it was there now.

Panic had flooded out the annoyance. Our time together would be over soon, and then he’d either ask to extend it, which he’d said he never did, or he’d walk away. That made my heart ache with a dull thud of pain that grew sharper with each beat. I was about to ask him, to demand he tell me what his plans were, when I glanced up and saw Trent and his wife Jesse on the beach, hand in hand.

“Fuck,” I said under my breath and turned away from them.

“What’s wrong, pet?” he asked and put his hand over mine. “I’ll be damned. There’s the bastard now. Do you know him?”

“I, not really. Can we go? My stomach is upset. It must be the food. I’m sorry.” I stood, grabbed my purse, and Dylan moved to gather up his own things.

“Of course, I’ll get you home with a glass of ginger ale. That will help.” He put his hand on the small of my back and kissed the top of my head. It was an intimate, loving gesture, and it spoke volumes about our relationship.

I filled with dread as I felt eyes on my back. Someone was staring at me. I’d turned my head slightly and saw Trent staring right at me. Damn it all!

Our eyes caught, and I knew he knew. His jaw went hard, and he’d started to follow, but Jesse pulled him back. I owed her one for that. From the rage I saw on his face, I knew I was his target at the moment, not Dylan. I saw it there in his eyes, accusations, anger, and even a small amount of hurt. I turned away and took Dylan’s hand. “Let’s get out of here. That guy looks like he’s trouble.”

“He’s the bastard that’s fucking me over so hard. Can you believe it? Strolling on the beach with his wife, as if he wasn’t trying to tank me before I can even get a foothold here. Fucking asshole.”

Dylan’s face was as hard as Trent’s had been, and I’d ushered him out of the restaurant as quickly as I could. Trent had seen me with him. What would I do now? Would he call or come to the house?

No, I thought as Dylan drove me to my place. He’d send me a summons, probably in email, to meet with him in his office. That was more Trent’s style; for some reason the man thought he was in charge of all of his siblings. He’d hated us all for so long, because his father had married our mother after Trent’s mother had died. There’d been no affair or even a hint that anything had taken place. Trent had just hated my mother taking his mother’s place in his father’s life. And then we’d come along, and somehow, we’d stolen his father’s attention. Not our father. His. Fuck him.

Once Dylan had me home, he was attentive, but he didn’t drop the whole Trent thing. He’d mentioned something about a secret property that hadn’t been listed yet, and how he was working with a very good realtor to take possession of the place quietly, but he didn’t tell me what property it was, and I wasn’t asking. As Trent’s sister, I felt it was just wrong to get any kind of information from him.

When he kept at it, his animosity growing more pronounced, and his tone even more acidic, I began to wonder if I was in trouble. He really, really hated Trent; that was obvious. He spoke about this new property and beating my brother as if it was some life or death battle. I remembered how Trent had spoken about him and knew the ‘battle’ was a mutual thing.

“I don’t understand any of this,” I muttered quietly. “You’re two grown men; what’s this feud about? Did he do something to you? Or you to him? What started it?”

Dylan glared at me for a moment, but then he relaxed into the couch with me. I was sprawled out with a blanket over me, although it wasn’t really that cold. It was chilly in the house, but not so bad I’d turned the heat on. I liked covering up, sue me.

Dylan fiddled with my feet and made sure the blanket was over them before he answered. “I don’t really know what crawled up his ass, but something did. I took a little while to ask around politely about properties, gave myself time to learn the lay of the land around here, and started to get information about possible resorts I could take over. Trent had heard about me, I guess, and the next thing I knew, property owners refused to speak to me, and some pulled out of deals that were almost finished.”

He paused, ran his hand through his dark hair, and sighed deeply. “The next thing I knew I was getting cards from realtors, saying they couldn’t help me. It was Trent’s card. He’d wanted me to know he’d blocked me.”

“What a dick move!” I said and sat up to rest against the arm of the couch. “I would be upset too, I guess.”

“He’s fucked me over several times now. I don’t get it; it’s not like there isn’t enough trade here for us both to operate, but still. He doesn’t want me here.”

“That just sounds stupid. Of him, I mean.” I’d corrected when he looked up at me. I’d smiled to let him know I’d meant it. “Who acts like that?”