Page 91 of Irish Betrayal

“And who was going to pick you up at the airport?”

He was bluffing, but Blair moaned in panic when he clasped his hands around both thighs, his thumbs brushing the crease of her inner thighs.

“We did text. We’re still friends.” A thumb pressed more firmly into the side of her sex. “He would have been suspicious had I not talked to him like I do all my friends from home.”

“And one of your other friends couldn’t have picked you up? I didn’t have time to read very many messages between you and Daniel but enough to know you’re still lying to me.”

“You love him, do you? You texted him that. He told you the same. Not that it matters. I took care of it.”

He let go of her and stood. Blair took a shaky breath, watching as Peter went to his satchel and retrieved something before returning to the bed. He came close, a smirk on his face as he opened an envelope.

He showed her a picture of Daniel with his arm around Sutton Daniels. A frown creased between her brows as she tried to imagine what Peter believed he was showing her.

It must have been taken the night Daniel went to the opening of Sutton’s mom’s new real estate office. But why… Ahh. She realized Peter must have thought that Daniel was cheating on Blair. He didn’t know that she and Sutton were good friends.

“Is this the man you trust? Can you honestly tell me that you trust him?” he shook the photo in her face, “more than me?”

A bloom of hope sparked. She could use Peter’s ignorance. She bit her lip and asked hesitantly, “Will you show me the picture closer?”

She pretended to study the couple, though she was drinking in the beloved lines of Daniel’s face. To Peter, she said, “They dated a year ago.” She lied, letting her tone sound slightly defensive.

He grinned, thrilled to burst her bubble. “That picture was taken less than a week ago.”

She slowly shook her head back and forth, mouthing “No.”

“Yes. He’s a cheater who cares nothing for you. When will you believe that I only want what’s best for you? You aren’t the type of woman that men want, shapeless and deaf. The size of a child. You’re what I want though. What I’ve always wanted.

“Do you finally believe me? That your precious Daniel isn’t who you thought he was? You know me, Blair. You know that I’ve only ever wanted you to be happy.”

It was sickening to realize that he believed what he was saying. His perverted sickness was only trumped by his delusion.

For her safety and more importantly, the baby’s safety, she had to make him believe there might be a chance that she was falling back under his manipulative spell.

“There must be some mistake. The picture might be an old one that the paparazzi reused.” She tried to put enough disbelief in her voice so that Peter would think she didn’t even believe her own words.

When he sat on the bed beside her, she turned her head so he wouldn’t see her flinch. He clasped her chin and brought her eyes back to his immediately.

“I think we both know that you don’t believe that, my girl.”

Blair didn’t answer, like she was pondering his words when in reality, she was concentrating on not biting every finger he laid on her.

She gave the barest of nods, not completely conceding to him, but an acknowledgment. “I’m tired, Peter. Would you mind if I took a nap?” She asked because she wanted him to believe she was falling in line.

He kissed her cheek, which he’d done a thousand times. This time it felt like an assault. She was repelled by his nearness.

“Of course. There’s just one thing we need to take care of first.”

Peter stood once more, slowly scanning her spread body. “What?” Blair’s heart was pounding furiously, to the point where she couldn’t have said whether she had spoken aloud or not.

“Your virginity. Or rather, assuring me that it’s still intact.”

forty-four

BÉBHINN O’FAOLAIN GRIFFITHS

“You couldn’t have known, Bébhinn,” her husband, Dagr, coaxed. “Not unless she wanted you to, and we don’t even know the extent of it yet. Don’t jump to conclusions.”

Bébhinn had been pacing or crying for what seemed like days. The moment everyone realized that something nefarious had happened to Blair, Bébhinn, Mags, and Gray had been inconsolable.