Chapter Two

Chapter TwoEating lunch at the breakfast nook of my L-shaped kitchen while on a group video call the next day, I wrinkled my nose at what was left of my pasta. I didn’t have much of an appetite. It was like I had a rock sitting in my gut. A rock that hadn’t been present until my conversation last night with Danton. Who I was trying not to think about. But yeah, I was failing at that.Inwardly cursing myself, I snapped my gaze back to the phone propped up on a stand in front of me. My three best friends and I had pre-arranged the virtual lunch meeting. It was something we did at least once a week.At that moment, Inaya rolled her eyes as she stabbed a small wooden fork into one of the grapes in her almost empty fruit pot. “Honestly, Briar, I don’t see what you’re so upset about.”Her brows snapping together, Briar paused with her can of soda halfway to her mouth. “Seriously?”“Poor me, poor me, my dads are sending me photos of hot guys,” Inaya mocked, jiggling her head from side to side, making her crimson red hair bob. I wasn’t sure I’d have liked the black and purple streaks on anyone else, but she rocked them.Briar’s back snapped straight. “Hey!” It was more of a whine than an admonishment.“I’m failing to see the downside here.” Inaya ate her grape, giving an aloof shrug. “A few pretty visuals never hurt anyone. And don’t even try to tell me that you don’t look at those pictures while twittering your clit, I won’t believe you.”Izzy snorted a laugh, pushing aside her empty plate. “Inaya, don’t ever change. Please. Not ever.” The only Brit in our group, the photographer had recently decided to relocate to Redwater and, like Briar, came from a celebrity family.“Don’t encourage the little witch, Iz.” Briar sniffed and then took a swig of her soda. “I’m not even going to respond to the twittering your clit thing—”“You just did,” said Inaya.“—but I will say that, as it happens, I don’t mind the pictures.” Briar set down her can. “My problem is the matchmaking element of the situation. Can any of you tell me that you’d like it much if your parents tried playing Cupid?”Izzy pulled a face. “It would be weird and awkward and embarrassing.”“Totally embarrassing,” stressed Briar. “Like I can’t find a man all on my own. Which I could. If I wanted one. Which I don’t.” She ate the last cube of cheese from her plate, chewing harder than necessary.“Okay, I get why this is annoying you.” Inaya used her fork to pluck a strawberry out of her pot. “But they’re only doing this because they love you, Briar.”Her dads did adore Briar—she was, in their words, their treasure. Which was good, because her famous and narcissistic actress of a mother was a shit parent. Ansel and Troy more than cushioned that blow.“My father wouldn’t care if I spontaneously combusted right there in front of him,” Inaya added. “He’d just hoover up my ashes and get on with his day.”It was sad because it was true. The guy genuinely gave no fuck about Inaya—which I couldn’t understand, because the incredibly successful rock artist was an honest to God’s delight. But she never made such comments about him with bitterness. She’d long ago ceased being bothered by what he did or didn’t do.“Your dads care enough about you to matchmake like they’re born for it. I personally find that awesome.” Inaya ate her strawberry. “And just a suggestion—you could probably get them to back off merely by ending things with Grover.”Izzy nodded, slipping a hand beneath her gorgeous curtain of brown curls to scratch at her neck. “Yeah, I don’t think they’d be so invested in this if you weren’t tied to someone who they feel doesn’t deserve you, Briar. That’s what started this whole thing, right?”“Yes, but it’s … I don’t want to talk about it anymore,” the costume designer declared, flicking her pink, ruler-straight locks over her shoulder. “In fact, I think we should talk about Cat and how uncharacteristically quiet she’s been.”Three sets of eyes then zeroed in on me.I sighed. “Nice deflecting, Briar.”She only gave me a bright smile.“You have been uber quiet,” Inaya observed, watching me carefully with those Nordic blue eyes. “Did something happen?”Lowering my fork to my plate of half-eaten pasta, I felt my shoulders slump. “I broke things off with Danton last night.” The girls exchanged looks but said nothing. “None of you seem surprised.”Izzy shrugged. “We suspected it was coming. Are you okay?”“Yes and no. I mean, I made the right decision. It was the smart thing to do. But it wasn’t easy.” I propped my elbows on the table—a striking rustic oak, it perfectly matched the kitchen cabinets. “I stupidly got a little too attached. Something I really didn’t see coming. Danton’s about as cuddly as a slab of concrete.”But he was comforting in a whole other way in that he was strong and solid and fearless. I hadn’t anticipated just how appealing I’d find it. Not just appealing, but steadying.“For a short while, I told myself it didn’t matter that he’s not on the same page as me, since I don’t want a relationship anyway,” I added. “But, regardless of that, it soon came to matter a lot.”“So you cut your losses,” Briar surmised, her slanted blue-green eyes glinting with sympathy.“Weak as it may make me, I couldn’t quite find the will to do it,” I reluctantly admitted. “But then Jorge asked something of me—I’m not going into specifics, so don’t push for any—that would violate the conditions of my arrangement with Danton. I can’t turn Jorge down for obvious reasons, so …”“How did Danton react?” asked Izzy.“Not in the way I expected.” I exhaled heavily, scratching my cheek. “I mean, I figured he’d get all frowny and demand an explanation, so that part was no surprise. But I didn’t think he’d pick apart my ‘we need to end it’ case, insist I tell Jorge to shove it, and then declare he’d see me at the Vault tonight.”Inaya absently played with her little fork. “I’m personally not surprised. You made it clear that Danton is all about control. He’s hardly going to let others dictate how things in his life will go. Also, the dude is seriously possessive of you. And not in an impersonal way.”Izzy dipped her chin in agreement. “I’ve known blokes like Danton. They don’t lay claim to people easily. But when they do, they hold tight. He won’t relinquish his claim to you without a struggle unless you give him a solid reason to.”Groaning, I rubbed a hand down my face. “I should have admitted that I’d grown far too comfortable with him. That would have made him back off. I just hadn’t wanted to put myself out there like that.”Inaya’s brow furrowed. “You’re sure he hasn’t already picked up on it? You once said he’s good at reading you.”He was, but … “If he’d picked up on it, he’d have been the one to walk away. Danton’s not the type to welcome someone forming an attachment to him. He’d want to cut the head off that snake right off the bat.” He’d probably have reared back in horror if I’d told him the truth. I hadn’t wanted to see that, so I’d kept my silence.“You know,” began Izzy, “it’s possible that your attempt to cut him loose will actually light a fire under his arse and make him step up to the plate.”I straightened, my brows dipping. “I didn’t walk away from Danton because I needed more from him than he’s willing to give. I don’t want a relationship.”Izzy raised a finger. “Correction: You don’t want to drag a bloke into your father’s path or give the arsehole someone else whose safety he can threaten to control you. That’s not the same as wanting to be single.”I pressed my lips shut.“My personal opinion?” Inaya dropped her fork into her empty pot. “You don’t truly have an aversion to relationships at all. Nor do you like sticking to Vault arrangements, you just feel that it’s your best option. But it’s not ‘best’ if it means that you’re super lonely.”I swallowed hard. I was lonely at times. I was also tired of merely being someone’s club-buddy. I wanted something that also existed outside of the Vault; something that had possibilities.Ultimately, I wanted to belong to, and with, someone. I’d just become very good at convincing myself differently.Briar bit her lower lip. “I’m going to say something you probably won’t like hearing. Truthfully, I don’t think you merely feel ‘a little attached’ to Danton. I think you care about him. That’s why you struggled to walk away.”Fuck these women for making me face shit that I did not want to face.“I know you think he doesn’t care for you, but he didn’t seem keen on walking away either, did he?” Briar pointed out. “You tried shaking him off, but he wasn’t having any of it.”“Because he doesn’t like that his business rival thinks to get between him and something he believes belongs to him. That’s all this is.”“You don’t know that for certain,” said Briar. “Look, I know you’re used to not taking chances on guys because, well, why would you when Jorge will only drag them into his games? But Danton isn’t a guy who your father could use like that. Which means you couldhave something real with him. Something that Jorge couldn’t touch or spoil.”Yes, and it would be freeing to be with someone who was so much a match for my father that not only could he take care of himself he could ensure that I no longer had to toe the line with Jorge. Danton not only fit that bill, he was someone I could see myself happy with. But I’d never once allowed myself to wish for something real with him because I’d known I’d never get it.I shook my head. “Danton’s too emotionally solitary to be in a relationship. Plus, he didn’t deny it when I asserted that he didn’t care for me. He said I ‘have value’ to him. It might be better than nothing, but it’s also not enough.” I let my arms slip off the table. “Quick warning: If any of you are at the Vault later when Danton sees I haven’t turned up, he might approach you looking for answers.”“I’m the only one of us who’ll be there,” said Izzy. “I’ll handle him if he comes at me. Or Cole will, whatever,” she added, referring to the world champion boxer who was also her boyfriend. “Be prepared for Danton to hunt you down later. I doubt it would be too hard for him to find out where you live.”My lips thinned as I remembered what he’d told me the previous night. “He already knows. He apparently did a very extensive background search on me.”Briar blinked. “Seriously?”Sighing, I nodded. “I really should have expected it—Jorge does such searches on anyone who even hovers on the periphery of his life. But I suspect that a driving factor behind Danton’s nosiness was his need for control. Knowledge is power, after all. People like him and my father are all about power.”“Speaking of Jorge,” began Briar, “is there no way you can get out of doing what he wants you to do?”I grimaced. “Not without him taking it out on my mom.”Briar sighed. “When are you going to do whatever it is he has in mind?”“Later today at some point.” Though I’d be leaving for my parents’ house earlier than necessary as I hoped to visit a little with my mom … and maybe try to convince Teresa for the millionth time to leave Jorge.He would never force her to stay. Nor would he come after her. On the one occasion she’d threatened to leave, he’d laughed and said, “Go right ahead. Send the divorce papers whenever you’re ready.” He’d then walked away, dismissing her.But she’d stayed, even though she felt no love for him; even though he had no emotional hold over her. I didn’t judge it, I just didn’t understand it. I wanted so much for her to have a life free of abuse. I simply didn’t know how to help her reach for it.

“I really am sorry that things haven’t worked out for you and Danton,” said Briar. “Anytime you feel like talking about it, call me. Or Izzy or Inaya. We’re here for you. Don’t even try to tell us that you’ll be fine after a few days. You two were in an arrangement for months. It won’t be any easier for you to kick him out of your head than it was for you to walk away.”Another sigh slipped out of me. “It will take some time to adjust to no longer having him in my life, even if he was never a true part of it,” I conceded. “If I need to talk to someone, I’ll call one of you for certain.”After another ten minutes or so of talking, I left the call and pushed out of the chair. It was time to go get ready for the gathering. Once I’d washed the dishes, I walked down the hallway into the bedroom. It had a real cozy feel with the plush bedding, comfy rug, hanging plants, layers of blankets, and pretty fairy lights.My apartment didn’t have a particular style. I bought what I liked. So the place was a mix of old, new, chic, quirky, and anything else that caught my eye. There were also books in practically every room. I was a huge reader.Once I’d taken a shower in the attached bathroom, I dried myself off, took care of my hair, and then pulled on my black, tailored blazer jumpsuit. I slipped on my favorite pair of high heels and headed out.When I arrived at my parents’ home a short time later, it was my mother who answered the front door. As usual, she was all grace and elegance, her makeup perfectly applied, not a hair out of place. She flashed me a warm smile, a hint of fondness in her ever-sad eyes. “Catalina, it’s been a while. Come in.”I entered the house, my stomach instantly hardening. I’d never felt safe here. Or happy. Or relaxed. Or home.The moment I’d turned eighteen and had received the first instalment of the hefty trust fund that my paternal grandparents had left me, I’d packed up and moved out. They hadn’t been the most loving of people, but they’d given me a way to easily escape the man who would never have paid for me to go to college like I’d wanted and pursue a career in book editing. For that, I’d always be grateful to them.“You’re early,” said Teresa, closing the door behind me. She then offered me her cheek, which I gave an obligatory kiss.“I thought we could catch up while we wait for the guests to arrive,” I said.“I’d like that. You can help me with the rest of the preparations while you’re here.”I followed her through the house, not letting my pace falter when I caught sight of Jorge stepping out of a room up ahead, his stocky build suited-up as per usual.“Look who’s here,” Teresa said to him, her mouth gently curved.My father’s hard brown eyes slid to me. He looked as he always looked—staid, detached, and implacable. For as long as I’d known him, there’d never been any warmth in him. Only cold ambition and a greed for power.“Catalina,” he greeted with all the enthusiasm of a stone. Well, I wasn’t exactly pleased to see him either.I’d never cared that he had little interest in me—it had suited me fine, since I hadn’t wanted his attention. But his belief that he was somehow superior merely because he was born a man? That bothered me.What bothered me more was that his attitude had eventually rubbed off on my brother. The same brother currently sidled up to him, his expression blank. Julian hadn’t always been so cold. In fact, we’d been close once. Now, he didn’t even tip his chin my way.Living under our father’s roof, you learned it was better to sever attachments to people. But it wasn’t merely that with Julian. I’d lost him in his bid to bend over backwards to become and do whatever Jorge wanted.“Dad, Julian.” It took a great deal of willpower to not let my neutral expression change when I noticed one of my father’s men, Marcos, coming up behind them. Ugh.“Well hello, Cat.” Marcos smirked at me, the same indecent gleam in his eye he’d had when he first tried getting into my pants—I’d been seventeen at the time. He had a sickening penchant for unwilling women, but he hadn’t tried to force himself on me. I suspected it was only that I was his boss’s daughter that protected me.“Meet me in my study in an hour,” Jorge told me. “There are a few things I need to go over with you before everyone else arrives.”In other words, he wanted to tell me more about the guy he allegedly believed was a cop. I only nodded.“Catalina and I will be in the kitchen, if you need us for anything,” said Teresa before flouncing off.I trailed behind her, ignoring the sleazy once-over that Marcos gave me. I had the feeling that he knew people found him creepy and he liked it; liked that he made them uneasy, as if it gave him a little rush or made him feel powerful.In the kitchen, Teresa immediately put me to work making sandwiches, grabbing foods out of the oven, inserting other foods intoit.Catching sight of a hint of a bruise on her neck that she hadn’t quite managed to fully hide with concealer, I felt my mouth tighten. “How do you do it, Mom?” I asked her.She blinked at me. “Do what?”“Look so happy when really you’re so far from it that it isn’t even funny,” I replied, sorrow tightening my chest. “Why do you stay?”Her eyes dulling, she turned back to the finger foods she was arranging on a pretty platter. “I’ve told you before—”“You made vows before God, I know, but it’s not like Dadkeeps them. I’m not passing judgement here, I promise. I just don’t get it. You don’t love him. You’re not scared to leave—he’d never stop you or seek you out to punish you for it. You could have a life where you’re not beaten. A life where your husband doesn’t come to you smelling of other women. A life where—”“Let it go, Catalina. There’s no point to this conversation. I won’t leave him.”“Why not? Help me understand. Then I’ll drop it, and I’ll never raise the subject again.”She drew in a breath through her nose. “Your father may not love or be faithful to me, but I was never under the impression that things would be any different. I knew when I married him that his vows would mean nothing to him; that he didn’t love me. I also knew he’d be violent toward me. He hit me for the first time before we were even engaged.”“Then why did you marry him?”She turned to fully face me. “I came from nothing, Catalina. Nothing. My family is poorer than dirt, you know that. But you don’t know what it’s like to have so little, to only ever wear hand-me-down clothes, to go dumpster-surfing, to have people snub or overlook or sneer at you like you’re filth.“You don’t know what it’s like to spend your childhood swearing you’ll escape but then, finally an adult, realizing that it isn’t so easy to get where you want to be. I had it in my head that I’d be a movie star—a silly dream that I’d developed as a child needing a little escapism. I was two paychecks away from being evicted when I met your father. He was my ticket out. And if I leave him, I’ll have nothing all over again—he’ll see to that.”“You’re his wife. You’re legally entitled to half of everything he has.”“There’s a prenup. If I cheat, I’m not entitled to one single cent. He’ll manufacture some false evidence to show that I was ‘unfaithful.’ He always finds a loophole.”I flexed my fingers. “I could give you money. You could stay with me. You wouldn’t be homeless or destitute. You could get a job, you could—”“Go back to the life I had before, where I lived in fear that I’d lose my job and home?” she finished. “No, Catalina, I won’t do that. Not for anything. Not even for—” She cut herself off.“Me and Julian,” I finished for her, sadness weighing on my shoulders—sadness for her, for our lack of a real mother-daughter bond, for my inability to convince her to leave Jorge. “So, for the credit cards and the designer clothes and the ladies luncheons and the shiny expensive jewelry … you’ll stay despite that he beats you when he pleases—including the times he’s aiming to keep me in line.” There had to be more to it than that, surely. No amount of pain and misery was worth—

“If you’d just do as he told you rather than being difficult …”Whoa, wait, she was blaming me for those beatings? She considered it my fault he hurt her? “You can’t honestly hold me accountable.”The doorbell rang, and she jumped slightly. “Another early bird, it would seem.” She left in a hurry.I leaned back against the countertop, my chest hurting. I’d like to believe she’d only insinuated that the blame lay with me in an effort to shut down the line of conversation. But I knew better. I knew that she meant what she’d said. Maybe she believed it deep down, maybe she didn’t. But she clearly had no qualms with holding me responsible just the same.Finally, she returned to the kitchen. “Now, can we talk of other things or perhaps nothing at all?”“One last thing. I love you, Mom. I do. And though I can’t understand why financial comfort is more important to you than your own safety, I’m still not judging. I don’t live your life; it’s not for me to decide what choices you should make. But I can’t live a life where my choices are forever limited and controlled by Jorge, I just can’t. So if there ever comes a time when he asks too much of me or I’m expected to sacrifice my own happiness to protect you from him, I can’t promise I’ll do it.” She’d never done it for me, but I couldn’t begrudge her that. Not when I knew how unhappy she was and would always be.

With that, I turned back to the salad I’d been prepping.Neither of us spoke again until she announced it was time that I headed to my father’s study to talk with him. I didn’t say anything. I simply left the kitchen and made my way to the study. My brisk nod earned a bid to enter.I opened the door to find Jorge sitting behind his desk, his face an impassive mask. Julian and Marcos stood behind his chair. My brother’s eyes were harder than usual, and Marcos’s face was like thunder.I frowned. What was their problem?There were two others in the room. An unfamiliar male leaned against the wall, regarding me through eyes that held a mild trace of amusement. The second person sat in the chair opposite my father’s, so it wasn’t until I moved further into the room that I got a good look at him. My breath caught in my throat.Danton. It was Danton.