Broken In Pieces: Billionaire Stepbrother Romance (Wounded Hearts Book 1) (9 page)

“You’re going to practice?”

“Yes and Donna’s going with me so if you have something to do…,” but he doesn’t let me finish.

“Oh no, baby girl. I’ll be right there with you.” I don’t argue because I just don’t have it in me.

About an hour later, there she is. That fucking Bridgette’s stepping off the elevator and I’m in no mood for her shit. She’s headed straight for Blade’s door so I place myself in the doorway. “Can I help you?” She stops in her tracks and looks me up and down with disgust. “Can. I. Help. You?” I repeat slowly, as if she’s deaf.

“I’m here to see Blade,” she barks.

“If you’ll have a seat, I’ll be more than glad to see if Mr. Hawthorne’s available,” I give her a mocking smile. She acts exasperated but heads back to the waiting area. I buzz Blade and of course, he’ll see her so I send her in.

She isn’t in his office long then she appears back at my desk. “It’s you, isn’t?” she sneers at me.

“I beg your pardon?”

“It’s you. You’re the one that’s making him act this way,” there’s so much contempt in her voice.

“I have no clue what you’re talking about and I don’t care to know. And in case you haven’t noticed, no one makes Mr. Hawthorne act in any way,” I smile at her.

“It won’t last, dear. He always finds his way back to my bed,” she smirks.

“Really? With all the other men that share your bed, I figure there’s not much room for him.” She makes an odd noise under her breath, as if she’s growling at me, and heads for the elevator.
That cunt is nothing but trouble. We’ll have to do something about her sooner or later.
My inner witch is as disgusted by Bridgette as I am.

The day seems to drag on but I have managed not to run into the devil. It’s time to head to practice and Donna shows up just as I’m gathering my things. Blade comes out of his office and they greet each other with a hug. “You ready, baby girl?” he asks as he reaches for my hand. I nod and Donna gives me a smug little smile. I’m really glad she’s with us in the car. She and Blade keep a conversation going and I don’t have to say much. Blade reaches over and takes my hand, “You sure you’re okay?” I nod yes and go back to looking out the window.

When we get to practice, I introduce Donna to the band. She and Styx seem to immediately have a connection. Styx and Aces have brought some of their originals and we begin to work them out. Jade seems less than amused but she doesn’t say anything. She has a beautiful voice if she could just make it through an entire practice. We break and I notice that Donna and Styx are off in the corner talking. This makes me smile.

Jax has followed after Jade, as usual, and the rest of us are just hanging out and talking. It’s time to start up again but Jade is barely coherent so we decide to call it a night. I’m pleased because even though we’re doing originals, my heart isn’t in it. I’m really glad Jax is almost healed and will be back at the keyboard on Thursday.

Donna, Blade and Styx are talking while Aces is showing me a couple more of his originals. When I finally get over to them, they’re telling me that they’d like for us to all go grab a late dinner. I’m mentally and physically exhausted but I agree because Donna seems so enthusiastic about it.

Dinner passes quickly even though I basically sit there watching the others talk. “Styx, how long have you been playing?” Blade asks.

“To be honest, I don’t remember when I wasn’t,” Styx responds. “My father was a guitar player and mom says he put one in my hands as soon as I enter the world,” he laughs.

“Well, he must have done it right ’cause you’re amazing,” Donna smiles as her eyes meet his. They’re already becoming affectionate with each other and it’s nice to see her smile so much.

“You okay, baby girl?” Blade asks as he reaches for my hand.

“I’m fine,” I answer. It’s as if he still senses something’s wrong.
How can I ever tell him?
I know Donna’s right; I can’t keep working around Jarrod. I’m lost in trying to figure out what to do. I find myself lost a lot lately.

Once we’re home,
Donna begins talking about the devil and how I have to tell Blade about him. I insist I can’t. “You have to. You can’t let him get by with this. Your friggin’ mother should have never handled things the way she has. It’s made you feel like you’ve done something wrong when you haven’t,” she continues.

“How can I? How will he look at me then?” I begin to cry.

“Look Sher, I’ll come to your office tomorrow at the end of the day. I’ll be there with you to help you through it. We’ll do it together.” I know she’s right. I’ve just been so numb that I haven’t wanted to deal with it. I cry myself to sleep again and the nightmares make for a tiring, terrifying night.

The next day, I wander mindlessly through my work. I’m feeling so disconnected again. My nerves stay on end as all I can think about is the coming conversation with Blade. He’s called to say he won’t be back in the office until around six so I let Donna know that there’s no need to come until then. By the end of the day, I’m a wreck. The tension is beginning to break me down. Most of the staff begins leaving the office at five.

Caroline and I seem to be the only ones left. She stops by my desk, “Sheridan, honey, you’ve seemed stressed and tense all day. Are you okay?”

“I’m fine. Just feeling a bit off today,” I reply.

“You should go down to the basement and relax in the sauna for a bit. It always puts me at ease. It’s like you can sweat out all your frustrations,” she smiles.

“I think I just might try that,” I say as I rise to head that way. Maybe this will help me unwind before the secret comes out. Hell, I’m willing to try anything at this point.

Caroline

Sheridan’s been strange
today, I wonder what’s going on. It’s been about thirty minutes since she headed for the sauna when I see the contracts on the corner of my desk.
Damn, I forgot to give those to her.
I grab the folder and head for the elevator. As I reach for the reach for the button, the door opens and startles me.

As Jarrod steps out, I wonder what he’s doing on this floor so late. “Jarrod, everyone’s gone for the day. Can I help you with something?” I question, showing my confusion.

“I was just looking for Blade. I was supposed to meet with him this evening,” he nervously replies.

“Well, he won’t be in for a little bit longer. I’m just headed down to the basement to take Sheridan these contracts. You’re welcome to wait for him, if you’d like,” I say, motioning to the waiting areas.

“Thank you. But, hey, I have to be here anyway so why don’t I take those down for you and you can get on home,” he grins at me.

“Hmm, I don’t know. Are you sure?”

“Yes, of course. Here, give me those contracts and you get on out of here. I’m sure you’ve had a long day,” he smiles as he reaches for the folder.

“Well, okay. Thanks a bunch. Just tell her that legal needs them first thing in the morning, if you don’t mind,” I reply.

“I don’t mind at all,” he heads for the elevator and I go back to my office to retrieve my things and head home.

Just as I gets back to the elevator, Blade and Donna step off. “Good evening Mr. Hawthorne.”

“Good evening Caroline. Is everyone gone for the day?”

“I checked with security and everyone is out of the building…oh, except Jarrod and Sheridan. Jarrod came in a few minutes ago for his meeting with you. Sheridan had gone down to relax in the sauna for a while and Jarrod offered to take some contracts down to her so I could head on home.”

“I didn’t have a meeting with Jarrod this evening,” Blade has a puzzled look on his face.

“Oh God no!” Donna says as she turns and begins pounding on the elevator button. When it doesn’t open immediately, she shouts, “Son of a bitch!” and runs for the stairs.

Blade and I follows her and he grabs her by the arm, “What the hell is going on,” he demands.

“That motherfucker raped her before she moved here!” she jerks free and runs for the basement. Blade passes her and is out of sight before we can blink.

Sheridan

In the basement,
I’ve just gotten dressed and gathered my things to head up to meet Donna. All the sudden, the locker room door swings open. It startles me but not as much as who is standing behind it. The son of a bitch is here and there’s no one around. I drop my belongings and I’m paralyzed for a moment. I feel myself begin to shake as my fear rises until it’s almost suffocating me.

He walks in with that same damn satanic grin on his face, “My, my, my, Sheridan. You’re more beautiful than I remember.” I take a few steps backward but he’s right in front of me before I know it. “Now, now. Why so shy, Miss Stollings? We know each other much better than that,” he reaches up and brushes my cheek with his finger.

This can’t be happening again. I won’t let this happen again. I’m not drugged this time.
“Help!!! Help!!! Rape!!” I scream with everything in me. Then bam. He punches me right in the face. My head is spinning as he grabs me by the shirt, ripping it half the way off as I fall to the floor.

At that very moment, I hear the door open. “You son of a bitch. I’ll kill you, motherfucker,” Blade shouts as he grabs Jarrod. Caroline and Donna rush over to help me to my feet. Blade’s beating the living day lights out of Jarrod. There’s blood everywhere.

“Blade, stop! You’re going to kill him,” Caroline screams.

Blade doesn’t even let up. The look on his face is pure hatred and anger. “Blade!” I scream. He stops instantly and when he turns loose, Jarrod crumples in a pile on the floor. Blades eyes instantly lock with mine. The tears are streaming down my face and I shake my head no. “He’s not worth it,” I almost whisper. Someone must have called security because they arrive just as Blade reaches me.

He wraps his arms around me and hugs me tight. “Call the cops and hold him until they get here,” Blade barks his orders at them. He reaches down and picks me up, “Caroline, wait with them and talk to the officers when they get here.” She gives him a nod yes as he heads for the door with me in his arms. He carries me all the way to his office and I’m grateful because I don’t know if I have the strength to walk.

He sits down on the couch with me in his lap. He’s holding me so tight, it’s as though he never wants to let me go. Donna sits down beside us. He gently tucks my hair behind my ear, “Baby girl, why didn’t you tell me?” His voice is full of pain and concern.

“I couldn’t,” I sob and he holds me tight again. As I sit in his arms, trying to control myself, Donna begins to explain the whole story. She tells him about the rape on my twenty-first birthday and how she didn’t even know until this week. I feel every muscle in his body tense with rage. She tells him how Mother sent me here to keep it quiet and how she had come to help me tell him today.

“This explains so much,” Blade says after Donna’s finished.

Caroline’s knock on the door interrupts our conversation. “Mr. Hawthorne, the officers have Jarrod in custody and they have some questions for Sheridan,” she escorts the officers in.

“Can’t this wait until later? She’s been through a lot today,” Blade harshly insists.

“I’m sorry Mr. Hawthorne but we have to do this now,” the younger officer apologizes.

I go to get up from Blade’s lap and he holds me tighter so that I stay. The officer asks me to tell him what happened downstairs and then he begins to question me about the
incident
months earlier. Caroline had told them about what Donna said. “Why didn’t you report the rape, Miss Stollings,” the officer asks.

I begin to cry again so Donna chimes in to help, “Her mother thought it best that she move to New York and get away from it all.”

“I’m the dirty little secret,” escapes my lips before I realize it.

Blade raises my chin until our eyes meet, “You’re not a dirty little secret and I never want to hear those words again.” The look in his eyes is so full of anger, hurt and
caring
.

Once the officers have all their answers, the older officer says that a Detective Torres will be contacting us soon. “I want to go home,” I whisper. Blade helps me to my feet and I steady myself with the help of Donna and Caroline, as I try to wrap what’s left of my shirt around me.

Blade rises, takes off his suit coat and puts it around me. I feel like I don’t have an ounce of energy in my body. It’s everything I can do to stand. “Sheridan, honey, everyone here loves you more than you know. You’re our family now,” Caroline rubs my shoulder. I give her an ‘
I know’
smile and nod.

“Let’s get you home so you can rest,” Donna says.

Blade reaches down and picks me up again to carry me to the car. I open my mouth to protest but before I can get a sound out, he says, “Shhhh, baby girl.”

Healing

I
ride back
to the apartment with Blade and Donna follows in my car. When we arrive in the parking garage of the building, Blade starts to pick me up again. “I’m not a child. You can’t pack me everywhere I go,” I brush his cheek with my fingers, to soften my rebuke. He smiles and doesn’t persist. He puts his arm around me and the three of us head for the elevator.

Donna follows me to my bedroom and helps me get changed into some pajamas. My eye is really aching and it seems to be swelling. “You’re gonna have a bad shiner there, Sher,” Donna says as she is putting my hair in a ponytail. I just nod and frown. “Hang on, I have an idea. I’ll be right back,” she says as she leaves the room. The second she clears the doorway, Blade walks in. I give him my best attempt at a smile and Donna is back through the doorway with a bag of frozen stir-fry vegetables, “Here, put this on that eye.” I can’t help but grin at her.

“Do it. It’ll help,” Blade joins in. So I put the bag on my eye.
Damn that’s cold.

“I’m going to make you something to eat,” Donna says.

“I love you dearly but please don’t. I can’t eat. I’m so tired that I just want to lie down,” I refuse.

“How long has it been since you’ve eaten, Sher,” she caringly questions me. I honestly can’t remember how long it’s been. “That’s what I thought. You haven’t eaten hardly anything since I’ve been here. You’re gonna waste away to nothing,” she persists.