Conquered: She Who Dares Book Two (31 page)

“And you are Lilly Parker.” She says as she sits down across from us. Her shrewd eyes study me.

“Yes.” I say quietly. Her lips quirk up slightly.

“Well, I am Claudia Weston, otherwise known as your brother’s fairy god mother.”

Theo laughs. “More like avenging angel.”

Her eyes flick to him and she smiles. “You’ve spoken to my brother.” I try and steer the conversation.

“Yes, although he’s not terribly helpful.” Her lips purse. “Anyone would think he wants to go down.” She huffs. “Of course that won’t happen.” Her dark eyes latch onto mine. “I never lose.” She says fiercely.

“Why is he not being helpful?” I ask.

“He won’t tell me why he took you. A sixteen year old boy does not just take his fourteen year old sister, give up everything to keep a roof over her head, and support the two of you, for no good reason.” I feel trapped under her scrutiny and I glance away.

“It’s complicated.”

“I don’t give a fuck how complicated it is. I need something to work with.”

My skin prickles and my hands feel clammy. “My mother was an alcoholic.” I blurt. Fucking shut up Lilly!

“Was she abusive?” She asks abruptly.

I glance at Theo. “Um…not really.” I stammer.

Her lips pull at the corners. “Well, it’s hard to say isn’t it? What we may constitute as abuse, may have just seemed normal to a child who knew no different.”

“I…we had to run.”

“Lilly, I need you to think long and hard about this. The police need to talk to you. You may need to testify, and your words could be the difference between your brother walking away, or doing time.” She wants me to lie. She leans forward. “I see through you Miss Parker. I know secrets when I see them. I don’t care that you have secrets, but I suspect those secrets would win my case.” She sits back again. “The charges were brought by your mother, but she’s since time disappeared as per an agreement Theo made with her I believe.” I glance at Theo and he nods. “It’s unlikely she’ll be there to counter your story, and even if she is, I can find enough evidence to bury her.” God, this woman is hard core. This is why I could never be in criminal defence. You have to be ready to draw blood.

“Okay. I’ll think about it.” I say. “Do you think it will get that far though? Is there enough evidence to even bring charges against him?”

Her eyes flick to Theo. “Theo, could you just give us a minute?” She smiles, although it reminds me of a dog baring its teeth before it bites. Theo frowns but obeys.

When the door clicks shut she turns and faces me. “Does he know?” She asks.

“Know what?”

“That you are not who you say you are?” Fuck. Fuck! She tilts her head to the side studying my reaction. There is none, I know better than to give anything away. “The evidence is the Deed Poll papers.”

“Shit.” I hiss. I meet her intimidating gaze. “Can you bury this?”

She smirks. “Maybe. I could potentially have a subpoena issued for now. You are still going to have to speak to the police. What you tell them will be official, and they will want to speak to you within the next twenty four hours.”

“Okay. I know you think I’m being difficult, but it’s not as straight forward as it seems.”

She smiles. “My dear, nothing ever is. I’ll see what I can do and be in touch. Don’t speak to the police until I do so.” We both stand and I shake the hand of the tiny woman in front of me. “You alone have the power to clear your brother’s name.” Little does she know.

“Thank you.” I say before leaving the office. Theo is sitting in a waiting area near reception. His ankle is crossed over his knee seemingly casual, but the tension in his face is obvious.

He stands and falls in step beside me as I walk to the lift. Once inside he turns to me. “Is it even worth me asking?” He says quietly.

I shake my head. “It was nothing important. She just thought I might be happier talking about Harry without you there.” He nods, but I can see in his eyes that he doesn’t believe me. That’s just tough luck. I’m hoping he never has to know about me, but it feels as though the walls are slowly closing in on Harry and I, threatening this life that we’ve managed to build for ourselves. We climbed up out of the ashes of our shitty lives, and built something for ourselves. Now I feel as though I’m doused in petrol and just waiting for someone to throw a match at me. The problem is I don’t know which direction the match is coming from, or what the extent of the damage will be. I just have to keep ploughing forwards like I always do. There’s nothing I can do for Harry right now. Even I know that Claudia Weston is a pitbull of an attorney. If anyone can get Harry out it’s her. I also know that she charges more money per hour than I make in a week.

Theo opens the car door for me and I slide into the smooth leather of his Aston. He climbs in and starts the car.

“Shit.” I curse as I realise that I need to call Donny and let him know what’s going on.

“What?” Theo’s eyebrows draw together.

“I just need to call Donny. Hang on.” I find his name in my contacts.

“Donny?” His voice is flat. I look up at him and he doesn’t look happy.

“Yes Donny. He lives with Harry.” He grumbles something unintelligible but says nothing else as I call Donny.

He picks up after the second ring. “Hey Lilly. How are you?” He says brightly.

“Hey Don. I’ve been better. I have some bad news. Harry’s been arrested.” I say quickly.

“What for?” He asks slowly.

“Kidnapping…of me.” I whisper.

“Shit Lilly. Fuck. Is he okay?”

“Theo’s solicitor is trying to get him out. Hopefully it won’t take long.”

“Is my dad going to be implicated in this?” His voice drops. Donny’s dad took Harry on as an apprentice mechanic when we had nowhere to go. He let us live in the flat above the garage, and kept an eye on us. Harry and Donny had been friends since they were four. Donny’s mum lives back in Kent, where we grew up.

“I don’t know. Harry will protect him. He’ll say he lied about us. Give him a heads up though.”

“Yeah, sure. Just…go careful Lilly.” He pleads.

“I will. Bye Don.”

Chapter Twenty Three

Theo

She’s talking to that little fuck Donny, and he clearly knows quite a lot about the situation. “He’s in on it?” I ask slowly after she hangs up.

“No, he is not in on it. He’s Harry’s oldest friend. His dad helped us out when we needed it most.” She snaps. “Besides there’s no ‘it’ to be in on. Harry did nothing wrong.”

I drag my hand through my hair. “I know, it’s just…” It’s just that everyone seems to know her, to know about her, and yet she gives me nothing.

“Just what?” She frowns.

“Nothing. It doesn’t matter.” I start the car and reverse out of the space. “Where to?”

She shrugs. “Do you need to go to the office today?”

I turn to her and smirk. “Really?”

She smiles and rolls her eyes. “Of course not. You know work is good for the soul.”

“I did three times what any normal business owner does between the ages of twenty one and twenty seven, now I don’t have to.”

“Wow, six whole years. You’re a smug bastard, you know that?”

I laugh. “Yes I do.” I throw the car in gear and pull out of the underground car park. “You still didn’t answer my question. Where to?”

“Don’t care.” She says absently as she stares out the window. I decide to go to my house as it’s close and the traffic is terrible. It would take at least half an hour to get to her flat.

I pull into the garage and switch off the engine. Lilly doesn’t move, just stares at the dashboard. “You okay?” I ask.

She nods. “Yeah, just thinking.” She opens the door and steps out of the car. I guide her through the house as she silently makes her way to the living room.

“Do you want a drink?”

“Have you got any vodka?” She asks.

I check my watch. Ten in the morning, wow, even by my standards that’s early. “Uh, yeah sure.”

I pour her the vodka and hand it to her. “No, I’m not an alcoholic. I’m just…on edge.”

I hold my hands up. “I didn’t say anything.” I study her for a moment as she sips her drink. She looks thin, too thin. Her pencil skirt, once filled by her curvy body now hangs on her. Where she used to have an abundance of cleavage, I can see ribs on her chest. Her hair is loose, but has lost it’s shine. She looks so tired.

“Do you want some food?” I ask. She shakes her head. “Lilly…I don’t want to be a dick, but you really need to eat something. You look ill sugar.” She looks away from me. She almost looks embarrassed. “How long has this been going on? Have you seen a doctor?”

“No. I’m fine.” She says too quickly.

“Lilly…”

“I can’t eat when I’m stressed or upset okay? Just leave it Theo. I’m really not your concern.”

“Okay. I’ll be downstairs if you need me.” Fuck if she doesn’t know how to hit hard.  I head downstairs and change into some gym clothes. All I seem to do at the moment is hammer myself in the gym, because if I didn’t I’d be drinking. A lot.

I go straight to the punching bag and I start hitting. My head is fucked. I don’t know if I’m coming or going with Lilly. I make some small progress and then she throws it in my face. I should walk the fuck away, but I can’t. I shouldn’t care but I do, and that’s the problem. She doesn’t want me to care. She doesn’t want me. I’m simply a convenience to her now, a convenience who isn’t good enough anymore because I no longer fit into her fucking box. I hit the bag harder and harder until my bare knuckles split and bleed. Until my lungs burn and my body aches.

I catch a small movement out of the corner of my eye. Lilly is sat on the bottom step of the stairs leading up into the main house. Our eyes meet in a silent exchange. I break eye contact and walk away from her with my hands folded behind my head.

“What do you want?” I ask with my back to her.

“I just…” She stammers. “I didn’t mean to be a bitch earlier.”

I spin around to face her and drop my arms to my sides. “I mean what do you want from me Lilly? Because I have no more to give, and I’m reaching my limit.”

“I don’t know.” Her small voice echoes around the enormous space of my basement. She lifts her hand and presses her fingers against her lips. Her hand shakes as she moves.

“Fucking hell woman. What do you want? I’ve been chasing you since day one. I accept your evasive shit. I don’t ask questions. I’ve been here for you one hundred percent, and yet you don’t know.”

Her expression becomes shuttered. “I didn’t ask you to be there for me…”

I stride across the room until I’m stood just feet away from her. “No, I do it because I want to. I do it because I want to be your everything.” I wait for a response but she says nothing. I shake my head. “You know what, I can’t do this anymore. It hurts too fucking much.” I move to step around her, but she stands and blocks my path. She’s on the step above me so our eyes are level.

“Please don’t. I…” She drags both her hands through her hair as tears well in her eyes. She looks like she’s in pain. “Fuck. I love you.” She whispers brokenly. “I love you but I don’t know how to be with you. You are everything to me, but I can’t be your everything.”

“Lilly…” I stroke her teary face.

“You’re having a baby Theo, and it hurts so fucking much!” She chokes. “I will never give you that, and I don’t know if I can deal with that. It’s selfish, but it’s the truth.”

“You are my everything. I know this is shit, but I can’t live without you. I can’t do this without you. I don’t want to cause you pain, but if that kid is mine, then I can’t abandon it.” Life always seems to be about choices.

“I wouldn’t want you to. If you did, you wouldn’t be the person I fell in love with.” She sniffs.

I can’t respond to that, so I lean in and I kiss her.

Chapter Twenty Four

Lilly

Theo’s kiss is smouldering. All the fire, the passion, the love between us is poured into this kiss. I don’t know what I’m doing. I just know that I’m done fighting him. I need him in a way that I’ve never needed anyone else.

He pulls me up against his body as my fingers trace his shirtless from. His sweat slicked muscles flex under my touch, and my womb practically convulses. Jesus, I’ve missed him. His hands press against the bare skin of my back, slowly dragging my cashmere sweater up my body. His lips move across my jaw and along my neck, kissing, sucking and nipping his way to my collar bone. My entire body is tingling in cold shivers, and I cling to him desperately. He completely overwhelms me as he dominates my body with his own. We break apart only for him to pull my top off.

“So fucking perfect.” He breathes before slowly unzipping my skirt and sliding it down my thighs. His fingers caress my skin in whisper soft touches that make me tremble. My nipples harden and press against the see through lace of my bra. I moan as he cups my right breast harshly. He smiles, and traces his tongue along the edge of the lace. His teeth graze my nipple and I hiss a string of expletives. He laughs a deep low rumble that makes every hormone in my body burst into flames and combust.

“Theo…” I gasp.

“Shhh. I know what you need sugar.” He grasps my thighs and lifts me, spreading my thighs around his waist. His biceps flex and pop effortlessly. He walks us over to the corner of the room where the floor is covered in exercise mats. He drops to his knees, but doesn’t let me go, instead he pulls me closer. I straddle his thighs as our chests are pressed together. His hands are on either side of my face as his eyes meet mine, and it’s a perfect unbreakable moment that says everything; ‘I love you.’ I turn my head and kiss his palm. His hands leave my face and grip my thighs, travelling higher until he cups my arse in his hands. He drops his head and flicks my left nipple with his tongue. Oh god, I can’t breathe.

His lips meet mine again, and I take the lead. I grip his hair as I plunge my tongue into his mouth. I grind my pelvis against his hard cock and he growls against my lips. “Lilly.” He moans breathlessly.

I move away from him and tug at his jogging bottoms. He flashes me that sexier than sin smile and stands up. I lay back on my elbows as I watch his movements. Damn he makes those jogging bottoms look good. They sit low on his hips, just below those beautiful ab’s and those deep guidelines. It’s when he takes them off that my pulse really races. Fuck!