Holiday in Danger (16 page)

She’d let two men fuck her in a stranger’s office. If she’d heard the story from anyone else, she’d think it was obscene. But not now. Not with the way her heart threatened to fall harder than ever for both men. Not when she saw the way they each looked at her. They were falling, too.

Ian pulled her up to sit and kissed her lips, gentle and slow. He hugged her body close, stroking her back as he leaned against her. “Say you’ll stay.”

The words perched on the tip of her tongue, but wouldn’t tumble out. She looked up, and at last, Ian smiled. “At least you didn’t say no.”

He stepped back and the loss of his heat sent a shiver through her.

“Stay there. I’ll help you get dressed.” Ian picked up her discarded clothes and slipped them on, one after the other. He tucked his shirt in and straightened his tux and flashed her a smile. “Now, I suppose I should find out what’s keeping Trent. Care to join me?”

Holly smiled. “Of course. But I need a few minutes. Meet you downstairs?”

Ian reached for her hand and gave it a squeeze. “I’ll be waiting.”

Holly watched as he walked out of the door. The three of them together were part whirlwind, part fantasy. But if this was what living in Midnight Cove got her, it might be worth it. She could put up with the fake words and obvious stares if she could come home to both of her men at night.

If Hillary hadn’t told her about Summer and her two fiancés, she’d never think it was possible. But the Band-Aid had already been ripped off. If Midnight Cove could handle one three-person relationship, surely it could handle two.

With a deep breath, Holly picked up her clutch and took one last look at the desk. Let the party people gawk. She had a pair of boyfriends to find.

The door behind her opened and she smiled. It hadn’t even been five minutes. Ian should give her more credit than that. “I said I’m coming.”

The door clicked shut and Holly turned around.

“No, sweetheart. You aren’t going anywhere.”

HOLLY

I
T
CAN
’
T
BE
.
Holly stepped away from the desk and squinted at the man standing just inside the room. “Brandon?” She hadn’t seen the jerk in years, but he still had the same shit-eating grin.

He turned the lock on the door and walked over to the windows. Slicked-back black hair, olive skin, sturdy shoulders. She knew in the abstract he was attractive, but all she could see was a snake in a tux.

She’d never forget the way he turned on her after prom. The rumors spread like wildfire. All the rich kids and wannabes looking down their noses at her. Whispering behind her back.
You think she’s just after their money? I heard her mom’s screwing his dad. I bet you she’s pregnant.

Between her parents’ divorce and Brandon’s lies, she’d never been more thankful to move away. Holly thought they were past all that now—ten years was a long time to still harbor spite. But Brandon looked stuffed full of it. She swallowed down a wave of bile. “What the hell are you doing here?”

Brandon turned back to her with a sneer. “You haven’t changed much, have you Holiday? Still using your good looks to get guys to fall for you. But this time, you really picked a good one huh? Or should I say two? What are you, playing them off each other?”

Holly crossed her arms over her chest. He was definitely a snake. “My personal life is none of your business.”

He cocked his head. “I can’t say I’m surprised. Gutter trash like you and your mom never stray too far from other people’s pockets.”

“How dare you bring my mother into this!”

He motioned to the diamonds glittering on her neck. “Calling it like I see it. Which one gave you all those precious stones? Was it Ian? What did you do, make out with Trent until the man opened his checkbook?”

God, he was something else. She gave him her
I-don’t-take-bullshit
glare. “Just because we dated in high school doesn’t mean you know me. If I remember right, I turned you down.”

Brandon laughed. “Don’t flatter yourself. I didn’t need to fuck you to figure out your game.”

Holly saw red. He was a main reason she’d stayed away. Thanks to him, she’d spent the rest of high school as a social pariah. She could still hear the taunts and the whispers behind her back.

The rumors escalated every time she heard them. First she’d given him a blow job in the back of the classroom. Then she’d screwed him in the boys’ locker room. Then they said she’d let him pass her around to whole damn football team. She’d been labeled a gold digger, a money-grubbing whore, worse. And none of it was true. She was a virgin until she was twenty-one.

She huffed out a pent-up breath. Brandon had done that to her. He’d ruined her senior year. And then her mother had gone and made it a million times worse.

He stood in front of her, the embodiment of classist bullshit with his overpriced tux and a gold watch. The epitome of Midnight Cove. He hadn’t suffered nearly enough.

Holly stomped up to him. “I spent almost two years dealing with the rumors you started. If I didn’t move, they’d have followed me forever.”

He smiled. “It was the least I could do.”

“What did I ever do to deserve it?”

Brandon’s expression turned cold and a chill coursed through Holly. “You know exactly what you did. If it hadn’t been for you, your mother would never have met my dad.”

Wait. What?
All these years she’d assumed it had been about her refusal to sleep with him. But it was about her mother? She shook her head. “What are you talking about?”

He edged closer and his pupils swelled until the black almost eclipsed the brown. “If you hadn’t chased me around like a lost puppy, your mother would never have gotten her hooks in my father. He’d have never even met the whore.”

“I had nothing to do with that.”

“Oh yes, you did. Don’t you remember? It all started that prom night. Your mom invited herself over to take pictures.”

“So?”

“Did you know she spent the night?”

No way.
Holly knew he was wrong. “You’re wrong, Brandon. My parents were still married then.”

“Sorry, sweetheart. You think my dad was the first one she screwed behind your father’s back? The whole town knew her game. She wanted money—more than your dad could ever provide. My father was just stupid enough not to see it.”

“I don’t believe you.” But something inside told her he was right.

Brandon straightened his shirtsleeve. “It’s the truth. Your mom wasn’t a one-man woman. And like they say, the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.”

Holly turned away.
I am nothing like my mother.
She spoke without turning around. “What do you want?”

“I want what’s mine. I want what you and your mother took from me.”

She spun to face him. “I can’t bring your father back. He’s dead.”

“I don’t want that son of a bitch. I want his money.”

Holly’s mouth fell open. “This is about money?” She snorted. “Well, that’s easy, because I never got a dime of your father’s money.”

He reached out and grabbed her by the arm. With one yank of his hand, her whole body shook like a rag doll. “Don’t play games with me, Holiday. I know you did.”

She batted at his fingers, but they didn’t budge. “Get your hand off me. I swear, it’s the truth. My mom didn’t even tell me your father had a stroke. I read about it in the news.”

“But you got all her money when she died.”

Holly paused. “No, I didn’t. I told the trustee I didn’t want any of it.”

“I don’t believe you.”

“You can ask him!”

Brandon’s grip tightened and he shoved his face within an inch of hers. “What did he do with it?”

“I don’t know! Maybe it’s still in the trust. Maybe he gave it away. Let go of me!” She tugged and Brandon only gripped her tighter. His fingertips pressed so hard her flesh turned white.

“That. Was. My. Money. All of it. And you’re telling me you gave it away?”

As Holly stared, Brandon tipped his head back and laughed. The sound sent a rush of goosebumps over her arms. He was crazy. She had to get out of there.

She forced her voice to calm. “I’m sorry, Brandon. I didn’t know. How about we both take a step back? I’m sure we can talk to the trustee. He’s got to still have the records.”

Brandon’s face turned stony. “If the money were still in the trust, don’t you think I’d have heard? It’s gone and now you have to pay for it.”

“Let me go.”

“Sorry, not an option.” Brandon straightened his arm and checked his watch. “It’s a shame we don’t have more time.” He leered at her chest and her hips. “I’d love to finally get a taste of that hot little snatch of yours. By the way those two idiots are falling all over themselves, it must be pretty sweet.”

Holly reached back with her free hand and tried to slap him, but Brandon caught her mid-swing.

“Not so fast. I’m the one in control here, not you.”

She opened her mouth to scream, but Brandon spun her around and clamped his hand over her lips before any sound came out.
Damn it!

His breath came hot and wet on her ear. “Don’t worry, princess. Where we’re going, no one will ever hear you scream.”

Oh my God.
Holly squirmed in his grip, trying in vain to break free. She couldn’t leave with him. Not if he was going to hurt her. If he got her out of the house, Trent and Ian would never find her. She kicked at his knees, trying to hurt him enough to escape.

One of her shoes came off and she hit his kneecap with her bare heel. Brandon swore. It was the last sound she heard before the world faded to black.

* * *

IAN

The sound of raucous partiers and tipsy women carried on in the background, but Ian wasn’t listening. He’d come down to the party to find Trent, but so far he’d struck out.

Twenty minutes later and Holly hadn’t shown up either. What the hell was going on? Had they run into each other and ditched him? He wanted to say no, they couldn’t have, but something was definitely up. Two people didn’t just disappear into the ether.

He’d already called and texted. What else was left? From his vantage point, the whole party opened up before him. Ms. Tennyhall leaned over the baccarat table, her fake boobs dangerously close to spilling over. Alfred, the big shot from New York, stood at the craps table, overseeing his pile of chips. Everywhere he looked, the who’s-who of Midnight Cove mingled and gambled and drank themselves into a stupor.

He still couldn’t believe Holly thought this all mattered to him. A bunch of people he didn’t like in high school and cared even less for now? No. They’d never mattered. Holly and Trent—they mattered. He’d find a way to convince both of them that staying in Midnight Cove could be exactly what the three of them needed.

Hell, he’d seen firsthand how happy Summer made Blake and Devin. Before they’d met her, the pair of them had been just as lost as Ian. He snorted at the memory. They’d even been willing to go into business with his nightmare ex just to have something to do.

Thank God he’d seen her nastiness up close and broke up with her. Who knows how long he’d have let it drag on otherwise. He sighed and headed for the front door. If Holly wasn’t going to show up in the main room, maybe she was waiting outside.

After pushing open the oversized mahogany door, Ian stepped down onto the driveway. A little air, some quiet, and he’d figure it out. The valet hustled over to him and he waved him off. “Not leaving, yet. Thanks though.”

The kid nodded and made his way back to the stand as the door opened behind him.

“Well, look what the cat dragged in. Or out, I should say.”

It can’t be.
Ian turned around. “Ivy? What the hell are you doing here?”

She wore a skintight silver number, boobs pushed up to her neck, blonde hair a little wild. Her eyes darted back and forth and she plastered on a smile. “I’m on the guest list.”

“Impossible. I’d have been told.”

She smiled and Ian’s skin crawled. “Now don’t be such a party pooper, Ian. You know I’m still popular in this town.”

“Now I know you’re lying. Everyone knows what you did to Summer.”

Her eyes narrowed. “You mean to tell that wench the truth? If it hadn’t been for her, we’d still be together.”

Ian rolled his eyes. “Don’t flatter yourself.” He was done with this conversation. Talking to Ivy McClellan was the last thing he wanted to do. He needed to find Holly and Trent and get the hell out of there.

As he turned to leave, a man walked out of the shadows. Tall, broad shouldered, vaguely familiar.
Who is that?
The man sidled up to Ivy and slipped his hand around her waist. As he whispered in her ear, she beamed.

The sight turned Ian’s stomach. He stepped closer. “I’m Ian Knowles. I don’t think we’ve been formally introduced.”

He held out his hand and the man broke into a grin. “Brandon Mosterly. It’s a pleasure to finally meet you. Ivy’s told me so much about you.”

Ian frowned. “Are you Gregory Mosterly’s kid?”

“The one and only.”

It clicked into place and Ian stood a bit taller. “You’re Holiday’s stepbrother.”