The Gilded Cuff (28 page)

There were a thousand things she should have said at that moment, when she saw the flicker of angry shadows in his eyes, but he didn’t give her a chance to think. His hands went to his neck, loosening the burnished gold tie he wore. Working one finger in the knot, he slid it loose and reached for her hands. Using the tie, he bound her wrists together and pulled them above her head. He made some movement with his hand above her head, and although she couldn’t see what he was doing, she guessed he’d done something to the desk’s edge because her wrists were pulled tight and the tie was secured to something she couldn’t see.

The cold glint in his eyes had her heart skipping wildly. What had changed since they’d arrived at the party? This was not the Emery she’d come to know; this was the Emery she’d first met that night in the club, the one full of fire and anger and defensiveness. All of his barriers were back, his fortress sealed against her once more. The progress she’d made in getting inside his walls had been unraveled.

“Don’t move,” he growled.

She was helpless…Her knees clamped together.

“Keep your legs open.”

With a deep breath she forced herself to calm down and she let her knees fall apart, but she couldn’t stop them from trembling. He leaned over and placed a fingertip on her lips. Then he trailed it down to the rising and falling of her breasts. She watched that finger as he gave the dress a gentle tug and freed her breasts one at a time. Her breath quickened and her nipples pearled. Emery circled one peak, eyes dark as though fascinated by the sight of her aroused body. His brow furrowed slightly as he concentrated on her other breast, cupping it, kneading it until both breasts were swollen and heavy. She arched her back, pressing herself into his touch.

Sophie wanted to ignore the warning her heart gave her in that moment, when their eyes met again and she saw the darkness gathering in him like some violent storm on the horizon. But the ability to think rationally evaporated as Emery bent his head and took one of her nipples in his mouth. She moaned as he sucked hard on the sensitive tip, laving the tip with his tongue before biting it.

“Ooh!” She couldn’t contain the sound of pleasure/pain as it rippled through her. He moved to the other nipple and bit down on it while he slid his hand down between her thighs. One of his fingers dipped into her hot channel and her hips shot up, trying to push him deeper. His finger retreated instantly and she whimpered at the loss.

“Are you innocent, Sophie?” His question forced her eyes open.

“What?” she asked, confusion mingling with pleasure as he bent to her breast again, but he blew a soft breath against it rather than putting his mouth on her skin.

“Was everything about you a lie?” he murmured against her breast before he kissed his way up to her neck.

“A lie?” She could barely string two words together because he’d slid his fingers between her folds again and she clenched around him.

He shifted between her thighs, positioning the head of his cock at her entrance. The first few inches of him sank in easily but as he pressed deeper her body stretched, trying to accommodate him. They rocked together, the tie tightening around her wrists as she jerked when he thrust hard. A few seconds later he was fully inside her and his face loomed over hers.

“You lied to me,” he whispered against her lips. The guarded expression on his face was gone. He was open to her, like a book open at the center page, revealing everything. Rage, hurt, desire, all because of something she’d done.

Her heart stuttered to a stop. He knew. Fenn was alive and Emery knew she’d kept it from him.

With aching slowness he kissed her, and she may as well have been outside the garden of Gethsemane after having kissed his cheek in betrayal. It went soul deep—the numbing, destructive feeling of her own powerlessness to explain why she’d kept Fenn’s existence from him. But Emery didn’t let her think long about it. He withdrew from her body only to plunge back in. They shared a moan of dark pleasure, but his trembling shoulders gave away his own lack of control. The dom inside him was demanding vengeance and she would pay for the hurt she’d caused him.

“Is that all I’m good for? A fuck and a newsworthy story?” He slammed into her and she bit her lip at the exquisite sensation of him punishing her with pleasure. It was wicked, it was the worst thing she could do in that moment—enjoy herself while she knew he suffered, and he was forcing her to feel this way on purpose.

“Emery…please, let me explain—” her words ended on a gasp as he pinched one of her nipples hard.

“You. Betrayed. Me,” he hissed, each word punctuated with a thrust.

She raised her head, glaring at him. “No!” Whatever he thought, she’d explain, make him understand.

“You paid Cody off when you found out Fenn was alive. You didn’t tell me because you wanted the story.” His brows lowered, his lips parted on a snarl as he started fucking her hard and fast. He filled her and a rush of ecstasy stole her breath as she desperately fought to raise her hips to take him deeper inside her.

He was making love to her differently. There had always been a gentleness, at least in his eyes, or lips when he’d made love to her before. This was purely animal, purely about domination and control. Pleasurable yes, but it was only physical. The intimacy they’d struggled to establish with each other over the past several days was destroyed. The devastation of this realization hit her hard and she fought to push him away. He was removing emotion from his passion and it didn’t feel the same; there was a hollowness to his actions that rocked her to the core.

“Emery, stop!” she hissed, jerking her wrists, trying to free herself. He was off her in an instant, pulling out of her body, his face dark as a summer storm. They were both still, panting, frustrated. Finally he shoved a hand in his pants pocket and got out a handkerchief. He wiped himself clean and tossed the white piece of cloth into the garbage can by the desk as he fixed his pants. He wouldn’t look at her, and she couldn’t look away from him. Like watching a train wreck, she was seeing the man she loved spiral away from her, in a crash of black smoke and death.

In that instant she had the strange sensation of being completely and utterly alone. He’d become nothing more than a trick of light, a play of smoke and mirrors, and she realized she’d been chasing a dream that was never going to be within reach. The flesh and blood man she’d come to love with every part of her soul was more shadow and illusion. Was she the same for him? Had they believed they could come together and make sense of the world they lived in? In truth were they merely dark silhouettes of ships passing through heavy fog in the night? Every kiss, every touch that had been shared between them would soon be blackened by betrayal.

He reached for her wrists and in one swift tug his tie slid off her skin. He held the tie for a long second, staring at the expensive gold fabric before he dropped it in the trashcan, too. When he turned away from her, the world came crashing down. His shoulders slumped, his head bowed.

“I gave you everything, Sophie. Everything that I had, everything that I am.” He moved to the wall, resting one palm flat on it as he leaned against it. “Get the hell out of this house, leave town tonight. Hans will mail you your things first thing tomorrow. Don’t ever set foot on my island again. Do you understand?” Her banishment was done with the barely controlled fury of a wronged king. He spun around and walked back over to where she still sat on the edge of the desk.

Sophie had no breath to utter a sound. When she didn’t respond he gripped her throat, not squeezing, but the gesture was clear. She was at his mercy and he was tired of playing the game he thought she was playing. But there was no game, and she’d have to leave him forever.

Emery dropped his hand and stepped back, the space between them large enough to fill an entire galaxy.

“Get the fuck out. Now!” he bellowed. The shout had her moving fast, her body trembling with sexual frustration, her heart shattering as she tugged her skirt down and fled the study. She had to leave, but she couldn’t think, couldn’t breathe. All she felt was the splitting of her ribs as she tried to suck in air and the implosion of her heart in her chest. He hated her, never wanted to see her again.

Shock pulsed through her, numbing her to everything as she stumbled down the hall. Her purse…She needed to find her purse so she could get out of here.

Tears burned at the corners of her eyes, but she refused to let them fall. There would be a time and place to grieve, but now wasn’t it.

Be strong. Have to be strong. Or she’d never make it out of the house.

“Sophie? What’s wrong?” Hans was there in an instant, wrapping an arm around her shaking shoulders. She couldn’t get the words out, only turned into him and shook with silent sobs.

Never in her life had she felt so cheap, so used. Emery had screwed her and tossed her out like a whore.

“What happened? Where’s Emery?” Hans demanded.

Finally she had the strength to say what she couldn’t before. “He used me, Hans. He said hateful things and he
used
me…I need to leave right now.”

The shock in Han’s black eyes quickly turned to anger. “I’ll take you back to town. We’ll get your things first. After that I’ll beat the shit out of him for being an ass.” The last was more a muttered growl to himself than one meant for her ears.

“No, please don’t. He isn’t worth the bruised knuckles you’d get from hitting that rock hard head of his.”

Hans laughed but it came out forced and rusty. She touched his arm, squeezing slightly.

“Please, don’t do anything. I mean it. Just stay here and keep an eye on him. He’ll need you more than ever.”

Hans gripped her shoulders when she turned to leave.

“Hang on. What do you mean?”

“Cody…Cody found out that Fenn is alive. When Antonio held him hostage, Cody got into the man’s files from his computer. He gave them to me when he was in the hospital. We agreed not to tell Emery, not until we were sure Fenn was alive and especially that he was safe. Antonio is looking for him and was planning on going for him after he’d killed Emery. I looked through the files Cody gave me and found Fenn’s location. He’s in Walnut Springs in Colorado. We sent Wes Thorne to find him.”

“And Emery knew nothing of this?” Hans asked.

“No. I wanted to tell him. But I know him. He’d be reckless. He’d go running off to Colorado and get himself killed by Antonio. And we didn’t tell you because you’d either have to tell him or lie to him and we didn’t want to put you in that position. You’re too important to him. He
has
to trust you when he can’t trust anyone else.”

Hans’s dark eyes were full of worry but he seemed to understand.

“How did he find out? Is that why he was cruel to you?”

She nodded. “I don’t know how, but he found out.” She closed her eyes, took a breath, opened her eyes and met Hans’s gaze. “I have to go. Please take care of him. For what it’s worth…I still love him. I’ll always love him and I don’t want him to get hurt.”

The usually stoic bodyguard cleared his throat. “Love is worth a lot, Sophie, especially from a woman like you. I’ll keep him out of trouble for you.”

“Thank you.” She stood upon tiptoe and kissed his cheek. The smile she summoned trembled at the corners. She retrieved her purse from the coat check and left through the front door. The world was quiet outside. The noise of the party was muted. It was early yet, only just past six, but the skies were black with night. A color that matched her aching soul and battered heart. It managed to beat a steady rhythm, even though the pain.

Sophie took a few steps down the long gravel path leading to the main gates where the valets could call a taxi for her. The crunch of gravel behind her made her stop abruptly. A hand clamped down over her mouth. She dropped her purse and clawed at the gloved hand. Another arm hauled her back into a muscled body.

“Hello, sweetheart. We meet at last.” The prick of a needle stung her neck like an angry wasp.

Her muffled cry went unheard.

“We’ll set a nice little trap for our boy Emery.” Something sharp sliced her arm and blood dribbled down onto her purse and the ground around it. The spot where the needle pierced her began to burn. Black spots bloomed over her eyes and heaviness stole through her arms. She struggled to stay awake, but it didn’t matter.

Every nightmare she’d ever had, every horror she’d faced when she closed her eyes, was there.

She was back on the playground with Rachel. Rachel. Her small body was an easy target as the man grabbed her by the waist, hoisting her up and covering her mouth with a cloth. Sophie couldn’t move, couldn’t scream. She was rooted to the spot in terror. The man laughed, the sound grating in her ears.

“I’ll be back for you, little girl, when I’m done with this one,” he’d jeered, the crooked teeth and soulless eyes a sight she’d repressed in the blackest part of her soul.

“Rachel!” Her scream was too quiet, her voice hoarse as the man ran to his gray van and threw Rachel’s limp body into the back. The tires screeched as he pulled away…

She’d never left that playground. She was trapped with the guilt and the fear, left alone as darkness closed in.

E
mery sat in his father’s study chair, slumped over the massive desk. He dug his fingers into his scalp until it hurt. His chest felt as though it was on fire, as if some angry god had thrust his fiery hand deep into Emery’s chest and ripped his beating, bleeding heart out and cast it into the flames. Breath didn’t come easy, and his temples throbbed as he desperately tried to find some balance in his head. Only one thought pierced the gloom: Sophie was gone. The wound she left behind would never heal. Hell, it might kill him now, and he had done it to himself.

He was a fucking asshole and he knew it. He’d just screwed her and sent her packing. He should never have touched her, never gotten close to her. Even hating her, he still loved her, and he’d been cold to her just to have one more second of heaven. He had enjoyed it, been aroused as hell, but it wasn’t the same, not like all of the other times he’d made love to her. Perhaps that was the difference. This time had been sex, just a quick fuck to get her out of his system, but she was deeper under his skin than ever. Already he missed her and wanted her back in his arms so he could apologize.

The door to the study crashed open. Hans was a black silhouette before the light from the hallway.

“Get out, Hans, I need a minute—”

His bodyguard moved fast, throwing a punch so hard that Emery crashed back in the chair and it toppled over. Pain exploded in his jaw. He groaned as he struggled out of the over-turned chair.

“What the hell, Hans?” He wiped a palm over his mouth, tasting blood from his split lip.

“Ms. Ryder just left here in tears…” Hans’s reply was like a wolf’s growl. It would have scared anyone but him.

Emery leapt to his feet. “Good—” Another blow popped his eye and he staggered back into the bookshelves behind him. Several heavy tomes crashed to the ground.

“Stop that!” he snarled, raising his fists in defense. If prepared he knew he could get the drop on Hans. He was the better boxer of the two, but if Hans’s strength was coming from anger, Emery would likely get his ass kicked.

“You’re a real piece of work, Emery. Sophie and Cody were saving you. They were going to tell you about your brother once Wes had found him and made sure he was safe. D’Angelo told Cody he was trying to find Fenn and kill him. If they’d told you, we both know you would have rushed off and gotten both Fenn and yourself killed. Is that what you want?”

Emery lowered his fists a few inches as Hans’s words sank in.

“Why didn’t she tell me?”

His bodyguard’s glare knocked his feet out from under him.

“She loves you and she was only protecting you from yourself. She wanted to tell you, but had to wait until you and Fenn were safe. Whatever you did to her, whatever sins you’ve added to that long list, you’d best get on your knees and pray she’ll forgive you. Now get your shit together and let’s go find her before she gets too far away.”

Emery swallowed hard and followed Hans outside. The party was still in full swing and there was no sign of Sophie in the crowded room. Emery led the way as he and Hans pushed through the mass of dancing people. When they reached the front door Hans pointed to something at the bottom of the steps.

Sophie’s purse lay on the ground, with a spray of blood over it. “Is that—” Emery’s words died on his lips as he reached the purse.

A cell phone, one that he didn’t recognize, was next to the purse. The screen lit up as an unknown number called.

“I’m beginning to hate cell phones.” Emery said as he snatched up the phone and answered the call.

“I’m guessing you’ve discovered my little fib. I couldn’t resist, you see…” Antonio chuckled. The sound brought back horrifying memories, ones he tried to shove back in the dark. Pain and fear always followed that sound.

“Where have you taken her?” His body trembled as adrenaline and rage swept through him in devastating tidal waves, but he forced himself to calm down as he put the phone on speaker. As he listened, he got into the cell’s settings to locate the number and flashed it to Hans. Hans was already on his phone, texting Cody the number on the cell Emery had, no doubt asking if it was possible to put a trace on the call. He waved his hand to tell Emery to keep him talking.

“You don’t need to trace the call,” Antonio said matter-of-factly, as though he knew exactly what they were up to.

Emery glanced around, suddenly wondering if Antonio could see them. But the gardens seemed empty.

“I do need to, because I want to find you and put a bullet through your skull.”

“I was wondering when you’d grow a pair of balls. I thought maybe you’d always be a sniveling little coward like you were when I had you.” The way he said ‘had you’ made Emery’s skin crawl, as though hundreds of spiders trekked along his flesh.

“Name the place and I’ll meet you there. We’ll finish this.”

“Indeed we shall. The way I like, of course. My rules. Leave your rent-a-cop at home. No one but you and me.”

“Fine, I’ll come alone. Cops would only stop me from killing you.” He had every intention of stopping Antonio’s heart and he’d do whatever he had to in order to make that came true.

“You know where to find me. The place where I owned your soul. I’ll be waiting.” Antonio hung up.

The place where I owned your soul
. Emery’s fingers curled into fists. The abandoned mansion where he and Fenn had been held as children.

Hans cursed. “Shit, only a few seconds more and Cody said he would have been able to at least get a ping on a cell tower to narrow down a possible location…”

Emery shook his head. “No need. I know where he is.”

“Where?” Hans’s black brows rose in surprise.

“The old Carlton mansion. It’s ten miles from here.”

“How do you know where he is?”

There was a long pause as Emery forced his heart to slow from its galloping pace. “It’s the place where Fenn and I were held when he took us. He thinks it will rattle me, being back there.” Emery dug his hand into his pocket for the small handgun, thankful for the reassurance it provided.

“Will it rattle you?” Hans’s tone was quiet.

Emery smiled bitterly. “I guess we’ll find out, won’t we.”

“Thank God. You’re letting me come. I thought for a second you might let that bastard control you.”

“He has Sophie.
My Sophie
. We play by my rules, whether he knows it or not.”

Hans’s smile was grim.

“Then let’s get to it. We have a woman to rescue,” Hans said.

And my soul to save.
Emery knew that he’d never survive losing Sophie. He loved her and he’d wounded her, put her in the path of danger. This was not going to end with her dying. He wouldn’t let it. He wouldn’t allow Antonio to steal another life that mattered ever again.

The smell of rotting wood and mold burned Sophie’s nose. Her body trembled as it struggled to shed the aftereffects of the drug. The memory of that needle plunging into her neck slammed into her head, causing a violent headache. It pounded against her temples with the force of a bass drum. She couldn’t help the moan that escaped her lips as she came around. She was facedown on a ratty cot in a dark room. She turned her head and blinked, giving her eyes a chance to focus in the dim light. When she moved her arm, something sticky clung to it. , and pain lanced through her.

She gasped when she saw the five-inch cut that was still bleeding. It didn’t look too deep, but it had bled quite a bit while she’d been unconscious. It burned like hell. Sophie struggled to sit up and glance about the room. It looked like she was in some sort of cellar. One out of a slasher film. Dark liquids of an unknown nature were collecting dust in rows of mason jars that sat on wooden shelves around the sides of the room. Electric lanterns hung from nails on the wooden posts supporting the ceiling. Dust and debris littered the floor where she sat and Sophie realized with a horrible sinking feeling that she had to be in an abandoned mansion somewhere. Emery had told her there were several empty, crumbling mansions not far from where he had been taken…

“Oh God…” She knew where she was. It was the only thing that made sense. She’d been taken to the mansion where Emery and Fenn had been held all those years ago.

The scuffle of boots on the wood stairs by the cot had her scrambling back. Boots and jeans came into view and then Antonio D’Angelo, the harbinger of doom for the Lockwood family, came into view. He paused at the bottom and leaned against the post at the base of the stair railing.

“Hello, sweetheart.” He had that tone of voice, one she knew sadly too well. There was evil in it, a delight in creating terror. The flash of his predatory smile was one she’d seen years ago on another man’s face as he’d taken away her best friend.

The primal part of Sophie was terrified, but the other half of her knew what to expect. He would do something to her, something that would hurt her in the worst possible way. But no matter what he did, there was a part of her that was untouchable: the part she’d given to Emery. The sacred barriers around her heart were strong as ever; not even Emery’s recent treatment could undo the love she carried for him.

“You and I are going to get acquainted, get the party started before Emery shows up.” He stripped off his black leather jacket and hung it on the post.

“Do you honestly think you’ll get to me that way? That I’m so easy to scare?” She replied coldly, but her voice was too hoarse.

“Yes, yes, I think I will. See, I know about your friend. Rachel. That was her name, wasn’t it?”

“Don’t you dare say her name.” Quiet rage filled her, giving her strength. She clenched her fists at her sides, restraining herself.

“Do you think she cried, when that man raped her? Maybe she liked it? I bet she liked it right up until he killed her and left her body in some shallow grave.”

The words were daggers. And she bled with each breath. White hot fury seared her brain. How she remained grounded and in control, she’d never know.

Antonio laughed even though she had not given him the reaction he would have wanted. “You must not have cared much for her.”

“I care, which is something someone like you will never understand.”

She got to her feet, slowly and carefully. She wasn’t going to let him do anything else to her, with his words or otherwise, not without a fight. Gone was the frightened child on the playground. There was no innocence left in her to destroy. For once she was pure strength.

Antonio’s black eyes filled with wicked glee. “You aren’t frightened, are you.” It was a statement, not a question.

“What’s there to be scared of? An assassin who couldn’t even kill two eight-year-old boys? You had twenty-five years to kill Emery even though he’s been here all along. Yeah, you’re terrifying.” Sarcasm dripped from every word. The flash of anger on his face made her grin inside. He reigned in his temper, though.

“You expect me to kill you quickly, if I lose my temper. You’d miss the fun of torture. Smart girl. I see why Emery is so anxious to get you back.”

Finally something had gone right. Emery didn’t love her and wouldn’t be entering a certain deathtrap to rescue her. It was a small reassurance.

“He won’t come.” She relaxed, confident. Whatever would happen would be between the two of them. She could brave him and his cruelty, but Emery had to stay away.

“You’re wrong. He’s on his way. You see…I was the one who convinced him you’d been keeping the news about Fenn a secret to hurt him. And he hurt you back, didn’t he?”

Her face betrayed her pain and the malevolent delight he took from her expression made her stomach turn.

“He’s always been easy to manipulate. I used Fenn as a way to control him when I had both boys. They used to gang up on the two men I hired to help me. They were spoiled little brats and they fought so hard to escape, so many times. But I figured them out. All it took was separation. Emery would cower and do whatever I wanted if I hurt Fenn. It actually proved rather fascinating. I used to put Fenn in another room and torture him. He never made a sound, but Emery did. He had no way of knowing what I did to his brother but he would scream in pain each time I sliced his brother’s flesh.” Antonio pulled a hunting knife out of his boot and held it up for her to see.

“I’ve had my suspicions, you see, that those boys had some sort of connection to each other. I’ve spent the past twenty-five years fulfilling other contracts—”

“Kills, you mean,” Sophie spat.

“Yes. I kept tabs on Emery. He never once showed signs he was communicating with his brother. It took me longer to find Fenn on my own. But I did. The funny thing is, he can’t remember a thing. He’s been raised by strangers and has no clue to who he really is. It will be so much easier killing him. He’ll never see it coming.”

Sophie slowly got up, easing out of her black pumps. The concrete was cold and rough beneath the soles of her feet, but it was better than being in heels. She’d break an ankle if she wasn’t careful.

This is no different than the last time. You got out alive that time too.
Her inner voice tried to encourage her, but she knew chances of her survival were slim. Sometimes one had to go down fighting and take the enemy down with them if they could. If she died and took Antonio with her, it would be her last act to save Emery.