“Not really,” she agreed, almost cheerfully. “It’s just not a time period in my life that brings me any joy to remember, aside from Nico’s birth. He’s the best thing that ever happened to me.” But the price was steep, she added privately. She couldn’t imagine life without Nico but sometimes she felt crippled by the weight of her choices. “And besides, like I said, Nico’s father isn’t in his life so what’s the point of talking about it?”
“But Nico’s father has a responsibility to the child he created,” Christian insisted, refusing to let it go. “He doesn’t pay you child support at the very least?”
“Christian, I can support my child just fine. I don’t need him. I’d rather do it on my own than have him interfering anyway,” she said, only partly lying. “Please, can we talk about something else?”
“Not yet. Why doesn’t Nico live with you?” he asked.
“Christian…please.”
His mouth tightened as his gaze darted away, clearly unhappy with her request but he was too much of a good guy to press her when she’d given him the back-off signal. She appreciated that about him. She wished she could tell him the truth of things but they didn’t know each other well enough for her to even consider burdening him with her problems. Her problems were too much for her to bear—she couldn’t expect someone else to willingly shoulder them.
Which begged the question…What the hell was she going to do? She was very nearly penniless. The amount in her bank account would only pay for food for about a week before she ran out.
“I’ve ruined the mood,” he said with a grimace.
“No, they were legitimate questions,” she said. “I might ask the same if I were you.”
He nodded and although his mouth had lost some of its tension, she could almost hear the questions running through his head at her evasion. They came upon a grassy clearing where the creek widened out and he slowed his horse before swinging down and tying the mare to a tree. “Let’s rest a minute,” he suggested, stretching his back before coming to help her from her horse.
“Sounds good,” she said, grateful. Her thighs were beginning to ache from the unaccustomed position. She twisted her back and stretched, gazing past the glinting waters of the creek to the lush, verdant foliage beyond. “This place is breathtaking,” she admitted, soaking up the beauty to remember later. “Everything is so green and alive. When I moved to New York I remember being overwhelmed by the sheer number of buildings everywhere. It was a real concrete jungle and something I wasn’t used to. Central Park is beautiful in its own way but it’s not the same.”
“Yeah, I agree,” he said, his voice wistful.
She turned her gaze to him. “If you miss home so much why do you stay away?” she asked.
He smiled, saying, “You sound just like Mama Jo.”
“It’s a fair question, right?”
Christian nodded. “Sure. I do love it here. A piece of my heart always stays behind when I leave, but Bridgeport is a little too sleepy for me in the long run. I want to own an upscale nightclub. I can’t really do that successfully here. And—” He paused, as if afraid to reveal this part of himself to someone. She held her breath, desperately wanting to catch a glimpse of that private place even if she wasn’t willing to reciprocrate. “It’s hard for me to stay still too long.”
“Still?”
He chewed his bottom lip in a distinctly vulnerable gesture, his gaze stretching out to see events from his childhood only he could remember. “My biological mom…she had problems.”
She assumed so given he was raised by a foster mother but Skye simply nodded in understanding, hoping he would continue. She was irresistibly drawn to this side of Christian, where he dropped the mask of the mischievous joker.
“Like I said earlier, she tried,” he said, almost defensively before continuing with a sigh. “But she wasn’t the best mother. We moved around a lot, stayed in seedy motels most of the time. Or slept on friends’ couches. I can’t remember a time when we had our own place. School was hard but I was smart so I managed to keep up but…it was a struggle.”
“I’m sorry,” she murmured, remembering her own childhood and how she’d taken for granted simple things such as a soft bed and security. “So, what did your mom do for a living?” she asked, guessing he’d say something like waitress or maid. The hesitation in his gaze struck a chord. He was ashamed, she realized. She tried to soften his fear. “I’m sure she loved you very much no matter what she did.”
“She was a prostitute and a drug addict.”
Christian’s quiet admission sucked the air from her lungs. She hadn’t expected that answer and the shock of it nearly caused her to lose her composure. A pain so fresh and cruel it nearly drove her to her knees made her heart beat harder at the thought of Nico saying that to a woman someday. Momentarily stunned, she couldn’t answer quick enough. He searched her gaze. “Now you know why…my head is a mess when it comes to you.”
Yes. She understood. But it didn’t lessen the shock or the heartache from the knowledge that their pasts would always be an issue no matter if she managed to break away from Belleni for good.
“When you’re a kid, you love your parents even if they’re not great. That’s how it was with my mom. There were times when she was loving and funny. And I tried to remember those times when she wasn’t.”
She pictured a young, bereft Christian, lost in the world without his only family and sorrow for him replaced her own heartache. “How’d she die?”
He didn’t answer right away, glancing toward the horses where they ripped at the fresh green grass sprouting from the soft ground and chuckled mirthlessly. “We were staying at some old, rent-by-the-hour motel. The place was disgusting but at least the door had a good lock and the beds were relatively clean. I woke up to get ready for school and saw my mom slumped over in the bed next to me. The needle was still stuck in her arm.”
“Your mom died of a drug overdose,” she surmised.
He nodded. “Heroin.”
“Oh, God, Christian, that’s horrible. How awful for you.”
“It’s frightening how easily kids adapt,” he said, almost conversationally, as if removed. “The prostitution, the drug use, the transient nature of our lives, it was all normal to me. It was just our life. I never really considered the idea that it might kill her. And then it did. My life was never the same after that. I was scared to tell anyone at first. I just left the motel and wandered the streets, eating from the garbage can at school because I didn’t have any money and I was starving. A teacher caught me digging for something to eat and it was discovered what had happened to my mom.”
“That’s when you came to Mama Jo?”
“Oh, no, I spent a year in foster care before I found my way into her home. I was beaten, starved, kicked around, touched…more bad stuff happened to me in the one year of foster care than my entire life with my mom. By the time I came to Mama, I was pretty messed up.”
“Wow,” she breathed out. “I can only imagine.”
“Mama Jo helped make me human again.”
She swallowed the lump growing in her throat. Such tragedy hidden by that disarming, dimpled grin. She’d never have imagined, which was likely the point. She suspected that Christian didn’t share that part of his life with anyone aside from who was in his tight circle. It warmed her heart that he’d trusted her with his story. Moisture gathered in the corners of her eyes again, only this time for a different reason.
She went to him and gently clasped her hands around his, allowing him to draw her into the enclosure of his arms. She didn’t know what to say, or how to say what she felt in her heart. It was all too fresh and raw to even put into words but she felt something and it was profound.
She met his stare and he answered what was in her eyes with a slow brush of his lips against hers. The sweetness nearly broke her into a million pieces.
“We went a little farther down the trail than we had planned. Sorry, sweetheart. We didn’t mean to worry you.”
“I wasn’t worried. I just wondered is all. Can we get dominoes when we go home?”
“Sure, honey. Why don’t you help Thomas clean up so we get back to Mama Jo’s. It’s probably dinnertime.” Nico ran to help put the dominoes away and Skye thanked Cassi and offered an apology but Cassi waved it away.
“That kid is awesome. If all our kids are that great, I think we’ll have ten,” Cassi said, eliciting a short laugh from Thomas. “No seriously, he was great. You’re doing a good job.”
Skye accepted the unexpected praise and held it to her heart. She’d never heard anything but criticism from Vivian about her parenting skills and it felt good to hear that she was doing something right. “Thank you,” she replied, then added impulsively, “I think you’re going to make a great mother, too.”
Cassi grinned. “I hope so. Thanks.” They walked to the door and as they were leaving, Cassi looked meaningfully at both Christian and Skye and said, “Don’t be strangers, okay? You’re welcome anytime.”
They said some more goodbyes and then climbed into the car. Nico yawned loudly and Skye knew right away he wouldn’t make it out of the driveway before crashing. Chances were he’d miss dinner but that was okay. He’d had a great day and no doubt Mama Jo would have a full spread for breakfast. She settled into the seat and allowed herself a smile as they pulled away.
Skye’s fingers dug into the leather seat as panic followed.
“Who could that be?” Christian asked, mostly to himself, though Skye already knew the answer and her stomach was churning from fear. She didn’t respond but the urge to scream “keep driving” ran through her mind. She turned wide eyes to Christian, her mouth dry but he was already stepping out of the car, concern for Mama Jo overriding all else. She had no choice but to grab Nico and follow, though her instincts were telling her to run like hell.
Skye entered the house behind Christian and barely swallowed her gasp of dismay as she saw Vivian, wearing an ice-blue skirt and matching blouse, perched on a chair chatting politely with Mama Jo. She turned when they entered and fixed a chilly smile on her face. “Skye, so good to have found you,” she said.
Mama Jo looked to Christian and Skye, a bewildered expression on her face. “This here lady says you’re family. Is that true?” she asked of Skye.
Family? Never. Vivian sensed her balking and moved in swiftly, saying, “Yes, Auntie Vivian. We’re quite close. I’d say there’s no one who knows Skye better than me. I know all her secrets,” she added with a slight chuckle that caused the blood to drain from Skye’s cheeks.
“What are you doing here,
Auntie Viv?
” she asked from numb lips.
More important, how did you find me?
“You didn’t answer your cell and I was worried,” she answered. “It’s a good thing we have the GPS tracker on the
family
plan, otherwise I never would have found you in time.”
Her mind flew to the phone in her purse and she cursed her own stupidity. “In time for what, Viv?” she asked.
“Darling, you must’ve forgotten…your uncle is paying you to assist him in a business thing tomorrow night. You know how he gets when he doesn’t get his way.
Dreadful.
Sorry to cut your little trip short, darling, but you have commitments I must insist that you fulfill.”
“I thought you said all your family was in Iowa?” Christian said.
“Yes, all but my aunt and uncle,” she answered lamely, sending a quick hatred-filled glance Vivian’s way, which she simply accepted with a patronizing smile. “Surely my uncle would understand if I wanted to stay?”
Vivian’s gaze narrowed to a pinpoint. “No. He would not. Pack your bags, Skye. We need to leave within the next fifteen minutes.” She stood and thanked Mama Jo for her hospitality, then made her way on spindly heels out the door and disappeared into the dark confines of the car.
“I don’t wanna go,” wailed Nico as soon as Vivian was out of earshot. He scuttled to Skye and clung to her leg. “She’s mean and she pinches,” he said, tears welling in his eyes. “Please, Mama…can’t we stay here? I like it better. Thomas is going to teach me checkers next and I want to stay!”
She gathered Nico in her arms and she stared helplessly at Christian, words failing her. “I’m sorry,” she said, despair blotting out everything from her mind. There was no telling what Belleni would do to her when she returned. A beating was likely. She shuddered and clutched Nico to her tightly. “I’m so sorry…I—” tears filled her eyes “—I had a great time. Thank you…for everything.”
“Skye, wait…” he called out, following her but she was already grabbing her bag and heading for the door. “Wait a minute. Let’s talk this out. What’s going on?” he demanded when she refused to look at him for fear of showing him just how terrified she was. She didn’t want Christian’s family to be touched by the ugliness that was associated with Belleni and she didn’t know what Belleni would do to Christian or Mama Jo if she resisted. So, she ignored his confusion and dutifully climbed into the limousine, tears blinding her by the time the door shut behind her.
“Skye…”
His muffled voice faded as they pulled away.
She clung to Nico who had gone quiet in the presence of Vivian. She stroked his hair and tried to reassure him but in truth, she was shaking.
All semblance of warmth fled from Vivian’s face as she said to the driver, “Get us the hell out of this sinkhole of poverty before it swallows us whole.” Then she fixed her gaze on Skye, her mouth pursing but it was a long, terrifying moment fraught with building tension before she said with a short, dark cackle, “Belleni is quite angry with you.”
“It was just a trip with a friend. I was going to come ba—” she began but Vivian cut her short with a glance.
“Don’t try my patience. You ran because of what I shared with you. When are you going to learn that you are not in control in this situation? However, your recent actions have caused Belleni to reconsider his plan.” Vivian cut Skye a short glance. “You’re a difficult woman, but you made your bed and you will lie in it. If I were to offer you a bit of advice, I’d say keep your head down and your infernal mouth shut, but then you’ve never been any good at listening to advice, so why should I bother?”
Sky blinked back tears, overwhelmed by the dread twisting her insides in knots, but she remained quiet in the hope that her apparent contrition might gain her favor. It was a long shot but Skye didn’t have much more to hope for.
“You’re probably wondering what will happen now,” Vivian correctly assumed. Skye nodded and Vivian smirked, exploiting every last moment of power she had over Skye. “Well, it’s not for me to say. At the very least, a beating most likely, however, Belleni has need of your services. Stay focused on that for the time being and don’t bother pestering him with your false apologies for it will only serve to anger him further,” she said coolly, sliding into business mode as if their conversation were completely natural.
“He is entertaining a business client and he would like you to be available as his escort. You will be playing the part of his fiancée. He will expect you to be suitably affectionate but not vulgar. Your regular rate will be waived given your recent behavior and perhaps until Belleni finds a more appropriate punishment.”
Although she’d told herself to remain quiet, her protests burst from her mouth, as a near sense of hysteria threatened to steal her ability to think straight. “You can’t do this to me anymore,” she cried, tightening her arms around Nico when he’d begun to shake. “I’m a person, I don’t belong to Belleni and I can’t—”
“You can and you will,” Vivian cut in sharply. “Belleni is Nico’s father. More importantly, he wants a life with the boy
as
his father.”
The blood drained from Skye’s cheeks as the plain truth of Nico’s paternity was thrown out there without warning. Vivian smiled, knowing the impact of her words.
“And if I refuse?”
“Don’t be ridiculous. What Belleni wants, he gets. You know that.”
Yes, she knew that well. “Why me?” she asked dully, not quite expecting an answer but she got one anyway.
“I don’t know,” Vivian answered truthfully, a trace of sadness in her tone. “I wish I knew. Once, I thought I knew him better than anyone but I seem to have lost my touch. Among other things.” Vivian plucked at an invisible piece of lint on her skirt. “He is a stranger to me now.” She drew a deep breath as if fortifying herself and forged on, that damnable mask of ice sliding back into place. “But I’ve accepted that I won’t ever understand and I’ve moved on. Now, let’s get to business. Your clothes have been moved to Belleni’s bedroom and Nico’s things have been relocated to a bedroom near the pool.”
That startled Skye out of her stupor. “What? Why? What about my place?”
Plans change. Belleni no longer sees the benefit of keeping you in the apartment.”
Perspiration dampened her underarms, trying to fathom what was happening. She struggled to keep the horror from her voice at the thought of living full-time with Belleni. “But why move Nico down stairs? He can’t be that far from me. He’s not even five yet.”
Vivian smiled. “Well, it’s only temporary, I assure you. We’ve arranged for an early enrollment at Excelsior. Isn’t that wonderful?”
Skye was going to vomit.
Hopefully it landed all over Vivian’s expensive shoes.