Hush (Black Lotus #3) (12 page)

THE SMELL OF
the black pepper tenderloin Declan’s preparing fills the apartment, causing my belly to growl. The past few days I’ve struggled to eat and even sleep. I keep going over that manifest incessantly. Sometimes I think I’m going crazy, but I can’t stop myself. Declan practically had to force-feed me a sleeping pill last night just so I could get some rest. I was pissed and lashing out at him.

“Why aren’t you trying harder to find him?” I screamed as he fought to hold me down.

“I’m doing everything I can, but I don’t know what he’s hiding from or the threat we face when we do find him.”

He then pinned me to the couch and shoved the sleeping pill down my throat. In the process of gagging on it, I accidentally swallowed it. When he released my arms, I began swinging at him, irate that he would rob me of the time I could’ve used to get closer to finding my dad.

I woke this morning after allowing sleep to fuel my body with restored energy and a clear head and apologized to Declan. But the moment he left to go attend a meeting with the architecture firm, I was back at it, dissecting the manifest. It’s been five days since I received this list of passengers, and I’m no closer to finding a lead. What’s even more discouraging is the fact that both Lachlan and Declan are starting to feel like they’ve exhausted all avenues aside from traveling all over the States to knock on all one hundred and twenty-two doors. And as much as Declan affirms that he will find him, I don’t doubt that he would actually go to those lengths to do so.

While Declan is in the other room cooking, I take my time getting ready. As I’m applying a little gloss to my lips, I hear the buzzing of my cell phone. It catches me off guard since no one aside from Declan and Lachlan has the number. When I walk into the bedroom, I spot the phone on top of the dresser and pick it up.

UNKNOWN
, reads across the screen.

“Hello?” I question curiously when I answer the call.

“Hey, kitty.”

His voice stuns me for a split second.

“Matt?”

“You miss me?”

God, he’s so skeevy.

“How did you get this number?” I bite on a quiet voice as I walk into the bathroom and close the door so Declan can’t hear.

“Everyone is traceable. Even you, my dear.”

“What do you want?” I snap irritably.

“That’s no way to greet an old friend.”

“Cut the shit, Matt.”

“Fine. I need your help.”

“Forget it.”

“Do I need to remind you of your place in this equation? You owe me.”

He’s right. I very well could be sitting in prison if he hadn’t covered up Pike’s murder for me, so I swallow back my hatred for his slimy ways. “What do you need?”

“Well, it seems I’m in a bit of a bad situation with a loan shark.”

“What the hell are you doing business with a loan shark for?”

“Pike’s murder being the face of my business wasn’t a good look, kitty. No one wanted to be associated with me with the threat of cops watching. I needed money.”

“What happened to it?”

“It’s gone. I gambled it away in hopes of increasing my profits.”

“You’re an idiot, you know that?”

“The idiot who saved you from a life behind bars,” he reminds with growing pique, and then drops the bomb. “They’re gonna kill me.” He pauses. “I can’t buy any more time from them.”

I brace my hand on the edge of the sink and drop my head. I could bail him out, sure, but he’ll never leave me alone. The threat of this guy will continue to hang over my head, and how do I have a shot in hell of moving forward in this life if my past is forever following me? Matt is nothing but corrosive—he always has been. Unwilling to allow him the opportunity to one day pull me down with him or to risk him turning me in to the cops for all the crimes I’ve hidden under my belt, I take back the control.

“You want me to bankroll you?”

“I need you to wire the money. My time is up.” Panic seeps through his words the more he speaks. “Pretty soon, there’s gonna be a bounty on my head.”

“If I do this, will you leave me alone?”

“Yes.”

I take a moment to let him sweat a little, enjoying the upper hand and listening to him squirm for my help.

“I don’t believe you.”

“Elizabeth, what the fuck? Come on!”

“Don’t call me again.”

“You fucking cunt!”

“Let me tell you who the cunt is,” I seethe through my teeth, injecting each word with the poison of my rusted heart. “You don’t get to fuck with me anymore. I’m not a toy you get to play with. So this cunt is done with you, you little shit. Let them kill you; it’ll do me the favor of dispelling you from my life.”

Before I give him an opportunity to respond, I disconnect the call and shut my phone off. With both of my hands clutching the countertop, I look at myself in the mirror and greet the monster that stares back at me, but no sooner say goodbye. I take in a few deep breaths and rein in the beast I’ve been trying to tame—for Declan—for us.

Minutes pass, and my heart settles into a healthy rhythm. I apply a little more gloss before taking the phone and shoving it down in my purse that’s in the closet. I turn to the mirror and give myself a lookover, paranoid that Declan will see right through me.

Walking out of the bedroom, I watch Declan for a few seconds. He’s barking at someone on his phone while pots are steaming and boiling. He surprised me with the announcement earlier today that Davina, his childhood friend, is joining us for dinner. I’m not exactly happy about it but refuse to let Declan notice my displeasure. He says that he wants me to give her a chance, that it’s time I stop secluding myself from people and put myself out there to make friends. The thought doesn’t sit well with me though. I’ve never had friends. The women I socialized with back in Chicago were merely a charade I put on to appease Bennett and play my part in the whole con. Those women weren’t my friends though.

The only two people I’ve ever truly welcomed into my life are Pike and Declan. I never saw the point in having friends; I still don’t. But Davina is part of Declan’s life and it’s important to him that I get to know her. So with my fake smile, I’ll do my best to stifle any jealousy that might arise to placate him.

“Is someone in trouble?” I ask when I walk into the room after Declan ends his call, shaking off the residue of Matt’s phone call.

“I think I’m going to have to make a trip back to Chicago to deal with some business concerning Lotus.”

“Is everything okay?”

“Yes, everything is fine.
Forbes
is going to be doing a feature on me for an upcoming issue and they want to get photos of me at the Lotus property.”

“You’re kidding. Declan, that’s amazing!” I exclaim. “Congratulations!”

He laughs at my reaction, but I can’t help myself. Declan’s spent his life trying to measure up to his father’s success, so to have a feature in
Forbes
is incredible validation.

I take his face in my hands and look up at him with a huge smile. “I am so proud of you.”

“You are?” he flirts, hoisting me onto the counter.

“Yes. And you should be more excited.”

“I am excited.” His voice is low and even, teasing me.

“I’m serious. This is amazing.”

“You’re amazing.”

He takes my hands from his face, pins them down on the countertop beneath his, and moves in to kiss my neck. The whiskers of his freshly trimmed stubble tickle me, and I tilt my head to close my neck off to him. Declan disapproves with a groan and forces my neck open with his head. He continues to kiss and nip, and every now and then sinks his teeth into the sensitive skin. I drop my head back with a pleasurable moan and widen my legs to invite him in closer, but before he presses against me, his phone rings.

“Ignore it,” I pant, needing more of him.

“I can’t, Davina is here.”

He steps away from me and takes the call. Sliding off the counter, I clench my thighs together to help relieve the pulsing ache of arousal that’s built up inside of me thanks to Declan.

“You’re a tease,” I say with a nudge to his ribs when I walk past him. “I’m going to get you back for that.”

“Is that a threat?”

“No. It’s a guarantee.”

Soon there’s a knock on the door, and when Declan opens it to let her in, the raven-haired “friend” greets him with a much too affectionate hug. They exchange pleasantries before Declan holds his hand out to me, saying to Davina, “You remember Elizabeth?”

“It’s so good to see you again.” Her smile is too wide as she hands me a bottle of wine. “I figured you could use this since you’re living with the most uptight man I know.”

“That’s nice,” Declan says in mock umbrage as he heads back into the kitchen, leaving me alone with her in the living room.

“Thank you,” I tell her, shoving my insecurities away for fictitious assurance. “It’s extremely thoughtful.”

I used to wine and dine the upper crust of Chicago for the satisfaction of Bennett, so Davina should be as easy as selling age-defying pigeon shit facials to haut monde housewives.

“Please, have a seat. Should I pour you a glass?” I ask, holding up the bottle.

“I never turn down wine.”

She’s much too perky and much too happy, or maybe it’s just me being much too judgy. Either way, I grit my teeth as I walk to the kitchen and open the bottle of Sangiovese.

“Declan,” she says as she walks over and takes a seat at the island bar. “How long do we have to wait for your new property?”

“Years. We’re building from the ground up,” he tells her. “I was in meetings all day today going over budgets and schedules. We haven’t even started on the design yet.”

“How long do you plan on staying in London?”

“Until completion. Same as the Chicago property. So, three, maybe four years.”

I hand her the glass of wine and she holds it up. “Well, cheers to new neighbors,” and then she takes a sip. “So, Elizabeth, I know you can’t be from around here with that accent of yours.”

“No, I’m from the States. Illinois,” I tell her.

“Where Declan was? Chicago?”

“Yes.”

“So indulge me. Tell me how you two met.”

As soon as the question is out of her mouth, I feel the tingling in my palms, but I don’t stress for more than a second when Declan begins to answer.

“She was at the grand opening of Lotus,” he says, plating the food. “I spotted her immediately in this long navy dress. It didn’t take me long to introduce myself, and lucky for me, she needed a place to throw an event, and I offered her the space at the hotel.” He picks up two of the plates, adding, “The rest is history.”

I pick up the third plate and follow him into the dining room. We all sit to eat, and I listen while the two of them share a few funny stories from their childhood with me. I smile and laugh at all the right places in conversation as I tame the covetousness I feel that she’s had more time and shares more memories with Declan than I do. She has a deep-rooted past with him, knows his annoying habits I haven’t caught on to yet, and can practically finish his sentences for him.

“Elizabeth,” she addresses, exchanging her attention from Declan to me. “What is it that you do?”

I swallow the sip of wine I just took, then clarify, “That I do?”

“Do you work?”

“Oh, um, no. Not at the moment.” Not ever, unless helping my brother weigh out and bag the drugs he and Matt used to sell on the streets counts as a job. I feel like such a fraud sitting here with her. As if this is my standard of living.

“That’s always nice. Have you been to London before?”

“No. This is the first time I’ve been out of the States, believe it or not.”

“I have a lot to show you then,” she says excitedly. “Have you done any exploring yet?”

“Not if you consider walking across the street to Harrods,” I joke.

“Declan,” she scolds. “Why are you keeping this woman locked up? Take her out!”

“Damn! Why are you jumping my case?” he says, charading indignation the way Pike and I often would with each other—the way most brothers and sisters probably do. “We’ve been busy trying to settle in.”

Turning back to me she continues, “Well, you must let me show you around one day next week. I have a few client meetings, but other than that, I’m free.”

“Client meetings?”

“Oh, excuse my bad manners. I’m an interior decorator. I’m working on three homes at the moment. Two I’m finishing so my workload will be lightening up soon.”

“That sounds like a fun job.”

“Anything that involves shopping on another person’s dime is fun,” she laughs.

When we finish dinner, I stand and collect the plates, taking them to the kitchen so she and Declan can continue to talk. When I put the kettle on the stove to boil water for tea and coffee, I see Davina’s phone on the bar where she was sitting earlier light up and vibrate with an incoming call. While I wait for the water to heat, I pick up her phone and take it over to her.

“I think someone just tried calling you,” I say when I hand it to her.

“Oh, thank you.” She takes the phone and looks to see who called, mumbling, “Bawbags.”

“What’s wrong?” Declan asks as I sit back down.

“It’s William.”

“I didn’t think you two spoke anymore.”

“We don’t, but apparently I have a piece of jewelry that belonged to his mother that he’s demanding. I’ve told him there’s none in the house that belongs to him and to check his safe deposit box, but he claims it isn’t in there. He’s keeps hounding me about it.”

“Tell him to let the attorneys handle it.”

“I did, but the cheap bastard refuses,” she tells Declan before turning to me to clarify, “Ex-husband.”

“Oh.”

“We divorced for religious reasons. He thought he was God, and I didn’t.”

Out of all her jokes she’s made, this is the first where I can’t help my laughter.

“Have you been married before?” she asks, and my laughter wanes.

I bite my lip and turn to Declan when I nearly blurt out
yes
without thinking. She’s caught me off guard, and when Declan sees, he speaks for me.

“No. She’s never been married.”

Davina looks between Declan and me with a curious expression upon her face, most likely wondering why her question choked me up and why Declan would butt in to answer for me. She knows something is off, and I thank God for the kettle on the stove as it begins to whistle loudly.