The Gate (Dark Path Series) (22 page)

She melted over his growl. He had nothing to worry about. She refused to listen to Chris rant about him. She couldn’t take the chance of another forced kiss like the last time they were together. “You don’t have to worry, I’ll—”

“Promise me right now you won’t be alone with him.” He shook her lightly.

Nodding, she rested her palm on his cheek. She sensed the strain coming from him, but she had no clue why he was acting in such a manner. There seemed to be more going on than jealousy. “I promise, Mr. Crawford. Go solve whatever emergency has come up.”

“I’ll tell you everything later tonight.” He brushed his lips over hers, leaving her flustered and gasping for air.

Between the alcohol and Max’s kiss, her knees weakened. When he broke away, he gave her a tight hug, allowing her to steady herself. He then set her back, waving in the direction of their table. Her dad was patting his forehead with a napkin while Chris snarled.

Ignoring the stares of the other diners, she walked back to the table, her concern mounting when her father tugged on his collar, his face becoming white.

“Dad, are you okay?”
Did our public display sicken him?

Coughing loudly, he accepted the water Chris offered him. “I think my lunch didn’t agree with me. I’m calling it an early day, heading home. Chris, why don’t you come along? We can talk about my lunch meeting with Crawford.”

“I would love to.” He helped him rise from his seat.

“Erika, can you call the car around?” Her father loosened his tie.

“Um, sure.” She pulled out her phone to call.

While she asked for the car, he walked up to the front. Chris grabbed her arm.

“Let go,” she demanded.

He lowered his face to her ear. “We’re going to have a little chat later regarding the stunt you pulled with that asshole.”

“You don’t understand what’s going on. The way you’re acting makes me not want to be in your presence, Christopher.” Tearing free from his hold, she rushed over to her father, seeking his protection. As long as she stuck by him, she would be safe.

Chapter Twenty-One

Just as the cab stopped, Max’s cell rang. He threw money at the driver and got out.

“What is it, Alden?” he barked.

“I wanted to check in and see how your lunch meeting went with Walsh. Was it successful?”

“I’ll update you when I return to the office tomorrow.” He marched toward the park’s entrance. “At the moment, I have a situation to fix.”

The sound of typing came over the line. “But you have a four o’clock—”

“Cancel it.” He scanned the area. “I’ll be with Catherine for the next few hours. Hold all my calls.”

His aide sighed. “That woman is nothing but trouble. The last time she had one of her
emergencies
, you dropped everything and—”

He growled. “Shut the fuck up and do as I say. Understand?”

A pause. “Yes, sir.”

He ended the call and exhaled through his nose to calm down. There was no love lost between his assistant and Catherine, but when push came to shove, she would always come first, even over business.

In control of his temper again, he walked ahead. The nip in the air didn’t bother him. He loved this time of year. If he had a choice, he would be outside most of the time. What did bother him was leaving Erika with that fuck, Milton. Max wanted to place his claim on her for all to see, including her father. The possessive kiss he gave her at the front of the restaurant was not just for Christopher’s benefit, but the public’s also. No man would take her away from him.

The other woman he held a claim to—but more as a protector—sat on bench across from the carousel in Bryant Park. Catherine wore just a leather jacket with no hat or gloves. She shivered as the breeze whistled.

When he sat down next to her, she didn’t greet him, just blew her nose into a tissue. Her eyes were bloodshot, her lips chapped and chewed over.

“Why did you need to see me? Couldn’t it wait until later?” He glanced at the carousel. “Why not see me at my office or at my place?”

She sniffed, and a tear ran down her cheek. He brushed the droplet away with a finger. Snuggling into his side, she rested her chin on his bicep.

“What’s going on in that head of yours? Is it Raymond again?”

“Do you know Cameron asked me to marry him in this very park? When the weather was warm, we would come here on Sunday mornings with our coffee and muffins to listen to the music from the carousel. But for some reason, we never rode it until one morning he wanted to. He paid the operator to let us ride before it opened to the public. As we circled around, he pulled out a diamond ring and asked me to marry him.”

“I never knew my brother was such the romantic.”

“He was. The things he would do, like make me breakfast in bed or buy me flowers just because he said a woman should be given flowers by the man she loved, made me feel so special.” Shivering, she wiped her cheeks. “I thought I would never find a love like that again. But then I met Raymond. The way he treated me was much like Cameron, although his love was more intense, consuming. I welcomed that brutal type of love from him because I wanted to be punished because I pushed Cameron to—”

“Don’t go there.” He pressed his lips to her forehead. “You’re not responsible for his death. How many times do I have to tell you that?”

“Too many. I’ll never believe it no matter how many times you say it. I won’t listen. I guess that’s my problem. I do what I want and don’t care about the consequences of my actions.”

“Honey, I have no clue what you’re talking about.” He was worried because the last time she was this upset, she’d run away from her master. Before he could find out where she was hiding, Raymond had found her. When she surfaced a month later with him by her side, she was quieter, more subdued. It took at least a year for her to act her normal self around him again. He never pestered her for answers on what the Frenchman had done to her for those weeks. She never told him.

“Max, I fucked up big time.” She stared at him with her red eyes, her mouth trembling. “I had unprotected sex with another man.”

As she sobbed into his chest, her entire body shook. He held her, not just to protect her from the elements but also to lend comfort. Who was the mystery man who’d caused her to break her vows and have unprotected sex?

He rubbed her back. “How did it happen?”

“It was at the club. Remember the kid I told you about? He wouldn’t let up, so I thought I would teach him a lesson. It went too far.” She shook her head. “I flipped out when Louise, the one who enjoys using knives and needles, took him up to her room. I found her ready to….” She dabbed the corner of her eye. “I interrupted them, threw her out, and took care of him. But we ended up having sex. Blood was involved.”

What the fuck had she been thinking? Having sex with no protection was one thing, but blood was a whole different matter. “Why did you put yourself in such a dangerous situation like that? What if—”

“I know, Max. I know.” A fresh wave of tears spilled down her cheeks. “I visited the doctor, got checked out and tested. I started my period yesterday. As for the other….” She swallowed, wiping her nose again. “I don’t think I have to worry about any diseases. He’s clean. He’s a virgin,
was
a virgin.”

He squeezed the back of his neck. “Is there anything else you want to admit?”

She shook her head. “I can’t go back to the club. He thinks we’re together—” Covering her mouth, she bent forward over her knees like she was going to be sick.

He rested a hand on her head. “We should go inside so you can warm up and lay down.”

Straightening, she stared off into the distance. Tremors overtook her body. “I don’t think I’ll ever be warm again. When Raymond finds out, I’m so screwed in every sense of the word.”

“How will he find out? I won’t say anything.”

“He called me. He was adamant I see him, unhappy with a rumor he’d heard. H-he has people watching me. His spies have been at The Gate. He’s also chummy with the bitch Louise he had dinner with recently. She told him what I’ve been doing at the club and with whom.”

“Does he know you had sex with a stranger?”

“Bry—” She wiped more tears away. “The man I was with isn’t a stranger. There were two other times. The first was him watching me during a session. The second there was more interaction. The third….” She waved her hand around.

“Raymond isn’t going to let the incident slide. You may be gone longer than a month.” He brushed his fingers down her cheek.

“I’m scared. Not because of what he will do to me, but he may want payback from the man I was with.” She grabbed his arm. “He’s just a kid who was looking for some way to forget his troubles and wanted me to help him. He didn’t know any better.”

“But you should have.” He massaged the back of her neck. “What do you want me to do? I could talk to Raymond, but the last time I did, it didn’t go over well.”

“You may have to anyway. He’s watching us in the town car across the street.”

Peering over his shoulder at the silver car, he cursed under his breath. The passenger window was open a crack, and smoke wafted up into the air. “He’s smoking again.”

She gave a weak laugh, pushing her hair behind her ears. “Looks like it. He told me many times I drove him to smoking.”

“Did he drive you here?”

“No, I came here to think. He found me. I have no choice but to go with him, but I need you to talk to him, allow me to have a few days to put things in order before I go away with him.”

“You want me to be your intermediary.”

“Please.” She took his hand. “It will make things easier.”

“For him or for you?”

“For both of us.” She pleaded with her eyes.

Resignation took over. He glanced at his watch. This could take some time. If Erika called, he couldn’t leave until he knew Catherine was in good hands with Raymond.

“Give me your phone,” he ordered.

When she handed it over, he scrolled through the numbers until he found what he wanted. He called. After the first ring, a man greeted him by name in a slight French accent.

“Hello, Raymond. I would like to join Catherine while you two talk. Is that feasible?”

“Yes.” The man hung up.

The back door to the car opened. He helped her up, offering his arm for support as he led her out of the park.

“You’ll survive. Be strong,” he murmured, kissing her cheek. He had no doubt she would, but in the end she would be a different person in more ways than one.

She shivered, more tears seeping from her eyes. He didn’t wipe them away—although he wanted to. They crossed the street and entered the warm car.

Chapter Twenty-Two

While her father talked with Chris, Erika snuck up to her apartment to listen to music. She chose a station playing a block of eighties songs. She would have found humor in it because of Max’s love for that decade of music, but she was riddled with nerves. Any moment, Chris would come, and she would be forced to face him.
I’ll just recommend we go for coffee somewhere. That should keep my promise to Max not to be alone with—

Someone banged on her door.

She jumped, her heart pounding. There was no use hiding. She opened the door.

Chris stood out in the hallway, combing his fingers through his hair. Before she could get a word out, he marched past her.

She left the door open. “Come in, why don’t you?”

“Close the door and sit down.”

She crossed her arms. “It remains open.”

Rolling his eyes, he stomped toward her. She backed away, but he grabbed her arm and slammed the door shut at the same time. When he propelled her to the couch, she dug her heels into the floor.

“Stop pushing me around!” She tried tugging her arm away.

He didn’t listen, instead shoving her to the wall near her stereo.

“Shut the music off before I do something stupid like throw the stereo out the window.”

She’d never seen him so furious. She did as he’d demanded. The silence was deafening, which amplified the pounding in her ears.

His breathing came out in angry puffs. He left his palm flat on the wall, keeping her confined.

“I think we should—”

“You’re not going anywhere. We’re going to have a chat about your lunch today and your relationship with Crawford.”

“I can understand why you’re upset about Dad and Max talking about the future of the company, but it’s none of your business what Max and I—”

“It
is
my business if you’re fucking that piece of shit!” He pounded the wall next to her head.

She flinched.

“Erika.” Her name came out in a whispered groan as he skimmed his hand over her hair.

She tried to move to the side, but he clasped her shoulder, keeping her still.

Looking at him, she pressed her palms on his chest. He clutched them until they were flattened over his heart—the beat steady and stable, just like she’d always believed
him
to be. But based on his recent actions, she was confused more than ever.

“I thought what we shared that night proved what you mean to me.”

She studied the floor. When he announced his engagement to Natalie, her world had shattered. She tried to get over him, to let him go. But then, when he broke things off with his fiancé, admitting he’d been cheated on, she’d been more than willing to comfort him.

Enclosing her in a tight embrace, he hid his face in her hair. She placed her hands on his hips.

“Chris, things are different now—”

He cupped her cheeks. Her chest tightened, and her knees wobbled from his pining stare. She’d always wanted him to look at her with such intensity, but it was too late.

“It doesn’t have to be different. I messed up, but we can work things out. . It wasn’t until Natalie cheated on me did I realize I should’ve been with you all this time.”

“But you didn’t. It’s for the best if we don’t—”

His grip tightened, pressing her to the wall. Somehow his leg wedged in between her thighs. She moved to push her skirt down, but he seized her hands, drawing them behind her back.

“What are you doing? Let me go,” she whispered, her stomach growing heavy when his knee dug in deeper.

She twisted her arms, causing a sharp pain to shoot up her back. He transferred his hold to one hand, flattening the other on her chest. His fingers traced over her blouse, venturing near her breast.

“Do you remember how we drank in my apartment? We ended up dancing, and as I swung you around. Then to my complete surprise, you tugged my head down and kissed me. God, your kisses were so sweet. I wanted to lose myself in your body and take you right then and there. But the surprises kept on coming when you gave me one of the best blow jobs I ever got.” His smile was unwelcoming, at odds with what he said. His hand traveled up until he captured her throat in a lose hold. “I woke up the next morning hung over and alone. I never thanked you for what you did. I was selfish. I think now is the perfect time to give you the same pleasures you gave me.”

“But you did. You went down—”

“You deserve more than just a tongue fuck.”

The pounding in her ears morphed into a loud buzz. Licking his lips, he leaned toward her.

“Stop and think what you’re about to do,” she pleaded, twisting away from him. “You’re angry and jealous. I understand why, but forcing yourself on me isn’t the answer.”

He rubbed his cheek over hers. “Erika, it won’t be forced. I can see how aroused you are. Your nipples are hard and you’re damp.” He ground his knee into her mound, and she gasped, ashamed by her body’s response. “I think you like it when a man overpowers you, when you’re at his complete mercy. Maybe I’ve been too soft. You need a more forceful hand to get you off. Isn’t that why you went elsewhere for satisfaction?”

She shook her head, denials running through her mind. He didn’t understand at all. She wasn’t the type to get off on pain or being dominated. She enjoyed the things Max did to her because it was with him.

Max!
She couldn’t betray him. She tried jerking her knee up, but he anticipated her move.

Chris ran his tongue under her chin, nibbling over her skin. She moved her head back, but that gave him more access, and he found the key spot that always caused her to shudder in pleasure.

“He doesn’t have to know. We’ll keep what we do to one another to ourselves. I want to make you feel good and show you how much you mean to me.”

“I can’t. It isn’t right….”

“Shhh, we’ll take it slow. You’ll see how great it can be between us.” He sucked down, and she jerked, a spasm filtering deep inside her. She sobbed. A ripple, much like what she experienced when she came, rushed through her, and she bit down on her lip to stop from crying out.

Chris continued sucking. She tied to stop him, fighting his hold, but he was too strong. Her core clenched from the pull of his mouth and the tugging of his teeth. She closed her eyes, willing her body not to respond.

His hand traveled down the front of her blouse, over her stomach to meet her thigh. He inched up her skirt. When his fingers brushed her skin where her garter met her upper leg, she struggled again.

“Sto—”

His mouth crushed hers, stealing a kiss that robbed her of breath. She tried to escape, but bumped her head onto the wall. A sting spread through her scalp along with an electric shock that settled low inside, causing her inner pussy muscles to compress.

She twisted her face away, gulping in air. Rubbing his lips over her cheek, he sighed at the same time she cried out when his hand found its way under her panties to cup her. She fought to break free from his grip, but pleasure overrode the ache when he stuck his fingers deep inside her.

“Chris! No!” She arched, trying to stop him, but it caused more tremors to overtake her as her inner muscles milked his fingers.

He released her arms, boosting her up high as he manipulated her down below. She fisted her hands, ready to strike him, when there was loud banging on her door.

He slapped his palm over her mouth before she called out for help. She bit his flesh, and he responded by thrusting his fingers in deeper. His thumb circled over her clit, causing her to moan, tears of frustration and shame blinding her.

The pounding continued. “Erika, it’s your father!” Patty’s muffled voice came from the other side. I found him on the floor having a seizure. I called 911. The ambulance is on the way.”

Chris uncovered her mouth and dragged his fingers from her. She braced against the wall, trying to stop the rippling in her core. She gulped in deep breaths as her lungs constricted.

Cursing, he darted to the door. Wrenching it open, he tugged Patty toward the stairs.

Sirens and flashing lights came through her window. Doors slammed with voices carrying up from below. She scurried out of her apartment, fixing her skirt and blouse, praying her father was still alive.