Chapter 0035


    He gives me a little shake – nothing rough, just enough to try to teach me he’s in control – but I just


    The fear is still coursing through me, but along with it is something else – adrenaline, maybe –


    God damnit, was he right? Was my body responding to something in this, to the challenge, or the


    danger of it all?


    “Fay, I’m going to let you go, but if you scream again, I swear –“


    But just then, the door to my room swings open and my fiancé bursts into the room, panic and worry on


    his own face, his eyes flying wide when he sees me wrapped in his father’s arms, his hand over my


    mouth.


    “What the hell is going on here?!” Daniel shouts, striding over to us.


    Kent lets me go instantly and I gasp in fresh air, falling back against the desk.


    Daniel stops by the bed, his father between us. His eyes sweep over me, ascertaining that I’m okay,


    before turning with anger to his dad. “What were you doing to her?!”


    Kent has regained hisposure faster than I thought he would. Cooly, he slips his hands back into


    his pockets and gives Daniel a little smirk. “Nothing, Daniel. Everything is fine.”


    Daniel’s gaze slips to mine, looking for confirmation. I hesitate for a moment, looking between father


    and son, and then give a little shrug, deciding not to push it. Kent has made his point – I need to do


    what he says – but if he was really going to hurt me, he’d have done it by now.


    “See?” Kent says, looking at his son. “She’s fine.”


    With that, Kent strides from the room, brushing past his son and not giving me another look. Confused,


    Daniel looks after him, and then turns to me.


    “Am I crazy?” He asks. “Or did I hear you scream?”


    I sign and sink onto the bed. “You’re not crazy,” I say. “I did.”


    “But you’re okay?”


    I nod as he sits down next to me, concern all over his face. I have to admit that I am a little surprised by


    it – all this time I think I thought, at least a little, that I’m just a pawn in Daniel’s life. It feels good to


    know that he cares about me enough toe running when he hears that I’m in trouble.


    “I just…well, I broke a rule,” I say, twisting my hands together and grimacing at him. Daniel groans,


    starting to calm down a bit.


    “Yeah,” he says, giving a littleugh. “He does not like that. What did you do?”


    “Um,” I bite my lip, trying to decide where to start. I was watching some of your dad’s homemade porn


    in the basement doesn’t seem like quite the auspicious beginning, so I jump ahead. “He told me not to


    go into the basement. And I did. And I saw him…”


    I hesitate, wondering how much he knows.


    Daniel’s face drops, going a little pale. “I’m sorry, Fay,” he says softly. “Some of the stuff that goes on


    down there…is…did anyone get hurt?”


    I nod a little and he puts a hand on my shoulder.


    “Does it happen often?” I ask softly.


    “I don’t really know,” he says, shrugging. “I saw it once as a kid and then…I never went down again.


    Honestly, I think my dad was a little disappointed in me. He doesn’t want me to be…well, a sissy. And I


    ran away crying.”


    I bite my lip at this, feeling for Daniel, who is sensitive. After a beat, I feel a question rise in me.


    “Daniel?” I ask. “How are you going to inherit this family, its…business…if you can’t handle its


    methods?”


    He shakes his head at me, looking sad. “I ask myself that all the time. I don’t think even my dad has an


    answer. Honestly, sometimes it feels like he’s fighting so hard to keep this family’s power together so


    that he can give it to me, pass it on to future generations, but…if it were up to me, maybe I just don’t


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    want it.”


    I nod, understanding. But I also know that there’s so much at stake – even if Daniel were to give up the


    family’s business, it would cause a power vacuum in the city that could be disastrous, even lethal to the


    people he loves. He’s in a tough ce, and I feel for him.


    “I’ll do my best,” Daniel says, looking at me seriously. “To protect you from all of that, in the future.”


    I nod, smiling at him softly at his generous offer. But inside, part of me remembers the rush, the


    adrenaline, and wonders whether I want him to keep that promise.