Brie looked down at her hands, wringing them nervously.
Brad gave her time. He understood he was asking her to break the confidence she’d guarded so closely, one that she feared would permanently ruin his relationship with Thane.
What the fuck? That would never happen.
Finally, after much contemplation, Brie blurted, “Lilly’s pregnant.”
Brad shook his head, those words not computing in his brain. “What?”
She sighed, her voice quaking when she explained, “Lilly’s pregnant and she’s claiming it’s Thane’s child.”
He sat back in his chair, completely stunned.
“She told me she has the genetic test to prove it.”
“Holy fucking hell…”
Brie’s bottom lip trembled when she confessed, “The scary thing is… she’s far enough along for it to be true, and Sir never could remember what happened that night.”
Brad growled angrily. “I don’t care how drunk Thane got, he would never do such a thing. Why would you even entertain the idea?”
“I never told anyone this, but something terrible happened to Lilly. When she accused Sir, I definitely got the impression she’d been legitimately traumatized.”
“So why did she come to you with this now?”
Brie looked down at her lap. “She wants half of Sir’s money to keep quiet. She says she’s doing it for the child’s sake.”
“Blackmail…” he snarled.
“Mr. Thompson told me she was threatening to blackmail Sir just before the crash.” Brie added accusingly, “And he kept that from me. I suspect he even tore up the evidence in front of my eyes, telling me it didn’t concern me. Why would he do that, Master Anderson?”
“I can’t speak for Thane’s actions, but he must have had a legitimate reason for keeping silent.”
Brie slumped in her chair. “So now I’m faced with giving in to her demands and saving his name. Or doing nothing, and watching as she engages the press and ruins everything.”
“Let her!” he roared. “She’s a lying witch.”
Brie shook her head. “If she does that, Sir’s reputation will be forfeit even if she is lying. It would be exactly the same as what happened to his father.”
“Damn, you’re right about that,” Brad growled, the ugly truth finally sinking in.
“I didn’t believe her because she hasn’t filed charges against Sir, but when I confronted her about it, Lilly claimed it was to protect the child’s future.” Brie looked at him sadly. “A child doesn’t deserve to be known for the sins of the father.”
“Yes, but why is she blackmailing you?”
“She wants the money to support her baby, since she claims Sir is financially responsible for a child he refuses to acknowledge.” Brie sighed heavily. “But I also go back to that night when she seemed so distraught. I can’t explain what happened to her—but it was something horrible. She couldn’t have faked that. And for the life of me, I can’t fathom why Lilly would destroy ties to Sir by lying about this. None of it makes sense.”
“Think about all the greenbacks and who her mother is—that should be explanation enough,” Brad snarled.
“I’ve been doing what you said. I am trusting Sir and assuming that Lilly is lying—even though Sir couldn’t remember anything about that night in China.”
“As you should.”
“Still I need to have a plan of action if the worst happens.” She paused for a moment. “I must be ready for the press if she goes through with this, but…” Her voice broke when she whispered, “After what happened with Lilly today, I feel as if I’m about to shatter into a million pieces.”
Brad gathered her in his arms, holding her so tight she could barely breathe. He felt her eventually relax, the restrictive embrace bringing comfort to her.
“Master Anderson,” she mumbled against his chest, “when Lilly confronted me today, she was full of such rage. She sat down in the booth and grabbed my hand as if we were longtime friends, speaking to me in a calm, soothing voice so as not to attract attention as she demanded I get her the money. But when I looked into her eyes…it was like looking into the eyes of a demon.” She snuggled against him. “I’m scared. I’m afraid she will do more than just talk to the press if I don’t give her what she wants.”
“Now that I understand what’s happening, there is no reason to be afraid anymore. I will protect you from that witch no matter what it takes.”
Brie drifted into the bedroom when they returned to the apartment, and came back a short time later with a leather journal in her hand. She looked at Brad nervously. “This is Sir’s journal, the one he kept for me while he was in China. The only thing is…he never shared it.”
They both looked at the unopened ledger.
“By my way of thinking, I have permission to read it because it was written specifically to me.”
Brad nodded, saying nothing.
“I feel like this may be a Pandora’s box. Yet, I’m compelled to open it. We both journaled while we were apart. It was Sir’s idea. He said it would help with the separation and bring us closer together once we were reunited.”
“Did you talk with him about it?”
“Only once, and he pretty much brushed it aside, saying it was old news. I poured my heart into my journal and he read mine. Don’t you think it’s only fair that I should read his—especially when it pertains to the night in question?”
Brad looked warily at the journal. “While I agree, I am unsure if it’s wise. There must have been a reason he didn’t share it with you.”
“I need to know.”
“It’s your decision to make. I cannot advise you either way.”
Brad got up to leave, wanting to give her privacy.
“Please don’t go, Master Anderson. If it is good news, I’ll want to share it with you, and if it is not, I will need your support.”
He sat down opposite Brie. Cayenne jumped up on his shoulder and purred when he scratched under her chin. “We are here for you.”
Brie opened up the journal and started from the beginning. After she had read the first entry, she looked up at him with tears in her eyes. “It’s like he’s right here beside me. I hear his voice reading these words.” Brie wiped away a stray tear that fell. “He really missed me that first night.”
As she continued reading, her brows furrowed. She stopped partway through and looked up at him. “I didn’t appreciate just how devastated Sir was when Lilly claimed her mother had opened her eyes. I knew it troubled him, but to see it written out in his own words… Sir wanted it to be true for his sister’s sake, but he feared what it would do to him—and to us—if Ruth recovered.” Brie shook her head, stroking the page. “I wish I could have been there for him.”
“You were in spirit.”
She said in the barest of whispers, “I don’t think it was enough.” Brie stared at the page. “He needed me, Master Anderson, but he put Faelan before himself.”
Brie continued reading on and started shaking her head. She flipped the page back and forth before mumbling, “It’s just like Sir said. He was so consistent recording each day, but there is nothing written on that night. In fact…” She put her finger on the date on the upper left. “He didn’t write anything for the next two days.”
She sighed anxiously. “His handwriting looks shaky and different in this next entry. I’m afraid to read what comes next.”
“You can still walk away, young Brie.”
She looked up at him and shook her head. “No, I can’t.”
With trembling hands, Brie lifted the journal up to continue reading. Brad watched her face, waiting for any telltale signs alerting him to whether Thane’s own words would defend or condemn him.
What he saw instead was a look of confusion as she read through it.
Finally, Brie looked up from the journal and told him, “I don’t understand…but you’ll have to hear it in context.”
Brad leaned forward, hoping to gl
ean from Thane’s words what Brie needed to hear. She began reading aloud starting back on the previous page. “Babygirl, my head still isn’t right. I can’t think, I can’t eat, and my body won’t stop shaking. I feel as if I’ve been poisoned but, if so, that would be of my own doing. It was meant as a simple night of celebration at Lilly’s insistence. Even I got caught up in her enthusiasm, partially hoping for her sake she was right about Mother’s recovery so I wouldn’t have to see the devastation in her eyes when the scan came back proving the woman was brain dead.
“You know I don’t overindulge, but we did drink several concoctions at a local bar. How much and what they were, I can’t say. The night quickly became a blur. I felt like a frat boy when I woke up in my hotel room the next day unaware how I had gotten there. More disturbing was the fact my clothes were dirty and torn. Again…I have no recollection why.
“Seeing my sorry condition, I stumbled to Lilly’s room to check on her. She was slow to answer and in the same disheveled state. When I asked her about it, she only shook her head. It seemed her memory was as compromised as mine.
“I wasn’t able to go to the hospital that day, feeling too sick to leave my bed. Lilly told me she’d been well enough by the afternoon to visit Mother and saw her eyelids flutter. Her false hope struck me the wrong way.
“I guess it may have been the aftereffects of alcohol that caused me to lash out, but whatever the case, I made the girl cry when I told her Mother would never recover because she’s already dead. I didn’t care that she refused to speak to me the rest of the day. I needed time alone to recover.
“That’s when the dreams started. I was awakened time and time again by nightmares littered with disturbing images and unholy screams. It’s been two days, and I’ve still been unable to rest—and the shaking won’t stop.
“Lilly is overly concerned, and has become highly attentive, trying to force herbal remedies and local soups down my throat. It grates on my nerves and I keep sending her away.
“I want no one near me but you. However, I don’t trust myself.”
Brie choked out the last few words. “Babygirl, I seriously don’t know what’s wrong with me. I feel as if I have entered a black hole I won’t return from.”
Brie put down the journal. “He only has one other entry after that.” Her lips trembled when she said, “But what he says doesn’t make any sense and is extremely hurtful.”
She slid the journal over to Brad, explaining, “I can’t read it out loud.”
Brad looked down at the page; the writing looked dark and ragged, as if written with great force.
Dear Miss Bennett,
Your delay in coming to me speaks volumes. After much deliberation and discussion, I have come to the conclusion that you are a whore and cannot be trusted.
The words shocked Brad. They were uncharacteristic of Thane and he told her, “There is no way he wrote this.”
Brie shook her head. “I remember when I finally arrived in China, Sir was not happy to see me. I felt his rage toward me, but had no idea of the reason for it.” Her eyes revealed unspoken fears.
Brad growled under his breath. “What the fuck happened there…”
“I don’t know, but I remember Lilly was particularly displeased to see me.”
Brad picked up the journal and read through it again. His anger growing with every word—a few key things standing out.
“Thane states that Lilly acted as if she couldn’t remember what happened that night. That’s huge because she claimed otherwise.”
Brie nodded her agreement.
“Also, Thane admits she was angry about his statement concerning their mother, but was still willing to help him through his sickness—that she tried to care for him even though he turned her away repeatedly. That doesn’t make sense for a woman who alleges he was her attacker.”
Brie nodded again, but it was obvious that the shock of the last entry was still ringing in her head. He understood, and addressed it next.
“Thane’s final entry is not his thoughts, and the fact he used the word ‘discussion’ is telling. I assume he must have spoken with Lilly, and I’m convinced she put those ideas in his head.”
Brie whimpered. “But why would Sir listen to her?”
“I can’t say, but we know his health was compromised at the time based on his journal entries. Seeing how it all played out, including her stealing his cell phone, I’m convinced she was plotting against you personally.”
He saw her shudder and put a protective arm around her. “I won’t let her touch you, young Brie.”
Brad ordered out that night. Brie seemed too fragile to leave her alone to her thoughts even for a minute. Instead of cooking another soup, he spent the night with her watching Cayenne destroy another feathery toy while Shadow watched from the safety of Brie’s lap.
It seemed the dark beast understood the seriousness of Brie’s fragile mental state and refused to leave her side even when Brad sidled up next to her. Brad admired the cat for it and was grateful fate had seen fit to bring the unusual creature to Brie in this time of need.
When it finally came time to sleep, he watched the girl retire to her bedroom with both cats following behind her. He headed to the guest bedroom and called Marquis, only informing him that he would be absent for another day while he figured out how best to handle the situation.
“Is there anything I can do?” Marquis asked.
“You’re a praying man, right?”
“Yes.”
“Pray that Brie survives a new complication that has arisen and that justice is served. Our former student is teetering on the edge, and I’m unsure how best to help her.”
“You are doing the right thing by being a physical presence. There are times when that is all that is required. However, both Celestia and I will pray for Mrs. Davis, and I will inform the panel of your continued absence.”
“I’m not making a good impression as Headmaster, am I?”
“As a matter of fact, you are. Your care of Mrs. Davis is an example to the students that being an active part of the community is where you experience the true strength of our BDSM family.”
“You always have good insights, Gray. I’m glad to know you.”
“I feel the same, Headmaster Anderson. Keep me abreast of what’s happening, and let me know where I can help.”
“Will do.”
Brad got undressed afterward. He preferred to wear nothing to bed because he didn’t care for the restrictive feel of clothing when he slept. However, when he was a guest in someone’s home, he always covered up from the waist down to avoid awkward moments.
It was a good thing too, because he woke up to find young Brie beside his bed. He heard her soft gasps and realized she was crying in the dark.
“What’s going on?”
“I had a dream.”
“There’s no need to cry, you’re awake now.”
Her voice quavered in the darkness. “I saw him…”
“Who?”
“Sir.”
Brad was groggy after being awakened from a deep sleep and needed a second to get his wits about him. He sat up in bed and turned on the lamp, patting the bed.
She lay down next to him, her eyes shining with tears. “Sir looked just like that night when he left for the plane…”
Brad put one arm around her. “I’m sorry.”
“No, you don’t understand. Sir spoke to me.”
Still not quite awake, he muttered, “What?”
“I’m not sure what he meant, because he only said one word—Don’t. His plea was so haunting that it woke me out of a deep sleep.”
“It was just a dream, young Brie. Don’t concern yourself.”
Brie shook her head, acting out the scene as she explained it to him. She gently cradled Brad’s jaw in her small hand. “Sir touched my cheek like this and looked deep into my eyes…” She drew closer to Brad so they were only inches apart. “And he said ‘Don’t’ just once.”
 
; “Then he disappeared,” she cried, pulling away from him. “It seemed so real to me. I felt his touch. It was as if Sir was reaching out to me in my sleep.”
Although Brad wasn’t into dream interpretation, he suggested, “Maybe Thane can feel your conflict.”
She sucked in her breath. “That’s it… I should never have doubted him. Sir knows I have been questioning everything that’s happened.”
A fresh set of tears began, and all Brad could do was hold her as she worked through the grief his words had caused.
Taking command of her errant thoughts, Brad insisted, “If you’d acted like a mindless puppet, questioning nothing, then Thane would have reason to be upset. You’ve been loyal to him through all of this despite the circumstances. I’m proud of you, and he would be too. Now stop with the tears. I told you I can’t handle crying.”
He continued to hold her while she forced herself to calm down. “I know this sounds strange, but it hurt so good seeing him again, Master Anderson,” she shared, her voice ragged with emotion. “I feel like I was really with Sir tonight.”
“Then hold on to that feeling. You can use that dream as encouragement. Don’t give up.”
“Don’t give up…” she said, suddenly smiling. “That’s what he meant.” She settled into his arms and asked him, “Do you know what I ended up doing with my parents’ clock, Master Anderson?”
“No clue. Why don’t you tell me?”
“I put it near his bed so he could hear the ticking of the clock and I told him, ‘Every second that ticks by is one less second apart. Hold on to that sound, and fight to come back to me.’”
Brad cleared his throat, forcing himself not to get emotional. “That’s a good use of the clock.”
She snuggled up against him. “I thought so too.”
Brad was appreciative that Nurse Abby met him when he came to collect Brie. She allowed him to enter Intensive Care, explaining, “I put you down as Mr. Davis’s adopted brother.”
He nodded his approval. “Thane would agree with that.”
She gestured toward the room farthest to the left. “She’s in there.”
Brad walked toward it, looking through the glass that acted as a transparent wall. He stopped when he saw Brie. He could hear faintest sound of music drifting from the room, and instantly recognized the dubstep song by Rain Man called Bring Back the Summer.