girls aren’t just pretty faces with tight pussies, you know.”
“You fucking disgust me.”
He laughed. As always, Fox took delight in my repulsion. I recalled his laughter at my tears when, as a boy, he’d used my dog for target practice.
“That overactive dick of yours made it easy for me, given your use of prostitutes. It wasn’t easy getting that shot. Most of them were unpredictably loyal and refused. But then there was Mariah.”
I flinched. Mariah was the last person I would have expected to betray me. I reflected on our last few sessions. She’d grown attached, and I’d stopped returning her calls. Perhaps this was her revenge.
“So Mariah took the shot, and this whiz kid made it look as though I was in bed with Tatiana. Bravo.”
“Yeah. I thought so. And it was your good buddy James that we have to thank for all of this. Because those shots going into the club are nicely incriminating.”
I pointed my finger in his face. “The underage girls lead back to you, Fox.”
“That club’s not in my name.” He smirked.
I exhaled a breath. “So what next?”
“I want my inheritance.”
I cocked my head. “I think you can stop calling it that now, don’t you?”
“I don’t give a damn as to whether I’m a Fox or a…”
“Or a Wolf.” Now it was my turn to smirk. “How apt. Gareth Wolf, the gardener your mom was bonking, was your dad. I always thought you were fucking common.”
He shrugged. “Unlike you, I’m not a fucking snob. I couldn’t give a shit where I sprouted from.” His beady eyes wore a smarmy grin.
“You’ll hear from my lawyer.”
He nodded. “Good.”
“If you go anywhere near Penelope, your balls will be the first thing to come off.”
“You get your solicitor onto this. You were ignoring my messages. We had to do something to gain your attention.” He arched his ugly eyebrow.
44
* * *
PENELOPE
MY NERVES WERE SO raw I hadn’t slept. After that encounter at the estate with those thugs, I decided to stay with Sheldon. I should have all along, but I needed to go back to where my life began to wallow and howl. I couldn’t stop blaming myself for not being there to care for her. If I hadn’t been indulging in Blake, I would have been there to call for help. And if Jimmy and Brent hadn’t kicked the living daylights out of those heavies who’d tried to force me into their van, I wouldn’t have been there to arrange my mother’s funeral.
The chill in my body had not yet thawed. Talk about stars misaligning. It had been one hell of a crappy week.
I stepped into the local hall. Given my mother’s staunch atheism, it would have seemed hypocritical to have a service in a church. Instead, Frank and I decided to hold it at the local hall, the same place where as kids we’d attended lessons or whatever community services were offered in a bid to give us a break from our miserable lives. For me, it was art. I’d learned how to paint in that little hall, which changed my life.
Sheldon held one of my hands and Lilly the other. Brent sat by her side.
Tears poured out of me as though an artery to my soul had burst.
“Oh, Penny. I’m so sorry.” Lilly’s tears became mine, and it all started again. My throat was so thick I couldn’t talk.
I looked up at Brent. “Thanks for yesterday.”
“Hey. It’s cool. You can always count on me.” I cast him a sad smile of gratitude.
Sheldon whispered, “Blake’s here.”
My legs trembled. I was too frightened to look. My eyes were blurred from weeping. I was a train wreck.
It had been a week since I’d run out of his home.
I loved him so much it hurt. That bone-chilling image hadn’t diluted the intense passion I felt for him. Knowing what I now knew, ours was a dark descent into desire—a feast of fucking. But it’s more than that, my soul whimpered.
He stood so close that a dizzying haze engulfed me. Sensing his breath on my neck, I leaned against Sheldon, who whispered, “I’ve got you.”
“Penelope.” Blake’s deep voice penetrated through me.
I turned, and his sky-blue eyes fell into mine. Suddenly, we were alone. He looked tired and beautiful, and I just wanted to forgive him. But who is he?
“Thanks for coming.” I kept it brief.
Normally clean-shaven, Blake had stubble around his jaw, accentuating his sensual lips. I tore my eyes away from him and looked down at my knotted fingers to