Dark Obsession (Vampire Royals of New York #3) - Sarah Piper Page 0,45
and it’s not easy to find a partner. But when Sasha expressed an interest, I thought… I mean, I wanted… I…” He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, clearly flustered.
Charley bit back a smile. She’d never seen him so off-balance before.
When he finally looked at her again, his cheeks had taken on a deep red blush.
“Sasha deserves to learn on a nice set, not some cheap plastic knockoff. That’s all.” He brushed off a bit of microscopic dust from the board, then rearranged some of the pieces, turning them just so. “I set it up last night. I want it to be ready for her when she comes back to us.”
When, not if.
One little word, and it made all the difference.
“She’s going to love it, Aiden.”
“Yes, well… I just thought you should know we’ve all got an incentive to bring Sasha home safely. I can’t very well play chess on my own, can I?”
The tears fell again from Charley’s eyes, but now she was smiling, drawing Aiden in for a warm and grateful embrace. “No, Aiden. I suppose you can’t.”
“Right, then.” He held her for just a moment longer, then pulled away and said, “Better get you back before that boyfriend of yours starts missing you and tears down the whole bloody east wing in a fit of love-induced psychosis. He really is a bit mad for you, isn’t he?”
Charley bit back another smile. “I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
Chapter Seventeen
Alone in Dorian’s bedroom, Charley stared at the money she’d stacked on the dresser.
Five thousand two hundred and thirty-nine dollars.
Along with a hastily packed suitcase full of her remaining clothes, the tampon box where she’d stashed the money was all she’d grabbed from home the day Dorian had taken her into the city for her gear.
She didn’t plan on returning to the penthouse without her sister. And when they did return—together—Charley would be damn sure she could take care of them.
The money was just a start.
“I hope you’re not planning to keep that under the mattress,” Dorian said, entering the room with a curious grin. “Do I even want to know where that came from?”
“I earned it,” Charley said, with more than a little pride. “Rudy canceled my credit card, so I sold all the couture stuff in my closet. Not a bad haul, considering.”
“What? When did this happen?”
“I found out that day I took Sasha to the movies—my cards were declined.”
“Why didn’t you tell me? I would’ve—”
“That’s exactly why. You would’ve. And I didn’t want you to—not with this.” She sat on the edge of the bed, and Dorian sat next to her, his eyes full of concern. “It’s not like I was going to let Sasha starve or end up on the street. I would’ve asked for help if things got that bad.”
“I don’t want things to get anywhere near that bad, Charlotte. You could’ve come to me with this. You can come to me with anything.”
“I know—and I love you for that. It’s just… It’s hard to explain, but I knew if I dug deep enough, I could figure something out. And I did.” Charley looked over at the pile of money. “I know it’s not much—probably not even enough to cover the damage I did to your cars. But it’s—”
“Bloody brilliant, is what it is. What you are.” He smiled and reached for her face, gently running his fingers along her jawline. His touch was electric, and she shivered in its wake. “You’re so much stronger than you give yourself credit for, Charlotte. I’ve always known it about you.”
Charley shrugged. “Before I met you, I don’t think I would’ve been able to do it.”
“What makes you say that?”
“I’ve never considered myself particularly strong or clever. Sure, I know how to plan heists and run a good con. But to actually take a stand—no matter how small—against someone like my uncle? To find my way out of a jam? Forget it. I was always too scared and insecure to even try.” She gazed into his honey-brown eyes and smiled. “The thing is… You’re right. I am strong. I’ve always been strong. Maybe it was something I learned by necessity after my mom left, or from growing up without money, or maybe I was just born to fight my way through life, regardless of the circumstances.” She closed her eyes and shook her head, the old shame creeping back in. “Then I started working my father’s game, and every damn time I put on one