Page 79 of Captured

As I walked out of the room, I realized she had changed me, just like Rico had tossed in my face. He was also right that it had started a long time before these last couple of days, which incidentally had been some of the best in my life.

What did that say about me?

CHAPTER 21

Emily

Fucking asshole murderer.

To think I almost fell into his predatory lair. I was such a fool. I’d wanted him. I’d craved him. Hell, I’d acted as if we were lovers and had been.

I slammed my hands on the keys, adding volume to the heavy beat of the crescendo, running my fingers up and down the keyboard faster than I ever had in my life. While the music normally soothed me, on this late afternoon it did little more than push my buttons like he’d done.

Another few chords and I closed my eyes, wishing the music could take me somewhere. Anywhere. Panting, my body was writhing as I swayed hard and fast, acting like Stevie Wonder did when he tickled the ivories.

Styx Saint wanted me to play for him, well, that’s what I was doing. I powered out the last few notes while keeping my eyes clamped shut, gasping for air from the perfect finish, the exhausting way I’d played the piece.

Yet I was more invigorated than I’d been in a long time.

Until I sensed the man’s disgusting presence.

I slowly opened my eyes to find Styx standing over the side of the piano, appearing relaxed. I knew I’d crossed the line with him. I’d said things in front of one of his men. His eyes were back to the cold and bleak I’d become used to with the bastard standing in front of me.

For a few seconds, neither one of us said anything. He clapped, and I jerked off the piano stool, determined to get away from him. While he grabbed my arm forcibly, yanking me back to the piano, I sensed he was more amused than angry. There was no immediate violence of any kind, just the heated feel of his hard body pressed against mine.

While I tried to control my breathing, he lowered his head, pressing kisses across my hair, doing nothing more than holding me. As I’d felt before, I wanted to push him away but the feel of having him close, the scent of the sun and sand lingering on his skin almost brought tears to my eyes. “Why?”

“Why?” he repeated.

“Why did the three of you kill your father? To take over his organization?”

His sigh was filled with so much sadness, so much heartache, that I was thrown by my constant change in emotions. He stroked my hair, taking his time to act as if I was the most treasured creature in his life. Maybe I was.

“No, little sparrow. The truth is that two of us wanted nothing to do with our father’s organization at all. For a little while, all three of us tried to get away from him and his hold over us. My brother has been fairly successful at it, a professor at a decent university.”

“What did you become? You said you were a healer. Was that true?” He continued stroking my hair, fingering my long strands.

“Yes, it was true. I became a surgeon, a profession I enjoyed very much.”

He could have told me he’d been an astronaut and it wouldn’t have shocked me more than what he’d just said. “A surgeon? You really did heal people?”

“Yes, I did. I was well respected and enjoyed my work.”

“But…”

“But it was taken from me. Everything was taken from me. It was because of our father.”

“Tell me who she was. Trust me that much, Styx. I deserve to know what the hell is going on.”

The sound of his laughter was unlike any I’d heard before. He let me go, remaining close. When I heard another noise, I turned my head toward him. He was leaning up against the piano, already having shoved his hands into his pockets.

“Talk to me. I’m not here to hurt you.” I shifted toward him. I had no fear of the man, just a profound sadness. Maybe I wanted to fix him, which was silly, but he’d been just as deeply crushed in his spirit and emotions as I had.

“No, but my life could hurt you just as it did to my wife.”

“Wife?” I managed to whisper.

He nodded several times, no longer able to look me in the eyes. “I met her while in med school. We hit it off immediately. You were right; she was the light to my darkness. She had a way of shattering what was left of the evil man inside of me, the one my father had spawned and nurtured. We built a life together, at least for a few years.”

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