Page 49 of Broken Hearts

He turned and looked at me, a savage flash shooting across his eyes. “It’s a shame that had to happen. He really did do a good job in finding you,” he said, a malicious smile curling up his thin lips. “I’ve been looking for you for a long time. We all have. Never occurred to me you’d be with the Heartbreaker himself. Poor West was just too smart for his own damn good. Worked out for us, though.”

I was rooted to my seat now, afraid to try and move an inch again. I was terrified that any tiny movement would be the one that inspired Dwyer to shoot me too, press that gun right up to my face and blow my brains out.

“Why?” I finally managed to get out, my voice barely above a choked whisper.

As I stared into Dwyer’s once-kind eyes, waiting for him to either answer or do something, my nerve pain began to flare up again, and an old memory returned to me in full force, brought back by the pure evilness and savagery shimmering in his gaze.

I was standing in front of those elaborately-carved wooden doors in the hallway I kept dreaming about and remembering in little flashes. It was my first time at the mansion with Daddy and his friends, but it wouldn’t be the last.

He’d brought me here for a fun event, he told me in the car on the way to the mansion. An upscale dinner party, where everyone would be dressed up and enjoying food and entertainment with their friends and family. There would be other little kids for me to play with, if I wanted, and maybe I should make friends with them, seeing as one day, I’d get to spend a lot of time with them. Mommy couldn’t come because she had something else on this evening, but that was fine, because he wanted to show me off and introduce me to everyone. His friends just loved little girls like me.

At the time, I was happy and eager. I was only a kid with my wide-eyed innocence intact, and the prospect of going to a real party for adults was exciting, filling me with giddy anticipation. It made me feel mature and trusted, like a big girl, and I loved the frilly powder blue dress and shiny silver shoes that had been picked out for me to wear.

The doors swung open, and finally, for the first time in what seemed like forever, I saw what lay beyond them.

It was an enormous room with high ceilings and a perfectly polished hardwood parquetry floor. The cream-colored walls were lined with artwork, shelves with leather-bound books and delicate sculptures, and windows with luxurious silk curtains in shades of dark crimson and gold. Multiple gold and crystal chandeliers hung from ornately-decorated Victorian plaster ceiling roses, lending a warm, subdued light to the room along with several baroque lamps.

Over on one side was a large fireplace with a roaring fire within, and in front of that was a patterned rug in the same color scheme as the curtains and a set of French-style sofas with golden lining and tufted fabric. Beyond that was a large empty space, presumably for dancing, and on the other side was the longest dining table I’d ever seen. There were also dark wood accent tables scattered around by the walls, topped with trays of champagne and scotch. The air carried the scent of cigar smoke, gourmet food, and spicy cologne.

Pure elegance and luxury.

Strains of soft classical music drifted through the air as the other guests smiled and milled around the room. There were a lot of men in suits, and some women in beautiful gowns. There were kids, too, in various stages of dress. Most were in nice clothing, but I spotted a few older kids wearing little more than underwear and collars, being led around on golden chains. Their eyes were flat and dark, and there was a circular shape on all of their stomachs. The circle was a deep pink color, and I assumed it was drawn on with a marker.

“What are they doing over there, Daddy?” I asked, staring. “They have collars.”

He squeezed my hand. “Oh, it’s just a fun game,” he said, waving his hand nonchalantly. “They’re being silly and pretending to be animals. And speaking of animals… look over there.”

He pointed toward the fireplace. On the rug near it, there were a few kids around my age playing with a tiny golden Labrador puppy, squealing as the animal gamboled around, licking them and occasionally rolling over for belly rubs.

“It’s so cute!” I said, clapping my hands together.

“Yes, it is. This is a fun place, isn’t it?” my father said. “You’ll be happy to come back here and see my friends a lot, won’t you?”

I nodded enthusiastically. “Yes. Can I play with the puppy?”

He smiled. “Of course, my little flower. I think they’ve named it Lulu.” He took my hand and led me toward the sofas by the fire.

As we approached, the kids on the rug looked up at me. There were bruises on their faces and arms, and I figured they must’ve been playing a lot of rough games outside. There was plenty of space, after all—the mansion was way out of the city on a vast expanse of land with rolling green hills and patches of forest. So much room to run and tumble around.

“Did they bring you here to play as well?” one of the kids asked quietly, her expression suddenly fearful as her eyes briefly flitted to my father.

I nodded and smiled, not understanding the real meaning behind her question. “Yes.”

I crouched down to pet Lulu, and when I rose up again, my gaze met that of a man who was sitting on the sofa, watching me and the other kids play with the Labrador. He looked younger than my father, but he was still an adult, much older than me. There was something bulging slightly from his lap as he stared. I wasn’t sure what it was.

“Be polite and introduce yourself to my friend, Celeste,” my father said sternly.

“Hello, I’m Celeste Riley,” I said to the man. “I’m here with my daddy.”

He stood and reached out to touch my shoulder, his hand draping over me and lingering a little too long. “I’m Greg Dwyer. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Celeste. You’re very pretty.” He smiled. “If your daddy allows it, I might be able to take you upstairs to show you the rest of the mansion later.”

“Not tonight.” My father shook his head and spoke up before I could reply. “Not yet. My wife still isn’t aware. I’m waiting for her birthday.”

“Oh, of course. She should probably get used to the place first, anyway.” The man smiled down at me again.

His expression was warm and friendly, and his touch on my shoulder was soft. He seemed nice, so I could see why my father was friends with him. There was something in his eyes, though, a flash of something cold and dark as he looked down over my dress, the bulge in his pants growing.

The look was gone in an instant, but I still saw it, and the thought of that expression sent me hurtling back to the present, the stark memory finally fading in my mind.

---