Page 34 of Demise

That forces a smirk to spread across Stephanie’s face.

“Sorry, I’ll get used to the little shit. One day.”

“Looking forward to it,” I scoff as I begin driving.

“As you should,” she sasses.

I see where Skyla gets some of her fire from.

Skyla and Stephanie talk about her job and her boyfriend back in London. She tells Skyla how she needs to get back home soon, and as much as Skyla’s disappointed, she understands. It’s not until we make it through the other side of town and are less than a quarter mile from Putnam Manor that Stephanie begins to put it together.

“Wait, where are we going to dinner again?” she asks, her body language suddenly rigid, her tone brisk.

Skyla winces slightly before turning around to face her. She doesn’t speak, but apparently, she doesn’t need to. Stephanie takes one look at her face and panics. Leaping for the door, she tries the handle, but I’ve already engaged the child locks miles ago.

“No, no, no, no! How could you? Sky! Why are you doing this to me? I can’t see him! I can’t be in a room with him…them…any of them!” she screams in outrage.

“I’m sorry, Steph. We don’t have a choice—”

“The fuck you don’t! Let me out of this fucking car right now!” she screams.

“We don’t!” I snap, not liking the tone she’s taking with Skyla.

I make our final turn as the gate to the Manor opens, and we begin moving down the driveway. I stare at Stephanie through the rearview mirror, doing my best to keep my temper in check.

“My father requested you, by name. He knew you were in town and said we had to bring you. The last time Skyla and I were here, we both earned so many lashes we could hardly walk. What do you think would have happened to us, to her, if we showed up without you?”

I can see Stephanie’s pulse racing in her neck from here, her face white as a ghost as we pull up to the roundabout driveway and park. She swallows roughly, closing her eyes before a mask of composure falls over her. It’s actually quite remarkable to witness.

She looks between us with a steady gaze as she speaks.

“I’m very upset with you both, but you’re right, and now isn’t the time or place. Let’s just pray to fucking God we can make it out of here in one piece.”

With that, she pushes her door open and slides out of the car. Skyla shares a nervous look with me, and I bring her hand up to my mouth, pressing a kiss to it before I nod.

“I won’t let him hurt you, I promise.”

Normally, I don’t make promises. There is always a risk of breaking them. This one I can be absolutely sure of, though. Mainly because if he even lifts a finger towards her, I’m grabbing the 9mm I have hidden on me and emptying the clip between his eyes.

Chapter Fourteen

Skyla

As we walk up the stairs, my arm looped through Asher’s and Steph’s, I can see her shaking beside me. You wouldn’t be able to tell though by looking at her. Her head is held high, eyes focused and hardened. She looks like a picturesque vision of poise. Yet I can feel the deep seated fear radiating from her. Hopefully, I’m the only one that will.

Per usual, the front door opens just as we reach the top, one of Christopher’s butlers bowing as we enter. My steps slow for a moment when we enter the foyer, flashes of what it looked like last time. My eyes move to the crown molding against the floor. I remember staring at it. Fixating on it as I held onto Asher with everything I had. It was that white crown molding that held me through each lash.

“Stephanie Thompson,” Christopher booms with a smile so fake it would make a car salesman cringe. “It’s been years. You certainly have grown up,” he says as he leans in, pressing a kiss to either cheek.

She returns the gesture, though hers hold a significant amount of disdain to them.

“You‘re looking as fabulous as ever, Christopher. If only Giselle could see you now.”

His smile drops at my mother’s name, and his eyes flash for a moment. It’s a dangerous look, one filled with warning. There was a glimmer of something else in them, though. Sadness? Sorrow?

“Already bringing up the sister you’ll never be?” my father says, stepping into the room beside Christopher.

“Just keeping the memory alive of the wife you never loved,” she spars back to him.

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