Chapter 0035

He gives me a little shake – nothing rough, just enough to try to teach me he’s in control – but I just

laugh against his hand, perhaps a little manic now –

The fear is still coursing through me, but along with it is something else – adrenaline, maybe –

God damnit, was he right? Was my body responding to something in this, to the challenge, or the

danger of it all?

“Fay, I’m going to let you go, but if you scream again, I swear –“

But just then, the door to my room swings open and my fiancé bursts into the room, panic and worry on

his own face, his eyes flying wide when he sees me wrapped in his father’s arms, his hand over my

mouth.

“What the hell is going on here?!” Daniel shouts, striding over to us.

Kent lets me go instantly and I gasp in fresh air, falling back against the desk.

Daniel stops by the bed, his father between us. His eyes sweep over me, ascertaining that I’m okay,

before turning with anger to his dad. “What were you doing to her?!”

Kent has regained his composure faster than I thought he would. Cooly, he slips his hands back into

his pockets and gives Daniel a little smirk. “Nothing, Daniel. Everything is fine.”

Daniel’s gaze slips to mine, looking for confirmation. I hesitate for a moment, looking between father

and son, and then give a little shrug, deciding not to push it. Kent has made his point – I need to do

what he says – but if he was really going to hurt me, he’d have done it by now.

“See?” Kent says, looking at his son. “She’s fine.”

With that, Kent strides from the room, brushing past his son and not giving me another look. Confused,

Daniel looks after him, and then turns to me.

“Am I crazy?” He asks. “Or did I hear you scream?”

I sign and sink onto the bed. “You’re not crazy,” I say. “I did.”

“But you’re okay?”

I nod as he sits down next to me, concern all over his face. I have to admit that I am a little surprised by

it – all this time I think I thought, at least a little, that I’m just a pawn in Daniel’s life. It feels good to

know that he cares about me enough to come running when he hears that I’m in trouble.

“I just…well, I broke a rule,” I say, twisting my hands together and grimacing at him. Daniel groans,

starting to calm down a bit.

“Yeah,” he says, giving a little laugh. “He does not like that. What did you do?”

“Um,” I bite my lip, trying to decide where to start. I was watching some of your dad’s homemade porn

in the basement doesn’t seem like quite the auspicious beginning, so I jump ahead. “He told me not to

go into the basement. And I did. And I saw him…”

I hesitate, wondering how much he knows.

Daniel’s face drops, going a little pale. “I’m sorry, Fay,” he says softly. “Some of the stuff that goes on

down there…is…did anyone get hurt?”

I nod a little and he puts a hand on my shoulder.

“Does it happen often?” I ask softly.

“I don’t really know,” he says, shrugging. “I saw it once as a kid and then…I never went down again.

Honestly, I think my dad was a little disappointed in me. He doesn’t want me to be…well, a sissy. And I

ran away crying.”

I bite my lip at this, feeling for Daniel, who is sensitive. After a beat, I feel a question rise in me.

“Daniel?” I ask. “How are you going to inherit this family, its…business…if you can’t handle its

methods?”

He shakes his head at me, looking sad. “I ask myself that all the time. I don’t think even my dad has an

answer. Honestly, sometimes it feels like he’s fighting so hard to keep this family’s power together so

that he can give it to me, pass it on to future generations, but…if it were up to me, maybe I just don’t

want it.”

I nod, understanding. But I also know that there’s so much at stake – even if Daniel were to give up the

family’s business, it would cause a power vacuum in the city that could be disastrous, even lethal to the

people he loves. He’s in a tough place, and I feel for him.

“I’ll do my best,” Daniel says, looking at me seriously. “To protect you from all of that, in the future.”

I nod, smiling at him softly at his generous offer. But inside, part of me remembers the rush, the

adrenaline, and wonders whether I want him to keep that promise.