An Act of Release: Order & Chaos Book 2 Page 22

  Then, I felt eyes on me. I turned my head to see Natie in the doorway to the kitchen staring at me with equal parts anger and hurt. I froze under her gaze, paralyzed by fear and guilt. The room turned silent as David and Jenny noticed her standing there too.

  "Are you here to talk, or act like an asshole again?" she asked harshly.

  "I'm here to talk, Natalie," I told her quietly as the tension in my body gave way to resignation. I had to do this, no matter how difficult it might be.

  "Well, it's about damn time," she snapped out as she stalked into the living room. It was all I could do not to shrink away from my sister.

  "Let's go take Daniel for a walk," David said to Jenny as he grabbed the folded up stroller that was hanging on some hooks on the back of the front door. Jenny nodded in immediate agreement, and the two swiftly took off out the door with the baby without another word. Hell, I wanted to go with them.

  Natie went over to the sofa and sat down on one end. George, her massive gray tabby Maine Coon cat, wasn't hiding for once and was curled up in the center of the couch, so I had to sit on the opposite end from her. I sat there, my mind drowning in my apprehension. I didn't even know where to start. I pursed my lips and sighed deeply, feeling overwhelmed again.

  George lifted his head and chirped, his big chartreuse eyes fixed on me. He rose and proceeded to climb onto my lap and sprawl his huge twenty-five-pound frame across my legs. He bumped his head against my hand, and I began stroking his long soft fur absently. He purred loudly. At least, someone in this room wasn't pissed off at me.

  "Well, I'm waiting, asshole," Natie bit out. I looked over to see her staring at me with her arms crossed and an angry gleam in her green eyes.

  "Holy hell, give me a break, Natie," I snapped back. "This is hard for me. Give me a goddamn minute."

  "I've given you a goddamn week," she practically snarled back. "Just tell me what happened to fuck up your relationship with Dad. It's not fucking rocket science."

  "Jesus, Natalie," I said irritably. "I need to tell you something very personal and private before I can do that, and I'm not sure how. So just back off, please."

  "Fine," she replied tersely and stared off across the room, her demeanor tense and still very angry. Another long moment passed, and I still didn't know how or where to start. This was stupid. There was no way to make this easier or ease into it, so fuck it. I might as well go with being blunt and to the point.

  "I like to tie women up with rope when I have sex," I blurted out before I chickened out. I was answered by absolute silence, and I was afraid to look at her, so I kept going. "I swear it's always consensual, and I'd never hurt anyone,but I like being in control and dominating bound women. I'm sorry if that upsets or disgusts you, but you need to know that before I tell you the rest."

  "Why would that disgust me, Ford?" she asked in a perplexed tone. "It's your sex life."

  I finally risked a look over at my sister to see her giving me a look of genuine bafflement. There wasn't even a hint of the disgust or shame that I was afraid I'd find.

  "You're not the only person who likes things a little kinky in bed, Ford." A slow smile spread across her mouth and her eyes danced wickedly. "Let's just say that David likes to be in control too, and I like it."

  All I could do was stare at her speechlessly with wide eyes and my mouth hanging open, equally happy and mortified by her revelation. The perfect picture that I had in my head of my sweet innocent little sister wasn't so perfect anymore.

  She smirked at my obvious discomfort and shook her head. "What does that have to do with Dad?"

  "It was everything to do with our father," I answered soberly. Her smile faded away at my serious tone. "Remember when I stayed with him while my building was renovated three years ago?" She nodded as her brow furrowed with concern. "Well, Dad walked in on me with a bound woman when he came home early from a trip one night."

  She gasped in sympathy. "Oh, no."

  "Yeah," I said blandly as I stared straight ahead again. "I tried to explain that I wasn't doing it to hurt her, and she was a willing participant, but I couldn't get him to understand. He...he was disgusted and acted like I was practically a rapist or something. He's never looked at me the same after that." I sighed heavily. "When I went to confront him about how he hurt Mom last week, he told me I was the one who got off on hurting women, and that he was disappointed in me. That's when I told him that he couldn't be disappointed anymore if he never saw me again, and I walked out."

  Natie was quiet again, and I glanced over to see anger flashing in her eyes. Shit, I didn't want her angry at Dad. I didn't want to mess up their relationship too.

  "Well, maybe I'll tell him all the kinky shit David did to me last weekend," she blurted out, looking pissed as hell. "See if he's disappointed in me too."

  "Natie, no." I shook my head vehemently. "I don't want you to ruin your relationship with Dad too. Please, promise me you won't say anything to him about this. It's bad enough that I fucked up everything with Dad. I couldn't stomach it if I fucked it up for you too."

  "You didn't fuck anything up, Ford," she said fiercely. "You were just standing up for yourself, but I promise I won't say anything. So help me though, if he brings it up or says anything like that in front of me, he's going to wish he kept his fucking mouth shut." Her eyes flashed fire as she spoke, and I hoped to God that our father never did that for his own sake. Natie was scary when she was livid.

  "I'm sorry," I said softly. "I shouldn't have avoided you, and I should have told you sooner, but I was afraid that you'd look at me the same way he did. I...I couldn't bear the thought of losing you too because you knew the truth."

  "Ford, I love you no matter what." She shook her head in exasperation. "Unless you go on a shooting spree, or start murdering babies and kittens, that's never going to change. And as for Dad, this mess is on him, not you. If he can't accept you the way you are, then maybe you're better off keeping him out of your life as much as you can." She reached over and took my hand. "Will you promise me one thing though?"

  "Anything," I agreed immediately.

  "Don't give up hope completely on Dad," she said with a pained expression. "You know he's not a bad person, but he's stubborn just like we are. Give him time. Maybe the two of you can work past this and mend things."

  "I don't...I don't know if I can promise that, Natie." I tried to pull my hand away, but she gripped is tighter.

  "Please, Ford," she pleaded, her eyes sorrowful and sincere. "You can't give up. He's our father, and this can't be the end of it. It can't. There's always hope for things to change and get better."

  I took in a breath and let it out slowly. I'd had enough time to deal with this to realize that the chance of anything changing was nil, but she hadn't. I had to give this to her. She needed it.

  "I promise," I lied, knowing it was the only thing I could do. Any hope I had left evaporated when I walked out on my father last week, but I wouldn't shatter her hope by telling her that. She'd figure it out for herself eventually.

  Natie smiled radiantly and scooted closer to me. She wrapped her arms around my neck and hugged me tight. I returned the embrace, elated that things between us were okay again. I tried to ignore the twinge of guilt over my lie, even if it was to protect her, but she was my sister, and I'd always do that, no matter what.

  Chapter 10

  Jenny

  Tick-tock, love. Tick-tock...

  I stared at the text message from Carter with a sick nauseous feeling roiling inside me. I didn't answer this one or any of the others I'd gotten, and I assumed he must have gotten my number off one of my business cards laying around at work. He'd been taunting me with similar messages for days now as the rift between my father and brother stretched on and on through the week. The deal with the Bennett Corporation was looming over me, and I had yet to get Andy to listen to reason and give up his insane ultimatum to quit that I knew he'd only intended as a bluff. I think if my dad had been able to find any other o
ptions it would have worked, but Carter Bennett had used his power and influence to make sure that he was our only choice. No one else Dad contacted would even consider discussing a deal with us thanks to that bastard. The risk of Carter's retaliation against them was too high.

  So now it was Friday, and I had until Tuesday to get my brother on board with a business deal that neither he nor I wanted, and I feared would end up destroying us anyway. However, Carter's threats against my family were very real, and I knew he'd follow through with them. I clutched my phone against my chest as I stood in front of the coffee maker in the break room at work feeling overwhelmed and trapped again. I felt tears start welling up, and a small sob came out against my will.

  "Princess?"

  I felt a gentle hand settle on my shoulder, and I turned to see my father studying me with a deep frown and worry in his dark eyes. Wordlessly, he pulled me into an embrace. I sagged against him, unable to hold back the tears this time, as he rubbed comforting circle on my back and held me close.

  "It's alright, princess," he murmured softly. "We'll be okay."

  No, I wanted to scream. We won't be okay ever again. How could it, once Carter snaked his way permanently into our lives? I started sobbing louder. Dad held me tighter as I clutched at his shirt. I wanted to tell him the truth so badly, the secret weighing heavily on me, but I didn't dare. Goddamn that bastard for trapping me like this. I feared he'd never let me go once we took this deal.

  "Dad?" Andy's voice called out softly. Dad turned with me still in his arms to face my brother. I lifted my head from Dad's shoulder to see Andy standing in the doorway watching us with a pained expression. He pressed his lips together as he looked at my face with my tears still dripping down my cheeks.

  "I'm sorry," he said hoarsely, his eyes filled with sincerity as he looked at Dad. "I shouldn't have made that stupid threat to quit, and I shouldn't have ignored you all week." His eyes moved back to me. "And I'm sorry I upset you and made you cry, Jenny." He let out a deep breath and started pacing back and forth across the break room in front of us. "I just...I just have this bad feeling about this Bennett guy. Maybe it's just because he's a rich pompous douche. Maybe I'm being unreasonable and emotional. I don't fucking know." He stopped and looked at us again. "I know we're in trouble, but I can't help thinking there has to be another way to fix this."

  "Son," Dad said gently with a pained expression. "I've tried. Believe me, I've tried, but there isn't any other option right now. It's so strange. Even the people I thought could help us, won't even listen to an offer. I don't understand it."

  I did, and the thought made me ache inside with guilt and shame.

  "Can't we just wait, Dad?" Andy asked in a desperate tone. "If we just give it some time, maybe we could get through this without any outside intervention."

  "Andrew," Dad said sympathetically. "We don't have the luxury of time. We're already on the verge of layoffs. I don't want to sacrifice anyone. Everyone here is family to me."

  Andy pursed his lips. "I know Dad, but with time maybe things could get better without us doing anything that drastic. I just feel like we're giving up without even trying."

  "You don't think I've tried, son?" Dad said in an emotional voice. "You don't think I feel like I'm betraying my family's legacy by doing this? This hasn't been an easy decision, and I didn't make it lightly."

  Andy made another pained face. Shit, he wasn't going to let this go unless I did something I wouldn't be proud of. Dad was right about us running out of time. He just didn't know it was because of Carter's blackmail. It was hanging over us like a looming nightmare that threatened to destroy all of us. I had to stop it before it was too late, no matter what.

  "I know, but-" Andy began.

  "Andy," I cut him off firmly. "We have to take this deal. Our futures are at stake. Your future family is at stake. How will you take of your child without a job, if we wait and end up losing everything because we go bankrupt?" I was so ashamed of using my own brother's unborn baby as leverage to manipulate him, but I was desperate now, and I'd do whatever I had to do.

  Andy looked startled, and I watched his eyes widen in realization as my words sunk in. Denial, anger, fear, and then finally resignation flashed across his features, one after the other. "I guess...I guess this deal is the lesser of two evils," he said dejectedly.

  His use of the word evil couldn't have been more apropos, and it left a bad taste in my mouth because I knew that the two evils were both Carter. We either took the deal and handed over our control of the family business to a monster, or we denied him what he wanted, and he destroyed us completely. So, yes, we were choosing the lesser of two evils. We had to hold on to what we could and hope that Carter Bennett didn't take even more from us after the deal was made.

  "Come here, son," Dad said in a soft sympathetic tone. He reached out to Andy as he put his arm around me again. My brother came to him immediately, and Dad hugged both of us tight. "I love you so much, and I want Purcell Auto to be my legacy to you both when I'm gone. This is the only way to make sure that happens. I'd never forgive myself if I let this place fail before I even had a chance to give it to you."

  "Okay, Dad," Andy acquiesced with a sigh. "Let's do this."

  "I'll call Elliott and let him know." Dad said as he held us close. "You'll see, kids. Everything will work out fine, and our future will be secure after this. I just know it."

  I felt ill from my father's words because I feared that as soon as we signed that deal, our futures would never be secure again. We'd spend the rest of our lives as Carter Bennett's helpless puppets, and there was nothing I could do to stop it.

  **********

  "Well, what do you think?" I asked Ford. "Does it show too much skin? I don't want to offend your mother."

  I had just stepped out into Ford's living room in my dress and was twirling in a circle for him. When he didn't respond, I stopped turning and looked at him. He was sitting on the couch with a stunned expression, his lips parted slightly, and his eyes wide.

  "Is it that bad?" I looked down at the silver sequin cocktail dress with spaghetti straps that I was wearing for his mother's charity ball tonight. It was short, but wasn't so bad that I had to worry about bending over and flashing the room. However, my cleavage was partly visible and the back was basically just a couple of straps over a huge expanse of bare skin, including my very visible tattoo. My shoes were glittering silver strappy stilettos with four-inch fuck-me heels. Damn it, I knew it was too much, but so many of my dresses and shoes were for clubbing, and with the dealership in trouble, I didn't want to buy a new one.

  "Holy hell, woman," he breathed out in an awed tone as he stood and strode toward me. "You look fucking amazing. The word bad doesn't even apply."

  Ford was wearing a light-gray Tom Ford suit, paired with a white shirt and no tie. It fit him to perfection, and I suspected it was tailored. The fact that he owned a tailored designer suit just added to the enigma of the man. It also made him look hot as fucking hell, especially with his chin length hair pulled back into a low ponytail and his short scruffy beard. It all added to his sexy bad-boy appearance.

  He stopped in front of me, splaying his big hands on my hips and pulling me in close. He was already getting hard, and he ground himself against me as he bit his lower lip and his eyes turned midnight blue with arousal. "You look so goddamn gorgeous, Jen," he growled out in a low rumble. He leaned down and brushed his lips against mine. "I want to fuck you right now." He lifted a hand from my hip and glided it through the big loose curls cascading down my back.

  "Are you sure I don't look like a sl-"

  "Don't even think that goddamn word," he snarled out vehemently as his finger suddenly pressed against my lips, quieting me. "You know how I feel about it." His eyes were intense, the Dom in him rising up in a rush of power. "You look beautiful, and that dress is perfect for tonight. It reflects a strong, sexy, and fierce woman who doesn't give a shit what anyone else thinks."

  "Okay," I said
softly as I smiled up at him, my love for him welling up inside me. He made me feel beautiful, inside and out.

  He nodded sharply then grabbed my hand. "Let's go, honey." His voice was calm again, the surge of dominance fading away just as quickly as it had come. He led me to his truck without another word.

  I imagine we were quite the sight when Ford pulled his black '65 Ford F-100 truck up to the valet stand in front of the downtown convention center. I'm sure it looked odd amid the Mercedes, the Bentleys, and all the other luxury cars. Ford didn't even seem fazed by it as he got out and came around to help me down out of the passenger seat, so I didn't flash the valets. He offered me his right elbow, and I happily hooked my arm in his, my silver clutch dangling from my other hand as he led me into the building.

  Ford knew his way around, leading me through the throng of rich people wearing tuxedos and designer dresses, unfazed by the display of wealth all around us and seemingly comfortable amid it all in his own designer suit. It was a side of him that I'd never seen before. I started feeling self-conscious in my "cheap" two hundred dollar dress, and latched onto Ford even tighter feeling unsure and seeking reassurance.

  "Do you see all these women in their overpriced clothes?" Ford whispered as he leaned closer. "They don't hold a candle to you, honey. You'd look gorgeous in a burlap sack." He smiled down at me with affection, and sincerity in his indigo eyes.

  "Thank you." I smiled back, feeling better already. He gave me a soft kiss on the cheek that made me practically swoon.

  "Ford!" I heard a familiar voice call out. I looked ahead to see Natalie coming toward us with a wide smile. She looked beautiful in a one-shouldered tiered chiffon gown in a soft purple that flowed around her legs as she walked. Her hair was swept up into a simple chignon that highlighted her long slender neck. David followed close behind her in a black Armani tux, looking almost as good as Ford. The couple looked elegant and put together, and I started feeling unsure about my appearance again.