Page 101 of His to Possess
His eyes gleam with triumph, certainly reading those thoughts on my face. If there’s one thing Howard has always been good at, it’s knowing my weakness.
“I could have him out of the house in an hour,” he says, his eyes dart down to Philip’s hand, clenched protectively on my hip, and his expression hardens. “Now it’s time to come with me, sweetheart. I don’t like this man touching what’s mine—and my patience is running thin.”
I want to tell him that I’m not his, but I can’t get the threat about my brother out of my head. Would he really kick Chris out? I don’t think my mother is strong enough to stop him. Where would Chris go? How could I get him the medical attention he needs—
“You can’t actually,” Philip says behind me, his voice low and strained. I can sense the effort it’s taking for him to stay in control. He clearly wants to beat the hell out of the man in front of us.
“Can’t what?” Howard snaps.
“Kick Christopher out. He’s already gone.”
I turn to gape at him and he manages a small smile for me in spite of the storm of rage I see brewing in his eyes. “What are you talking about?”
“I had a car sent for him half an hour ago,” he tells me. “He’s on his way to a hotel. Mrs. Higgins is going to meet him and look after him tonight. We can figure out what you’d like to happen next once I get you out of here.”
I open my mouth then shut it again, having no idea how to even process that. “You sent a car for Chris?”
Philip brushes a strand of my wild hair away from my face, the action so tender, even in this dark and awful place, that my heart swells.
“I wanted to make sure he was somewhere safe. So you could make your decision without fear.”
Tears fill my eyes and I don’t bother to brush them away. I can’t believe he did that.
“Give me a fucking break, Lilah,” Howard snaps. “What do you think is going to happen here? You think this guy is going to keep taking care of your brother once he’s had his way with you? That’s all he wants, you know. A piece of your sweet little ass.” He chuckles, the sound dark. “Not that I can blame him. But if you think he’s going to stick around once he’s done with you, you’re more stupid than I thought. Do you know the first thing about this man? The kinds of things he likes?”
He glares at Philip. “I had you investigated, asshole. You think I was going to let my girl stay with someone I didn’t know? You think I haven’t had eyes on her since the day she left my house?”
That makes me shudder. Has he really been watching me?
“He’s a fucking sadist, Lilah,” Howard continues. “He’s a member of a sex club. Is that really who you want to spend time with?”
“Pretty sure you were about to invest in a sex club,” Jane says cheerily.
I eye my stepfather and the strangest thing happens—I’m not afraid. Maybe it’s the fact that Philip got Christopher away, or maybe it’s just the confidence I’ve earned in the last week. Either way, I know this man can’t hurt me anymore.
“I would rather hang out with Philip in a sex club than you in a mansion.”
Howard takes a step forward. “You think I’m going to let you become a little whore?” he bites out. “You think I’m going to let another man have what’s mine? What I’ve been waiting for all this time?”
I shrug. “You can keep on waiting, because it’s never going to happen.”
“How about I tell your mother what a slut you’ve turned into, huh? Auctioning your virginity? You know what kind of girl does a thing like that? You think you’ll ever find a job anywhere in this state once I tell everyone what a whore you are?”
I press my hand against Philip’s, urging him to remain quiet and let me handle this. There’s one thing I’ve always wanted to say to my stepfather, and I finally have the chance.
“I might be a slut, but at least I’m not a monster.” I smile at him. “Fuck you, Howard.”
Rage flashes in his face. “I would tell you watch that sharp mouth of yours, but we both know it’s one of the things I’ve always liked best about you. I can’t wait to silence it when I make you choke on my—”
His words end on a sharp grunt and before I know what’s happening, he’s falling onto his backside and Philip is towering over him, shaking out his hand. I guess he had enough.
“We’re leaving,” he says. “You stay the hell away from Lilah. You don’t ever speak to her again.” He leans over my stepfather’s crumpled body and murmurs something, too soft for me to hear. A moment later, he has my hand in his again and he’s pushing me toward the edge of the stage. He jumps down first then turns, putting his hands on my hips to lift me down.
“Mr. Matthews,” one of the Rossi brothers says, his voice more than a little desperate. “Please, let’s talk about this. I’m sure we can work something out.”
Philip ignores him, turning to Jane. “I trust you’ll handle the rest.”
She grins. “With pleasure.”
