Page 109 of His to Possess
I snuggle deeper against his chest as he brings a grape to my lips. “Can I ask you a question?”
“You can ask me anything.”
“How did you know where I was tonight?”
He tells me the entire story, in between bites of food and gentle caresses. How he had Jane start investigating Rendezvous the very night of the first auction, determined to bring them down for treating women and subs the way they do. All the information she found out about their money laundering. How Aden Roth was apparently involved in some business scheme with Victor Leone, a scheme that Philip refused to fund, giving them both even more reason to screw with him.
Then he tells me about the information he got from Jane. That Howard was hiring prostitutes who looked like me. That he had met me before anything started with my mom.
“He was obsessed with me,” I whisper on a shudder. “It wasn’t just a creepy old guy trying to get with some young girl. It was…more than that.”
Nothing Philip said is news to me. Howard used to get a kick out of visiting my room and telling me all about the prostitutes he’d been with. How he’d called them by my name. Describing exactly what he had done to them, pretending it was me.
The urge to throw up rises in me, the same way it always used to when I was stuck in that house, but somehow, the sick sensation is dulled. Maybe that’s just the effect of Philip’s strong arms around me.
“Love, did he ever…” Philip trails off, like he can’t bear to put the thought to words.
“Never,” I assure him. “It was all a game to him. He liked scaring me, upsetting me. He got off on threatening me. He always said he wasn’t going to fuck me until I asked for it.”
A growl rumbles deep in Philip’s chest and he tightens his arms around me.
“I think he wanted to see how far he could push me before I finally gave in,” I whisper. “That was part of the thrill for him.”
“Sick fucker,” Philip mutters. “What made you finally leave?”
Heat comes to my cheeks as embarrassment fills me, followed quickly by anger. I shouldn’t be the one to feel ashamed of this. I didn’t do anything wrong.
“I woke up one night to him in my room. He was…naked. Touching himself. While I slept.”
Philip goes very still then suddenly shifts me, moving me out of his lap. He starts to rise out of the water, his entire body coiled as tight as a spring. “Where are you going?”
“To fucking kill him.”
“Philip, no.” I reach for him but he doesn’t even look at me, his face tight, eyes full of rage. “Please stay with me,” I tell him. “I need you here.”
He finally relaxes back into the water, pulling me into his arms again. “I apologize,” he grits out. “Please finish what you were saying.”
I sigh. “It was the first time he’d ever done that. Things seemed to be escalating, and it scared me. So I left.”
“You were very brave.” He presses a kiss to my neck and I feel him take several deep breaths, as if trying to calm himself. “Will you tell me about the first auction?”
I shift, fresh shame welling up in me. This time it’s deserved, but I can’t say I would have done anything different. “Two months ago, Christopher’s physical therapy was cut down to one session a week. Then his doctor’s appointments started getting cancelled, at Howard’s request.” I shake my head, trying to tamp down the anger. “It was pretty obvious what he was doing. Trying to force me to come back.”
“By using your brother’s health issues,” Philip snarls in disgust.
“His medication, physical therapy—those are the things that keep his illness manageable. Without them, he’ll get sicker and sicker.”
Philip hears the catch in my voice and he squeezes me tighter, his mouth coming to my ear. “You know that he can’t ever hurt you or your brother, right? I won’t allow that to happen, Lilah.”
“I’m sorry for not telling you,” I whisper. “For not trusting you before.”
He lets out a deep breath. “The men in your life have done a shit job of earning your trust,” he says. “Your father made his love conditional. Your stepfather made your wellbeing—and your brother’s—conditional. I understand that you were just trying to protect yourself.”
He grips my hips under the water, turning me so I’m straddling his lap. He gazes at me, expression intense. “I promise you, Lilah, there are no conditions to my love or care for you. If you decide you don’t want this—” I let out a noise of dismay and he grins, pressing his thumb over my mouth. “If you decide you don’t want this, I will still make sure you and Chris are safe and cared for. Do you understand me?”
“Yes,” I breathe out, and I know, right to the bottom of my soul, that it’s true. This man will do whatever it takes to keep me and my brother safe and happy. Even if that means letting me go.
But there’s no way I could be happy without him. Everything about Philip—his love and his care and his strength, even his bossiness—are essential to me now. I can’t imagine going without him.
