Page 82 of Vow of Revenge
Jamie and Tom marched out of the lobby to a waiting car, leaving me like a lost kid, standing alone, deserted in my out of control mind.
He was selling the car – her car.
Icontacted the wealthy from Ireland to America, detailing the listings of my father’s collection. I no longer had a requirement for the vehicles or the memories of playing hide and seek on my own. They gathered dust like oversized toys, and I had no interest in them, apart from one.
“Are you ready, Kaleb?” Uncle Sean patted my shoulder with a firm slap.
“Yeah. Today’s the day, I guess.” I shrugged. “Is Mr. Matteson here yet? I should run through the reserves.”
Sean and I walked towards the car hanger. “He arrived a few minutes ago. The guests are reviewing the stock as we speak. There’s a phenomenal turn out.”
My heart was clad in armour. It had been the hardest thing to do, but I pushed my feelings for Freya down into the depths of hell, extinguishing the overbearing feelings I had for her. Everything else was irrelevant, therefore nothing was important.
I felt neither happy nor sad. I was emotionally baron.
The room swarmed with affluence. Men and women marvelled over the pristine and rare vehicles. I wanted this day to end so I could go home, to Dublin. Brett appeared at my side, finally joining the world of sobriety after hiding away in the darkest clubs, drowning his misery with liquor and meaningless sex. I would like to say he looked better for it, but his face was tired and pale. He looked like shit.
“Good to see you, Brett.” I pulled him in for a hug.
“Yeah. I wanted to show my support. You know, maybe buy one of these fuckers.” His arm waved across the vast display.
“Take your pick. I’ll give it to you.” I would give him anything.
“No way, Kaleb. I’ll buy it fair and square. After all, you need the cash.” Brett folder his arms across his chest and widened his stance. I could smell the whiskey oozing from his pores, but I didn’t say a word. I knew what heartache felt like too.
“Look, everything sold here is to maximum profit. Pick a car, and I’ll give it to you, for fuck sake,” I growled.
Brett grabbed my shoulders. “I love you, Kaleb. How about £200k for the Aston Martin Zagato?”
“Fine. Sold.” I relented, money was no object for him anyway and the money was going to a good cause.
“Fuck. That car is pure sex.” We shook hands and a smile cracked his tired face.
I nodded in agreement. “I’ll let Matteson know that it’s taken.”
Brett strode off towards his new purchase and Uncle Sean was deep in conversation with dealers. This was the last place I wanted to be. My stomach roiled, something was eating me, making me anxious.
From the corner of my eye, I spotted Tom Doherty striding my way. I hated the guy. He was a complete asshole back in boarding school and, no doubt, he was even more so now. Tom was filled with an arrogance that made me want to knock his sparkly veneers out of his smug face.
“De Courcy!” His hand jutted out. “What a listing. My father told me to get down here on his behalf because he’s in New York.”
“Right. Well, I hope you enjoy the auction,” I said flatly.
“Oh, I will, especially that now my date is here. Over here, honey!” he yelled over my shoulder.
My spine tingled. A rush of adrenaline coursed through my veins. I knew the earth had shifted, sensing her approach. Turning my head, I watched Freya saunter towards us with her hair as white as snow and her lips blood red. Her sexy strides halted beside Tom the fucking dickhead. My palms balled when his arm snaked her waist, but I witnessed the tiniest flicker in her fiery eyes, and I knew her true feelings. She didn’t want this guy because I was the one who experienced how her pupils flared when she was aroused.
“Thanks for letting me come with you, Tom.” Her voice was friendly and warm, I sensed a bite of venom.
Silky strands were loosely curled and pinned in a messy bun at her nape, and a few stray tendrils framed her flawless face. Those pretty red lips pouted, like she was begging me to shove my dick into her mouth. I tried not to stare, but my obvious pause felt like an eternity as my gaze lingered. She was poured into a black dress that covered every inch of her body from the neck down. A long slit revealed porcelain silky legs. Freya was elegant but edgy, like a movie star – she was pure sex on legs, and I was free falling.
“De Courcy. This is my plus one, Freya. She’s a Beaumont.” He grinned like a smug bastard because the guy knew I found his date spellbinding. Jesus, the whole room could sense it. I offered a curt nod, recalling the moment he found cold baked beans inside his pillowcase.
“Actually, she’s a true Harte.” I willed her to look up at me, and then it happened.
Her face was expressionless, with only a pulsating vein in her neck spilling her secret. She was nervous, or uneasy. I couldn’t tell. “Mr. De Courcy, I hope you don’t mind my intrusion. I came here for one item and one item only. The red Ferrari. You know the one.” Her focus remained to the left of my face.
I shook my head. Of course, she was here for it. “I’m afraid you have wasted your journey, Freya.”
