Page 39 of Cruel Love
“Get in the car, Willow,”Edith barked harshly from next to me, givingmy lower back a shove.
Somehow, I managed to make my feet move, adrenaline pumpingthrough my veins as I made my way down the stone steps to the car, aiming for the back seat.
“In the front, Mouse,”James growled, storming past me to get in thedriver’s seat.
Pausing for only a second to make sure I’d heard correctly, Iwalked to the other side of the car and slid into the passenger seat. James started the engine, a wave of his cologne hitting me from our close proximity, and making my mouth dry in an instant.
He smelled delicious.
James ignored me for the first hour of the journey, not that I expectedany different. I stared out the window, wondering where we were going as I watched the evening descend, causing long, dark shadows to fall over the hills and forests that surrounded us.
I wanted to find a little clue as to where in the country we were, butroad signs were few and far between on the roads James took, and aside from the flash of the car’s headlights lighting up the odd sign, it was too dark for me to see.
“Did Edith tell you where we were going tonight?”James saidcoolly, breaking the tense silence between us.
“No, Sir,”I replied, tearing my gaze away from the window to look at him.
His eyes were firmly fixed on the road ahead, but his jaw clenched,along with his hands around the steering wheel.
“My father has requested we attend dinner with him and my mother.He wants to meet you, and we’ll be staying the night,”he said, looking over at me, his eyes filled with their usual coldness.“But I warn you, he is nothing like Kiera. He won’t show you any kindness.”
Like I’d just swallowed a lump of stone, a heavy weight settled in mystomach, and trepidation began seeping into my bones.
Stupid really, other than the night I met Kiera and Billie, I couldn’t remember a time when anyone had shown me kindness, yet the thought of James’ dad joining the list of people who despised me felt like another blow to my already fragile heart.
“And on the topic of Kiera,”James continued, pulling his gaze awayto focus on the road ahead once more.“You won’t mention to my father that you have met her or Billie. We don’t speak about my sister, and we certainly don’t discuss my niece.”
My brows furrowed together in confusion. Why would his dad notwant anything to do with his daughter and granddaughter? As if sensing my confusion, James sighed, his shoulders deflating as he loosened his fists around the steering wheel.
“Kiera was ostracized from the family when she was fifteen. My fatherhas had nothing to do with her since then, and he has never met Billie,”he said, an unmistakable hint of sadness to his tone.
“He’s never met his granddaughter?”The question fell from my lipsbefore I could stop it, and I closed my eyes, cursing myself for my stupidity.“I’m sorry, Mr. Carter. I shouldn’t have asked that. I apologize.”
“No, you shouldn’t have asked,”James scolded softly, turning the caroff the main road, and onto a gravel track. Surprisingly, there was no bite to his words.
Convinced that was the end of the conversation, I turned to look outthe window to stare into the darkness, only to turn back to James when he spoke again.
“My father denied Billie’s existence for the first few years of her life,”he started, warmth creeping into his voice. He might have been a monster, but it was evident he loved his niece.“But there came a time when Kiera needed my father’s help.”James looked over at me, finding me listening intently, and more than curious as to why he was telling me about his family.“Billie was diagnosed with leukemia when she was five.”
My gasp interrupted him, and a sad smile tugged on his lips.“Yeah,you’d never think it, right? The kid’s a fighter. Anyway, when she was eight, she had the chance to be accepted into a clinical trial, but Kiera needed my father’s help.”
“Did he help?”I whispered, waiting for James to explode at anysecond, and tell me to be quiet, but he surprised me once again by answering.
“No. I wanted to take Billie to meet him thinking he’d take one look ather and fall in love with her like everyone else does.”He paused, turning to give me a fond smile.
My breath caught in my throat. Why did he have to be so handsome,when underneath, a monster lurked?
“But I realized before I inflicted him on a sick child that he didn’t havea heart to be able to fall in love with her.”A little voice whispered in my head that James wasn’t so different from his father, that he didn’t have a heart either, or at least, if he did, it was only big enough to hold his love for Billie.“Thankfully, we were able to get the help without my father, andeighteen months ago, Billie started the trial,”James continued as I shook the little voice away.
“Is the leukemia gone?”I asked, hope lacing my tone.
“She’s got a test in a few weeks which we’re all praying will give herthe all-clear,”James replied, taking another turn through two large gates.
“I’ll keep my fingers crossed for her.”
His lips twitched again, almost as if he wanted to thank me, but hecaught himself, schooling his features like he was so good at.“No more questions, Mouse. My niece is none of your concern.”
“Yes, Mr. Carter,”I replied, my gaze dropping to my lap asdisappointment washed through me at the bite returning to his voice.
