Page 16 of His Public Claim
“It was paid,” David says, scowling in confusion, his head swivelling between the two of us. “What the hell did he do to you?”
“Nothing!” Nicole says, sounding like a kid caught with her hand in the honey pot.
Fuck. Unfortunate turn of phrase. It was me who was in the honey pot when I shouldn’t have been.
“Thatwasn’t nothing!” David yells.
He knows. He saw me kissing Nicole like she was my next breath. Like she’s my heart and my life blood and my soul.
Which is simply the truth.
“I can explain,” I say as David approaches. I have no idea how I’ll resolve this, but I’d rather David didn’t shoot me before I can think of something that’s not, “I love your sister and I’m delighted it was me who took her virginity”.
Nicole’s parents emerge from the black car I hadn’t noticed, and her mother’s heels clip on the concrete driveway as she flies to her daughter.
“Dearest.” She envelops Nicole in a hug. “I’m so sorry.”
“It’s okay,” Nicole replies. “I’m alright.”
“My baby,” Mrs Highbury murmurs. “My poorbaby.”
Nicole is stiff for a second, then pats her mother’s back. “I’m twenty-three.”
She’s cute and if I weren’t so sick that she is about to leave me, I’d laugh. Her mother gives a sob at the reminder that her daughter became a woman tonight.
“Lev.” Mr Highbury nods to me. He appears his whole almost sixty years after the trials of the day. Exhausted. “David told us you went after Nicole.” He frowns. “Thank you.”
David pauses for a second to take in the scene between his sister and mother then looks askance at me, as though he doubts what he saw now we’re no longer touching. Then his jaw sets hard, as he seemingly remembers his ire and is in front of me.
“What do you think you were doing? You promised to defend her.” My best friend’s face is right in mine, the moon behind him putting his expression into shadow. But even so, I can see he’s furious. And for all the light on my face, my soul is black.
“I did protect her. The auction went as planned. I won.” That isn’t a lie, except a big lie of omission.
“You were forcing her!”
“What?” Mr Highbury reaches for his gun.
“Lev saved me,” Nicole says in a small voice, drawing back from her mother’s embrace and peeking up to flash me a grateful smile. “I was just giving him a kiss to say thank-you.”
There’s a pause and David’s eyes narrow. I think for a second he’s going to drop it.
“No, that’s not it,” he bursts out, shaking his head. “He was…” David struggles for words. “He was holding your neck. Mauling you. I saw it.” He turns back to me. “You werechokingher.”
Three blond heads move simultaneously. Mrs Highbury towards me, Mr Highbury to Nicole, and Nicole to examine the ground. David continues to stare me down.
I can’t speak.
An owl’s ghostly call sounds and I wish to god I had some way to make this right.
“He wasn’t mauling me.” Nicole’s chin comes back up, and there’s a determined glint in her eyes. “And when he was, I didn’t mind. I liked it.”
Even in the darkness, I can see Nicole’s cheeks flush and my heart constricts.
Mrs Highbury gasps and covers her mouth.
Mr Highbury continues levelling his gun at me, calm asan old dog watching two youngsters fight before he makes up his mind.
“What the hell, Lev? You said you’d bring her back safe!” My best friend takes another step forward, his upper lip wrinkling with disgust as he grabs my lapel and drags me up. Not by much, since I’m taller than him.
