Page 32 of Intolerable Bishop

Why was I not surprised to see the bitch of the hour waiting on the stairs for me? I paused as I spotted her and wondered if my father would take the blame if I pushed her and she died. I wouldn’t be that fucking lucky.

“Did you even have time to wipe the come off the inside of your legs?” Her face flushed. “Why the fuck aren’t you in Italy,” I asked as I stomped past her and grabbed my keys off the entrance table where I’d left them. She followed along behind me like a little bitch in heat.

“Let me explain, please.”

“I’m pretty sure I get the whole picture. You wanted me so that you could marry into my family. But that didn’t work out because I never wanted you. So, instead, you decided to go for the head of the snake and make your move on my father. Am I close?”

“Sort of, but that’s not the whole story. Nash, it’s not too late, please listen to me, it’s not your father that I want. I still love you.”

I smirked. This was why I didn’t do relationships. There was only one husband and wife that I’d ever seen work, and the rest…well, they never worked.

“You mean you don’t want a fifty-year-old psychopath who fantasizes about killing you in the night? I’m shocked.” I smirked at her. “Then again, I dreamed of ending you myself, so I guess that part is old news for you.

“Nash, stop. I’m being serious.”

“So am I,” I said, glaring at her. “I’m not joking about my father. It wouldn’t shock me in the slightest if he had the day of your death planned down to the exact minute you take your last breath. Don’t be fooled. My father is a masochist and would enjoy every scream. If you think your father will be able to keep you safe, you’re wrong. He will make it look like it was another family or an accident. He will never love you, and you can’t negotiate with him, change him, or stop him, trust me.”

Vicky’s eyes went wide as she swallowed hard and grabbed my arm. I glared at her hands. “Please, we can fix this. All you have to do is take me back and get rid of that cunt with the white hair. I don’t even care if you’ve fucked her.”

Breaking the hold she had on my arm, I grabbed Vicky by the throat and slammed her up against the door. She shuddered, and her hands gripped my arm.

“Never talk about Ren that way again.” I got close enough that our noses were almost touching. “And if I find out that you had anything to do with her attack…anything at all…it won’t be my cock that I shove into your pussy to make sure that you never have my father’s children, do you understand?” She licked her lips. “I’m not fooling around, and this isn’t foreplay. I will ruin you, Vicky, but I will make sure that you live so you know that you’re ruined and no one else will ever want you. Understand this. I don’t care what happens to me, and I’m a whole lot unhinged. Now, do one sensible thing in your life and nod your fucking head like a good girl and tell me that you’ll never go near Ren again.”

“I won’t go near her again,” she wheezed past my tight grip, and I let her go before I changed my mind and killed her anyway.

“You should know that whatever my father has promised you…he won’t give it to you. He never keeps his word, and right now, he is giving you what you want, but the second he has what he wants, you’re expendable. I’d remember that.”

I walked out the door, not bothering to close it, and jogged down the stairs to my car. Vicky was standing in the doorway staring at me, her hand rubbing at her throat. No way. No fucking way. I was going to stop this, so help me God.

MAY 26 – FRIDAY 6:10 PM

Blake

I’d never folded a sheet before in my life until this very moment. Ren made it look so easy. It didn’t matter that she wasn’t as tall and her arms were shorter. She always managed to fold and flip at the right spot so that the unruly material turned into a perfect square.

“Why are you staring at me like that,” Ren asked as I gave up on the latest sheet and moved on to towels. This I could handle.

“I’m just amazed. You make them look perfect, and mine looks like that,” I said, pointing to my pile that was so badly folded that it was falling over. “I mean, who knew that five people could make this much laundry in a week?”

Ren’s laugh was infectious, and I smiled back. She was so pretty. I loved it when her hair was up on her head in a crazy bun, and her eyes were all shiny with happiness. She was the single most important thing in my life, and I really hated lying to her. I guess lying wasn’t the right word. It was an omission, but it still felt so wrong. I got the reasoning, and after what happened at the police station, it made even more sense, but that didn’t mean I had to like it.

“Here, I’ll help you with yours,” Ren said, picking up the sheet I’d given up on and handing me two corners. “First, fold it in half. Good and now half again, then walk toward me.” I did as she asked, and as I reached her, I took the sheet from her hands and wrapped my arm around her waist. She tipped her head up, and I played our usual game, hovering my lips over hers until she kissed me.

My entire body lit up, and my blood raced, making me feel alive. I tossed the sheet so it landed on my pile and then attacked her mouth again. We’d hardly had a moment alone to ourselves. Not that I didn’t like having everyone around, but it was nice, just the two of us doing something totally mundane.

Gripping her ass, she moaned, and I pulled her up my body and then backed up to the chair that was in the corner and sat down. Her sweet lips were divine, like dining at a buffet of fruit and wine.

Breaking away, I sucked her lower lip into my mouth and traced it with the tip of my tongue before letting go to place kisses across her cheek.

“I’ve missed having you all to myself,” I whispered in her ear.

“Are you saying you want to steal me away on a date alone?”

“Not a bad idea, but I’d have a war on my hands if I tried,” I said, and she laughed.

“True. Myles seems a little overprotective lately. Not that I blame him with everything that has happened, but I can see the worry on his face.” I hated that she was always so concerned about us and how it lingered in her eyes. We wanted to look out for her, and here we were, failing at every turn. The fact that I’d fucked up so bad that she almost watched me die was heavy on my mind. When she woke up in the night and pretended that she didn’t have a bad dream, I knew that it was either about Axel, Myles, or me. I’d heard her whimper my name and say no, and I knew.

“We all are, including my brother. Theo is just as bad but better at hiding it,” I said and toyed with the decorative clip she had in her hair. I squeezed, and all of her long hair fell around her shoulders. Fuck. Did she have any idea how pretty she was?