His Word...Destiny ~ Book Three in the Trusted Saga ~ (excerpt)

Title : His Word...Destiny

Book Three in the Trusted Saga

Release date : Available now (purchase link under "Books" heading)

EXCERPT ...

“You look really pissed off about something,” I commented bluntly. “What’s got your knickers in a twist?”

“Nothing,” she declared irritably. She clearly didn’t want to talk about it. So I persisted.

“Something’s clearly pissed you off---get it out, and move on,” I said sharply. I placed a hand in the small of her back, and urged her to walk toward the front door.

“I just had an altercation---sort of.” My ears pricked up.

“An altercation with whom?” I questioned idly, while I escorted her through the doorway, and closed the door behind us. Has she hurt Angelica?

“With someone who was a friend,” she laughed bitterly, and I heard the cynicism in her voice. “Actually---I’ve probably just lost two friends.”

“Oh?” I continued to guide her through to my kitchen, and out to the courtyard, before I pulled out a chair for her to sit on. After seating her, I took the opposing seat.

“I have this friend---two friends,” she amended with a grimace. “They were both in the group at the club with me the other night when you came in. You may have noticed them,” she was watching me closely now, totally focused on every emotion crossing my face, “or at least one of them---one has really long straight black hair that she was wearing up in a ponytail, and the other one has short black hair cut in an angular bob.”

Angelica, and Toni. I made sure to keep my facial features impassive, while she assiduously studied my every feature. Finally, with a sigh, she eventually relaxed back into her chair, silently conceding I probably had no clue to whom she was referring to.

“You’re probably not even interested,” she lamented. How wrong you are. I couldn’t be more interested. Acting the concerned lover wasn’t really my scene. And if the subject was anyone other than my gorgeous Cherub, I wouldn’t have hesitated in showing Kiara the door. Under normal circumstances, the front door would hit her on the ass on the way out when I slammed it shut behind her. I remained silent, and she continued with her grievance.

“I don’t think either of them will remain my friends,” she said, her voice laced with dejection, but her head was held high in a “but-I-don’t-really-give-a-shit” attitude.

“Sounds like you could use a drink.” Chalmers appeared in my line of vision, and I barked his name to gain his attention. I sniggered at the narrowing of his eyes while I gave him our drinks order, and he reluctantly retreated to get them. When we were settled out under the warm sun, I prompted her to continue.

“Why don’t you think they’ll remain your friends?” She glanced sideways at me, suddenly wary of me again, like she was having an inner debate on whether, or not, she wanted to continue with the topic of conversation. She finally reached a reluctant conclusion.

“Humph---Let me see---one reason would be the one with the long black hair lunged at me, and physically pulled me up out of chair by the front of my shirt, and threatened to throw me the fuck out of their house---and the other girl probably for the same reason.”

“That sounds a little extreme.” Angelica physically pulled her up to throw her out? That shocked me. She hadn’t been at all physical when she was living with me. “What happened?” I encouraged her to talk. With a gentle snort of disgust, she answered.

“Levi Webber happened, that’s what.” She paused when Chalmers came in with our drinks, and didn’t continue, until he disappeared.

“Nathan---um---there’s something I should tell you.” I raised my brows in expectation, waiting for her to tell me something important. “I know who you are.” I forced a smile on my lips.

“Of course you know who I am.”

“No, I mean---I knew who you were that first time---when you came into the office.”

“You did?”

“You---um---know one of the friend’s I’m talking about. At least, that’s what I’ve been led to believe, anyway.”

“Oh?”

“She---I think,” she was glued to watching my reaction. “I think she’s someone you maybe, used to date?”

“I haven’t dated anyone in quite a while, Kiara,” I answered cautiously.

“It was a few years ago…”

“Well, if it was a few years ago, there could be any number of possible suspects.” Although I smiled warmly, hers in return seemed to be forced.

“She---doesn’t have pleasant things to say about you.” I made an effort to look away before she saw the flicker of regret in my eyes. Getting Angelica back in my life just got a whole lot more complex.

“Her name’s Samantha---well---that’s what it is now, anyway. It used to be Angelica. Do you remember her?” Her baby blue eyes focused all their attention on mine, searching for a deeper answer in their depths than what I have revealed. I haven’t forgotten one single thing about her.

“Mmm, Angelica---The name seems familiar…” She was genuinely smiling at the distracted way I was referring to my Cherub. “Where does Webber fit into all of this?”

“You know him, don’t you?” she laughed, idiotically. “Of course you do---I think everyone knows who Levi Webber is.”

“Our paths have crossed from time to time,” I replied evasively. “So how is he involved in this altercation you’ve told me about?”

“He wasn’t actually involved in the altercation,” she clarified. “He wants Samantha.” Tell me something I don’t know. “And now that he’s thawed the ice queen, he’s claiming her.” My fingers tightened their grip around my glass.

“Thawed the ice queen?”

“Oh---long story---she’s been known for being so cold, we dubbed her the ice queen. But it seems Levi Webber has been able to achieve melting through her defenses. He spent the night with her.”

I drew my glass up to my mouth, and drained the contents in one foul swoop, then slammed the empty glass none-too-gently back down on the table.

“You want another drink, Kiara?” I sure as hell can do with one.

“Um, yeah, okay.” I needed to get away from her---to regain my control. I snatched up her glass, and my empty one, and headed into the house, stalking to the liquor cabinet.

Hurling one of the glasses at the wall, and hearing it smash into a million pieces, didn’t help. Webber has gone after her with the same dogged determination he went after anything he wanted. And the fucker has succeeded.

I tried to remain calm when I returned to Kiara with our drinks. She was eyeing me curiously as I handed her a glass. Calm the fuck down.

“You, and Webber, don’t like each other much, do you?” She was inquisitive, and intuitive. That would be the understatement of the century.

“There’s not a lot we see eye to eye about, no.” But now I was curious how she’d come to that conclusion. “Why do you ask?”

“You just seem to tense up whenever his name gets mentioned,” she started to squirm uncomfortably in her seat, like she had something on her mind. “I---um---may have done something a little irrational.” Whatever it was, it was clearly distressing her. My brows rose in anticipation, expecting her to continue. She finally cleared her throat, and sat up straighter in her chair.

“I may have said something to Samantha out of spite,” she paused again, unsure whether to say anything further. But she had piqued my curiosity now.

“Spit it out, Kiara,” I demanded.

“I did something stupid through jealousy, and it created a chain of events,” she conceded dejectedly. I waited, but my patience for her to get to the point was wearing thin.

“I arranged for some photographs to be released to the media,” Ahhh---The pictures from the marina. I gave her a little more of my attention. “…and Levi Webber paid me a visit telling me in no uncertain terms to stay away from Samantha.” Talking about Webber was boring me, and my attention was starting to wane, again. If she didn’t get to the point promptly, I’ll be waving her goodbye. When in the fuck is she going to get to the irrational, spiteful part?

“I leapt to your defense.” What? Leapt to my defense? Oh, fuck---no. “I told her you were nothing like she’s painted you out to be, and that you came into the firm to take some kind of action against her for all her lies about you.” The rage building up inside of me was almost at the point of ignition. “And I told her you were considering paying her a visit to discuss it.” Stupid fucking bitch. She needs to be taught a lesson. I drained what was left in my glass.

“Drink up, Kiara.” She picked up her glass, and finished off what was left as I stood towering over her. When she put her empty glass back down on the table, I grasped her wrist in a grip that conveyed no amount of wriggling would loosen.

“Come with me.” I dragged her behind me to the locked door at the end of the long hallway. Taking the key out of my pocket, I inserted it in the lock, and proceeded to pull open the door.

“Time to atone for your irrational spitefulness.” I dragged a reluctant Kiara down the steps to my chambers of sin.

© Copyright Carol Delmornay 2016.

All Rights Reserved.