His Four Poster Bed (Bedroom Secrets Series Book 2) (12 page)

Sitting on the edge of the mattress was a blue toothbrush boxed up and tied with a crisp red ribbon.

My eyes widened. “A toothbrush?”

He nodded and picked it up handing it to me then dropping to one knee.

“Stop it,” I said, laughing nervously shocked at the rush of emotion I felt at seeing that man on bended knee.

“Odessa Starr,” he said, with reverence. “Will you take this toothbrush and keep it in my bathroom as a sign of your commitment to fuck my brains out every night if you so choose.” He looked up at me grinning.

“You are ridiculous,” I laughed, pulling him to his feet. “Stand up, come on.”

“It’s time,” he said, reaching for the toothbrush and handing it me. “I want you to know that you belong here, to not worry about packing up all your belongings and disappearing in the morning light.”

I stood in front of him my mouth dry. He had a point. Hauling my things back and forth was becoming more of a chore and I constantly worried I’d screw up again and end up walking the hospital halls in slutty red heels.

“I told you the night I met you that I don’t believe in cages, but I want you to know that you have a place with me.” Marco nodded towards the closet. “You’ll find an empty rack inside if you so choose to bring a few things here.”

My eyes darted from the toothbrush to the closet to Marco to the bed. Heart racing I took a breath. My normal play was to cut and run but here I stood not speaking and not taking a step away.

“I’ve freaked you out,” he said, cringing. He brushed a hair off my forehead. “You have to speak, say something. I’ve turned you into a mute.”

“I’ll take the toothbrush,” I blurted throwing my arms around his neck and kissing him as a rush of adrenaline raced through my body.

He laughed kissing and undressing me with every stumbling step we took towards that bed. “Stay with me,” he said when we’d fallen onto those gorgeous gray sheets. He stopped kissing me and gazed directly into my eyes with a seriousness that surprised me. “Promise me you’ll stay with me as long as you can.”

“I don’t expect to go anywhere,” I said. “Are you?”

He answered me with a kiss and within moments I’d forgotten that he’d never really given me an answer.

The next night Todd did not meet me in the garage. I took the back staircase and was about to head up the private elevator when Veronica intercepted me placing her hand on the up button.

“Veronica. Hi?” I said, my finger poised awkwardly close to her skin.

“We need to move,” she said, taking my arm and pulling me away from the doors. “Quickly.”

“Excuse me?” I said, stumbling a bit as she led me around the corner and past the front desk. With every step I became more confused and irritated. I hadn’t seen Veronica in weeks and here she was dragging me around the hotel as if I were a piece of property.

“I’ll explain,” she said, walking me across the lobby into a small bar that faced First Avenue. The walls black, blue neon accents lit the walls. A woman stood at a small stage in the back of the room crooning out a sad sounding jazz tune.

Veronica slipped into a booth and directed me to sit across from her.

I stood at the edge of the table, my heart pounding. “No,” I said, feeling dizzy with rage. “I’m not doing anything until you tell me what is going on. Where is Marco?”

“Please sit,” she said. “We don’t need a scene.”

“Tell me and I’ll sit.”

“You can’t go upstairs, not now,” she said, rubbing her forehead. “For Christ sake Odessa, Marco sent me downstairs to keep you safe. Sit. The. Fuck. Down.”

Her words stunned me into silence. I sunk into the booth.

“What’s going on?” I said, a feeling of dread creeping into my belly. Suddenly Todd’s nightly escorts didn’t seem to meaningless, the private elevator and back staircase now took on an ominous tone. “Who is he hiding from up there?” I asked.

“Marco doesn’t hide,” she looked at me as if she pitied me. “I’m here to protect you, not him.”

“Enough with the cryptic bullshit Veronica,” I said, leaning across the table. “I know you have some sort of special relationship with Marco, but so do I. Tell me what is going on, I don’t deal well with ambiguity.”

“Marco’s father has come to town,” Veronica said, again rubbing her temples. “Luis is here. He is upstairs.”

“So, what?” I said. I felt like my brain was on over drive trying to put together a puzzle filled with missing pieces.

“Why do you think Marco hides out in the penthouse in Seattle? The Amador family runs their business out of New York, Seville, London, and Guadalajara. Yet, Marco chooses to mold in the rain and the cold.”

“I thought the Amador foundation was based here.”

“No, the foundation has fundraisers all over the country. The night of the New Year’s Eve bash for Children’s there were six other parties across the world.” She wrinkled her brow. “You really didn’t google him did you?”

“No,” I said, flushing with embarrassment. “He asked me not to.”

“Christ, you are something else,” Veronica said. Her dark brown eyes looked weary and she had circles under her eyes. “Would you like a cocktail? Something strong perhaps?”

“Yes. Fine,” I said, my mind still spinning.

Veronica got up and went to the bar to order. I felt grateful for the darkness of the bar. I closed my eyes and inhaled and exhaled slowly. I needed to calm my racing heart. Had I trusted Marco too soon? Family secrets were one thing my mind reasoned, just because the man hadn’t told me more about his father didn’t mean he would betray me.

Marco had promised me total honesty and here I was being squirreled away as if I were an untouchable.

Veronica returned holding two low ball drinks. “Whisky,” she said.

“Nice,” I took the drink.

“Don’t worry it goes down smooth.”

“That’s a relief.” I took a sip of the drink and allowed the heat to move through my body. It gave me a moment to really look at Veronica. She was still gorgeous, all legs, lanky but muscular and strong. She wore a short sequined skirt and a yellow cashmere sweater that popped against her deep brown skin. Her brown hair cropped close to her skull she had amazing bone structure. She looked as though she’d just finished walking the runway at fashion week.

“Marco says you work for the DEA,” I said, taking another sip of my whisky. “Is that true? You don’t really look like a government employee you know.”

She widened her eyes and took a sip of whiskey. “Looks can be deceiving.”

“Whatever, I’m done here,” I said, moving to slide out of the table. Veronica dropped her arm across the table grabbing my wrist.

“Let’s just get this out into the open,” she said. “Marco is like a brother to me. I have never seen his dick.”

“I wasn’t asking about his dick,” I said, trying to act shocked. I had been wondering. Damn. I thought I was better at hiding my insecurities.

“Yes, you were,” she laughed, letting go of my wrist. “You can pretend to be coy, when really what you are wondering is if the man has taken his dick anywhere near me. Have I known his touch? Has he tasted me? Have I ever fucked your man?”

I laughed trying to cover up how well she’d seen through me. “He’s not my man.”

“Bullshit,” Veronica said. “I have known Marco since we were both eight years old. The boy is a man now and he does not love many. But he loves you.” Veronica smiled at me and sipped her whiskey.

“He loves me,” I repeated downing the rest of my drink. Her words stunned me. Was it true? Of course it was true. I didn’t need Veronica to tell me, I could feel it in his touch in the way he loved my body every night. “Why are you telling me this, why isn’t Marco here now?”

“Marco has always cared deeply about his private life and that now includes you which means you are not allowed to be on his father’s radar.”

“You act like his dad is dangerous,” I said, laughing.

Veronica did not respond right away. She arched an eyebrow and took a slow drink before shrugging her shoulders.

“Is he? Dangerous?” I asked. “It’s his dad.”

“Luis Amador is his father but he is not Marco’s family,” Veronica said. “I am his family and now you are too. I told Marco you would become a complication for him but he went ahead anyway, so now I need to help him clean up his mess.”

“You think I’m a mess that needs to be cleaned up?” I asked.

“Oh quit being so literal,” she said. “You should be flattered that Marco sent me downstairs to stop you. If he didn’t give a shit he would have allowed you to come upstairs and prance around in your too tiny skirt and stupid high heel shoes like the other empty headed girls he has paraded around before.”

“Not really making me feel better,” I said, wishing for more whiskey.

“You dress fine,” she said, nodding to my black skirt and tailored white blouse.

“I’m glad you approve.”

“But you are much too sensitive,” she said, rolling her eyes.

“Well, let me explain to you what just happened to me,” I said, knowing my tone was biting. “I came to see my boyfriend who supposedly loves me, was intercepted by his beautiful
sister
, who explains to me that I can’t go upstairs since I may run into my boyfriend’s dangerous dad, but don’t worry if I was a total slut, he would have paraded me around per normal.”

“Yes, exactly,” Veronica deadpanned.

“You know this is weird.”

“Yes, I do.”

“So, I think I’m going to go then,” I said, standing this time. “Thanks for the drink. Let my boyfriend know that I’m sorry we couldn’t see each other. Maybe we can arrange to meet somewhere even more discrete, a seedy hotel on Aurora perhaps.”

My hands shook with anger. I felt as though Marco had disrespected me. Made me feel like an affair, like a lie. I knew I was tapping into my feelings about my father and his adulterous lies but I couldn’t stop myself. “Maybe he can buy me a burner phone so there is no record of me calling him.”

“He already has a phone for you,” Veronica said. “He was supposed to give it to you last week. Would you please sit.”

“What?” Heart pounding I stared at her unreadable expression. “You aren’t kidding, or wait, you’re kidding.”

“If you would slow down and stop behaving like a jealous schoolgirl, you might realize that you believe me. You believe all of it, don’t you?”

Tears flooded my eyes and I bit my lip to keep from crying. I sank back into the booth. I hated feeling confused and out of control. Did I believe Veronica? Did I believe that Marco loved me and wanted to keep me safe from his family?

“Will I see him tonight?” I said, my mouth dry and body longing for his touch.

“I’m afraid not,” she said. “I have been instructed to drive you home or send you home in a cab.”

“Get me some black coffee. I can drive in a little while, I’ve had two drinks,” I said.

“Those were double shots,” she smiled. “One coffee coming up and I’ll follow you home to make sure you get there safely.”

“Deal.”

Veronica returned with a cup of strong coffee. I sat sipping it in the dark. With every minute that passed I could feel the caffeine settling my mind, diffusing the warm blur of the alcohol. I’d be fine to drive soon.

Veronica and I did not speak. The lounge singer returned from her break. She wore a sparkling sheath dress and closed her eyes while she sang making me feel as though I’d fallen inside some noir film.

But this wasn’t a film, this was real life, my life and my real life was officially out of control.

I was Odessa Starr, an independent intelligent woman who was used to being totally self-sufficient and here I was sitting in a bar like an ill-informed damsel in distress.

Was this the price I would pay for Marco’s love?

“You ready?” Veronica clapped as the singer completed an almost macabre rendition of “Tiny Dancer.” “We have time to make it across the lobby and into the garage.” She glanced at her phone. I no longer asked any questions, I assumed she’d gotten a signal from upstairs somehow.

We strode across the lobby to the back staircase. Todd stood by the elevator on guard. He nodded at me as we passed. “Good night miss,” he said, a sad smile crossing his face, at least it looked sad to me.

I slipped down the back staircase and tried to tell myself that once I talked to Marco everything would be all right again but I knew it was a lie. Marco loved me and perhaps I loved him too but suddenly everything felt wrong. This felt unfixable to me, it felt broken, well beyond the reach of the love we shared in his four poster bed.