Chapter Fifteen

A few days later and Sunday kissed River goodbye as she prepared to hunker down in her apartment for the next few days. “You promise if you need me, you’ll call?”

“I swear to God. Christ, I’m going to miss you.” He tangled her hair up in his fist and studied her. “Don’t go falling for anyone else.”

“Ha.” She nuzzled her nose against his. “Don’t let her get to you.”

River smiled. “I won’t.”

Sunday hated leaving him alone, knowing his abuser would show up there soon. She had packed a few of Ludo’s diaries into a bag and planned to spend the next few days working. But, as she dumped her bag in her cold apartment, she felt the need to go out and distract herself from what was happening at the Castle.

She went over to Daisy’s coffeehouse to see her friend. She was surprised to see her chatting to Tony, the young snowboarder, and Sunday quickly realized that her friend and the newcomer were casually dating.

Good. It saved any awkward flirting. “How are you doing? I’m sorry I haven’t been around for a few days.”

Daisy grinned at her. “Dude, it’s all right. I know you and River are pretty loved up.”

“You do?”

“Nothing stays secret here for long. I think it’s wonderful and listen, even Aria doesn’t seem too pissy about it.”

Sunday rolled her eyes. “I’m glad. I could do without another enemy.” Too late, she realized what she had said. “I mean, a jealous ex.”

She smiled at Tony. “So, you two getting to know each other?”

“She’s great, although I have trouble with the accent sometimes. She put in a good word with her dad for me up at the ski place, got me a job.”

“I’m glad to hear it.” She sipped her coffee then wondered why Tony was staring at her. “Something wrong?”

“Nah … it’s just, you really remind me of someone.”

Sunday’s stomach gave a lurch of unease. “Oh?”

“You ever been on television?”

She forced a smile. “Nope.”

“Huh.”

Change the subject. “So what job have they got you doing up at the ski place?”

She didn’t really listen to what he was saying, jolted by his possible recognition of her. It made her feel sick to her stomach, and she realized how much River was giving up to protect her. The least she could do was stay out of sight.

She finished her coffee and made her excuses but as she made her way to the door, it opened and Sunday’s breath froze in her chest.

Angelina had arrived.

Angelina looked straight at her, but in her eyes, there was no recognition. Behind Angelina, a tall, handsome man with piercing blue eyes stood. “Excuse me, please,” Sunday muttered as she moved past them and out of the door. “thank you,” she said to the man, who smiled down at her.

“My pleasure.”

She escaped across the street and locked her apartment door behind her. She hadn’t realized that seeing a part of her past life would upset her so much, even without the obvious horror that Angelina had wreaked on River’s life. Sunday felt anger, resentment, fear, and distress all at once and now she was glad she was alone so that she could cry and rant and get all of the pent-up pain out.

She cried herself out, then took a shower, a headache pounding around her temples. She decided she would not work today, but took a long nap, waking just to eat some quick pasta, then fell asleep again.

She woke, fuzzyheaded, when her cell phone buzzed. She smiled when she saw who was calling. “Hey, baby.”

“Hey, pretty girl.” River sounded calm. “I miss you.”

“Me too, my darling.” She hesitated. “Have you seen her?”

River sighed. “Yes … and I don’t quite know what to make of her visit.”

Sunday sat up. “How so?”

“Well, for one thing, she brought her fiancé. Bitch is getting married. Poor guy.”

Sunday heard the amusement in River’s voice and was glad that he hadn’t been upset. “What did she say about Berry?”

“She wants visitation. I told her okay, but on certain conditions.”

“Like?”

“Like she gets supervised visits. She doesn’t relocate here. She doesn’t expect me to be there, but someone will always come with Berry.” He sighed. “I might have pushed it a little far when I told her to hand over her passport whenever she visits Berry.”

Sunday snorted. “With Angelina, nothing is pushing it.” She hesitated. “She saw me. I went to Daisy’s to grab some coffee and she came in. She looked right at me and I swear, River, there was nothing. She has no idea.”

River groaned. “Don’t say things like that. We can’t get complacent. Did you recognize the man with her?”

“Not at all. Who is he?”

“Some property guy from New York. If Angelina’s marrying him, he must be rich. Brian Scanlan. Are you sure you don’t know him?”

“Doesn’t ring a bell. I’ll do some research.”

“That’s my girl.” He sighed. “Is it weird that I worry about you being alone there?”

“You shouldn’t. I’m perfectly safe, baby. It’s only for a couple of days, then I’ll be back.”

“Yeah, I know.” River was quiet for a moment, and Sunday felt for him.

“Was it painful?”

“Yes. Just seeing her. I thought I’d lose it, tear her limb from limb, but I think that’s why she brought the fiancé.”

“What did you make of him?”

“Charming. Fake as hell. Good match.”

Sunday laughed. “I love it when you’re a bitch, Giotto. I love you.”

“I love you too, sweetheart.”

They talked for a little while longer then said good night. Sunday felt a pang of loneliness, listening to the quiet of the apartment. She went to the kitchen and grabbed some aspirin. Maybe I slept too long. Her eyes felt puffy from crying. She made some strong coffee and fired up her laptop, typing ‘Brian Scanlan’ into the search engine.

The top result was a professional website for Scanlan Properties, a high-end property firm in Manhattan. She clicked through the site until she got to the page about the owner. Brian Scanlan, forty-two, unmarried, was a self-made man, rich beyond belief thanks to a savvy business mind, handsome in a bland way. Ruthless in industry, he was a fixture of the Upper East Side society set.

“Then how come I’ve never heard of you?” Sunday muttered to herself. River was right. There was something hinky about this dude. She did a deep web search on his name but could only come up with the basic facts she already knew. “No one is this anonymous, especially someone as rich as you, Mr. Scanlan.”

Her journalistic curiosity was piqued now. If he was in a relationship with a viper like Angelina, there had to be something in it for him. Okay, so Angelina was supposedly considered beautiful, but her vile nature precluded anyone with an ounce of humanity being with her, surely? Sunday sighed. Was she being unfair?

No. She hated Angelina with the fury of a thousand suns and anyone involved with her had to be bad. “If you mess with my man, Scanlan, you are dead meat.” Like she could do anything about it. Scanlan, the little she’d seen of him, was a big guy.

She shut down her computer and went to bed, making sure the door to the apartment was locked. River’s warning had made her nervous after all.

It was dark when she opened her eyes and as they got used to the gloom, she heard someone breathing. No, no, she was just imagining it. She closed her eyes but then she heard the floorboard creak. She sat up. Her vision was weirdly blurry when she saw the figure come toward her …

Why can’t I move?

The intruder came closer and she could see his face had no features, his body was wiry and his hands … dear God, his hands were knives and he drove them into her …

Wake up.

Sunday sat up, panting for air. “Goddamn freaking nightmares.” Hissing out the words made her feel better. Shit, was she really turning into such a pussy?

She glanced at the clock. A little after 1:00. She knew River would still be up. She called him.

“Hey, beautiful.”

“Gorgeous man. I was just lying here and missing the touch of your hands.”

River chuckled softly. He knew what she wanted. “Feeling horny, pretty girl?”

“Always for you. Do you have any clothes on?”

“Just my underwear.”

“Take it off.”

River laughed. “I will if you will.”

“Oh, I’m taking everything off.”

He groaned. “God, I wish I could be there.”

“What would you do to me?”

“I’d kiss every part of you, starting with your lips, then your throat. I’d suck on each nipple until they were rock-hard and raw. Where is your hand, baby?”

“On my belly.”

“Stroke it for me. Pretend your fingers are mine. I love stroking your belly; it’s so soft. I love running my tongue around your bellybutton. Can you do that? With your finger, I mean, circle your navel and pretend I’m there, licking it, teasing it.”

Sunday moaned softly, her eyes close. “Touch your cock for me, baby. Pretend my lips are closing around it, my tongue sweeping over your wide crest. You’re hard, so hard, baby, and so, so big …”

She heard his sharp intake of breath. “I’m going south, baby, down your belly, and now my tongue is on your clit … God, you taste so good, Sunday … my tongue is in you, going deep, deeper …”

Sunday, her fingers stroking her clit, writhed on the bed. “I want you inside me; your cock is so hard, so hard … fuck me, River, please …”

“I’m in you. Take it all, baby, that’s it … that’s it …”

Sunday came, crying out his name as she stroked her clit and imagining his diamond-hard cock filling her. “God, River … River … I love you so much …”

She heard his long groan of release. “Sunday … forever… I love you …”

After they caught their breath, they talked late into the night. “Only one more night away from each other, then we’re home free.”

“I can’t wait. Good night, baby.”

“Good night, my darling man.”

After that, Sunday had no nightmares. But when she woke in the morning, she found the first note shoved under her door and felt icy cold shock clutch her heart.

I found you, Marley.