SIXTEEN
When Finn left, Peri felt as though all the oxygen had been sucked out of the room. As though her lifeline had been ripped away, she was overcome with an acute sense of loss. Swallowing against a tight, dry throat, the sensation of sinking deep underwater and drowning, enveloped her.
Damn it to hell. She'd planned, anticipated this confrontation for years. And somewhere in the back of her mind, she'd hoped for a glimmer of support from Finn. Hell, a little freaking compassion would've been nice. Instead, he'd walked out.
Surprised? her mind jeered. Really?
This was why she always walked away first.
She'd waited too long, become too attached to him, making the cut deeper. She'd ignored every mental caution to herself. Damn it, she knew better. People she cared about never stuck around.
None of this was unfolding as planned, and with Finn's complete withdrawal, every molecule in her body wanted to jump up and say fuck you all. Instead of being impetuous, Peri drew in a breath. No one could go anywhere because of the high seas. She had a captive audience, and things to say. Like it or lump it, they'd hear it. "Do you really have to ask, considering the way you guys have treated Rydell over the years? You screwed him over time and again." There was also that other pesky detail that was none of their damned business.
"I grew up hating you which made stealing from you easy. You had every freaking opportunity to confront and stop me. You didn't.”
Retribution for Rydell was the motivation. Besting them, and taunting them with her presence, had kept her going. But getting zero freaking acknowledgement was what had driven her to dangerous extremes.
Because the Cutters had ignored her as if she didn't exist. For years. They hadn't given a hoot who she was, or bothered to find out why she'd appropriated their salvaged treasure. In the long run, the only pleasure she had derived from swiping stuff from right under their noses was the thrill of being caught.
Peri loved living on the edge. Knowing she could be caught in the act at any moment. It was like amazingly good sexual foreplay. The anticipation, the adrenaline rush—exactly like when she and Finn had made love behind an unlocked door, mere feet away from a hundred party guests.
Even now, when she'd revealed her identity, presented herself for who she was and what she'd done, the damn Cutters still had no interest in acknowledging her.
Maybe this was her punishment after all. Total disinterest. To be ignored as if she weren’t more than a pesky fly. “I never planned to keep anything."
"Keeping what you stole you mean," Logan said. "Finn's right. It's well within our rights to charge you with piracy and grand theft.”
“Why do you hate the guys so much?" Teal asked, her brow furrowed.
"Let me put it more bluntly; What the fuck did we ever do to you to warrant you stealing from us?" Logan demanded.
Zane looked grim. "Nothing warrants her stealing from us."
God, Peri desperately wanted to get up and pace, but the room was littered with Cutters like a damn physical minefield. She stayed put, chin high. “It’s complicated.”
Jonah snapped, “Simplify. You're damn quiet over there, Nick. What's your two cents on this?"
"I'll jump in when necessary. Right now, I'm listening.”
“Your family started screwing over my family for years before I was even born.”
“So, nothing to you personally?" Jonah rose to go to the other side of the room, poured another cup of coffee, and returned to his seat. He placed the steaming mug on the table next to him without drinking.
So they could close ranks, but she couldn't? “Anything you've done to my family is done to me by extension.” What was sauce for the gander. . .
Nick scanned her features. What was he looking for? “Tell us about your brother.”
“Rydell knows nothing about my actions and, believe me, he wouldn’t condone what I’ve done. He’s an exemplary human being. Honest. Honorable. Ethical," she said pointedly. "And a damn good brother."
"Did this damn good brother tell you to steal from us?"
“She just said he didn't. Let her talk, Logan,” Nick said. More gently, to Peri, he added with a nod, “Go on.”
“Did you know that your father and mine were once partners?”
"Not until last year," Nick admitted, his gaze intense as he leaned forward to listen to her. “It was a long time ago.”
“Yes,” Peri acknowledged. “But with long reaching repercussions. Our fathers had a falling out around the time I was born and their financial agreement fell apart. Or so Rydell was led to believe. My father had another partner/investor, a Frenchman named Antoine Baillargeon. What Rydell didn’t discover until a couple of years ago, was that Baillargeon had been subsidizing our father for years, pouring multi-millions of pounds into the failing salvage company. The Euro had gone up in value, interest compounded, and Rydell was unaware of the loan until after old man Baillargeon died and his heirs demanded repayment.
"It didn't matter that the debt belonged to our father. Case Enterprises is Rydell’s company, and he takes his responsibilities as seriously as a heart attack. While all that was happening, you guys kept trying to horn in on his salvages, or taking him to court, or- pissed him off in some way.
Intentionally, I might add. If he defaulted on that balloon payment, you had the right of first refusal. If my brother lost, you'd conveniently own Case Enterprises.”
Teal looked from brother to brother. “That didn’t happen.”
“No," Peri said. "Because Ry and Addison got back together, and they actually got a finder's fee for discovering stolen artwork, so they were able to make that payment." They'd been divorced, mourning the death of their first child, Rydell's ship had been hijacked. She snapped her mouth shut. They didn't need to know any of his personal business.
Nick's gentle smile confused her. Maybe it was just a trick of the light. “I remember reading about that. The thief tried to smuggle stolen paintings on his ship, right? Quite the finder's fee as I recall. Sounds like your brother's a sensible, responsible guy.”
“He's always been my rock."
"Where are your parents?" Bria asked gently.
"Dead."
"So you only have the one brother?" Bria seemed to have forgotten her tea as she cast Peri a sympathetic look. "No other family?"
"I had another brother. Adam."
"He died of leukemia six years ago," Jonah told them.
"And you know this how?" Logan demanded, swiveling his head to look at his brother.
"My Callie was married to Adam Case."
"Fucking hell," Logan muttered. "Are you all keeping damned secrets? You didn't mention Callie was a Case. I thought her last name was West?"
"Maiden name." Jonah shrugged. "Not my secret to share."
Logan glared at Nick. "What's your excuse?"
"Same answer."
"Hell. I'm not done with either of you." He turned his attention to her, annoyance clear in his expression. "Question to you is; How the hell is this tale of woe our fault?"
Peri scowled right back at him. “Ry faced adversity from the moment Dad walked out on us. He emotionally supported our mother, practically raised Adam and myself, brought in Callie from her abusive parents who lived next door, financially and emotionally supported Adam after he was diagnosed, and supported Callie after Adam died.”
“Jonah’s Callie?” Zane looked from Peri to Jonah.
“Our Callie," she said tightly.
Jonah's lips tightened. "The same Callie sent by your conniving brother to spy on me, you mean?"
Nick shot him an amused glance. "The woman you forgave, and love with all your heart, right, bro?"
"Fuck you."
"Then what happened, Persephone?" Nick asked.
"In all that time, your father did nothing to help his partner and best friend. Not. A. Damn. Thing. He let him sink like a rock."
"Tell us about Rydell." Nick leaned forward, elbows propped on his knees.
"When he got the business back in the black, when he'd found a little freaking happiness, Ry’s baby daughter died. His wife divorced him, and she took his brand-new ship in the settlement. On top of all that, his ship Sea Dragon was hijacked and eventually destroyed.”
Zane shrugged. “A crap hand, but nothing to do with us.”
Shut up. Shut up. Shut up. None of this was any of their business, they didn't need to know ninety-nine percent of any of this. They were the last people on the planet who needed to know how badly loneliness had strangled her as a child and well into her teens. How this vendetta had given her the strength to keep going.
People. Walked. Away.
Always.
She'd figured that one out early and well.
She was always prepared to walk first, and she handled it just fine.
"Tell us about your father," Nick said.
There'd been a lot of yelling and slamming of doors. Peri shrugged. “When he split, and left us behind in London, he ran Case Enterprises from an apartment in Boston. Your father cleaned him out financially, screwed him over a big salvage in the Sea of Japan, leaving him with nothing but his ship."
"News to me," Logan said. "We heard it was the other way around."
Acid burned her stomach. "Daniel Cutter was a liar, a thief, a drunk and a womanizer!"
"No shit," Jonah muttered under his breath.
"Whoa! All true. Yeah, he was. No secret." Nick addressed Zane, who'd half risen from his chair, his face flushed, his eyes flashing blue fire. "Two sides to every story, right? Let's hear Persephone out, and we can take it from there."
"Dad took his dive boat, what was left in the joint bank account, and my Mom’s broken heart with him. A year later he committed suicide without leaving so much as a note." She shook her head on an exhale. "None of this is relevant, this has nothing to do with anything."
"No. We're interested. Aren't we?" Nick demanded of his brothers. "Keep going, Persephone. This is all relevant. Hearing about your family, your life, helps us get to know you."
Too damn late to get to know her now. The only thing holding her hostage was the weather. She was a captive confessor now. What had she expected? That they'd take her at face value? Of course not. "My Mom fell apart." There was no need to tell them that her mother had pretty much ignored her for as long as Peri could remember. It was Ry and Adam who'd stroked her back when she was bullied at school. It was Callie who'd helped pick out her first school clothes, with Ry and Adam tagging along to supervise.
It was Ry who'd gone to PTA meetings, Ry who'd bought all her Girl Scout cookies- Adam who'd run her paper route- the year she'd fallen off her skateboard and broken her leg. "At fifteen Ry held all of us together." By taking the ship left to him, and going out to look for a freaking wreck to salvage. At sixteen! What had the Cutters been doing at sixteen? Been tucked into their nice safe, warm beds by their loving mother? "With all that responsibility, he had to grow up fast-"
Feeling uncharacteristically fragile, Peri couldn't prevent skimming a glance toward the door, searching for one more glimpse of Finn. He was long gone. The dreadful weight of his absence was so heavy she was almost incapable of interacting with these people who didn't care for her either. The heaviness on her chest felt unbearable and made breathing difficult.
Lacing her cold fingers together in her lap, she no longer felt invincible. It was as though finally acknowledging her lies had stripped her of her hard outer shell leaving nothing but a soft squishy center for others to stomp on. Without Finn there, she was dying a death of a thousand cuts, with nowhere to run and no one to turn to.
Squaring her shoulders Peri sat up straighter, locking her spine. She had to get a grip. But right now she was incapable of doing much more than take whatever they threw at her. Desperation to be alone ate at her hard-won composure. She was damned if she'd cry, but she needed not to be 'on'.
"You’ve seen for yourself who we are," Nick told her. "I think if your brother sat down and had a real conversation with us, he'd discover we have a lot more in common than our mutual hatred for each other’s father-"
"I have no plans to sit down with that bastard," Zane interrupted. "He's as culpable as she i-"
"Surprise!"
As one, everyone turned to face the door.
"Callie!" Sister of her heart. After a stunned pause—the taking of a step that wasn't there—Peri jumped up and flew across the room and into her sisters-in-law's arms. She buried her face against Callie's dark hair for a moment as her closed throat tightened even more, and her eyes smarted.
Looking puzzled, dark hair whipped by the wind and sea spray, Callie took Peri's face between her hands. "Peri what are you doing h-"
"Calista West, soon to be Cutter, love of my life!" Jonah closed the gap, took Peri's shoulder and moved her out of the way so he could engulf his fiancé in his arms. Callie wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him.
After several moments while everyone looked their way, Jonah broke the kiss and cupped her cheek. The way he looked at her friend made Peri's heartache and the tears she'd been struggling to hold at bay burned her lids like acid.
"I just spoke to you an hour ago," Jonah told Callie, his face showing his love for her. He brushed her cheek with his fingertips, as if to convince himself she was really here and not a figment of his imagination. "All that wedding talk, and you forgot to mention that you're here!"
"I wanted to surprise you." Her face glowed. She released him to hug everyone else in turn, as they elbowed their way to get to her, laughing and talking over each other. "I decided I didn't want to wait three weeks. I called to fake you out as I was about to board the rental chopper at the airport. The pilot required a ginormous bribe to fly me in this weather. I think he prayed with his eyes closed most of the way. I risked life and limb to get here, and I want to get married today. I brought a priest. . . I think he's somewhere puking right now." Her smile lit up the room as she waved in the general direction of the interior of the ship.
Nick said, “I’m not sure this is the best—”
Jonah shot his brother a none too subtle shut-the-hell-up-glare, then turned back to his bride-to-be. "Sweetheart, to get that ring on your finger, at last, I'd marry you anywhere, anyhow, anytime. Hell yes, let’s do it now. Here or Stormchaser?"
"The storm isn't abating, I'm afraid." A tall man in his mid-fifties stood in the background. "For those of you I haven’t met, I'm Walker Goodman, Mr. Gallagher's PA. He had to take a call and asked me to relay several messages. You're all welcome to remain on board until the weather clears tomorrow at approximately three a.am. We'll be pulling up anchor on Blackstar soon thereafter, as Mr. Gallagher has a business meeting scheduled in Hong Kong regarding a merger and has decided to take Blackstar. Any discussions you might have concerning the salvage should be made through Hachirō Okabe in our New York office, as Mr. Gallagher will be tied up with merger negotiations for quite some time." He paused to let that sink in.
"Since congratulations are in order, I offer mine, and, because I couldn’t help but hear the conversation as I approached, I’d like to offer the services of Mr. Gallaher's staff to facilitate a wedding while you wait for the winds to die down?"
Was there a message for her? Finn's guy didn't- not once- make eye contact with her. That was his message. Loud and clear.
"Perfect." Callie spread her arms. "Ladies?" Bria and Teal linked arms with her as she turned her head. "Peri? Come on."
Peri forced a smile. Everywhere from her hair follicles, to her toenails, hurt. "Right behind you," she told Callie, infusing the words with as much excitement and happiness as humanly possible, when she’d never felt more like crawling into a hole and pulling it in after herself. Before following Callie out of the room, she glanced at Logan, Nick, Jonah and Zane.
Their ice blue eyes cut through her with looks of disapproval. She was tempted to stay and take her conversation with the Cutters to some sort of conclusion, but Nick gave her a solid headshake. “We’ve heard enough for now. This is Jonah and Callie’s time. We’ll finish our business after the wedding.”
Peri wondered exactly where he thought that meeting was going to happen. They were all being evicted from Finn's ship at three the next morning.
Bright late-afternoon sunlight streamed into Peri’s cabin, where Callie was changing for her impromptu wedding. While her sister-in-law's joy was apparent in her smile, Peri couldn’t help but wonder if it was selfish of her to be sad that Callie was only going to be a Case for another hour. Heavy-hearted, she also realized this would be the last time she'd be in this room. Onboard this ship.
Teal had opted to go back to "help" the guys. Doing what, Peri didn't really care. She suspected the mechanic wasn't much of a girl's girl. Blackstar was sure to be a madhouse as everyone raced around prepping for the unexpected wedding while the weather tethered them all inside for the duration. The high winds buffeted the wave-splattered windows, and foaming water sluiced over the decks.
Peri would've loved some time alone with Callie, but Bria was there as her sister-in-law got ready. All three women squeezed into the small bathroom while Callie did her make-up.
This was Callie's day, and Peri wasn't going to ruin her happiness by allowing her own unhappiness to show.
Finn was clearly furious if he was willing to literally pull up anchor and leave just to avoid her. Hard to reconcile that cold-eyed man with the human furnace who'd had his tongue in her mouth, and his hand on her breast just hours ago.
The house phone rang in the other room.
No second chances. She didn't need to be hit over the head with a freaking anchor. She got it. Loud and clear. Happy for the distraction, she went into the bedroom to answer it. After a moment, she poked her head back into the bathroom. Since Bria was handing Callie brushes as if she was a surgical nurse and Callie the surgeon, Peri remained in the doorway. "That was Finn's P.A. He says it's still too windy to be outside. Solarium okay?"
"Sure. Wherever. I'd get married right here in the bathroom if that's what it takes."
"Where's your dress, Callie?" Bria asked as she handed a big fluffy brush to the bride-to-be. "I'm sure it needs to be pressed."
Callie glanced from Bria to Peri and back again. "Probably. Would you mind? I left my carryall on the sofa in the living room. Thanks, Bria."
When Bria left, Peri slipped back into the bathroom. There were no more makeup brushes to pass. She propped a hip on the other end of the sink. Callie, an accomplished Marine Archaeologist, would be a big help to the Cutters, Peri knew. She'd been a big help to Ry who'd paid for that fancy degree.
Damn it, Persephone, stop being a bitch. Look at that shining, happy, in-love face. How could you possibly be mad at Callie just because your heart’s been ripped out?
Throat burning with everything she wanted to share, she touched a finger to Callie's dark curls. "This reminds me of when you helped me dress for my junior prom, remember?"
"Fourteen and already a knockout." Callie said. "And that dress. . ." Her smile grew wider at the memory of Peri's skintight, strapless black evening gown.
"I thought I was so cool and sophisticated with my updo, Juicy Tube ultra-shiny lip gloss and smoky eyes. I looked like a hooker, didn't I?"
"Not at all." Callie smoothed a strand of hair behind Peri's ear. "Your brothers just didn't recognize a goth fairy princess when they saw one. I knew you'd grow into a rare beauty, Persephone. You've far surpassed the dreams we had for you. Your amazing house- which I'm determined to see soon. This mind-boggling salvage which will keep all of us busy 24/7, and make us all very, very rich, for the rest of our natural lives. You've done so well. And all on your own. You're a remarkable woman. I'm so proud of you, Magma."
Not if you knew what I've been doing. Peri closed her eyes. 'Thank you, but today is all about you. You'll have plenty of time to come to my house. We're going to remain anchored right here for the foreseeable future."
"I'd better bone up on my Spanish, then."
"You speaking Italian will help with that. Your hair looks cute shorter. Are you happy, Cal? No doubts or second thoughts this time?"
"Not a one." Callie took her hand and brought it to her cheek. "I don't even understand why I balked before. Jonah is the only m-"
"Man you've ever loved. I understand. Adam was a boy. You were a nurse, not a wife. I think he'd be pleased to see you this happy, Callie." Callie had been more nurse than wife for the six years she'd been married to Adam, and she'd done it without complaint. Adam had been dead for more than six years. It was time she found happiness.
Callie's eyes swam with tears. "You think?"
Her friend had had a shitty childhood, been accepted by the Case family, and married Adam knowing he was dying from leukemia. She was a freaking saint. "Without a doubt." Peri blinked the sting from her dry eyes. God, her chest hurt as if she'd been punched in the heart. "Did you call Ry?" she asked quietly. "Do he and Addy know about this?"
"Of course. Called right before I left the airport. He said they'd try their best to get here."
Peri's eyes went wide. "Seriously? Does he know all the Cutters are here?"
Callie shrugged. "I didn't know they were here when I called him. All I cared about was that Jonah was here."
Bria came to the door, a white dress draped over her arm. "There must be an iron somewhere."
Peri though a moment. "Closet, I think."
"Eccellente." She disappeared. A door opened and closed, the latch on the built-in ironing board snapped and Bria raised her voice to be heard from the other room. "I would love to do your hair, Callie. Let me iron this while you finish your makeup, and we'll do something simple and elegant and knock Jonah's socks off. Not that he'll care if you come out with your head shaved. I've never seen a man more besotted."
Callie smiled. "That focused passion is a Cutter family trait. That's part of the reason we love them so much, right?"
Had Callie already forgotten the boy who'd taken care of her, treated her as family, paid for her education and loved her unconditionally? "Rydell is like that, too."
Callie smiled. "God, he is that. Wouldn't it be-" She shook her head. "Yeah, no."
Peri almost snorted. Yeah, no was right. There'd be no happily blended families. Tough on Callie to be in the middle of the feud.
The Cutters were taking Callie away from her. Her friend wasn't going to get cold feet this time.
Rydell and Addy and baby Adam were a closed unit.
Peri was on the outside looking in, no matter where she turned.
Oh, get over yourself. She played a mental violin and told herself to snap the hell out of her funk. Everyone was happy. How could she begrudge Callie, or Ry and Addy, every scrap of happiness they deserved?
In the bathroom mirror, Peri saw Bria behind her, arranging the garment over the ironing board, then testing the heat of the iron. "You should see how Finn looks at Persephone."
Peri fought to drag a sip of air into her constricted lungs. "Then you didn't see his face when he walked out earlier."
"Perhaps he had an emergency?"
He had a million people on board at his beck and call who could handle any freaking emergency thrown at him. "Perhaps."
What Bria thought was passion was disgust. Peri would have to have been blind not to see his cold, deadly anger just before he stalked out. It was as though a door, ajar to show a sliver of warmth, had been slammed shut in her face.
Whatever physical attraction Finn had felt for her, had been wiped away when he'd learned who she really was deep down. Someone who sure as hell didn't deserve his love. The room blurred. Her heart, shriveled to dust, was too dry for tears. Tilting her head back, she blinked rapidly to bring the bathroom back into focus.
"Are you okay?" Callie asked softly, wrapping her arms around Peri's waist from behind. Resting her cheek on Peri's shoulder, their eyes met in the mirror. "You look like you're about to cry."
"Have you ever seen me cry?" Peri asked with a smile that felt forced and brittle. Callie didn't seem to notice.
"No. But- Are you all right?"
Enveloped in a cloud of coconut-scented lotion, and memories, Peri hugged Callie's arms against her. "Absolutely. I'm happy for you."
"I love Jonah, Peri. More than I ever thought possible. But I'll never forget Adam."
"I know." It annoyed the hell out of her that Callie's words made her throat ache even more.
Behind them the iron let out a burst, bringing with it the sweet smell of steam, and the crisp scent of hot linen. The elegant Principessa was industriously ironing the white sundress Callie would wear for the ceremony.
Letting her friend go, Peri stepped back and turned around to face this woman who was as much an older sister to her as Ry was her brother. "You deserve this happiness, Cal. You do."
Callie reached to cup her cheek with a cool hand. "I know you're happy for me, please don't look so sad."
She'd feel a hell of a lot better, and be able to think strategy, as soon as she was home and away from all this excessive emotion swirling around her. "Sad? Silly bride-to-be," she teased. "I'm not sad at all. I'm thrilled you're getting the man you love."
She really, really, really needed her old self to kick her butt so she could get back to normal. A new normal. Without Finn.
"I have to go and find more distilled water for the iron," Bria raised her voice. "I'll be right back to finish with your dress, then I can help you with your hair if you like, Callie." The cabin door opened and closed.
"She didn't need to go." Peri tried to smile, but her lips felt tight. "She's already heard everything I had to say. It wasn't pretty."
Callie's brow knit with concern. "What wasn't pretty? I'll repeat and would like an answer this time. Are. You. Okay?"
"I- Yes. I'm still alive. Not sure how long that's going to last. Your arrival was either fortuitous, or inconvenient, depending on who you ask. I was right in the middle of a confession."
"What on earth were you confessing to? That you're Ry's sister? Who cares?"
"That, and I've been stealing from your future in-laws for years."
Callie frowned. "Stealing what?"
Peri told Callie everything she’d told the Cutters.
"Oh, Peri-" Callie turned to hug her. "Does Ry know?"
"Not yet." Peri dreaded that conversation.
"I won't even go into the danger of diving alone. When you were God only knows where, and no one knew who you were. Anything could've happened to you, and we would never have kno- Damn it. Do not make me cry on my wedding day. No one was watching out for you Peri. That was really crazy dangerous. Why did you do it?"
"Honestly? Now that the cat's been let out of the bag, it doesn't make sense to me either." It did in her own convoluted way, but the explanation she'd given wasn't enough to satisfy them. Which was too damn bad, because it was all they'd get, the rest was none of their damn business.
"Rydell asked me to spy on Jonah, remember? I met him under false pretenses and lied my ass off when we first met. In spite of which, he fell in love with me." She gave Peri another hug before disengaging to lean over the sink to draw a cat eye. "He loves me. I love you. He'll convince his brothers not to prosecute. Besides, Rydell will insist on making it right, you know that."
"It's not Ry's job to make this right, Cal." Ry was going to be furious. He'd forgive her, after some time, but she'd have to face his wrath first. Jonah, on the other hand, was disgusted with what she'd done and was more likely to add to the lawsuit his brothers would bring.
Rydell would be bitterly disappointed in her. She'd rather the Cutters threw her in jail before she saw that look on her brother's face. She stiffened her shoulders, turning away to watch the wind whipping up the waves beyond the large, uncurtained window.
She turned to face her friend. "I don't need anyone to fight my battles for me, Callie. I've been fighting my own battles for years. I'll make it right. I'll have all the stolen artifacts delivered to Cutter Cay in a couple of weeks, and I'll make whatever restitution a court finds reasonable. It'll be a relief really, I've been waiting years for this confrontation. I'll deal with whatever they throw at me."
"I'll always stand by you, you know that."
"You'll stand beside your husband, Callie. As you should. And if the rumor of a baby is true-"
Callie laughed. "According to Teal, right? That's because she is, and she thinks we should all have babies together. Nope. Jonah and I haven't changed our minds about going kidless for the foreseeable future. If that ever changes, which we both doubt, we'll adopt. In the meantime, I'm pretty sure the rest of the family will breed like bunnies, so we can be the doting aunt and uncle. I want us to spoil your kids rotten, Magma, so you can't be in jail."
Another piece of Peri's heart shattered as she realized the possibility of someday having Finn's child, was one more thing she'd lost.
Peri's chest ached and her eyes felt scorched and dry. "What I did was wrong, and I deserve whatever the Cutters dish out."
The door opened. Bria came into the cabin followed by a steward bearing a tray. "I brought tea and a few sandwiches to hold you over for a while, Callie. Right over there. Thanks, Sandro."
The steward gave the Princess a smitten smile, deposited the tray and left.
Not a sign of the distilled water she'd gone to find.
"Things are humming along nicely," Bria told Callie. "I think you'll be pleased, sorella." She pulled the desk chair over to the small seating area, then sat down and started to pour the tea into the three waiting cups. "Your future husband can wait a few more minutes to claim you. Let's sit and have a nice cup of tea and a little protein to keep up your strength." Bria smiled wickedly. "Then I'll finish ironing your pretty dress and help you with your hair, so you can go off to start the rest of your life."
Sorella. Sister.
And she'd thought she couldn’t feel any worse...
Everything inside Peri now felt freezer-burnt.