Page 6 of Grave Kisses (Graveyard of Hearts Collection #1)

“You’ll just tell Marcus, and I won’t let him bully me,” I say, my voice breaking again.

“I won’t. Marcus is my best friend, but he is also not himself right now. I am not feeding into his… whatever the hell is wrong with him. I want to help, Kendra.”

“He… Alan was my dad… Kinda,” I whisper.

“What do you mean?” he asks. Julie steps in and shuts the door before coming over to sit beside me.

“I was in foster care my whole life. He took me in when I was fifteen. He’s been like my dad since…”

“And Archer?” he asks.

“Uhm… He, uh… He was eighteen at the time. He… he and his friends tricked me into coming over when Alan wasn’t home.

They raped me for… hours. His friends got freaked out and left, but Archer…

tortured me. All night. He passed out, but right as I freed myself, Alan got home.

He took me to the hospital, and, long story short, I told him everything.

We got back, and he disowned Archer. He never told me why beyond that he was done trying to help him not be a monster. ”

“Fuck,” Bellamy says with a sigh.

“Alan loved me like I was his daughter,” I tell him.

“I was always afraid of replacing Archer, so I wouldn’t agree to adoption, but…

The night I found him, I brought the adoption papers…

I just needed his signature… Jesse just needed his signature…

It’s all he wanted, and I failed him… I made him keep me a secret because I didn’t want to be the one who broke up his family.

He swore to me I wasn’t and it didn’t matter…

I was so used to being a problem for everyone that I kept him at a distance, even though he is one of the only men I could trust…

I miss him so fucking badly, and I’ll never get to hear his laugh again…

All I want is one hug… Just one… He would have the right words to say to make me feel better. ”

“Martin knows?” Bellamy asks.

“Yeah. He’s known since I was officially his foster kid,” I say. “He helped me stay hidden.”

“Marcus is going to feel like a giant asshole,” Bellamy says.

“Good,” I snap. “Why is he so mean to me?”

“Because he is used to having control, and he is realizing that he didn’t know Alan as well as he thought he did.”

“Alan talked to me about everyone and always had good things to say about him,” I say. “He said I’d have to work with him when he retired one day… He said I’d be with good people… Too bad they are going to force me out and destroy CyberSafe in the process.”

“Marcus is a dick, but he isn’t stupid. Stand your ground, and he won’t do shit.

Even Jerry called him on that bullshit. CyberSafe is the largest profit-making company under the Vanderbilt umbrella.

There is a reason it is one of the three main owners.

The other seven are minuscule in comparison.

Losing CyberSafe would hurt Vanderbilt significantly,” Julie says.

“Also… can I just point out that he always looks at her like he wants to fuck her?”

“To death, maybe,” I snort.

“Mmmm. No. I know him,” Bellamy laughs. “He’s not used to a woman not falling at his feet.”

“He must have a thing for brats,” Julie says.

“I’m not a brat,” I say with a frown. “I’d tell him if he’d stop being a dick.”

“Just keep pushing back. He will break eventually,” Bellamy says, patting my leg.

“And when he does?” I ask.

“He will apologize and make it up to you,” he tells me.

“With his dick,” Julie giggles.

“No,” I say at the same time that Bellamy says, “Probably.”

“What do you mean, probably?” I ask. “This isn’t some bullshit like he’s mean to you because he likes you, right?”

“No,” Bellamy laughs. “I just know my friend, and he’s pissed because he is attracted to you and annoyed that you aren’t doing what he wants.”

“So he calls me a whore?” I ask.

“Yeah, I told Martin about that.”

“Uh oh,” I laugh.

“Yeah. He will be back in town on Friday. I fully expect him to smack him upside the head now. No matter who it is, Martin doesn’t tolerate him being cruel like that.”

“And then add in that he loves Kendra to death,” Julie says.

I get my phone out, having an idea. I go to Martin’s contact and call him on speaker. He answers on the first ring. “Hey, sweetheart. I was about to call you,” Martin says.

“Your son is a dickhead,” I say, and both Martin and Bellamy cackle. “I kinda melted down. Bellamy knows now. Julie is here too.”

“You are a good secret keeper,” Bellamy says.

“It was important to Alan that it remain a secret until she was ready to say something. Archer did horrific things to her, and even if she won’t admit it, it’s taken her a long time to trust people.”

“I trust you,” I say. “I think I trust Bellamy.”

“Bellamy is a good man. Marcus is too; he’s just got his head up his ass.”

“Julie said I’m a brat, and Bellamy said that’s why Marcus is being a fuckhead.”

“That tracks,” Martin says, making Bellamy grin.

“Mhmm. So I have an idea,” I say. “Usually, I had dinner with you and Alan at his house on Fridays. Why don’t I come to your house?”

“And invite my dear son over,” Martin says, understanding. “Are you sure?”

“Am I sure I want to see you scold your son? Yes,” I say. “Yes, I sure am.”

“Let’s do it,” Martin says. “I’ll let Noel know.”

“He got the board to try and force me to speak up,” I say. “He said if I don’t, he will separate CyberSafe from Vanderbilt.”

“Oh, did he now?” Martin asks. “I’ll call the others on the board and handle that today. Don’t you worry.”

“I brought the adoption papers,” I say. “I had them with me when I found Alan.”

“Oh, honey,” Martin says.

“I signed them. I just needed his signature,” I say.

“If you can find his safe at his house, I know for a fact he has signed ones that he was waiting to have you sign. He said he knew you’d get there but needed time.”

“Do you know where it is?” I ask. “Would Jesse take those?”

“In a heartbeat,” Martin says. “Don’t worry about it right now, but when you are ready, go and see if you can’t find it.”

“I know where it is,” I say with a sigh.

“You do? I didn’t even know where it was,” Martin says.

“Yeah. I’ve known for years. He said he wanted to make sure someone knew and mentioned that he kept all his important stuff in there. I just haven’t been willing to go to the house since the coroner took him that night.”

“How about this?” Martin says. “I will come back a day early and go handle the couch for you. I know that is probably what is stopping you.”

“Yeah… I just… Going there is going to be hard,” I say.

“I’ll help with whatever you need me for, sweetheart. You know that.”

“I do,” I say. “I’ll let you go, though. I’ll see you Friday.”

“You'd better at least text me before then, Kendra,” he says.

“I will,” I laugh. “Love you, Martin.”

“Love you too, honey,” he says before ending the call.

“I’m fully convinced,” Bellamy says. “Not that you need my approval or anything, but Martin is… an asshole. Don’t get me wrong, he is a good man, but he doesn’t joke with people like that.”

“Yeah. Alan said he was a broody man, usually. His son is, too,” I say.

“Well, you turned one mushy. Marcus will chill out eventually,” Bellamy says.

“If he is friendly with Archer, I doubt it. Archer blames me for what happened, even though I didn’t ask for that. I even told Alan I didn’t want him to disown him. Alan would just tell me that Archer is beyond help.”

“I don’t know much about Archer, honestly. I can snoop, though,” Bellamy says.

“I won’t ask you to…”

“I know you aren’t asking,” Bellamy says softly. “But Marcus is spiteful just like his father. I’d like to know if he is planning on doing something stupid.”

“Like what?” I ask.

“Like being friends with the man who led a gang rape against you,” Bellamy says bluntly.

“Fuck. If he brings Archer here, I will one hundred percent get murdered… or raped again,” I say.

“He will not touch you,” Bellamy says firmly.

“Okay, Mr. Protective,” Julie says with a grin. “Such a knight in shining armor.”

“Don’t you start,” I laugh.

“Let’s get the office set up, hmm?” Bellamy suggests.

“Yeah,” I sigh. “I’m sorry for melting down. I’m usually pretty level-headed.”

“You lost your father, Kendra. You are grieving,” he says. He gently nudges my leg, and I nod.

We spend most of the day setting up my computer. We work mostly in silence unless it’s directly about what we are doing. When it’s time to leave for the day, I stay behind and continue working to avoid going home. If I keep busy, I can’t be sad. If I’m not sad, I can function.