Page 30 of Mutual Obsession (Rivals of Blackthorn #2)
- SEVEN YEARS AGO -
B efore I met Dee, my life was slowly falling to shit, but after just one evening of laughing with her, I seem to have the clarity needed to face my problems.
Each time we hung out after that, she drained a little more of the darkness from my life, shining her own special brand of light over everything. She gave me the strength I needed to do the right thing, even when I didn’t feel like it.
A couple of weeks after meeting Dee, I eventually got to talk to Mum. She let me in the house, and from the moment I stepped inside, I was horrified. The house that I once called home looked like a drug den.
Rubbish lay across every surface, dirt and mould climbed the walls, and the carpets were so disgusting, I stuck to them as I walked.
Mum doesn’t look much better. Her face is pale and gaunt, and she’s lost so much weight, I can see her bones. The clothes she’s wearing hang loosely off her fragile-looking frame.
Her long blonde hair is greasy and thinning out. I’m also pretty sure she’s not brushed it in a long time. She has patches of acne across her face, along with scabs from where she’s been scratching.
Yet it’s her pale-blue eyes that worry me the most. They used to be exact replicas of mine, but now hers are so sunken and lifeless, nobody would say we look the same.
Although Mum lets me in the house to talk, I’m not sure how much progress we’re going to make, as her dilated pupils and general spacey demeanour suggest she scored not too long ago.
The conversation goes exactly how I expect. I offer her the help she desperately needs, and she tells me to fuck off, that she doesn’t have a problem. She then proceeds to rant that she doesn’t need my help, that she has Bruce.
“Are you fucking kidding me, Mum? Bruce is the one who got you hooked on this shit, and then forced you to whore yourself to pay for it. He’s the one you should get rid of,” I shout, no longer able to keep my emotions at bay.
She waves her hand dismissively, giving me an eyeful of the track marks that now adorn her arm. “Bruce loves me. He only wants what’s best for me, and I won’t let you come back here, after you abandoned us, and talk shit about the man who loves me.”
“I didn’t fucking abandon you, Mum. I went to university.” She clearly has a different fucking version of the story in her head, and it’s clear I can’t argue with her about this.
“You fucking did. You fucked off once, so you can do it again,” she shouts, pointing at the door.
I let out a despondent sigh. “Fine, I’ll walk away and leave you alone.”
Before I’ve even stood up, she opens her mouth and things turn to shit. “I want Courtney back. Whatever you’re doing with her, it ends now. I want my daughter brought home, today!”
I shake my head as a humourless laugh slips out. “That’s not going to fucking happen,” I snap.
“I’m her mother,” she screeches, slamming her fist on the table.
I shake my head, turning my face into the dangerous mask I’ve been practising for when I’m working with Marcus. I want her to see I’m not someone she can mess with.
In my darkest, most dangerous voice, I spell it out for her.
“She is not your daughter anymore. You have spent the last three years either allowing her to be abused by your boyfriend, or you’ve neglected her to the point you didn’t even remember she existed.
There’s no way Courtney will be returning to this house.
Not while you’re on drugs, and definitely not while that bastard, Bruce, still lives here. She’ll be staying with me.”
Mum’s eyes flare, and she looks wild as she snarls at me. “I will fight you, Miles. I will take you to court to get her back. I’m her mother, I have rights.”
I smile at her almost manically as I laugh. “Do you even have any money to fight me through the courts, Mum?”
She pauses for a second, like she hadn’t considered that she’d need money for legal representation. Unfortunately, giving her time to think about money results in Mum stooping lower than I ever thought she was capable of.
“You can keep Courtney, if you pay for her. Give me ten thousand pounds, and I promise, she’ll never hear from me again. I’ll sign any paperwork you want, giving up all my rights as her mum.”
I shake my head in disgust, my face twisting into a sneer, as I face the monster my mother has become. “How have you gone from demanding you have parental rights to giving them up for cash?”
She shrugs her shoulders in an ‘I don’t give a shit’ way, and anger scorches my veins. “Fine, I’ll get you the money.”
I don’t even wait for her reply; I storm out of the house, a plan forming in my head as I get into my car. Before I’ve thought it all the way through, I find myself at Morelli Mansion, face to face with Maximus Morelli.
Although we’ve never really been close, Maximus has always been kind, and he saw my potential as Marcus’ security, which is why he’s been funding my education and training sessions.
He’s also the only person I know who might have the money I need, since I don’t want to involve Marcus directly—it would ruin the holiday he’s on.
Even if Maximus is surprised to see me, he invites me in like we’re old friends. When he sees I have a lot on my mind, he encourages me to talk to him. We sit in his office and I tell him about Mum, Bruce, and Courtney.
When he knows everything, there’s a moment of silence where he contemplates what I’ve told him. He then pulls himself up, so he’s sitting taller, and switches into professional mode.
“I know which Bruce you’re referring to and, unfortunately, he’s aligned with the Santoros, so there’s not much I can do about him without putting the treaty at risk,” he says, and an overwhelming feeling of sadness and panic hits me.
My shoulders slump as my whole body seems to deflate, my stomach sinking as any hope I had left seeps out of me. Maximus must be able to see the look of desperation on my face, as he quickly continues talking.
“That doesn’t mean I can’t help you and Courtney,” he adds, and my head springs up, listening intently. “I will get you and your sister set up in a two-bedroom apartment, which will be paid for by me, and I’ll give you the money you need to pay off your mum.”
I breathe a sigh of relief. “Maximus, I?—”
Before I can say anything more, he cuts me off. “You can pay me back by keeping my son safe. That’s all I want from you.”
“I can do that,” I tell him firmly. “Thank you.”
I don’t think Maximus even realises how much relief he just gave me. Not only can I protect my sister, I can care for her and give her the safety that she desperately needs.
This will then give her back her childhood, so she can have normal teenage years. We will both owe him for the rest of our lives, but if the only payment he requires in exchange is me protecting his son, that’s a deal I’m happy to make—I would have done it without him asking.
The next couple of weeks passed by without incident. So much so, I was almost on edge, waiting for the other shoe to drop. Court and I got settled in our new apartment, and I enrolled her in a new school to start after the summer, giving her the fresh start she wants.
After I handed the money to Mum, and she signed her parental rights away, giving me custody of Courtney—thanks to the legal paperwork Maximus’ lawyer drafted—I didn’t hear from her again.
It bothered me at first, but then I watched Courtney coming out of her shell a little more with each day that she felt safe, and that’s how I knew I made the right choice.
Things with Dee went from strength to strength, too. When I didn’t have Mum or Courtney to worry about, it meant I could give her more of my attention.
I still haven't opened up to her about that side of my life, or what I’d be doing for the Morellis when the summer ends, but they are bridges I’ll cross later.
Dee is keeping things from me, too. We’ve both just silently accepted that we have secrets, and are going to pretend we don’t.
Tonight is the first time Dee is coming over to my apartment, as Courtney finally felt safe enough to stay at her friend’s for the evening.
Even though I know how I feel about Dee, Court has had too much instability in her life recently, so I’ve not introduced them yet.
I will soon, but I want the timing to be right.
Things between me and Dee have been building, and we both have a good idea of where tonight will go. As we sit and eat our takeaway pizza, cuddled up together on the sofa watching a movie, there’s a crackling in the air as the tension builds.
Dee is the first to move, and she kisses me with passion and hunger, which I’m quick to reciprocate. I pull her onto my lap until she’s straddling me. She grinds against me as my grasp on her hips tightens, and our lips meld together as we rock against each other.
After fuck knows how long, she pulls her lips away, but I don’t let her go too far. I continue kissing along her jaw, her neck, down to her collarbone, as she whimpers beside my ear. “I’m ready,” she whispers.
I freeze, pulling back slightly to make eye contact with her.
Those beautiful emerald eyes of hers are shining brightly, and she looks sincere.
We’ve never talked about it, but I’ve noticed her hesitancy when it comes to intimacy.
We’ve been taking it slow, and I’m always watching for any signs she’s uncomfortable.
We’ve fooled around a bit before, and obviously, I’ve been hoping this is where it would lead, but hearing her suggest it scares the shit out of me. I don’t want to rush her, or make her uneasy.
“Are you sure, Gorgeous Girl? We can take our time,” I tell her.
She gives me a bright smile as she nods. “I trust you. Just be gentle with me.”