Page 135 of Perfume Girl

“Jacob came to visit. He told me they’re fine. Though Vedado didn’t do so well.”

My mouth went dry. “What happened to him?”

She waved it off. “He’s too skittish. Why do you love that horse so much? He’s so damaged from what they did to him that he won’t trust anyone.”

“He trusts me, Mama.”

She reached over and ran her hand through my hair. “Yes, yes he does. I think that’s why you two connect with each other. You’ve both been through so much.”

I gave her hand a squeeze. “I’m going to check on him.”

“Of course.” She pushed herself up and rested her back against the headboard. “Thank you for visiting. I feel better now.”

“I’m glad.” I let go of her hand and stood. “Can I get Arthur to bring you anything?”

“Some tea, perhaps.”

I leaned over and kissed her forehead before heading for the door. Before I stepped out of the room, I turned and looked back at her with a smile. Even now it felt good to say it. “Her name was Raquel.”

“So pretty. What a shame.”

Leaving that bedroom behind, I tried to shake off the feeling of dread that clung to me like it once had all those years ago. As though that room had somehow entered my consciousness and become a part of me.

I walked past my old bedroom and descended the staircase with the memory of that sound—a gunshot—ringing in my head.

The bullet had not only deafened my right ear for hours but had also stolen my world from me. The damage it could do to a human skull was unimaginable.

So much blood…

I made it through the parlor, down the hallway, and into the guest bathroom before the bile rose in my throat. I retched in the sink as the agonizing memories overwhelmed me.

When I was finally done, I washed my mouth out and splashed my face with water.

Staring at my reflection, I told myself that I didn’t have to enter this house ever again. Not if I didn’t want to. Next time I visited Mom I’d meet her in the garden and the conversation would be about selling this place once and for all. It was too big for her anyway. Surely she’d come around to my way of thinking?

I made my way back toward the foyer, needing to get outside and inhale the fresh air. I sucked in a breath of concern when I saw Caine sniffing in the corner with his leash dragging behind him. My fear was realized when he raised his back leg to pee on the kentia palm sitting in a priceless vase.

Yes, my sentiments exactly.

God, I love that dog already.

Arthur hurried into the foyer, looking around nervously. I threw him an amused smirk when he saw what Caine had done to the vase, as though the old mischievous me had never been suppressed.

“Can you take Mom up some tea, please?” I asked him.

“Yes, sir.”

I patted my leg to get Caine’s attention. “Come on, boy. Let’s go visit the horses.”

MY FINGERS GRIPPED THE STEERINGwheel tightly as I turned a corner into the elite-looking neighborhood. It was hard to stay focused with this constant ache in my chest.

I no longer cared about the store I’d left behind in Dunedin. It was, after all, just a building. It was the hurt I had caused Astor that crushed me more than anything. I was going to fight for what was right and at the very least prove I had no ill intent.

Another wave of regret hit me over the fact I hadn’t completed my formula before he’d walked out on me. Another few minutes and I could have proven to Astor the scent was my creation.

It was one thing to have a perfume bottle in my possession, but to reverse engineer a scent would take a lab that was way more advanced than mine. I wished I’d kept my ledger and that way I could have shown it to him.

All this chaos had me making the wrong decisions.