Page 23 of The Tower (Billionaire Brothers Grimm #1)

Fifteen

Beautiful Betrayal

A s soon as the door clicks behind him, I fist my hands in the sheets, clamp my lips tightly together, and silently scream.

It doesn’t help.

Right now, the only thing that will help is Liam Grimm standing right in front of me with my hands around his throat choking his worthless a-hole life out of him.

I mean, seriously. What. The. Fuck?

First, he torments me with such wicked brutality I’m almost begging him to fuck me. Which is, frankly, mortifying. Then he takes me all the way to the edge and leaves me there, just hanging like some pathetic, horny teenager.

Now I hate myself not just for wanting him, but for letting him see that I want him.

No, wanted . Past tense. Because I am so done with this. Protect me, fine. But if he’s going to demand a price, then it’s going to be cold, hard cash next time.

Bastard.

I do a few more laps around my racecourse of vitriol until my fury subsides and my heart rate slows.

What doesn’t go away? That itch. That need.

And bastard boy isn’t here to help with any of that.

Fuck.

With a sigh, I pull the covers higher as I slide my hand lower, trailing my fingertips over my breasts, my belly, then lower and lower until I find my own slick, wet core.

I sigh, my body trembling as if in anticipation, and I close my eyes, losing myself in a collage of Liam Grimm.

Those blue eyes dark with lust. Those strong hands stroking my skin.

That wide, full mouth closing over my breast, then kissing its way down, down, down until …

I tease my clit, craving that explosion, and yet at the same time wanting more.

Wanting him—but he’s not here.

I want to hate myself for craving this man. A man I know is only using me as a weapon against my father. But I can’t. I knew the score when I agreed. And now here I am, alone and frustrated with my hands between my legs, cursing this edgy, needy feeling. Wanting the explosion to be earned.

Wanting Grimm, dammit.

But then I remember …

I hurry naked into the connected living area, then straight to the desk. I cross my fingers, then open the drawers, gratified when I see that my hunch was right—nestled in the drawer is a laptop with the hotel’s logo.

That’s the benefit of high-end hotels. The management simply charges the black card of any guest who helps themself to electronics or art or furniture.

It’s fully charged and connected to WiFi, and I take it back to the bed, prop myself up against a mountain of pillows, then navigate to the Elysium portal and log in.

Once again, I’m frustrated that I don’t have access to all the equipment back in my suite at home. Especially since I’m practically twitching with pent-up sexual frustration.

I’m not supposed to have any of that equipment. Father would lock me in a room full of windows if he knew, but Ruby finagled two sets from an R&D guy she’d dated for a minute. Fortunately, he’s a decent guy and didn’t ask for the equipment back after she cut him loose.

As if my thoughts have magically summoned her, the moment I log in, I see her avatar standing just outside the staging area.

Finally! I’ve been waiting for you.

What’s going on? I type in response.

Where are you?

A hotel.

But where?

I hesitate, suddenly afraid this isn’t really Ruby. Maybe my father or one of his goons managed to hack through all the security I built into the software.

I consider my options, then type out my response. I don’t know. He — he kept me blindfolded until we reached the room. I tried to look out the windows, but I’m too stressed to get close.

It’s ok. It doesn’t matter. I just … You just need to be careful, okay? Is he with you right now?

No. Went out for food. My stomach twists with worry. What’s going on?

I talked to Leo.

Holy shit.

I’d been slouching, but shock pulls me up straight. When her avatar winces at the revelation, I realize that she’s wearing the enhancement gear that I’m not.

Are you okay? ? Did he corner you somewhere? Please tell me he didn’t hurt you.

No, no. I’m fine. I—I contacted him.

My fingers are frozen on the keyboard. I don’t have a clue what to say.

Finally, I manage to form a sentence. Are you okay? Why on earth would you do that?

As far as I’m concerned, Leo Grimm is a bigger prick than any of his brothers, and what he did back when he and Ruby were dating is absolutely unforgivable.

As far as I know, she thinks so, too. So I don’t understand why she would call him.

Because of you , she says when I ask her that very thing.

Me?

He’s close to Liam. We both know he’s the only one of the brothers who’s close to Liam.

That’s true. Their father, Elias Grimm, barely looks at Liam because his mother, Rebecca, was Elias’s mistress and had cheated on Elias with my father.

The irony, of course, is that Elias had previously cheated on his wife, Marge, with Rebecca.

Marge and Elias have four sons—Gabriel, the oldest, who died three years ago in a fire, Alexander, who is the current heir-apparent to the Grimm legacy, Elliott, a recluse I don’t know much about, and Leo, the youngest and wildest of all the brothers.

Liam, of course, is the son of Elias and Rebecca and is mostly shunned by his father. From the gossip I’ve heard, Leo is the only brother he gets along with, and his stepmother, Marge, absolutely despises him.

All things considered, I suppose it’s a miracle that Liam is as sane and put-together as he is. He’s a hell of a lot more centered than I am, and I don’t have an evil stepmother or siblings who hate me.

Hang on, I type . This is getting ridiculous.

I open another browser, head over to the virtual phone app, and call her the same way I had back in Grimm’s apartment.

The second she picks up, I lay into her. “You shouldn’t have called him. That’s a door you need to never, ever, ever open again.”

“I know, I know.” I can practically picture her throwing her hands up, her auburn curls bouncing as she nods in agreement. “But I thought it was important, and I was right.”

“Okay,” I say. “I’m listening.”

“What did Liam tell you? About why he whisked you away from the gala and why he’s helping you now?”

“Because Father’s been manipulating me. He’s using me to test drugs that fuck with my memory and make me docile so the bastard can keep me in line. Probably testing on others, too, but I’m high-profile. If Grimm can get proof from my blood, he can shut my father down.”

“And that’s it?”

“Isn’t that enough? My own father’s pumping me full of drugs. He made me believe Elias Grimm pushed my mother off the roof, when really it was him.”

“Oh, god,” she says. “That’s horrible.”

I swallow. “It is,” I say. “Not that I’m thrilled to be Satan’s daughter, but at least I know the truth.”

“Did Liam tell you about his mother?” she asks.

“Rebecca? No. We haven’t really talked about her. He was just a baby when she died.”

“Victor had her killed.”

I go stone cold. “My father had Liam Grimm’s mother killed?” I say the words slowly, as if that will help me understand.

It doesn’t.

“That’s what Leo told me. Victor had Liam’s mother killed. Rebecca Towne was your dad’s mistress. But she left him to have a thing with Elias, and she got pregnant.”

My head spins as Ruby lays out the rest of the tale. With so much twisting, turning, and betrayal, it’s practically a soap opera—which would be amusing if the drama weren’t leaking into my life.

Apparently, Elias wanted to keep the baby, but Rebecca knew that Marge would make her life miserable and that Elias wouldn’t stand up for her.

So she ran to my father, and he agreed to take her back so long as she gave up the baby—not to Elias, but to an orphanage—and that she would never try to track the kid down.

“Let me guess,” I say. “She pretended to agree, then somehow got back with Elias despite Marge.”

“Yup. She faked pain and spotting, then bolted when your dad had someone take her to a hospital.”

“And Elias took her in?”

“According to Leo, yeah. And he made Marge agree, which pissed her off.”

“And that’s why she hates Liam so much now,” I guess.

“Pretty much,” Ruby says.

“Poor Liam,” I say. “Can you imagine growing up like that? A stepmother who hates you. A father who probably thought of him more like a chess piece than a kid.”

“No wonder he’s fucked up,” Ruby says.

“All things considered, he’s remarkably sane. And strong,” I add, because I know a bit about being a chess piece disguised as a child.

There’s silence for so long that I begin to think I lost the connection.

“Ruby?”

“You like him.” It’s a statement, not a question. And maybe it’s my imagination, but there’s something dark in her tone.

“He saved me from an engagement to Desmond Bane. Remember? And got me away from my father. What’s not to like?” I don’t mention the part where he owns my ass. Literally. Or the part about the way he touches me.

Or about how I like it.

“No, no, no,” she says, her voice thick with urgency. “Sasha, you have to be careful. Liam Grimm is dangerous. Everyone knows that.”

“But I don’t. Not really.” I’ve heard stories, of course. But despite the morally questionable terms of our deal, so far, Grimm’s only helped me.

“He’s just like the rest of them,” Ruby says, her voice sharp. “He’s smart and he’s deadly and he knows how to turn on the charm. Don’t make the mistake I made with Leo.”

“I’m not dating the guy.”

“Victor Reed had Liam’s mom killed,” she blurts. “Your father was so angry Rebecca had given birth to a Grimm baby, that he sent one of his goons after her.”

I freeze. Literally. Like ice running through my veins.

I wish I could say I don’t believe her, but I know my father. Of course, I believe her.

“That’s horrible.”

“It’s more than that. Liam Grimm doesn’t want you because he can get evidence from you. Sure, maybe Victor is working on illicit drugs, but so what? He’ll pay a fine and move on, just like he always does. Grimm must know that.”

“Then what?” My voice comes out coarse. Raw. And even though I already know the answer, I have to hear it out loud. I won’t believe it if I don’t hear it.

“Dammit, Sasha, don’t you get it? The only way for him to truly get back at your father for killing his mother is for Liam Grimm to kill you.”