Page 7 of The Tower (Billionaire Brothers Grimm #1)

Five

Betrayal

F ather’s grip is unyielding as he leads me through the throng. “What the hell were you thinking?” His voice is low, intended only for me.

“He approached me,” I say. “I was just getting some air.”

“Stay away from him. He’s more dangerous than you can imagine.” He stops, then looks me in the eye, and for the first time in my life I think he might actually be seeing me. “Promise you’ll stay away from that man.”

“I—Of course.” I’m confused by my father’s reaction, but not about his assessment of Grimm. “I have no interest in talking to him again.”

I meet my father’s eyes, certain he sees the truth in mine.

Except …

I look away, not to let my father see the tiny flutter of doubt … and the more violent twinge of desire.

Before I can analyze my traitorous emotions, we reach the small stage at the front of the room, and a wave of nausea washes over me when I see Desmond standing a few yards away. My father’s grip on my arm tightens as we move to join him, my legs reluctantly carrying me alongside my father.

No, no. Please no .

Desmond turns and strides toward us, meeting us halfway with a wolfish grin that makes my stomach twist.

“Ladies and gentlemen.” The voice of the gala’s director booms through the speakers. “If I could have your attention …”

Desmond reaches us, and I stand rigidly between him and my father. Grimm can’t be right—he can’t. But even as I try to convince myself of that, I know that some sort of trap is closing around me. And I haven’t a clue how to escape.

When the director invites my father to the stage, Desmond moves closer, his hand pressing against the small of my back with the casual certainty of an owner.

“After my wife’s tragic death,” my father says with practiced emotion, “my daughter Sasha became my reason for living. Tonight, I’m proud to announce not only Reed Cosmetics’ continued support for this worthy cause, but also a new chapter in our family’s story.”

My heart hammers against my ribs, and Desmond’s hand moves from the small of my back to my upper arm, his fingers tightening enough to leave a bruise.

“You’re my crown jewel,” Desmond whispers. “I know I’ll enjoy you very, very much.”

“No,” I whisper. “Please, no.”

But Desmond only smiles as Father continues. “I’m delighted to share that Reed Cosmetics will be entering a new partnership with Bane Marketing, strengthening both our companies for the future.”

I turn, searching the crowd to find Grimm’s smug face, but my father’s next words make me forget Grimm entirely. “And on a more personal note,” he continues, “I’m even more pleased to announce the engagement of my daughter to Desmond Bane.”

The room erupts in applause, and I want to kick myself for not racing away when I’d had the chance.

Desmond’s arm circles my waist, drawing me closer to his side.

Cameras flash. I force my lips into a smile even though I want to scream that I never agreed to this.

That I’m nothing more than a marionette and Desmond and Father are pulling my strings.

But the words don’t come.

All I can do is stand straight and numb at Desmond’s side, playing my role just the way I have my entire life.

My father beams at us from the podium, the picture of paternal pride. To anyone watching, this is a beautiful moment. But I feel the bars of my cage contracting, squeezing tighter until I can barely breathe.

Desmond leans down, his lips brushing my ear. “Mine, Sasha,” he says, his voice sickeningly smooth. “You’ll be coming home with me tonight. I don’t intend to wait for our wedding night to get between those luscious thighs.”

Bile rises in my throat as he leads me onto the stage to stand beside my father. This can’t be happening. This can’t be real.

But it is, and when he slips a massive diamond ring onto my finger, reality finally crashes over me. My father has sold me to a monster. I’m not his daughter, just something to be traded.

Through the haze of flashing cameras and congratulations, I see Grimm. Our eyes lock across the room. Unlike everyone else, he isn’t smiling. His expression is dark. Intense. And though I don’t know why, it gives me strength.

In that horrible moment, I make my decision.

I will not be the prize in my father’s game. I will not marry Desmond Bane. I will escape my cage tonight or die trying.

I just need to figure out how.

The evening passes in a blur of congratulations as Desmond and I make the rounds. “You look a bit pale,” he says during a rare moment when we’re relatively alone.

It’s not a legitimate expression of concern, of course. It’s a test to see if I’ll defy him.

I won’t. Not now. Not without a plan. My father only locks me in the tower. I’m certain Bane’s punishments will be the kind that leave bruises and draw blood.

“Anything troubling you?” he continues.

“Just overwhelmed,” I reply, which isn’t entirely a lie. “I should find Ruby,” I add, grasping for any excuse to escape him. “My medication?—”

“Your father mentioned you might need this.” Desmond reaches into his pocket and produces a familiar pill case—my emergency stash of meds. “He said large crowds sometimes trigger your condition.”

The realization that they’ve discussed my “condition” makes bile rise in my throat. I take the pill case, almost wanting to swallow them right now. Wanting to bring back the haze through which I now realize I’ve always seen the world.

No.

I force myself to smile, then even give his hand an affectionate squeeze. “I’ll just go … freshen up.”

Thankfully, he doesn’t come with me, and I hurry away, certain he’ll reappear at my side soon. I spot Ruby clearing glasses near one of the service entrances, and hurry toward her.

“Sasha! Oh, my god. Are you okay?”

I meet her eyes, and she shakes her head, wincing.

“Sorry. Stupid question.”

“What about you? I saw Leo in the crowd.”

She lifts her shoulders in what looks like a casual shrug, but I know better.

“What can I do?”

“Nothing,” she says. “It’s fine. That’s ancient history, and it’s going to stay that way. Besides, he won’t bother me tonight. We both know his father will disown him if he talks to the help.”

Since she’s right about that, I twist the conversation back to my more immediate concern—me.

“I have to get out of here.”

She glances around. “Hell yeah, you do. But how?”

“I don’t know. Somehow.” I flash the hideous ring. “I’m terrified, Rue. I mean, can I really do this? Can I really run? If he catches me, he’ll keep me trapped inside forever.”

The words hang in the air. We both know they aren’t hyperbole.

“Then I guess you’re marrying Desmond.”

Her tone is matter-of-fact, and I know she’s goading me. I also know it’s working.

I shake my head. “No. No, I’m not going to let him hand me over to a monster who treats women like possessions he can destroy when he’s bored. I want a life. I want my life. The one I never got to live.”

I didn’t even get to go to college when Ruby did. If I had, maybe she and Leo?—

No.

I push the thought out of my head. Really not the time.

“I’m running,” I say firmly. “I’m getting out of here tonight, because who knows when I’ll ever have the chance again?”

She bites her lower lip the way she does when she’s thinking. “Okay, so you run. Bold move, but it might work.” She scans the room, then nods toward a set of doors. “There’s a service corridor through there. It leads to the kitchen, then out to the loading dock. But Sasha … then what?”

I want to say it doesn’t matter. I only care about getting out. But of course it matters. I have no money I can access. No place to hide that isn’t connected to him somehow. No friends outside Father’s orbit.

“I’ll sell the damn ring.” I don’t love the idea. It would feel too much like Desmond was taking care of me. But I don’t even have cash or a credit card. Just my phone, my meds, and a lipstick.

I lift my little cocktail purse. “All Father would let me bring.”

“Here,” Ruby says, pulling a slim wallet from the back pocket of her uniform slacks. She passes me a credit card. “The limit’s only ten grand, but it’s paid off.”

Tears sting my eyes. “Thank you.”

“Be careful where you use it. Your father’s not an idiot. He’ll think about tracking my cards eventually, and?—”

“Then I can’t take it.”

She pushes away the card I’m trying to give back. “I’ll tell him you stole my purse from the kitchen. I’ll be fine. Take it.”

When I hesitate, she crosses her arms and tilts her head. “Take it or I tell.”

“You wouldn’t.”

She smiles and shrugs innocently. I sigh. I know she wouldn’t ever betray me. But I take the damn card. “Thank you,” I say again, pulling her into a tight hug.

She squeezes back. “Now go.”

I nod, and with a final glance at the glittering ballroom, I slip through the service door.

The corridor is dimly lit and narrow, lined with shelves of supplies. I follow the sound of clattering dishes to the kitchen, grateful that the staff is too busy to pay much attention to me. Even so, I skirt along the wall, keeping my head down until I reach the loading dock.

It’s a large open area with delivery trucks and a few members of the hotel staff on smoke breaks. The cool night air brushes my face, and I draw a deep breath, eager for this first taste of freedom.

Then I hear my father.

“Well, find her goddammit!”

I jump, then slide into a shadowy alcove beside a stack of crates, terrified that the pounding of my heart will give me away.

“We have people at all exits, sir,” someone says over the thud of approaching footsteps. “She can’t have gone far.”

I twist my head, frantically searching for another way out. I’m about to take my chances and run when a hand closes over my mouth from behind, and in that same moment, an arm like steel captures my waist and drags me backward into darkness.

“Don’t scream.” The whispered voice is deep. Familiar.

Liam Grimm .

The tension in my body changes from terror to something I can’t identify. Relief, I think. Only it’s coupled with something even more disturbing than fear.

I nod once, and his hand leaves my mouth, though his arm remains around my waist, holding me against his large frame. I feel his heartbeat against my back, the heat of him so intense I fear I might burn. His breath stirs the hair at my nape, sending a ripple of unwelcome shivers down my spine.

“Are we safe?” My whisper is so low I’m afraid he might not hear it.

“For now. Storage closet. Pressure door. No latch, so it’s well camouflaged. And they’ll be focusing on exits.”

“How did you find me?”

“I saw your face when your joyous news was announced. I knew you’d run.” There’s a hint of approval in his voice.

“You’ll help me get out of here?” I turn in his arms, facing him in the dim light filtering under the door.

Grimm studies me, his expression unreadable in the darkness. “Why should I stick my neck out for you?”

“You already have.”

He nods, conceding the point. “I can walk away right now.”

“But you won’t.”

Even in the dark, I can see his brow rise. “Why not?”

“Because you hate my father.”

He’s silent for so long I fear he’s going to say no. Then he says, “And what will you give me in return?”

“Information. About Reed Cosmetics. About any of my father’s operations.”

He chuckles, and his arm around me tightens, forcing my body to press up against his. “I’ve been getting that information for years without your help.”

“I—well, what do you want?”

He lifts his free hand, then traces my jawline with surprising gentleness. The touch burns against my skin like a brand.

“Everything.”

For a moment, I forget how to breathe.

“I don’t know what that means.”

“Does it matter?”

“Of course it matters!”

He chuckles. “Those are my terms. Everything. Yes or no. But hurry. They’ll find us here sooner or later. My money’s on sooner.”

Yes or no.

The devil who bought me or the devil who’s holding me?

“Yes.”

The word is barely a whisper, but from his smug, satisfied smile, I know he heard me.

He takes his arm from my waist, and I suddenly feel so vulnerable that I almost beg him to put it back.

“My car’s in the underground garage. There’s a service elevator that goes directly there. We need to move quickly.”

I nod, pushing aside my questions and doubts. Right now, escape is all that matters.

Grimm slips off his tuxedo jacket and hands it to me. “Cover up some of that white.” Once I put it on, he eases the door open, then takes my hand. “Stay close.”

We slip through the kitchen, Grimm moving with such quiet authority that no one pays much attention to us at all.

At the service elevator, Grimm swipes a key card and the doors slide open instantly. Once inside, he releases my hand, then presses the button for the garage level.

As the elevator descends, reality crashes over me. I’m running away with a virtual stranger—a man my father considers an enemy. I have no plan, no resources, and nowhere to go.

And no idea as to the everything I’ve promised him.

Well, perhaps I have some idea …

I shiver, not certain if the reaction is from fear, revulsion, or desire.

“Second thoughts?”

I hesitate, then shake my head. “None.”

“Good. Because there’s no turning back now.” The elevator doors open onto a dimly lit parking garage. “Once your father realizes you’ve left with me, he’ll come after you with everything he has.”

The statement should terrify me. Instead, it somehow steadies my resolve. “I know.”

Grimm leads me to a sleek black Aston Martin tucked into a far corner of the garage. He opens the passenger door, gesturing for me to get in.

I hesitate for just a moment, aware that I’m stepping into the unknown. Then I slide onto the leather seat, my ridiculous white gown billowing around me like a deflating balloon.

As Grimm walks around to the driver’s side, I stare at the enormous diamond still on my finger. This foul thing represents everything I’m rejecting—my father’s control, Desmond’s ownership, a life mapped out and paid for without my consent.

Grimm slides in and starts the car. Without thinking, I roll down the window and toss the ring into the darkness of the garage. It makes a tiny, satisfying sound as it bounces across the concrete.

Grimm raises an eyebrow. “That was at least twenty carats.”

“It was a shackle.”

He studies me for a moment, then nods once, something like respect flashing in his eyes.

“Where are we going?” I ask.

“Somewhere your father can’t reach you.”

A chill curls through me. I’ve crossed the line. There’s no coming back.

And Liam Grimm, with his dangerous eyes and dark bargain, is my only way forward into the blackness ahead.