Page 71 of Uprising

And then he’s walking us to the front of the house, wrapping a coat around my shoulders, hiding my hands in sheepskin gloves, and all but forcing me out the door while the bodyguards ensure they’re close behind.

The Governor’s House is in the best part of the Bay. It stands with the back facing the beautiful cliffs and sea and the sprawling front looks onto the promenade meaning we’re pretty much in the hustle of the city as soon as we’re out past the gates.

Darius’s arm wraps around me, he pulls my body into his in what would look like a loving embrace. I can smell him. I can smell the musty cologne he wears and the hint of cigarettes because he’s taken up smoking again from all the stress.

But under that I can smell the alcohol too.

The nights he properly drinks, the nights he’s sat alone in his office brooding are my worst. Because I know how they always end. With drunken outbursts, and violence.

Though I guess now the silver lining is I don’t have to hide that from Lara anymore.

I don’t have to stifle my cries or work so hard to cover the bruises. The next time he beats me I can simply hide in our room, try and recover without having to force a smile on my face for her sake.

“My grandfather had this built.” He says bringing me out of my head.

“Had what built?” I reply.

“This walkway. The old one was falling to ruin, so he funded a new one. He funded a lot of the building works, turning this city into the beauty it is today.”

I don’t know what to say to that. The Blumenfeld’s are the wealthiest family here, even my father’s wealth pales in significance and I know Darius uses his influence as Governor to ensure his own pockets are suitably lined.

“You used to play here.” He says.

“What?”

He grins. “I used to watch you, you’d run up and down this front while your mother tried to get you to behave.”

When the hell was that? I frown trying to recall it but I have no memory of it whatsoever.

“You were only five or six, tiny then.”

My stomach turns at that. I don’t know why but it makes me feel more sickened about all of this.

“Why were you watching me?” I ask.

He shrugs. “I wasn’t Governor, back then I was simply running the family business, ensuring the then Governor did what we wanted, what Calvin wanted. It’s what got me into politics in the first place.”

Fuck, Calvin, I haven’t seen or heard about him in what feels like forever. No way the bastard just dropped off a cliff. No way I would be that lucky.

“Where is he?” I ask.

“Who?”

“Calvin.”

He pauses looking like he doesn’t want to tell me.

I stare back at him trying to read the expression on his face. What if Darius got rid of him? What if he decided to wipe the board entirely, take the whole pot for himself. I know he’s capable of it. He’s already demonstrated that exact point to me.

“Did you kill him?” I ask.

His grip tightens at my words. “No Rose. Your old boyfriend did.”

“Roman killed Calvin?”

He snarls. “I told you I never wanted to hear his name…”

“I know.” I say quickly. “I’m sorry.”