Blyssfully Undone: The Blyss Trilogy - book 3 (24 page)

Quinn claps his hands loudly, startling me. “Hot damn!” he shouts. “I’ve got voice transmission.”

Jules

Making my way off the airplane, I take the last step off the stairs and onto the tarmac. Immediately, I recognize the private landing strip, and an indescribable elation fills me. I spot one of Dad’s many black limos already here and waiting for me. My heart skips a beat, knowing I’ll see Jake too. I’m almost to the vehicle when the driver’s side door opens, and a big burly man steps out. My step falters, and the look on my face can only be one of disappointment.

“Where’s Jake?” I ask disconcerted, halting in my steps. Jake is always the one to come get me, unless, of course, he’s out of town.

This man is scary big, and I haven’t seen him before. I back up a few steps, and the man immediately throws his hands up in surrender. “Trust me, he wanted to be the one to pick you up. He told me to tell you personally he cut his business trip short, and he’s enroute as we speak,” he explains. He regards me with what looks to be empathy and compassion as he continues, “Your dad chose me for the job, because I’m the best in the business, and I don’t have to tell you twice how dangerous the real world is.”

Touche, Mr. Big Man
, I think to myself. I open the car door for myself, and as I slide into the back seat, I’m immediately hit with the fresh smell of leather. I feel safe on one hand, but highly disappointed on the other. Why didn’t my dad come out here to greet me if Jake couldn’t? I mean, he never has come to greet me any other time, but this situation is entirely different.

I’m so lost in thought I don’t even realize the car is pulling off the airstrip until the driver clears his throat to speak. “I’m Alex, by the way.” I half ignore him as I look out the car window, excited to be home. “Your dad wanted to come, but I decided against it.” I whip my head around to give Alex my full attention as he continues, “I told him due to the given situation, it would be easier for me to protect one person instead of two. There was no reason to put extra people at risk being out in the open.”

I suppose that’s true. I didn’t think about that; not to mention, he spent a vast amount of money to get me home the safest and fastest way possible. “I’m sure everything is going to be fine, but one can never be too careful, can they?”

I shake my head, speaking softly, “No, definitely not.”

We ride in silence back to my house, which is a very short distance, and the closer I get, the more anxious I become. It seemed as though I would never see my home again. Pulling into the long drive, tears of joy spring forth, and a large lump forms in my throat. I try clearing my throat, but it doesn’t work.

As soon as Alex puts the car in park, I’ve already opened the back car door and have bolted out. An indescribable exhilaration fills me as I spring up the all too familiar brick steps leading to the front entryway. The doors are unlocked, and as I step into the foyer, all the familiar scents accost me. I take in a deep breath, inhaling every good memory this house gave me.

“Daddy!” I yell out with enthusiasm as I run down the hallway to his office. “Daddy!”

“Princess,” he calls out as I round the corner of his office door. “Oh, my God, you’re home. I can’t believe it,” he cries with joy as his arms spread open wide. I bury my face into his shoulder, and a long, suppressed sob escapes my lungs. “Shh…you’re safe now.” There is no way in hell I will ever be able to talk to him about what went on inside the facility, or what I was put through. A shiver skates down my body, and my limbs tremble at the thought of being a sex slave.

“You’re shaking, Princess,” my dad whispers over my head, his voice full of concern as he squeezes me tightly. “Are you okay?”

“I don’t know, Daddy,” I weep. “I just don’t know.” I melt into his embrace. There’s a small gap of silence as he holds me tightly, and I let out a huge sigh of relief, thankful to be in his arms.

Someone clears their throat behind me, and it echoes throughout the room. Maybe it’s one of the bodyguards garnering for my dad’s attention, but my dad doesn’t say anything. Clearing their throat again, the sound is louder this time, and my forehead wrinkles.
Maybe it’s Jake,
I think with anticipation, and with that thought, I turn around to see.

As I twist around, I feel as if I’ve been hit by a Mack truck. My heart comes to a standstill as I’m confronted with the man who started all my nightmares. He’s casually sitting down in a calm fashion with his arms stretched out along the back of the love seat, and his ankle crossed over his knee. “Nick,” I breathe his name on a whispered breath, taken aback. I shrink back into my father’s chest and visibly shiver. The memory of everything Nick did to me comes rushing back like a tsunami.

“You remember me, Princess?” he purrs, exuding a superior arrogance, which has my heart leaping out of my chest.

“You…” I scowl, pointing at him with a shaky hand. My voice fails me as he gets up from the sofa, approaching me with a haughty grin. If it’s even possible, I sink farther back into the protectiveness of my father’s embrace as my pulse thunders through my veins.

Every instinct I have says to run, get out, but my feet won’t move. I glance at the door, wondering if I could even make it at this point, but I don’t think I can. As he nears, I shake my head, willing him to go away, but no words come out. This can’t be happening. He stops directly in front of me, and I find my voice. “Oh, my God, Dad! He’s…he’s the one who took me!” I croakily whisper.

Nick’s lips twist in a smug smile as he slightly tilts his head, raising a questioning brow. “What are you talking about, Julianna? Your father called me the minute he heard the exciting news that you’d been found and were coming home.”

My father steps back out of the way as Nick steps forward, and immediately, I feel as if I’m a sitting duck. “We’ve been looking day and night for you.” The longing in Nick’s voice as he reaches out to clasp my hand turns my stomach. “Is this how you welcome the one who did everything in his power to get you back safely?”

My father steps to the side of me, and when I turn my head to look at him, he adds, “I believe you two have met, no?” Then he has the audacity to chuckle.
He actually fucking chuckles.

My eyes go wide as I shake my head in disbelief. How am I supposed to process this? My fight-or-flight responses can’t decide what to do, because, hello…I’m in the safety of my home now. This isn’t supposed to be happening.

“Dad?” I whisper-cry for help in one word.

Nick grasps both my arms and pulls me into his body. I’m so dumbstruck I’m rendered speechless; even my own limbs betray me. Then Nick leans forward to run his nose along my jawline, breathing softly over my skin as he whispers in my ear, “I’ve missed you so much, sweetheart.” He pulls me in tight until our chests touch like two long-lost lovers, and then he wraps his arms around me.

“I think now would be a good time to tell her the good news, wouldn’t you say, Lance?” Nick’s deep voice floats over my head, and then drizzles down my body, sending chills to my very core.

I turn my head as I nervously peer at my father. “Daddy?” The pitch of my disconcerted voice quavers. “Tell me what news.”

“Nick has informed me you two are getting married next week.” He then narrows his eyes at Nick with an unnerving glare, arching a brow. “That is, unless you think you can’t hold onto her this time.”

Not believing my own ears, an audible gasp escapes me. Nick leans down, guiding my panic stricken gaze to meet his confident one. “Oh, I’m positive.” Shivers wrack my body, and I try to squirm out of his hold, but he’s too strong. “How about we sit down so we can talk, sweetheart?”

Pulling myself out of my shocked stupor, I hiss, “Let me go!” I turn toward my dad with pleading eyes. “Help me. You don’t understand.”
Why is he just standing there?
“Dad?” I repeat, as I twist around, pulling away from Nick, but his grip tightens to the point of pain and I wince.

I shoot my dad a quizzical look, one of pure distress, and watch in horror as he nonchalantly turns his back on me, walking to his desk to pull out a cigar from his humidor. “What the hell is going on?” I yell in anger, suddenly forgetting my fears.

“Ahh, inquisitive as ever I see, aren’t you, Julianna?” my father starts off in a calm voice. He seems more intent and focused on his precious cigar than the matter at hand. “You see, Nick and I are business partners.” He pauses to place the unlit cigar underneath his nose and inhales, closing his eyes. “I’m a silent partner, if you will, a money-backer to Project Blyss,” he states simply.

I feel the second my heart stops beating, and I go numb and tingly on the inside. I get the distinct impression that this isn’t the end of his story. A bigger bomb is about to drop and detonate as I realize my entire life is exploding into smithereens before me.

“You what?” I hiss incredulously. I elbow Nick in his gut to get away. I want to claw his fucking eyeballs out.

“Whoa there, Princess,” Nick quickly interjects, stifling a grunt while he gets a better grip on me, preventing me from cutting loose.

“That’s right, you heard correctly. Just so happens Nick here, came along at the most opportune time with an offer I couldn’t refuse.”

“You sold me! Your own daughter?!” Anger like never before consumes me. I yank hard on my arm to free myself to do just that, and almost succeed, but Nick is prepared this time. He’s too strong and quick. “You are sick. You are twistedly psycho, and you need help!” I spew.

My dad narrows his eyes, regarding me for a silent moment. An eerie stillness settles over him. “You know, I did the right thing. Your behavior patterns mimic your mother’s more and more every day. I knew…I just knew you were inherently born to be on their side,” he sneers.

My voice is a dubious whisper, “What? What are you talking about?”

“It’s the same thing she said. Said I was sick, except I’m not. She was constantly trying to drug me.” He narrows his eyes on mine as he comes to a conclusion. “I can tell it’d only be a matter of time before you’d want to do the same. Slip psychosomatic drugs in me where and when you could. Yet another reason why you need to be under lock and key, and controlled with drugs.”

“What? Where’s this coming from?”

An angered huff of air leaves his lungs, as if I’ve offended his intelligence. “That’s what I’d like to know. I’ve been nothing but good to you, thinking I could trust you all this time, but I can’t. You are one hundred percent your mother.” He pauses to put his cigar down, placing his hands on the desk as he leans in with a hateful glare. “She continually tried to poison me, you know. It got to the point where I saw her sneaking it into my food and drink, and one of those times, she outsmarted me. She damn near left me to die.”

As if I was just sucker-punched, a burst of air leaves my lungs in a whoosh.
He’s making no sense.
I blink several times and sway, thankful now that Nick is holding me. “What are you saying?”

He waggles his finger at me. “Oh, I think you know. Everyone always acts innocent, but it always turns out to be a front. She forced my hand; I had to take action against her.”

Everything turns into slow motion. I feel prickly tingles from the roots of my hair to the tips of my toes as he moves to the front of his desk to stand before me. “I don’t understand,” I barely whisper. “You killed my mother?”

“Oh, for Christ’s sakes, Julianna, can’t you read between the lines?” he sneers, highly agitated. “Yes, she was not on my side. She was against me from the beginning.” He then gives me an evil glare, challenging me. “Don’t you deny it either. You might come off all innocent, just like your mother did at first, but I can read right through you.”

The hairs on the back of my neck prickle as an ominous dark cloud hovers over the room. The gloomy atmosphere seeps into my bones, and it should make me want to run, scream, fight…something, other than just stand here thunderstruck with my mouth agape as this possessed demon paces back and forth in front of me.

“You see, your grandparents were on my side after I had to take action against your mother. The way they took over and helped cover up the
mishap
,” he says, using air quotes. “They helped to make it look like an accident to protect me, but soon, I found out they too had ulterior motives. It didn’t take long before I was onto them too, and they knew it.”

My upper body sways, and Nick holds me tight against his chest. I can’t seem to process his words. “Your grandparents…they could see their demise coming a mile away, and I have to give them credit; they played it smart. They tied you to an insurance policy, one so intertwined—well, it pissed me the fuck off. Once you turned twenty-one, you were to inherit Oakley Global Enterprises, and if anything were to happen to you at any given time, all Oakley holdings would go directly to charity. I couldn’t let that happen, now could I? When you turned twenty-one, you were to inherit all of the wealth.” He stops pacing the floor and locks his gaze with mine, sending a cold chill down my spine. “The bottom line is I couldn’t allow you to get the upper hand on me. I had to find a way to get you to sign all holdings over to me once you turned of age.”