No Regrets: Jani Kay (Firebird Trilogy Book 2) (3 page)

“You’ve always been the man for me. You know how to make me beg for more.” Valerie’s voice drifted to me, low and seductive.

He laughed softly. “And that will never change. I’ll be fucking your pussy until the day I die.”

“If only I was marrying you. I want you...a real man,” she panted.

I sucked in a breath and held it.

His voice came in short bursts, as if he were exerting himself. “I know, my dear, but now you are pregnant, we need to move the marriage forward. Alain must never know the child is mine.” Slapping sounds of skin against skin caused bile to rise to my throat.
Is it what I’m thinking?

I couldn’t stand there any longer. I had to see with my own eyes what was happening. Exhaling all the breath from my lungs, I lunged forward into the room, taking them both by surprise.

My heart slammed into my ribcage.

The shock was on me.

T
wo pairs of eyes snapped to me, a stunned expression on Valerie’s face. My father’s only showed contempt.

“What the fuck is going on here?” I roared. The whooshing sound in my ears became louder by the second. I gripped the back of the closest chair, my eyes blinking as I stared at them in disbelief.

“Alain,” Valerie gasped, her mouth forming an O as she tried to shake my father off her. He was so far gone he didn’t care that his dick was inside Valerie, his fingers pinching her nipples from behind. He gripped her tighter and just for good measure thrust so hard into her that she screamed. He laughed, cruel and bitter then reached a hand between her legs to stroke her pussy.

“Watch boy. See how a real man fucks a woman.” His voice was guttural and savage.

I hate him.

“Bastard!” My hands fisted into tight balls as I stood there shaking. It didn’t stop him fingering her, his lips curled up and his eyes rolling back in his head as he shuddered.

“Alain, I-I’m sorry,” she panted, her porcelain skin turning blotchy red. “I can explain.” Valerie’s eyes were large and round, beautiful even. Ashamed and turned on. I knew the look she got before she spiraled into an orgasm.

“Oh, God!” she screamed as she pinched her eyes closed and fucking came in front of me, her skin glowing with sweat. Taking a step back, I couldn’t tear my eyes away. It was like watching a car crash. Only I wanted no survivors.

“I don’t need any explanations from you,” my voice rasped from my dry throat. “I only want to know one thing. How long?”

Valerie lowered her gaze then screwed her eyes shut.

“Answer me!” I gritted through clenched teeth. I was about to explode.

A vile laugh filled the room. “Seventeen.” Duke Philippe du Bois pulled his dick from my fiancée and stood, holding his limp organ.
No condom
. He was fucking her bare. My blood boiled, overheating my brain. I’d been there—inside her—only three days ago, but always protected.

I glared at him. “Fuck. Since she turned seventeen? You’re a dirty bastard. That’s low—even for a
pig
like you.”

“Watch your words, boy.”

“You’re fucking my fiancée? She’s
pregnant
?” I repeated everything I’d heard as I tried to make sense of the scene in front of me. Then it hit me—a punch straight in the gut, nearly felling me over. I pointed a finger at him, rage consuming me. “The child is yours and you weren’t going to tell me. You’d let me believe it was mine? I’d raise my
brother
as if it were my own child. God, I’m going to be fucking sick.”

I leaned forward, resting my palms on my knees, as I took a few deep breaths. My brain couldn’t process everything fast enough. Bile sat in my throat, burning like hell. I swallowed hard.

“Why would you do such a despicable thing? I don’t understand.”

The smirk on his face matched the challenge in his eyes. “She needs a real man to satisfy her.” His beady eyes burned into mine. Hard. Unapologetic. Hateful. “And I have to ensure the du Bois bloodline is strong. Not a weakling like you. Your mother made you soft.” His top lip curled into a snarl.

Rage took hold of me—blinding all rational thought.

“Old man, watch your words. Don’t speak like that about my mother,” I hissed through clenched teeth, my jaw aching.

I directed my next question to Valerie. “You’re pregnant?” Nausea was getting the better of me—I was going to throw up. What devious scheme had they brewed to hide it from me? I’d believe the child was mine, but in reality...

My mind wouldn’t go there.

Picking up Valerie’s dress from the floor, I threw it at her. “To think that in a moment of madness, I was going to throw my life away on you.”

“Alain, please,” she whimpered. “We’re all adults. Let's talk about this.”

“I came to tell you something. I'm leaving. For good. You can both go to hell. Fuck one another’s brains out. I really don’t care.”

Her face fell, all color draining from it. “You don’t mean that—”

“
Sweetheart
,” I sneered. “You just made what I have to say easier for me. I came to tell you that I’m not going to marry you. That I realized my mistake. We don’t love one another. I'm going after Rebecca.” I made a cutting gesture, drawing a line with a flat hand across my throat. “You and me, we are over.”

“You dumb fuck.” The old man grabbed my arm, scowling. He was surprisingly strong for his age, his fingers biting into my skin. “You will do as you’re told. The wedding is moving forward. You will give this child your name and carry on the du Bois line.”

“Why? It's
your
bastard child. You marry the slut if that’s what you want.” I pulled my arm from his iron grip, staggering backward as he let go. I turned on my heels. I'd seen and heard enough to last me a lifetime. I was done.

The icy voice behind me stopped me in my tracks. “I should’ve killed you when you were born! When I found out you weren’t mine.”

I laughed. Loud. Raucous. “I’m not from your seed? Thank fuck for that.”

It all fell into place, his hatred since birth. The way he’d shunned my mother. Why he’d impregnate Valerie. It also raised more questions. If this old fuck wasn’t my father, then who was?

For the first time in my life, I didn’t feel as if my soul was scarred. I wasn’t cursed to become like him. My head spun.

His DNA is not mine
. A heavy weight lifted from my heart. The burden was no longer mine to carry. Relief washed over me knowing I wasn’t tainted by his evil ruthlessness.

“You insolent fucker,” he bellowed, his eyes bugging out of his head. “I raised you a du Bois even though you are scum.”

I straightened my back. “Is that because you were too weak to produce a son of your own? How do you know this child is indeed
yours
?” I pointed to Valerie. “That this slut hasn’t been fucking every man in town bare—”

Her skin paled. Had I stumbled on the truth? Was she lying about the pregnancy?

“How dare you? Get out!” Valerie screamed, her still naked body shaking.

“With pleasure.” The room pressed in on me. Grinding my teeth, I made my way to the staircase, anxious to get out of this damned house and as far away from these toxic people as I could.

Valerie’s shriek sounded out a warning. I spun around to see the duke’s large body hurtle toward me, murder in his eyes. His face contorted with madness as his fists aimed for me.

Since the age of ten, I’d been trained in lacrosse. It taught me to be nimble on my feet. I sidestepped the onslaught by the monstrous body with ease, watching his head hit the wall with such force that he bounced backward and tumbled down the stairs like a sack of potatoes.

He wanted me dead alright; his eyes didn’t lie.

“Oh, God! You killed him!” Valerie stood there, naked, venom in her voice.

My head was bursting. I stumbled down the stairs. “Call an ambulance,” I yelled as I stood over him, watching the blood pool around his head. The fucker was still breathing.

I had to get out before I finished him off myself.

I
woke up with a start wondering where the hell was I. Sitting up, it felt as if my brain collided with my skull. With a pounding head and heart, I remembered.
Oh, God, I'm in Kurt’s bed
. Lifting the black covers, relief washed over me. At least I was still fully dressed, including wearing panties. My cheeks burned as the memory of how I'd gotten to Kurt’s place flashed before me.

But everything after that was a blank.

I had no idea what happened beyond being carried to Kurt’s place and him making coffee. Immediately, I panicked, fearing I’d slept with Kurt.
Did we have sex?
I was engulfed in embarrassment since I couldn’t remember. I scoffed, even though I wasn’t amused; if we had, it couldn’t have been great if I was still dressed and he was up already.

Throwing back the covers, I swung my legs off the bed and got up. Still shaky, I padded to the bathroom to freshen up. A new toothbrush was set on top of a guest towel. I smiled at the gesture, ripped the packaging open and gratefully brushed the stale taste of alcohol out of my mouth.

Catching a glimpse of my reflection in the mirror, I grimaced at the dark circles under my eyes and gaunt, pale tightness of my skin, accentuating my high cheekbones. Death warmed up—not a good look on anyone. I even contemplated slapping my cheeks a few times to get some color into them, but decided against it given my head already pounded. I sighed as I twisted my unruly hair into a knot, hoping it would behave.

Returning to the bedroom in search of my shoes, I glanced around the sparsely decorated room with its black-and-white color scheme. Glass lamps with black shades stood on mirrored side tables. I wrinkled my nose. It was too clinical for my tastes, but then my gaze fell on the bookshelf, which groaned under the weight of overcrowded books.
He likes reading
. I couldn’t help the spark of interest discovering this. Scrutinizing the titles on the shelf, I noticed a mix of books—from classics to modern, from poetry to murder, from German to English, and a few French ones too.

Kurt speaks French?

Not finding my shoes, I gave up searching and made my way downstairs barefooted. Halfway down the stairs, I came to a halt. Kurt grunted as he pushed weights above his head, his muscular body dripping with sweat. He sensed my presence and lifted his chin, a wicked grin on his face. His shoulders bunched with ripped muscles as he slowly lowered the weights and breathed out in a huff.

“Slept well?” Caught  staring at him, I nodded shyly. “Hungry?” He wasn’t a man of many words, using the bare minimum to convey his thoughts.

My stomach rumbled and my head was splitting. “Starving.” I smiled back at him, holding my arm over my stomach.

He wiped his face and body with a towel, his rippling muscles glowing from the sheen of sweat on his skin. “I think you need those—” He nodded towards the kitchen counter where he’d placed a container of headache tablets and a glass of water. Shaking two pills into my hand, I swallowed them along with the whole glass of water.

“Good girl.” He smiled at me before bounding up the stairs. “A quick shower before breakfast.”

Unsure what to do, I sank into the leather couch, waiting for his return. On the floor next to the couch, lay a neatly folded blanket and a pillow. Did Kurt sleep down here? I certainly hope so. It would be much easier to stomach than the alternative. If I was having sex with strangers, I at least wanted to remember it.

Still tired, I closed my eyes and drifted off.

Startled, I woke with Kurt leaning over me, softly kissing my forehead. He smelled clean and fresh, unlike me. I’d been wearing the same clothes since the day before.

“Breakfast is ready.” He straightened, holding out a hand to help me up. I placed my hand in his and pushed up from the couch, following him to the kitchen. A big bowl of muesli with yoghurt and fresh fruit awaited me, along with a gigantic glass of freshly squeezed orange juice. I hadn’t eaten properly in weeks. Salivating, I sat on the barstool and reached for my bowl, hungrily taking a mouthful.

“Healthy food for a healthy body and mind.” I squirmed as Kurt’s gaze skimmed up and down my body, sizing me up. He was right. I’d been neglecting and abusing my body. I chewed the mouthful, deciding to make time for a decent breakfast every morning.

He leaned over and sprinkled some healthy looking brown powdery stuff over his bowl and then mine. I wrinkled my nose, making him laugh. “It's LSA. Linseed, sunflower, and almonds ground up. It's good for you.”

“Oh, okay,” I said, digging in for the next mouthful.

“It's Sunday. I don’t have work today,” he said, watching my face as I chewed. “How long are you staying in Munich?” He took a sip of his orange juice as he waited for my reply.

“Another seven weeks. Business and pleasure, rolled in to one.” I squirmed in my chair.
Another lie
. I hadn’t had much pleasure since I’d arrived.

He narrowed his eyes. “You look stressed. Fresh air and sunshine is what you need. Vitamin D for a healthy mood.”

I laughed. “You sound like a doctor.”

He smiled and nodded. Pride shone in his eyes.

“
Doctor
Kurt?” I lifted a brow. “So why are you working in a bar?”

A deep, hearty laugh rumbled from his chest. “I’m studying medicine. I'm in my final semester before I qualify. In the meantime, there are bills to pay. I’m also a personal trainer, alongside working a few shifts in my brother’s bar and working at the hospital.”

Impressed, my eyes widened. Doctor Kurt was clearly an ambitious and driven man.

“I serve alcohol, but I don’t condone putting it into a person’s body. Ironic, isn’t it?” That explained him refusing me more alcohol last night.

“Do you save every damsel in distress?” Touched that he was willing to stand up to Clone, I realized just how much he’d risked saving me. He could have lost his chance to qualify or get his license all because of my foolish behavior.

“No, only those who really need it. Like you.” His penetrating gaze caused heat to rise from my chest and over my cheeks. I hadn’t managed to shake the blushing thing.