I didn’t want to nod, but her hand not holding the rose latched out to grip one of mine so fiercely, my skin burned.
“Is that understood?” she repeated placidly as she ground my bones together.
“Yes, Caroline.”
“Excellent. You will not see Tiernan Morelli again. Not ever. In fact, you will never fraternize with a member or associate of that filthy family again so long as you wish to be harbored under this roof. If I hear of you doing so, I will be incredibly displeased.”
“He has Brando,” I argued, even though self-preservation urged me not to. “If you can’t get Brando back for me, I have to visit him at Lion Court.”
“Oh, I’ll get the boy back,” she said lightly as if he was a misplaced possession and not a vulnerable child. “I’m a kind woman, but I don’t do anything for nothing. When the time comes, Bianca, I expect certain things of you. Great things in the name of this family. Do you we understand each other?”
“Yes,” I hissed, wrenching my hand out of her grip. “There is no need to threaten me, I’m grateful for your help and I’ll happily repay you anyway I know how.”
A thin slice of a smile carved her face into two perfect fragments. I’d never known beauty to be so ugly as I did in that moment looking into Caroline Constantine’s face.
“That’s a good girl,” she praised magnanimously, turning from me as suddenly as she’d come.
I watched as she casually dashed the rose into the roaring fire and then adjusted the already perfect alignment of the family portrait on the mantle place before resuming her seat.
I hovered for a moment, unsure of what had just happened and how to approach it. I’d just turned to leave when Caroline voice called out over the crackling flames.
“Oh, Bianca, I’m having my lawyer redraw those papers for you. When you’re ready, I expect you’ll be happy to sign them.”
I hesitated as anger flooded me. It was interesting how alike Bryant Morelli and Caroline Constantine were, both bullies who felt shielded by their wealth and reputation. As I stalked out of the room without replying, I knew exactly what I needed to do in regards to Caroline.
It seemed Tiernan had rubbed off on me more than I thought.
Because the only thing I could think of to rectify the cruelty of Caroline was to get revenge for Tiernan, Elias, and anyone else she’d no doubt wronged myself.
And I thought I knew exactly how to do it.
14
BIANCA
It physically hurt to lay in bed and try to sleep that night after everything that had happened, all the things that had fundamentally changed in a single day, after talking to Brando on Facetime, lying about being away with friends on vacation when all I wanted to do was run the twelve blocks between the Compound and Lion Court and hug my baby brother into next year.
But somehow, I was able to eek out a few hours of sleep in between planning with Elena Lombardi and laying awake thinking about Tiernan and Brando.
When I woke up, the Constantine Compound was in an uproar. Keaton had returned home with his girlfriend and it sounded as if Winston and maybe Perry were also talking in the foyer, their voices drifting up the stairs to my room. I stood in the doorway in my pajamas, yearning to go down and meet them but also knowing I needed this morning to search the house for anything pertaining to my father’s hidden will.
I almost jumped out of my skin when the clack of shoes on the stairs reached my ears and I scrambled to jump back into bed to feign sleep. My heart pounded as I tried to control my breathing moments before the door opened after a short knock.
“Bianca?”
I breathed a sigh of relief hearing Elias’s voice.
“Hey,” I sat up and smiled at him. “What’re you doing here?”
His face screwed up with distaste as he leaned in my doorframe. “We always go to this charity Santa’s breakfast on Christmas Eve morning. It’s a huge publicity thing and Caroline gives them a big cheque. It’s dead boring, but it should be better with you at my side.”
I winced, thumbing the silk thread of the bedspread. “Actually, Eli, I need to stay here.”
His scowl was instantaneous. “No way, what’s the good of you staying at Aunt Caroline’s if I can’t drag you to these God-awful functions?”
“I won’t be here much longer,” I admitted, jumping out bed to tug him into the room and close the door behind him. When I faced him again, I couldn’t help the smile that tore across my face. “Tiernan only gave me last night and today to find something about Lane’s will. I’m expected back at Lion Court by this evening.”
He rolled his eyes once, then again ever harder when I giggled at him. “So, the lovebirds are back together?” At my grin, he just shook his head. “Well, at least one of us is happy, I guess. What do you need from me?”
I bounded forward to smack a big kiss on his cheek. “You’re incredible, do you know that?”
“I’ve been told,” he said drily, but there was a smile hidden in his cheeks.
“Can you tell them I’ve come down with something? Make it gross so no one wants to check on me.”
He laughed. “Okay, I can do that. I’ll text you when we’re all on our way back, too.”
“Thank you,” I said, grasping his hands to pull him into a fierce hug. “You’re the best friend I’ve ever had.”
“Yeah, yeah,” he muttered as he squeezed me back then gently pushed me away. “You’re just trying to butter me up so I forgive you for ditching me on this boring ass outing.”
“Is it working?”
He shook his head at me again, but winked when he turned to open the door. “Be careful and get some rest if you can, when the family gets back it’s Christmas tea and opening presents early. Utter calamity.”
“I’ll look forward to it.” And a part of me did. It would be strange to take part in a Constantine family Christmas tradition without truly being a member of the family. While knowing finally, after all this time, that they, or Caroline at least, was my enemy and would never be my friend.
“I wish you could stay, it would be good to have you part of the family,” Elias said before he closed the door behind him.
And something about that resonated with me.
Part of the family.
That was what Caroline had dangled before me like a carrot on the end of her stick, leading me toward something I couldn’t see in the distance.
She seemed almost desperate to make me her ward, but why?
Obviously, because she needed something.
Why had Tiernan done the very same thing?
To get revenge on the Constantines.
But why me? Why was it important to be my guardian?
Because of Lane’s hidden will.
It took everything in me to wait until the commotion downstairs died down, until I saw the cars peel out of the circular drive. Only then did I finally cave in and call Tiernan.
“Sweet thing,” he answered warmly. “I hope you’re calling to tell me you are coming home earlier than expected. The Gentlemen and I were going to take Brando ice skating, but you and I could always stay behind and I could show you even more inventive ways to use a croupier stick.”