“Persephone?”
I think about other things instead. Bad things.
Nora.
No, not that. That’s too sad.
Jonas?
Bad, yes. But not that either. That will only steal my strength.
My father.
Yes.
My father.
I conjure up the image of him lying in his hospital bed. I think about the man who ran him over and drove away. I think about how maybe it wasn’t an accident. How that’s always been in the back of my mind.
I think about my betrayal today, signing that contract and giving Hayden control of Abbot Enterprises while my father lies helpless in a hospital bed. I think about being cornered by Hayden and I steel my spine because I have to.
I force a grin that must make me look insane and try to swallow that lump in my throat. Try to ignore the twisting in my belly. The constricting of my heart.
“Well, you did it. You brought me down a notch. Congratulations.” Tears. Fucking tears. I hate them. “I’m going to go see my father now.”
I remember then that my coat is downstairs. I took it off when I came in here. God, how I’d come in here. Cavalier. A warrior!
A fucking idiot.
“Don’t worry,” I hear my voice quaver. “I’ll be home later for whatever humiliations you have planned for me tonight.” I make my way to the elevator and look at the keypad. Fuck, I can’t even get out of here. “Let me out,” I say, staring straight ahead because I can’t look at him.
“Mind telling me what the hell just happened?” he asks.
I push buttons, it’s ridiculous I know, but I’m desperate.
He captures my fingers, closes his big hand around them.
“Persephone.”
I can’t do this. “Let me out.”
“Talk to me.”
“Let me the fuck out!”
He holds me, presses his body to mine. His arm wraps around me, hugging me to him but I can’t lean into him. I can’t rest my cheek against his chest. I can’t. Not if I want to survive this. Survive him.
Too late.
“Stay,” he says.
I open my mouth and I know he hears it. Hears me crying. “I paid my time for now. You can’t require more.”
“Stay with me,” a whisper, and then silence. Just his breath at my ear, just my tears sliding down my face.
“Let me go.” Because if you don’t, I’m going to lose it. I’m going to lose it here and now and I can’t do that. “Please, Hades.”
Keeping my hand in his, he stretches his arm to punch in the code on the pad by the elevator.
I thank God that the doors slide open instantly. I don’t look back when I step inside. I don’t look at my reflection, either. I don’t meet his eyes in the mirror. I keep my gaze down, very aware of his eyes on me.
And when the doors slide closed, I let my shoulders slump and rest my forehead against the mirrored wall, finally meeting my reflection. What I see scares me. Because what I see is a woman broken.
“I’m going to stain you, Persephone.”
Is this what he means by that? That he’ll break me in order to own me. A body is not a soul, doesn’t he know that?
But with Hayden, it’s different. Different than it was with Jonas even when we were engaged.
Jonas never had any claim on me.
Hayden? He can and will steal my soul.
A few moments later, the elevator doors open again, and I hear the sound of men talking, smell cigars and whiskey. Isn’t it early for such indulgences?
Before turning, I find my sunglasses in my bag and slip them on my face. Without bothering to ask for my coat, I walk out, shivering in the cold morning air.
I find my Jeep, get in then fumble with the key to get the engine started.
And when I finally drive away, it’s not to the facility where my father is housed. It’s back home, well, to the back entrance of the house where I trudge through melting snow and make my way to the chapel between our properties. Make my way into that dreary place and hug my arms to myself as I sit in a broken pew, making myself look at the wrecked altar. At the broken Christ half-hanging on his cross from the wall.
I don’t know why I come here. Why I call for God here of all places. It’s not like he ever answers. Not for me. Not for Nora. Not when we needed him. And certainly not now.
16
Persephone
The shadows have grown long before I pull the Jeep onto the driveaway. I’m surprised when I do to see the truck from Sotheby’s consignment parked outside.
I can’t deal with this right now.
Climbing out of the Jeep, I walk up the front steps of the house, open the door. I hear Anna right away. Am I surprised she’s still here? Not really.
“Hello?” I call out, appreciating the warmth of the house. The broken walls of the chapel don’t offer much protection.
They’ve lit the fireplace in the entryway. It’s a huge one. I haven’t seen it lit in a very long time. It was always too much of a bother for my father, so he only did it when we had company, which was less and less often in the last years.
If I think back now, I see the signs of what’s come. Signs of our decline. If I’d paid closer attention, would I have known earlier? Would I have been able to help? To make a difference?
But my father was larger than life to me. I could rely on him. Lean all my weight into him. I never even imagined a life without him. And it never occurred to me we might one day lose everything.
“Anna?” I walk toward the sound of a man laughing.
What I find, though, isn’t what I expect.
“What’s going on?” I ask, stepping into the dining room to see them place the final pieces of furniture back exactly where they belong.
The two men from yesterday and Anna look up at me. The men appear confused, but Anna smiles. “Mr. Montgomery arranged for the delivery, Miss. If anything isn’t in the right place, we can rearrange it.”
“I think I remembered how you’d set it up,” one of the men says.
I walk out of the dining room and into the living room. Same thing there. All the furniture back in place.
“I don’t understand,” I say, although I’m not sure to whom.
“If you’ll just sign here,” the shorter man with the clipboard says to me. “We’ll get out of your hair.”
“But why did you bring it back?”
He looks puzzled. “Not a question we normally get.” He smiles awkwardly, eyes his colleague.
“I didn’t…” I swallow my pride. “I can’t pay for it.” If they think they’ll get their money back, they’re mistaken.
“I just do the deliveries, Ms. Abbot. If you’ll sign?”
I take the pen and sign and a few moments later, they’re gone, and I’m left looking at Anna.
“Oh, your sister came by to pick up some clothes. She said she’s spending a few more nights with her friend. She wanted me to let you know.”
“She did? When?”
“About an hour ago. And Mr. Montgomery’s asked that you be ready by half past seven. He asked that you wear the red gown.”
I dig for my phone in my purse and switch it back on. I’d switched it off when Hayden wouldn’t stop calling me.