Between Truth & Lies: An Age Gap Romance (Rosavale Book 2) Page 6
“I’ve asked you not to do that,” I muttered between clenched teeth and he shrugged it off as if it were no big deal.
I snatched a cloth from the sink and went to clean the recently vacant tables. The cook rang the bell and Mr. Henderson called for me again. I growled silently, tossing the cloth over my shoulder, and ran to collect the plates. I didn’t complain, but on weekends it was hard keeping up with the workload by myself. Mr. Henderson’s older children sometimes came by to assist on weekends but they were unavailable today. All three of them.
I balanced the plates of food in my hands and when I pivoted, heading back, I nearly ran into Devan. My fingers twitched around the plates and my throat was suddenly dry. The reactions were instant and impossible to subdue.
Devan moved forward and without a word, he took both plates from my hands and set them on the counter behind me.
“What the hell are you doing?” Mr. Henderson barked.
“She’s quitting,” Devan answered dryly. “Have a good day.”
I froze, keeping my eyes down, assessing the situation trying to figure out how to react. If Devan was here, it could only mean he had changed his mind which was what we wanted. So I stood still and allowed him to take control of the situation.
“What?” Mr. Henderson uttered and I could hear the shock in his words. “She can’t just leave. People are waiting.”
“Really? Then you better get busy, it might help keep your hands occupied and off of your employees.”
“Mr. Ashford.” Henderson cleared his throat and his tone softened. “With all due respect, Belvana can’t quit. Not now.”
“If there’s an issue, I’ll send my lawyers to take care of it.”
“N-no, Mr. Ashford. That won’t be necessary. But I’m not going to pay her for this month. She breached her contract.”
“That seems fair.” Devan’s strong hand seized around my wrist in a white-knuckling grip. The warmth of his touch seeped into my being and I found my feet dragging along the tiles, treading behind him.
He hadn’t said a word to me as we left the restaurant and when we were close to his car, I tugged my arm from his hold as hard as I could and he released me. “You had no right to do that. It’s my job!”
“It was your job. You’re done here.” His irises shone, seeming to contain blazes that scorched me. “You work for me now.”
My heart pounded against my ribs as both joy and nervousness struck me. “B-but you said…”
“I know what I said,” he mumbled and I pursed my lips shut not wanting to drag this out. “Give me that.”
“What?” I said as my gaze followed the finger pointed at the apron over my jeans.
I obeyed and untied the apron then held it out for him. He grabbed it, rolled it up, and tossed it in the nearby trash can.
“Is there anything else of yours back there?”
“Now you ask?” I wanted to sneer but instead said, “No.” I kept my wallet, cell phone, and house key on me at all times; stuffed in the pockets of my jeans.
Nodding, he unlocked the doors of his huge, luxurious car. “Then let’s go.”
I felt weightless next to that man, suspended all the time, fighting for a remnant of reason. I remained tense standing on the sidewalk dominated by apprehension and expectation.
Devan opened the passenger door grimacing. “Aren’t you going to get in?”
I took a step forward and another one then he was close enough that I noticed the scarring above his right eye and the fading purple under it. “Why did you change your mind?”
He continued to hold the door, his presence a living and pulsating energy. “I only changed my mind about the job and the house here in Rosavale. That’s it.”
I understood right away. He didn’t want me to harbor false hopes, but that didn’t change anything. Devan was going to be mine whether he liked it or not. Given the way he devoured me with his eyes or how lust crackled between us, it wouldn’t be too difficult. I’d have to use that to my advantage.
“Get in the car,” he ordered.
I looked down and murmured in a small voice, climbing into the vehicle. “Yes, sir.” I didn’t see how he reacted, but after I got in, he slammed the door harder than he should have. Then he sat behind the wheel, and he drove out of Rosavale.
I peeped at him from the corner of my eyes. His jaw was rigid, his brows furrowed, every part of him seeming to exude a contained rage.
“Monday, report to my office at eight o’clock,” he broke the silence and I shifted on my seat to look at him. “Shayleigh needs an assistant and she suggested you. She’ll also handle everything with you and I’ve sent you an email with the terms of the contract for you to go over. Shay will most likely contact you during the weekend, but if she doesn’t you can reach out to her if you have any questions.”
“Thanks.” I couldn’t look away. I was keen on getting to know every bit of Devan Ashford. My eyes roamed his dark hair while I assessed his features, wondering what his body was like beneath that black suit. There was an air of ruthlessness in him. Something that mirrored his hard gaze and made me believe that Devan would be capable of anything. Yet, I wanted him with such desperation that I was scared of myself. I should be careful or it could be my undoing.
I quickly shifted my gaze to the window feeling heat rise up my neck and reminded myself why I was here.
Devan was a killer.
He killed Noah.
He and his family ruined our lives.
“Tomorrow I’ll send a truck to your house,” Devan said.
“For what?”
“To help you move your things.”
I huddled on the seat. “And where am I going to move to?”
“The farm.”
Shocked registered on my features before I could stop it. I blinked controlling my reaction. This went beyond any plan we had. He wasn’t just going to insert me in his office, but close to his home. I would be in his life with much more freedom to act and to put my plans into action. “Your farm?” I asked coyly.
“Yes, there’s a house available there. It’ll be safer than the slu—where you live.”
But then my sense of triumph was relegated when I reanalyzed this sudden move. Why would Devan do that? Yes, he wanted to give me a job and decent housing because he thought I saved his life. But why did he care so much? He didn’t have to do any of this.
I always imagined coming across a pervert who would take everything I had to offer. A man without a conscience but Devan was trying his hardest to keep me at arm’s length even though he wanted me.
Wasn’t he a pervert? A killer? A thief like his father? So why was he trying to be so honorable with me? He hadn’t taken advantage of me and not for the lack of opportunity.
The car left the highway and swerved into my neighborhood as I searched for answers within me and in everything that had happened since I met him. Until now, I couldn’t accuse him of anything, but it was still early in the game and maybe everything he was doing had a purpose.
Never trust an enemy.
When he parked at the end of the street, I saw my building ahead. Slowly, I turned and found those troubling eyes on me. Something dense and languid revolved in my belly. An instantaneous and explosive reaction that touched every small part of my being. “I’m still trying to understand your sudden change of heart. You made it so clear that you wouldn’t.”
Devan knitted his brows and his jaw set. “I wouldn’t have,” he admitted dryly. Part of his face was in darkness, but his eyes sparkled like two sapphires.
“So why did you? Why are you here?” Devan said nothing and I insisted. “Do you care about me?”
“Of course, I care. I’m here, alive, because of you. I couldn’t stop imagining the risks you could be facing daily by living here when I could do something about it. Belvana, I’m doing this because you’re young and alone. My sister’
s about your age and I would hate to see her going through what you go through each day.”
Irritation consumed me and I glanced down. Once again, he was trying to make it clear that he would not touch me. He was comparing me to his sister.
I couldn’t allow myself to be derailed so I inhaled and lifted my face. “I don’t want you to see me as your sister. I want you to see me as a woman.”
“It won’t happen,” he said just above a whisper but his tone was decisive.
“Why not?”
“Get out of my car and go home.”
“I just want to know why, Devan. I see how you look at me. And I-I never met a man like you. Never,” I muttered sincerely. “I know there’s an age difference between us, but I don’t care about that. I—”
“Enough, Belvana.” He punched the steering wheel then leaned over me and reached for the door handle. He shoved my door open as if he wanted me out of his car as soon as possible.
I smelled his clean scent. He was so close to me and for the first time in my life, I acted purely out of instinct. I raised my hand and ran my fingers gently over his angular face. His stubble was softer than I would have imagined.
Devan reacted with incredible speed. He seized both my wrist, pulling my hand away from him, and crossed them over my chest. My chest heaved as I was swept away by fright, but also by boundless lust. My eyes were wide and lips parted, and I hardly dared to blink.
“Don’t ever touch me, Belvana.” His voice vibrated in the charged air, full of savagery. “I’m not a man to play with. You have no idea what I do to women.”
“I-I can—”
“I fuck them. Hard. I humiliate and bond them with chains, ropes, or whatever I can find. I stuff them in cages and I shove objects into them. I only get involved with women who know what to expect from me, not with little girls who have barely left their diapers and who don’t know how violent and cruel a man can be. Do you understand what I said?”
I nodded. His glare and words dazed me and I swallowed. And even though I trembled with the evil that I saw in him, I wasn’t going to back down.
“Answer me, Belvana.”
“Yes,” I panted.
“You’ll work in my office and live on my land. You’ll be free to speak to me, but never touch me or expect anything sexual between us because it won’t happen.” His voice came out cold, clipped, denying the heat that emanated from his every gesture.
He dropped my arm just as abruptly as he grabbed on to them and returned to his seat, but didn’t take his eyes off me.
Building courage, I whispered, “But what if I—”
“No.” He pointed to the open door. “Get out, Belvana.” It was an order, pure and simple.
I found myself on the verge of begging, but his grimace halted my intentions. I restrained myself and decided to wait for another opportunity.
I undid my seat belt and didn’t say anything else as I hopped out of the car. I walked to my apartment without looking back and my body felt weird. Numb. Slow. I entered my home, hearing the car’s engine as it drove away. I locked myself inside and like a robot went to my bed.
I fished the phone out of my pocket and called my mom. She answered on the second ring.
“Belvana, how’s it going?”
“I saw Devan today. He offered me a job in his office and a house on his farm. But that’s it. He made it clear that nothing will happen between us. I tried to touch him but he pushed me away yet he’s still willing to help without getting anything in return. So why? Why would he help me like that if he doesn’t want to take advantage of me?”
“My God.” Mom gasped. “Are you going to live on the farm? The Ashford Farm?”
“Mom, did you hear anything I said?” I got up, rubbing my chest.
“I heard you.” She laughed. “Can’t you see? Everything’s going better than we thought. You’re in his life.”
“But Devan doesn’t want me in his life. He doesn’t want me, Mom.” I yelled, clasping the phone tighter and hoping that my words would sink in. “Why is he helping me and avoiding me? He could have taken advantage of me today or when he was in my apartment but he’s...” I trailed off and Mom understood what I was getting at, my doubts and my nervousness.
“He’s depraved that one. Make no mistake about it. It must be a game. He’s only waiting for the right time to attack. That’s why he wants you on that farm. Mark my words, he’s playing you. We lived on the streets because of them so the pennies he’s giving you is nothing compared to what they took from us.”
Shaking my head, I massaged my temple. “I threw myself at him and he rejected me.” I got up and sauntered to the sink and placed a glass under the tap until it was filled with water. Then took a long sip t to calm myself.
“Don’t fall into his trap. Men, all of them, are animals. This bastard is the worse of them. You can have sex with him, but never, ever, lose focus. Are you hearing me?”
“I know, Mom but he’s very intense and—”
“And a murderer. A thief like everyone else in that family. They killed your grandfather. Remember that Noah disappeared and Devan had something to do with it. He’s capable of anything. You can’t forget that even when you’re in bed with him.”
“I know that,” I breathed. “Maybe I’m just not cut out for this.”
“Yes, you are. We need you to be strong. We’re on the right path, don’t you see? It’s all happening faster and better than we imagined. All of this isn’t in vain, Belvana. They destroyed our family, they took our land, they forced me to be a whore. We had nowhere to live or anything to eat.”
“I know.”
“Don’t forget it and hold on to those memories. We’re not going to kill anyone or steal. We’re recovering what is ours. In this story, they’re the villains, not us. Everything we did up to now, was a means to an end.”
“Okay, mom,” I said and my head began to throb. “I won’t forget.”
“Promise me?”
“I promise.”
“Devan is beautiful and powerful. It’s more than natural for you to be attracted to him but he is also a pervert. When you get to know him better, you’ll see that I’m right.”
I walked over to the bed, exhausted, and my head pounded. “Mom, I’m tired. He said tomorrow morning a truck will come to pick up my things so I need to pack.”
“What good news.” She gloated. “I’m very proud of you.”
Out of nowhere, Navia came to mind. I would have more contact with her too, but I didn’t say anything about that to my mother. “Good night, Mom. Send my love to Grandma.”
“I will and if you need anything, call me.”
When she hung up, I collapsed on the bed and concerns invaded me.
“Who are you, Devan Ashford?”
Five
Belvana
I didn’t have much, just the basics and it wasn’t difficult to pack up everything. I borrowed a suitcase from an old lady that lived downstairs and everything I owned fit into it. When the moving truck arrived that morning, everything was ready to go.
The three guys loaded my bed, oven, and a few other things into the truck. I said goodbye to the neighbors and called the landlord to come get the keys. There were no issues since I paid months in advance and wouldn’t be getting a refund.
I hitchhiked with the movers and rode shotgun. The driver was friendly and talked nonstop. I smiled, commented on some of the things he talked about, but I was anxious and unable to concentrate too much on what he was saying.
I lowered the window allowing the fresh breeze to fill my lungs. The wind blew through my hair as if saying good morning to me with all its light and splendor. I took a deep breath and let the cool breeze hit my face as the truck passed the white gate with the words ASHFORD FARM painted in red.
There were fields as far as the eye could see; green like a grassy carpet. The trees with their glossy leaves swayed in sync with the gust of wind. Further down the road, the first buildings became vis
ible. They were the stables, then a set of residences that looked like a town of its own.
The residential complex had cobbled streets, surrounded by trees and identical houses neatly aligned. All white with red roofs. Some larger, some smaller. On my right side, I saw a playground. Adjacent to it was a larger building with a sign that read: Maria Ashford Elementary School.
Moving beyond the school, there were more streets and houses, all with white fences around them. We passed a health and recreational center complete with a football field and swimming pool. It was Saturday and several people were there, mainly children.
I compared the space with Rosa and the projects surrounding it. The ugly brick house I lived in and understood why Devan had seemed so horrified to learn that I was paying rent for it.
Residents stared at the truck and eyed me curiously. Some smiled and waved and I found myself smiling back. The truck went up a hill and halted in front of the last house on that street. “This is the house, number 307,” the driver said.
“Wow,” I mumbled to myself, hopping out of the truck.
The house was white with a huge dogwood tree beside it. Pink spring petals fell around it clashing beautifully with the green grass. Like the other houses around it, mine was enclosed by a wooden gate and white picket fence. The door and window frames were painted blue. A small gravel path and then two steps led to the balcony where I was surprised to see Navia and Talon standing. Navia waved with a wide smile that crinkled her eyes at the corners.
As the guys began unloading the truck, the couple came toward me and I met them halfway. Navia was glowing and her bump was beginning to show.
“I couldn’t believe it when Devan said you were moving in here.” Navia hugged me. It was intense to feel her against me and several feelings bombarded me. Despite the distance between us, she was my sister.
“Welcome home.” Talon held out his hand and I shook it, not sure what to make of him. Of all of them.
“Thanks.” My mouth quirked upwards as I glanced around.
“You’ll love it here,” Navia said, her light brown eyes sparkling. She leaned against Talon and he put his arm around her in a possessive and affectionate way.