“What do you mean?”
“It’s going to the junk yard. I’ll take care of it.”
“But I need a car!”
“I’ll drive you wherever you need to go.”
I could not believe he was being so heavy handed. In bed it was one thing, but he was being way too bossy!
I had to put my foot down.
“I like that car!”
He stood closer to me, his eyes hard.
“Do you want another spanking?”
“That’s not funny, Jace.”
“I’m not being funny.”
He gripped my chin, lifting it.
“You’re mine. And I’ll be damned if I let you put your life at risk.”
My mouth opened, surprised at the vehemence in his voice.
“Do you hear me? You belong to me.”
I nodded shakily.
“Say it.”
“I belong to you.”
He let go of my chin, opening the car door for me.
“Good.”
Chapter Seventy-Four
Jace
I couldn’t believe that Frannie had grown up in this place. She was so sweet and unassuming. You would never know that she’d grown up in this… mausoleum.
It was late at night when we got in so I hadn’t really noticed much, other than it was huge. But by day the place looked like a movie set.
A movie about rich assholes.
I had read her right at first after all.
Not that my girl was a jerk. Far from it. But she’d grown up with money, and lots of it.
Then why was she living in that crap part of town and driving that piece of shit? Why the scuffed shoes and boxed lunches?
I frowned, remembering something she’d said from that first night.
Something about not wanting to be home a lot.
Even now, eating breakfast in the dining room, she looked uncomfortable as the servants buzzed around us like bees. They honestly seemed grateful for something to do. And they seemed happy to see her, even if my girl grimaced every time they called her ‘Miss Francine’.
I wasn’t used to being waited on myself. By a maid in a starched uniform no less.
But the eggs she served me were delicious. Bacon too.
It was the best damn breakfast I’d ever had, truth be told. And not just because I’d finally claimed Frannie as my own. Although the light feeling in my balls definitely didn’t hurt.
Frannie was eating some sort of granola stuff with fruit and rice milk. It looked dry as fuck but she seemed to love it. And the way she hugged the maid this morning made me realize that this was her family.
The staff. Not her parents.
My girl was a mystery I intended to get to the bottom of.
When I asked about her parents she just shrugged.
“They are probably in Switzerland. They have a place there.”
“Another house?”
She looked at me, with a pinched, embarrassed look on her beautiful face.
“They have… a few places. Everywhere they do business actually.”
I raised my eyebrows.
“Where?”
“Shanghai. New York. London. Switzerland. I think Dubai now, too.”
“Jesus.”
I watched her eat for a minute, things finally clicking into place.
“So they were there and you were…”
“Here.”
I took a sip of the freshly squeezed orange. Looking at her. Finally getting her. This brave beautiful girl who had never known love.
My heart felt like it cracked open a little.
Frannie had no idea how she was making me feel. She just smiled at me shyly and went back to eating her twigs and berries. I shook my head.
I didn’t understand vegetarians until now.
But with her, it made sense.
Her heart was just too big to want to hurt anything else. Even a chicken. Even a fish or a cow who didn’t have a choice about getting milked.
We finished eating and she stood up.
“I want to show you something.”
I followed her into the backyard towards an ornate glass structure.
“What is it?”
She clasped her hands together.
“So, it wasn’t all bad. Growing up here. It was lonely, yes, but I always had everything I needed, and then some, and I know I was lucky in that way. But I also had Nev. And this…”
She turned to me, her face looking happy for the first time since we’d come here.
“My greenhouse.”
Chapter Seventy-Five
Frannie
I stared around my greenhouse, looking to see what was thriving and what was merely surviving. The gardener had done his best to take care of my plants but they weren’t flourishing like they used to. But still, they were alive.
My ancient arm chair was still in the corner. I’d come out here to read and do my homework. Surrounded by my little green friends.
“This was always my favorite place.”
I looked at Jace. His face was not filled with wonder. His nose was wrinkled.
“What’s that smell?”
I laughed.
“I think Chris just put compost in.”
“Chris?”
I felt a little thrill go through me. Jace looked jealous. This gorgeous man was actually jealous?
“He’s the gardener.”
He scowled.
“He’s almost seventy years old.”
Jace’s face relaxed slightly.
“Oh.”
“Here, I’ll let some air in.”
I lifted the pole that opened the panes of glass at the very top of the structure, letting fresh air circulate in the room. I loved the smells in here though. I turned around to tell Jace and stopped in my tracks.