Divine in Lingerie (Lingerie 9)

Her eyes filled with hatred. “How would you feel if Father took Sapphire away?”

“I never would have loved a woman who wanted to kill my family.”

“You say that now, but you don’t know. Trust me, I tried not to fall in love with Griffin. When he told me he loved me, I took off. But it was impossible, Conway. It was just as impossible as it was for you not to love Sapphire.”

“Even so, you aren’t giving Father the respect and compassion he deserves. We’re both damn lucky that we have a family. Sapphire has no one. You have a father who’s willing to protect you even if that means you hate him. Be grateful.”

Her eyes flashed like she wanted to sink her nails into my throat. “I never said I hated Father. Obviously, I don’t. I’ve never taken my family for granted. If I did, Griffin wouldn’t be gone. So stop putting words in my mouth. I’m not trying to hurt Father, but I can’t say I agree with him. He’s hypocritical.”

“He’s just looking after you, Vanessa.”

“I’m a grown-ass woman who doesn’t need someone to look after me.”

“If you think Griffin is a good guy, then you obviously do.”

Her eyes narrowed even further. “He’s gone, Con. There’s no reason to continue to tear me down about it. If you think he’s a bad man, you should take a look in the mirror.”

“What the hell is that supposed to mean?”

“Sapphire told me everything—the truth about your relationship.”

Immediately, the adrenaline flooded my system. My blood boiled, and my veins burned from the heat. Father knew my secret, but that was different. I never wanted my mother and sister to know what I’d done.

She cocked her head slightly. “You kept her as a prisoner, forced her to please you, and never treated her like a real human being. So sit there and tell me how you’re any better than Griffin.”

I kept my mouth shut because I didn’t have an answer.

“Tell me,” she pressed. “What’s the difference between you? Because I don’t see a damn thing.”

“For starters, I never tried to kill Sapphire.”

Her eyes narrowed. “But forcing her into a life of sexual servitude is any better?”

“It wasn’t like that—”

“That’s how she made it sound. Fortunately, she was attracted to you and fell in love with you. And she didn’t have a penny to her name and had nowhere to go. You had more power over her, and you took advantage of it. Don’t pretend otherwise, Conway. Griffin has always been honest about who he is, and I respect him for it. In that regard, he is better than you. He’ll say the truth even if he’s hated for it. That’s a man, Conway.”

My sister had pissed me off a lot while growing up, but she’d never said anything so insulting to me. “Don’t compare me to him.”

“Then don’t judge him unfairly.”

My hand shook under the table because I wanted to pick up my chair and slam it onto the floor. Even if my sister was right, I didn’t appreciate the unfair sentence she’d just given me. “Maybe I don’t tell you every little detail because it’s none of your business.”

“Yet, my relationship with Griffin has been everyone’s business.”

“It’s different. He—”

“It’s not different. Father didn’t give a damn how you treated Sapphire, even though it was morally wrong on so many levels. But with Bones, it’s a completely different perception. It’s sexist. Fundamentally sexist.”

“It’s not sexist. You’re the victim in this situation.”

“I’m not a victim,” she hissed. “I was loved and protected by the strongest man on this planet. He worshiped the ground I walked on. Before he left, he bought me a gallery, an apartment, and a car. I’ve never been happier than I’ve been with him. No, I wasn’t a victim. Far from it.” She pushed her chair back and stood up, dismissing the conversation once it reached its peak. She turned around and stormed off without saying another word.

And I didn’t try to get her to stay.

Five

Vanessa

I couldn’t sleep that night.

Even though everything I said was right, I felt guilty for talking to my brother that way.

Underneath his judgments and scrutiny, there was love.

Love was always there.

I sat up in bed, my back against the headboard. The sheets were always chilly because Bones wasn’t there to keep them warm. Spring was quickly turning into summer, but the heat still didn’t chase the cold away.

Nothing but Bones could chase the cold away.

It’d been a month since he left, and while I’d stopped crying all the time, I was still just as devastated. It was like he’d just left, just gave me our final kiss. His painting kept me company but also made me heartbroken at the same time.

But I could never take it down.

I felt his presence everywhere, especially in my heart. I dreamed of his kiss, of his large body on top of mine. Sometimes I dreamed of us staring at each other, his intense blue eyes looking into mine with possession. That man was embedded so deeply into my heart that the bruise would be there forever.