Relinquish(59)

“My body might belong to you, but my heart never will,” I whimper, my tone giving away my cracking emotions.

“Landon!” Roman hollers.

Landon looks over his shoulder. “I said I’ll be there!” Landon barks. Roman throws his hands up in surrender and backs out of the room.

Landon looks at me, his face slowly turning into a sly smile. “You don’t actually believe that, do you? That your heart doesn’t belong to me?”

My eyes widen as my mouth parts, self-doubt filling my chest. Does my heart belong to Landon? Do I care about him, about us? Is this love that I’m feeling or just lust? I mask my emotions, glare back at him and scoff, making him dig his fingers into my arm harder.

Landon flings my arm back at me and strides toward the doors, picking his jacket up off the floor as he does so.

“Why?” I scream, causing Landon to stop just before pushing the doors open. “Why do you act like you care about me? That you want to run away with me in our own world one second, but in a blink of an eye you act as if you can’t look at me? That you hate me?” I sob, tears filling my eyes.

Landon shakes his head, not even looking at me.

“You wouldn’t understand,” he mumbles under his breath. With all the emotions swirling through me, I almost didn’t hear it.

As soon as Landon leaves and the double doors close, I clench my fists and scream. Angry because Landon just made me realize I do care about him, about us. And he only cares about himself.

The ache in my chest creeps through my body, making a violent sob escape my lips. I’m alone. I was before, I am now, and I will be tomorrow. I used to think I could take the little bits of care Landon gave me before, but now that I’ve had a taste of what it feels like to be in the warmth of his arms, I can’t take those scraps anymore. I can’t bear the cold feeling I get when I’m not with him. I need all of him, or nothing at all.





SEVENTEEN


LANDON


“Landon, where is the new girl’s paperwork?” my father asks, shifting through some papers sitting in front of him. A couple of times a week, we meet to discuss business, usually in a room that adjoins my office. It’s simple with just a large table and chairs. I sit here, tapping my fingers along the top of the table, lost in thought as my father rambles on.

Nobody tells me no, and no woman walks away from me – especially Charlie. I close my eyes, the darkness behind my lids vibrating with Charlie. Her long, brown hair and small frame. Her attitude is feisty, but her shaky hands give away she’s petrified.

Charlie is different. She’s not like any woman I’ve come across before. The taste of her is sweet, her smell an aphrodisiac. My cold exterior with her is failing miserably. I lose myself around her. I can’t keep my mind set on what I need to do, and what’s expected of me. All I can think about is… Charlie. I clench my eyes hard and inhale a deep breath. It makes me feel sick that I would even think it, but Charlie is worth breaking my commitment to my mother.

“Landon!”

I promised her I would bring back the family name. I told her I would see to it that the Blackwell name become one of respect and power again. That I would make this estate rise from the shame my father placed upon it. But how can I do that if I break the first step in making this place strong again? I took Charlie to make a statement to the thugs of Vegas, that the Blackwells were back. That—

“Landon!”

I open my eyes, finding my father, Roman, and Veronica staring at me, my father and Veronica in annoyance and Roman with concern.

“I’ll get it to you,” I mutter, sitting up in my chair.

“Where did you say you picked her up from again?” my father questions, tilting his head to the side and narrowing his eyes.

“Mick. She was one of Mick’s girls,” I inform him, exhaling a tired breath. I’ve told them this before. Them asking me over and over again, and them not calling her by her first name even though I’ve told them it before, it’s them telling me they don’t approve. Which means I’m probably doing something right.

“I’m not so sure of this one. She’s…” Veronica trails off, flipping her hair over her shoulder. I straighten my tie and smirk. Veronica doesn’t like her because she smells competition. Call it what you will, but Veronica and I have played a game of back and forth behind our parents’ back since my father and Tara got together.

I don’t care about Veronica, not at all. In fact, I haven’t even slept with her. I just like to watch her become so desperate for what lies in my pants. The woman is pathetic. I’ve seen escorts with more self-respect.

“Nobody really cares what you think, Veronica. In fact, why in the hell are you even in here?” I tilt my head to the side, eyeing her. She gasps, her eyes wide as she looks at my father in shock.

“Landon!” my father scolds.

“Do I need to remind you, Father, that I am in charge now? Not you, and surely not Veronica. You signed everything over to me, remember? And Charlie is mine, and she’ll be our finest girl yet.” I smile wolfishly at them, making Veronica scoff.

“Get me the paperwork. In charge or not, this is a family business and we are family,” Father insists.

“You’ll get it when I get it to you, Miller.” Venom laces my every word. I’m not sure why he’s taking interest. He’s never cared before.