Chapter 264


    Chapter 0264


    “Didn’t Julian mention the pendant to you?” I asked.


    “No,” Nichs said curtly.


    “He gave me this.” I lifted the pendant higher, for Nichs to see. “He said that all I have to do is press


    down on the moon, and my location would be sent to him. I asked him to include you in on it…”


    “Conveniently he failed to mention it to me.” Jealousy dripped like venom from his voice.


    “He must have forgotten.”


    “Doubtful.” Nichs epted the pendant and examined it closely. He fl*pped it over to look at the


    back of it. “I would have felt better if he had told me about this, but… I can’t deny it gives me some


    measure offort to know you have it.”


    “It does?”


    Nichs nodded. “I want you protected, even if I’m not the one doing it. Julian is many things but he is


    not on Terry’s side. If he gave you this to protect you from him, that offer was genuine. As is the threat.


    If even Julian is worried about you…”


    Nichs and Julian seemed to have skewed ideas of the other. I had seen Julian’s concern before, in


    albeit fleeting moments. But Julian was not so rambunctious and carefree as Nichs assumed him to


    be.


    I doubted that defense of Julian would be wee right at this moment, with Nichs barely


    containing his envy, so I withheld it. Julian would probably prefer the misconception anyway, since he


    so often sought to cultivate it.


    “I will be speaking to Julian about this, however,” Nichs said, his voice lowering with dark promise.


    Iughed a little, nervously, hoping I didn’t get Julian in too much trouble. Though, knowing him, he


    could handle himself just fine against his brother.


    Nichs leaned forward and pulled me into his arms again. For a few more blissful moments, I closed


    my eyes and enjoyed his warmth and closeness. But then, too soon, he pulled away again.


    “Unfortunately, if we continue to dy, we risk being sote that it will affect your standing,” he said


    with regret.


    I couldn’t afford to lose even one more rank, so I leaned back as well.


    Nichs put the car into reverse and returned us to the street. Then he moved the gear into drive and


    we continued on.


    Terry’s mansion wasn’t too far from where we had been, a mile or two at most. We were thest car to


    pull into the driveway, though several servants were still outside as if expecting us. When Nichs


    stopped, one of the servants opened my car door.


    “Thank you very much,” I said as I exited.


    The servant kept his eyes down and did not engage me at all, not even to respond.


    Odd, I thought at once, though perhaps this particr gentleman took his position as a servant very


    seriously. I wouldn’t hold it against him. I simply stepped away and waited for Nichs toe around


    the car.


    Nichs held his arm out for me, and Iced mine around his.


    At the doorway, a pair of servants opened the door for us. “Thank you very much,” I said to them both.


    Both ignored me, eyes low, as if they had been instructed not to look at me. No, it wasn’t just me. They


    deferred their gazes from Nichs as well.


    I nced at Nichs in confusion.


    Nichs huffed. “They say Terry treats his staff kindly and pays well. Neither of those things are true.


    His cruelty knows no bounds, and I suspect, though I have no proof, that many of his staff aren’t here


    by choice. I suspect ckmail.


    “Surely your family would have done something about it by now,” I said.


    Nichs shook his head. “Everyone has turned a blind eye. I’ve broached the topic with my parents


    before, but they will not hear me. His cruelty breeds loyalty, unfortunately. The servants won’t speak to


    me, let alonee forward about their treatment.”


    I hated that notion. I wanted to save the servants here. But when I looked at them, their gazes were on


    the floor, their bodies still as statues. I doubted they would speak to me either. Perhaps the only way to


    help them now, was the same way to help myself.


    We had to bring Terry down.


    Nichs led me further into the bulk of the mansion, Into a greeting room at the base of a grand


    staircase. Gold adorned nearly every surface from the banisters of the staircase to the molding across


    the room.


    Oil paintings and tapestries hung on every wall, under lights and sometimes cases. I had little doubt


    that over them, let‘ I dirty them with the bottom of my shoes.


    The candidates and a few other guests were scattered throughout the room, with Terry standing in the


    center of the room. Servants, their downcast gazes in ce, walked around the room carrying trays of


    champagne and hors d’oeuvres. Camera crews catch every potential moment of action.


    N?velDrama.Org ? 2024.


    Terry, when he spots us, waves Nichs and me closer. Nichs holds tightly to my hand as we


    approach.


    Terry’s gaze drifts down to my l*ps, and his eyes narrowed. “Why, Piper. It seems you have smeared


    your


    l*pstick.”


    He procures a handkerchief from his pocket and passes it over to me. I hesitate a moment before


    epting it and dap at the corners of my l*ps.


    “Why look absolutely debauched, like some cad had his way with you.” Terry slices his sharp gaze


    toward Nichs. “Interesting how Nichs has chosen to wear the same shade.”


    I hand the handkerchief out to Nichs, but he ignores it to wipe at his mouth with his sleeve. I hadn’t


    noticed any of the l*pstick had smeared before, but under this light, I could see the touch of red that


    had tinted parts of Nichs’s l*ps,


    My cheeks burned in embarrassment. What must we have looked like?


    “I would have thought Piper might have better taste in men,” Terry said.


    “If thepetition looks like you, dear uncle, then I believe her taste in men is more than fine.”


    “You may be of age, but you are nothing but a boyparatively. A true man would be able to keep her


    satisfied.”


    I cleared my throat. “Do I get a say in the matter? I feel as though I should, since this directly concerns


    me.”


    Terry rolled his eyes at me. “Women don’t know what they want. They need a firm hand to guide them.”


    My entire b*dy recoiled from him and his vile words. I inched closer to Nichs. Nichs started to turn


    his b*dy so that I was a step or two behind him.


    “I’ve broken stronger women than you, Piper, and now they live to serve me.”


    “Servitude is not how rtionships work,” Nichs snapped, and I was proud of him for it. “A


    rtionship is a partnership, on equal footing. Somehow I doubt you have consent for what you do.”


    “Theirints end abruptly enough, when they see what I can do,” Terry said, undeterred. He


    leered


    Nichs t–out pulled me behind him now. He directly stepped between Terry and me. “You will keep


    your distance from Piper,” he snarled.


    Terry shrugged, undisturbed. “You can’t be around every minute, nephew. And the minute your back is


    turned…” He snapped his fingers. “Your little favorite is mine.”