Beautiful Trouble by B. B. Hamel
Darren
Igot three quiet days.
Three blessed, quiet days.
We compromised on the bracelet. She wanted to melt it in the fireplace. I wanted to embed it beneath her skin.
So the rule became she had to wear it whenever she left the house.
Neither of us was happy with the situation. She felt like the guards were enough. I felt like she should be a little less pushy for a girl that’d been kidnapped.
After that first argument, Winter went silent. She took long walks around the grounds (with the damn bracelet on), sat out by the pool (bracelet), and wandered the halls (sans bracelet). It was the calm before the storm, I knew, but there were no more interruptions.
As pleasant as that initial outburst had been.
There was something wildly erotic about the way she’d glared at me defiantly while I pulled her hair, and something incredibly arousing about the stiff nipple I’d felt when I teased my hand across her chest.
She’d liked the intense, rough play. That only made my heart thud faster than normal.
I couldn’t go down that road, though. As much as Winter tempted me, I had a reason for taking her.
I had plans, and they didn’t involve her beyond pressuring Roman into doing what I wanted.
“You shouldn’t be so mean to Winter.” Penny lounged near the fireplace in my office. Every damn room in this house had a fireplace. I kept mine crackling because my sisters wanted to stay far, far away from the extra heat.
Apparently, that didn’t matter today. Erin lingered in the corner, scowling at her phone and glaring up at me.
“I don’t know why you care. She’s only temporary.” I didn’t look up to meet Penny’s judgmental gaze. I knew what she thought of all this, and I didn’t need to hear it again.
But I would, of course.
“I know your position in this family comes with a lot of unpleasant tasks, but do you really need to kidnap innocent girls? Surely there’s some other way for a big, bad Oligarch to get what he wants.”
She was baiting me. I knew it; she knew it. Hell, even Erin knew it, and she could be oblivious to anything beyond her own nose sometimes.
I still couldn’t help myself.
“Winter is expedient. I could take the hard road and kill a few dozen more of Roman’s men, but that seems like a waste of life and resources.”
“And not to mention an escalation in this little war,” Erin added.
“Is everything really guns and guts with you?” Penny scrunched up her nose. “There have to be other ways to hurt him. Financial, political, whatever. I don’t know.”
My sisters were my life. It was a strange thought, but a true one. I kept them far away from my work, or as far as I could manage, considering we all lived in the same house. They were everything to me, especially after what had happened to Liv, and I’d do anything to protect them.
I’d die for them, if it came to that.
And one day, it might.
But for now, I tried to save them from the worst of my business. They weren’t stupid and certainly weren’t naïve, but Penny still retained some measure of childish innocence, while Erin refused to let herself care about much of anything. That gave me some space to maneuver without them hanging over my shoulder—and it helped that my mother agreed that we should ensure the girls were given as normal a life as possible.
If you could call this place normal.
“Believe me, Pen, if there was a better way, I’d take it. Winter’s more trouble than she’s worth.”
“Then let her go,” Erin drawled, rolling her eyes.
“I didn’t know you cared,” I said, glaring at her.
She didn’t look up, too absorbed in Instagram or TikTok or whatever. She was only two years younger than me, but sometimes it felt like she’d never grow up. Her deep red hair was down around her shoulders, grown long over the past couple of years and stylish and wavy. We all shared the same bright green eyes, though Erin’s facial structure took after our father, while Penny and I looked more like our mother.
“I don’t. I’m just tired of hearing you two argue.”
“You could always leave my office.” I clicked my pen over and over as emphasis.
“I like Winter,” Penny repeated. “I want you to promise that you’re not going to hurt her.”
I rubbed my eyes. “I already told you, she’s not useful to me dead.”
“Dead and hurt are different things.”
“I can’t make that promise then.”
She smacked the arm of her chair. “You can be a dick sometimes, you know that?”
“And you’re not as nice as you pretend.”
Erin whistled. “Low blow, brother dearest.”
“She can take it.”
Penny jumped to her feet, seething. “You’re an asshole.” She gestured around at my office. “What’s all this worth if we’re just a bunch of broken monsters living in a pretty house?”
“You’re being dramatic.” I looked back down at the papers stacked in front of me. Letters to sign, financial accounts to pore over, plans to read and reread. Running a war against another Oligarch wasn’t exactly cheap or easy.
Before Penny could lob out the incredibly intelligent and cutting rejoinder she had perched on the tip of her tongue, the door slammed open. Anthony strode in, grinning hugely and breathing hard.
He was the youngest of our family at only twenty-three. We were nearly ten years apart, and although I’d resented him when he was first born—I was a little kid back then, in my defense—we’d grown close. What had happened to Liv only sped up that change, and though he’d seemed like an outsider during those early days, I loved him as fiercely as I loved my sisters.
“You guys have to come see this.” He was breathing hard like he’d run ten miles. “That girl’s going nuts.”
I perked up. “Winter?”
His grin got bigger. “Seriously, you have to get out here.” Anthony had a way about him—magnetic, exciting. It made people want to be his friend and even I wasn’t immune to that charming smile and boyish mop of dark red hair. His eyes were a light blue—so different from everyone else—but his face was all my mother.
I followed him into the hall, with Erin and Penny tagging along. I wished they’d stay behind, but I had a feeling Penny wouldn’t let me go anywhere near Winter alone right now. Not when she was so convinced that I planned on torturing the girl.
I didn’t. I had no reason to. She had nothing useful for me, and so long as she didn’t do anything destructive or try to escape, I’d let her live in comfort until this was all over.
I sinned. Every day I found a new way to smear my soul with black. It came with my business, and as much as it kept me awake at night wondering if I was damned for all of eternity, I still did whatever I had to do to maintain power and shape the world into what I wanted.
In this life, only ruthlessness got results.
But being ruthless didn’t mean wasteful, and hurting Winter would be a waste.
Needless, pointless. There was nothing to gain from that.
So long as the girl didn’t make trouble.
Which, of course, she did.
Anthony led us down the steps and out into the backyard. I found Winter standing next to the pool with a wheelbarrow full of books—very old, very expensive books.
Several staff and guards stood around, looking like they wanted to die. Nobody moved to touch her. I’d made it clear to everyone that Winter was not to be stopped or harmed unless she went somewhere off-limits or broke one of my rules.
Apparently, I hadn’t dreamed up this scenario.
“Oh, lovely, you’re here.” She smiled at me and lifted up a large leather-bound tome with gold filigree all around the spine and the front cover. If I remembered correctly, that was an eighteenth-century religious text on apocryphal biblical stories. “This one looks like it cost a fortune.”
“Winter,” I said, tone warning.
She tossed the book into the water.
I stared as the priceless artifact bobbed to the surface, then began to sink.
The bottom of the pool was littered with objects: an old Tiffany clock worth thousands, small statues, paintings, candlesticks, sterling silver plates, and other antiques. Some of it could be salvaged, but most of it would be ruined.
I wondered how long Anthony had been watching her before he came to get me.
She picked up another book. Smaller, green leather. I didn’t know what it was. She idly flipped the pages.
“I was thinking. This house is full of crap.” She threw the book into the water, grabbed another. “Priceless stuff. You rich people love accumulating expensive junk, you know? I figured, while I’m here, I could help you out with a little spring cleaning.” She laughed to herself. “Spring cleaning. Get it? God, I hate that name, but I can’t resist a good joke.”
I knew the others wouldn’t get it. I hadn’t shared her dossier with any of them. But I understood the black humor.
“Put the books down.” I walked closer.
She glared at me. “Don’t move or I’ll dump them all.”
“Where in all the hells did you even get that?” I asked, gesturing at the wheelbarrow.
“Stole it from the supply shed. Did you know you have a supply shed?”
“Of course. Stop playing this stupid game, Winter. Do you think this is going to change anything for you?”
“I think it’s getting your attention.”
I gestured around at the staring witnesses. “Mine and everyone else’s.”
She frowned, glanced at the others. Her gaze lingered on Penny for the briefest moment before coming back to me.
“I want to go home. You can’t keep me here forever.”
“Yes, I can. Now stop being a child and get back inside.”
Her jaw clenched.
That was the wrong thing to say.
She started to tip the wheelbarrow.
Here’s the thing. I didn’t care about the priceless artifacts. Objects were replaceable, money was unlimited, and frankly, I agreed with Winter. We had too many precious things lying around cluttering up our home. If I had my way, we’d burn the lot and start over.
Except my mother loved the antiques, and my sisters had some foolish notion about keeping my mother happy, and so the crap must stay.
And beyond all that, this was a provocation, an attack on my dignity and honor.
It had to be answered.
I sprinted at her.
This whole stunt was foolish. It wouldn’t change anything, but it would piss me off. And as I charged her like a mad rhinoceros, I realized that maybe, just maybe, that was exactly what she wanted.
Too late. I crashed into her from the side and tackled her into the pool.
The wheelbarrow tipped. The books dumped. I couldn’t save them.
We slammed into the water together. She struggled and thrashed. My suit was soaked—another few thousand dollars down the drain, not that it mattered—and Winter was doing her best to drown us both.
I kicked hard and got to the surface. She gasped for breath, her hair matted and soaked, her lips pulled back in a snarl. We grappled, and I managed to hold her against my body, pulling her tight and pinning her arms at the side as I treaded water. I was a strong swimmer and twice her size.
She glared pure hate. It was glorious. I felt her breasts against my chest.
“Let me go,” she said softly, her tone a lion’s snarl.
“You shouldn’t have done that.”
“I didn’t break any of your precious rules.” Her glare turned to a victorious smirk. “Are you going to lock me in your basement anyway?”
My lips were inches from hers. Beneath us, down at the bottom of the pool, priceless books and other assorted artifacts grew fat with chlorinated water.
“I’ll tie you to your bed and use you as a plaything. Or maybe you’d enjoy walking around my bedroom on all fours, my perfect little pet.”
Her eyes widened a touch as she moved closer. Her plump, pink lips brushed against my own and her voice was pitched low and soft enough that only I could hear.
“How would your family feel about that? Taking your captive by force.”
My hands gripped her lower back tighter. “I don’t think I’d need to do much convincing.” But my eyes drifted to the others, still standing and staring. Penny was livid, Erin was bored, and Anthony was loving every second of this. The rest of the staff ranged from horrified to scared to death.
“I’d make you work for every single inch you took from me.” She sounded so quiet and so fierce, and I felt myself stiffen in response, unable to help it. Her body was soft against mine and I could almost taste her lips, and the water dripping from her hair sent wild chills of desire down my spine.
“Good. It’s no fun without the fight.” I release her and kicked away. “Now get out of this damn pool.” I swam to the shallow end and walked up the stairs, water running off my suit in heavy rivulets. I pointed at a group of huddled staff members gaping nearby. “You three, get in there and pull out all that shit. Save what you can, donate or trash the rest.” I pointed at Winter’s guards. “You two, escort our guest to her room. Ensure she doesn’t leave for the remainder of the day.”
“Lock me away,” Winter called out, “but I won’t make this easy.”
I set my jaw and ignored her.
Damn right she wouldn’t. I expected nothing less.
Penny strode after me and caught up before I reached the house.
“What was that?”
“A tantrum.” I stomped my feet. My shoes were fucking ruined. Six-hundred-dollar handmade Italian leather. I’d really liked them.
“No, not that. The pool. It looked like you were about to kiss her.”
“Don’t be stupid. She’s a tool.”
Penny grabbed my arm. “Be careful. Don’t cross any lines.”
I pushed her hand away. “I don’t rape women, but thank you for the vote of confidence.”
She said nothing as I strode into the house, squishing along the carpeted floor. Mother would be livid about all this, but what could she do?
Winter was not to be harmed. Unless I ordered it.
And maybe I should.
Maybe that was what she wanted.
