“Stop calling it a game!” She shot of her seat.

  He acknowledged her outburst with a shrug but continued staring at me. “Life is one big game.”

  “Until someone gets hurt.” I rose, showing I stood by Victoria and no one else.

  “That’s certainly true, Miss Pinke.” He stood and moved behind his desk.

  She faced him. “Why did you want to see me? What was the point?”

  He tapped on his cell and then held it to his ear. After a beat, he greeted the person on the line.

  “When my sister arrives, bring her to me. Thank you.” He chucked his phone onto his desk and then moved out from behind his desk and over to Victoria’s side. She didn’t back away when he took her by the arms and rubbed them. “I’ll talk to Colette and make her stop.”

  “Threaten to cut her off like you should have done when I came back from England.” Victoria sounded in control once again. “Or send her away.”

  “If I exile her, I want something in return.” He cupped her cheek and dipped his face to hers.

  I didn’t like where this was headed. I pressed my palm on Victoria’s back, ready to pull her away.

  “The reason I sent you an invitation to my opening and interrupted your night is because I wanted to see you.” He stroked her cheek. “A year has been far too long.”

  “If you can get your sister out of my life for good, then you’ll see more of me.” She patted his chest.

  He gathered her in for a hug, triumph flashing across his face, aimed specifically at me.

  I fisted the back of Victoria’s shirt, terrified. She had fallen deeper into a trap Benjamin had set for her, much like the game he had acknowledged, but with Victoria as his pawn.

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  Victoria unlocked the door to her penthouse and entered, leaving the door open. The way she was acting made me nervous. After she and Benjamin had come to their agreement with more hugs and even a handshake between them, we left, although he had wanted us to stay longer, or rather, wanted Victoria to stay. She refused, and we left as quickly as we had arrived. Our meeting with him had lasted all of twenty minutes, which was a good thing because I didn’t want to bump into Colette.

  She had distanced herself from me the moment we left the club. I was at a loss as to what to say or how to proceed under these circumstances. She didn’t seem to want my company, but I didn’t want to leave her alone. I didn’t want to be alone, either.

  She drew off her jacket and dropped it onto the couch as she walked over to the small bar near the entertainment center. Selecting a bottle with amber liquid inside, she poured a healthy amount in a glass and gulped it down. She then poured another but stared in her glass instead of drinking it.

  I turned on a lamp.

  “Don’t,” she said and sipped her drink. “The light from outside is enough.”

  “We should talk about what happened at the club.” I moved toward the middle of the room.

  She toed her heels off and left them behind as she carried her glass. “I’m taking a shower then getting drunk. You can stay and drink with me. If not, ask the concierge downstairs to call for a car to take you home.”

  I reached out to touch her, but she sidestepped me and shook her head. “You can’t touch me right now. I need…” She swallowed her drink. “I need to be alone.”

  She left me, scraping her hand along the wall as she padded down the hallway, finishing off her drink. She turned the corner and then there was the sound of a door slamming shut.

  She was in a bad place. She was usually so strong and resilient, refusing to let her emotions get the better of her. I hated to see her suffering like this. I didn’t have experience with many emotionally scarred people, but based on the times I was upset, it helped to have someone, like a friend, be there for me. She might act like she didn’t need me, but I’d rather she use me for comfort than alcohol.

  I walked down the hall, hearing the sound of running water as I came closer to her bedroom. I opened the door and entered. The bathroom door was open, and steam filtered out. A trail of discarded clothes on the tile floor led to the shower stall. Behind the frosted door, Victoria sat on the bottom of the shower.

  I undressed, leaving my clothes in a heap on the floor, and opened the shower door. She huddled against the wall with her knees to her chest. Water rained down on her, flattening her hair to her face. Her lips trembled and goose bumps covered her arms, as if the water was frigid instead of steaming hot.

  I sat down next to her and pushed her hair aside. A sob left her, and she lowered her face to her knees. I slipped my arm around her and pulled her to me. She whispered my name and then cried, her tears wetting the side of my neck to join the hot water as it rained down on us for a very long time.

  ***

  “I’m the reason my parents died.” Victoria sat across from me on her king-size bed, her hair wrapped in a towel. She wore a long black cotton slip, while I wore my underwear and one of her tank tops that was loose in the chest but tight across the stomach. She balanced her glass on top of one of her crossed legs. Next to her was a newly opened bottle of wine. She had switched from whiskey to wine at my request. I had my own glass, but I didn’t drink much. I wanted to have a clear head for what she was about to tell me.

  “Why would you think that?” I asked, my voice harsher than I intended.

  Her smile didn’t reach her bloodshot eyes, rimmed with dark shadows. “My parents were supposed to stay home the weekend of my thirteenth birthday. They originally planned to fly the next weekend for their fifteenth wedding anniversary.”

  “Why did they fly out a weekend earlier?” I asked.

  She poured more wine in her glass, spilling some on her lap. “Because my father was furious with me. He caught me doing something repulsive to him.”

  “What did he catch you doing? Smoking or drinking?” I set my glass on the end table.

  She sipped her drink like it was water and giggled sadly. “It was a hundred times worse. I invited one of my classmates over to study. Her name was Laci, and she was the smartest and prettiest girl in my class.” She traced the rim of her glass with her finger. “She was the first girl I ever kissed. The invitation to study was an excuse for us to be alone. My father came home early that day and found me and Laci half naked in my bed.” Tears came to her eyes. “He threw her out and said he was ashamed of me. I told him I liked Laci and was attracted to girls. It was the only time he slapped me across the face.”

  “He had a double the shock of finding you not only half-naked in your bedroom with someone but with a girl.” I shifted in closer, and our knees touched.

  “He was horrified. When my mother came home, she was more stunned than angry. My father said a lot of nasty words. I told him I hated him and he was going to ruin my life.” She closed her eyes and wiped away stray tears on her cheeks. “My mother didn’t judge, unlike him, and calmed us both down. Later, when they thought I was asleep in bed, I overheard them arguing in their bedroom. Father said he’d put me in therapy before my unhealthy urges were out of control. They decided to fly out that weekend instead and left me at the house with our housekeeper. An hour into their flight, there were mechanical problems and their chartered plane crashed. Everyone on board died.”

  My eyes stung with the tears. Blinking them away, I concentrated on Victoria, who set her empty glass aside and lay on her back with her eyes still closed.

  “Did your aunt or uncle know the real reason why your parents changed their plans?” I unraveled the towel around her head.

  She took off the towel and threw it to the side. “My father told them I was failing a class, and my birthday party was canceled as my punishment. I finally told Aunt Regina the truth after their funeral. She said I wasn’t to blame, and she loved me no matter what.”

  “Your aunt is a wonderful person. You know she’s right.” I moved to my side and combed my fingers through her hair.

  “Laci and I were doomed anyway.” She opened her eyes, which were empty and shallow, erased of any feeling. “After my parents’ death, I went to a different private school. I didn’t see her again until college. She was the reason I wanted to break away from Colette. She was the reason I went to England for my final year of college and stayed away for years. She’s the reason I hate Colette with my entire heart and soul.”

  “Laci was your lover in college who died?” I asked, still petting her head, even though my hand was unsteady.

  She nodded, tears falling down her cheeks unchecked. “Yes. If I’d never kissed her or invited her to my house under false pretenses, then my parents and Laci would be alive and I wouldn’t have gotten involved with Colette.”

  I kissed her on the forehead and then both her cheeks. She had so many years of guilt bottled up inside her. I wish I could take away her pain and make her believe she wasn’t to blame for any of those deaths or the way Colette had entered her life. Maybe having her talk about it and opening up would start the healing process.

  I lay on my side and stroked her cheek. She released a shaky breath and cupped her hand over mine.

  “I want to take away your pain,” I said.

  She turned on her side and faced me, tangling our legs together. I continued stroking her cheek. Soon her breathing smoothed out and her tears stopped.

  “The first time I met Colette was a month after my parents’ funeral. I visited their graves every day. I met Colette there. Her mother had died of cancer a few days after my parents died. She never knew her father. He died before she was born.” She slid her hand under my top and laid her palm on my back. “We bonded at the cemetery over our losses. My aunt and uncle had been friendly with her mother before her illness. They had no idea what she was capable of.”

  “What about Benjamin?” I asked.

  “He wasn’t around. I didn’t know him until I was older.” She shuddered and nestled her head near the crook of my neck. “In the beginning, everything was great with Colette. Other than us meeting at the cemetery, she’d visit me at the house. Most of the time, Aunt Regina was there. Eventually I developed a crush on her.

  “And then she took advantage of you.” I hugged her.

  “For my fourteenth birthday, she surprised me with tickets to a Broadway show. She also booked us an overnight stay at a hotel. She received permission from Aunt Regina to give me an extra-special birthday celebration because of the one-year anniversary of my parents’ death. She coerced Aunt Regina into letting her take me to the city overnight. I felt so grown up because I was hanging out with an older, attractive hip woman.” She dug her nails in my back. “I was so naive and stupid.”

  “She had an ulterior motive for your birthday.” I squeezed her tighter, trying to hold back my rage.

  Her mouth was warm and moist on my neck. “Everything was innocent until after the show. We had a private dinner at some swanky place. That’s where I had my first taste of alcohol, some sweet and bubbly drink tasting like soda. I got tipsy, and she took me back to our hotel room. She recommended I take a bath to help sober me up. I did what she suggested because I thought she was so smart and cared about me.” She dropped her cheek on the middle of my chest. “She came in while I got out of the tub, and, again, acting like the concerned friend, she dried me off. She kissed me and then laid me on the bathroom floor and went down on me.”

  “She took advantage of you while you were drunk,” I said, sniffing back tears.

  “But I had an orgasm. I enjoyed it! After, she asked me if I wanted more. I said yes! I let her have me all night long, in any way she wanted because I liked how she made me feel!”

  Her voice rose to a high pitch. I grabbed her face in my hands and rolled her on her back. She clamped her arms and legs around my hips, eyes welling up with tears.

  “The next morning, I was sick…hungover. Even when I threw up in the toilet and she held my hair away from my face, she told me I shouldn’t be ashamed of what we did. But she also said that no one could know about us because if they did, she’d go to jail, and my aunt and uncle and cousins who took me in would reject me like my parents had because I was a lesbian!”

  She was nearly hysterical. Her face was red, and her eyes were swollen. My vision blurred from my tears. Drawing her into my arms, I kissed every part of her face, licking away her tears and her pain. Eventually she quieted, clutching the back of my head and kissing me. Our teeth and lips smashed together. Her kiss was violent and frantic. My upper lip split, and my blood wet our mouths. She moaned and jutted her hips up to join mine.

  “Make me forget. Fuck me,” she gasped between brutal kisses.

  Running my mouth down her torso, I nipped her breast under her slip, moving over her stomach and lower. I lifted the hem and found skin, a waxed pussy, waiting to be taken. I pulled open her legs and spread her vulva wide, landing my mouth on her damp lips in the hopes of making her numb with pleasure.

  She bucked up and fisted my hair as she screamed my name. Finding her clitoris, I lapped and sucked as I stroked her wet pussy. She clamped her thighs around my head, jerking upward with a wail.

  Working her over with my tongue and mouth, I shifted my hand between her legs, circled my thumb near her back entrance, and pressed deep within. She sat up and clenched down, climaxing hard. Her release showered my mouth as I sucked on her, swallowing each drop.

  She twisted away, bellowing into the mattress. I leaned in for a kiss. She met my mouth with hers, and our tongues danced together. I nudged her to the side and rubbed my thigh on her pussy, the fur of my feminine bush giving me enough friction that sharp pressure expanded in my core. She lowered her hand and inserted her fingers inside me, pumping and circling.

  Our mouths remained locked together as we both came, our cries of passion sweeping aside the ones of heartbreak and pain.

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  Gray clouds blocked the sun, and rain was in the air. The temperature dropped overnight, but I was warm enough in the dress I had worn for my date with Victoria. I borrowed one of her long coats to hide the wrinkles in the fabric and the small runs in my stockings. My hair was braided back and my face free of makeup when I left Victoria asleep in her bed, dead to the world. Even after her emotional breakdown and all the drinking last night, she slept peacefully. Maybe all those orgasms helped, too. They had for me. Even though I didn’t sleep well, I felt rested. Actually, numb was a better word, especially for what I planned to do.

  While she slept in my arms, I had come to some important conclusions, not only about her but about myself. Meeting her had changed me forever. I’d never go back to the way I once was. I wanted to be a person of action and make a difference. I wanted to erase the guilt she carried. To do that, I needed to take care of the real person responsible.

  Colette had shown me the true definition of manipulation. I would return the favor and do the same to her as she had done to Victoria and me. I had a new goal in mind. I was going to take her down in retribution for the suffering she’d caused Victoria, and for any others who kept silent in fear of her retaliation.

  All it took was for me to call Colette, to pretend I’d been abused by Victoria. I must have been more convincing than I thought because she invited me to her apartment, sympathetic to my situation. I would play on her emotions, make her believe I sided with her, and get her to admit what she had done to Victoria, while recording her with the same device she had given me for the mock interview with Victoria.

  My plan was risky, but I had to do something. She would never see me coming. The innocence and naivety she found “so refreshing” would work in my favor.

  I hurried into her building as it started to rain. With a cheery smile in place, I approached security.

  “Hello, I’m here to see Miss Duarte. She’s expecting me,” I said to the woman behind the front desk.

  “Your name?” The woman sounded more bored than polite.

  “Lindsay Pinke.”

  She picked up the phone and called Colette. After the confirmation, I was directed to take the elevator up to the twentieth floor.

  Purposely perky and gracious, I thanked the guard and strolled to the elevators. The doors opened and I entered. I then turned on the recorder and placed it in my coat pocket. I’d keep my coat on, using the excuse it hid my bruises.

  When the elevator stopped, I took a deep breath and headed down the hall to where Colette stood in the open doorway to her condo. For an early morning visit, she looked refreshed and ready to start the day, except for the satin robe she wore.

  “You look like you’ve been through hell and back.” She had the audacity to cup my chin and inspect my face. She zoned in on my mouth and frowned.

  “I had a rough night,” I said in the softest and shakiest voice possible and poked my split lip with my tongue. I winced, pressing my finger there.

  “You’re bleeding.” She pulled my hand away, blood staining my finger.

  “Victoria and I had a bad fight.” I latched onto the wall. “She’s crazy.”

  “Come inside.” She waved me in and shut the door behind me.

  When she touched my back, I flinched and turned around, rubbing my arms. “Please don’t touch me. It still hurts.”

  Her befuddled look was priceless. “What happened to you?”

  I lowered my head to my chest and let out a sob. “I was stupid to trust Victoria. She ended up seducing me. She is…was my first lover, and naive girl that I am, I believed everything she said.”

  “What did she say?” she asked in an impatient tone.

  “She told me awful things about you, and I believed her.” My voice broke, and I covered my face. “She took me to a sex club last night—”

  “My brother’s new club. He told me he saw you and Victoria there,” she said.

  I nodded. “Yes, we talked to him for a while. I don’t understand why Victoria took me there because we didn’t stay long. I went home with her and she…we…”