Chapter 5
1085 Words
Briar
I picked out my ticket out of my Father’s house from the rose bush and stuffed it in my jacket’s inner pocket. It was dark, and the stars filled the dark, cloudy night. Dad was gone, and I was leaving too.
The biggest insult to injury would be if Dad returned with Naomi. I’d give anything if it meant they wouldn’t get married and Naomi wouldn’t be my stepmother.
“Where are you off to?” Clint asked from inside his red sports car.
“Out,” I replied.
“That’s not how you should talk to your fiancé,” he said, amusement in his tone.
I kept my eyes forward and marched towards the front gate. Clint turned his car around and drove steadily beside me.
“Come in,” he offered.
“No.” Was he insane?
“Briar, we both need to change.”
I paused. “Are you acknowledging that you need to change, too?”
Clint was a spoiled billionaire with more money than he knew what to do with. He was never wrong; everyone else was just wired the wrong way.
“Yes, I have to treat you better as my fiancée. I admit I don’t give you enough attention. That’s going to change. Where are you going? Let me drive you there.”
I wanted to tell him to go to hell. However, it was late, and if I wanted to make it to Severin’s house in good time after I went to the pharmacy, then using Clint for a ride wasn’t such a bad idea.
“Fine,” I said, climbing into the passenger seat.
The car smelled like his sweet, expensive cologne, contrasting with Severin’s alluring masculine scent. Clint liked tailor-made suits from his generational tailor on Donovan Street, while Severin only had two colours in his wardrobe, black and white.
“Where to, Kitten?” He flashed me a grin.
I hated that nickname. He made me feel like I was helpless and depended on him to survive.
“Walter Avenue. I want to go to a*****e there,” I mumbled.
“Isn’t it late for shopping?” Clint asked.
I shut my eyes and willed myself not to groan.
“Never mind, it’s never too late for a woman to shop.”
“Clint, we don’t have to do small talk. We literally have nothing in common.”
His hand came down heavy on my thigh and squeezed it. I jumped at the sudden action.
“You could stand to be nicer to me. After your Father’s recent engagement announcement, you need me.”
“I don’t.”
“Wesley James is a sneaky man. I never would have thought he had problems with his wife. I’m sure you didn’t know your best friend was screwing your Father either.”
“Clint!”
He barked out a laugh. “I’m as upset about this as you are. Naomi is a self-righteous b***h. Who would have thought she’d pull something like this?”
I rubbed my forehead. “I don’t know… I can’t imagine what her parents think.”
“I’m sure they’re thrilled their daughter caught a big fish like your Daddy dearest.”
“Huh?”
“Didn’t you hear, Kitten? Naomi’s Father lost everything. He invested in some bad stocks, and his extracurricular activities caught up to him.”
“Extra— You mean gambling?”
Why didn’t he just say that?
“Among other things, but yes.”
This was unbelievable.
“Stop right here,” I said.
Clint parked his sports car on the side of the road. He placed his hand on my thigh again and slowly caressed it until he rested his hand on my thigh. I quickly reached for the handle. Clint locked the doors.
“What are you doing?” I yelled.
“Your Father doesn’t expect you to take over his businesses, Briar. He doesn’t believe a woman can run his companies.”
“Bullshit. He can have them.”
Clint barked out a laugh. “Only a fool would throw away money like that.”
“Then I’m a fool, Clint. Open the door.”
“Where’s your engagement ring, Briar?”
His smooth, nice attitude melted away like a candle thrown into a volcano. I smiled, inching closer to him. I leaned into him with a soft, seductive smile. I got close enough for him to feel my breath on his face. Clint blinked a few times at my sudden action. Little did he know that my hand moved towards the button to unlock the car.
“You look tense… You want to know where the ring is?” I whispered.
“Y-Yeah? Briar?”
I leaned closer to whisper in his ear. “It’s floating in the sewer just like your shit.”
I pushed the button and tumbled out of the car.
“Briar!”
“Goodbye, Clint. I hope you find a new fiancée.”
Once I was free from Clint, I wandered into a pharmacy. I needed to get a pregnancy test. I could come up with so many reasons why my period was late, but the major reason for it was clawing at me. I picked up the pregnancy test and headed to the counter.
“Here we go,” I said.
***
I took the bus to Severin’s house. He hadn’t answered my calls or texts. He would have offered to pick me up on his bike. When I got to the house, the lights outside were on, the garage was open, and the front door was open.
A lump formed in my throat. What if something was wrong?
“Severin!”
I burst through the front door. The lamp was busted on the floor. The TV had fallen off the wall and was broken. I ran through the hall, listening for a cry for help.
“Babe!”
The bedroom had been left untouched.
“No, no.”
I ran into the kitchen, where I found a mess of broken glass and blood. Where was he? I had to call the police. A thousand things floated in my mind, it rendered me paralysed. I couldn’t move until something caught my eye amongst the glass and blood.
I bent to pick up the object. It was Severin’s necklace from the Obsidian Brothers. All the members had one. He cherished this thing the way he cherished his club. He never took it off. Something was wrong.
- Writer
