The Dark Bargain

Chapter 003

Shadows and Lies

Lily’s POV

The echo of Damien's footsteps vanished into the darkness, leaving me on the balcony alone shivering along my spine. Hurrow. The name itself seemed to contaminate everything. It came into contact with poison. The chilling threat from Damien still hummed in my head: Should I fail to stop him, everything—including you—could suffer collateral damage.

Thinking it was a straightforward transaction, a marriage of convenience to help my mother stabilize Damien's business, I accepted this arrangement. Now, though, I was surrounded by foes I could not see and deeply engaged in a struggle I hardly understood.

Behind me a door creaked open, and I turned to find Eliza walking onto the balcony. Her green eyes sparkled in the low light, and a dangerous smile slanted over her lips.

She cooed, her voice laden with phony sympathy. " Seems my dear brother has left you out here all alone." "I would hate to see you feeling already abandoned."

I pushed myself to be tall and met her eyes with as much assurance as I could. I don't feel abandoned. Damien needed business taken care of. You most certainly know the idea.

Her smile grew more constricted. Oh, believe me; I am very familiar with Damien's business. And I am aware of his merciless nature when driven toward something.

Not ready to let her see the gaps in my confidence, I stood in my position. Eliza, whatever you are attempting to suggest won't work. I am and Damien are— "

"A happy couple?" she asked, eyebrows raised in suspicion. Lily, kindly. Set the fairy story for the tabloids for last. I understand that this marriage serves only as his handy arrangement.

Her comments touched a nerve, but I kept her from seeing it. And concerning you, Eliza? Are you so fixated on the life of your brother that you find it intolerable when he succeeds?

Eliza's eyes flared, and beyond her mask, I could momentarily see something dark and intensely intimate flickering. Damien and I have our past. One someone like you would never know.

I answered, folding my arms and refusing to let her scare me, "Try me."

She gave a low, sarcastic chuckle. You are in much over your head, Lily. Damien loves neither you nor me. All you are in his game is a pawn. And if you are wise, you will quit before you suffer and minimize your losses.

Her remarks stung, but I forced myself to remain cool. You will have to strive harder if that is meant to frighten me.

Eliza's lips opened to a dark smile. Think of it as a polite warning. Every person Damien contacts is destroyed in some way. Including the ones he says he safeguards.

Damien came back hours later, his attitude colder than I had ever seen. My pulse raced with a mix of fear and wrath; he was barely through the door when I entered his path.

"Where were you?" I insisted, the words flying before I could stop them.

His eyes turned to mine, harsh and uncompromising. " Taking care of a problem.

"A problem named Hargrave??"

He answered nothing, simply took off his coat, and poured himself a drink. The quiet was taut and thick, and I could feel our gap widening.

"Damien, I need to know what's going on," I said, my voice harder than I felt. "I deserve to know the truth; if I am supposed to be your wife."

He stopped his glass half to his lips, then set it down with a measured calm that just made me more nervous. Lily, the truth is you are here to play a part. Nothing else.

The words went further than I had anticipated, and I sensed my control erasing. Is that all I am to you? One has to perform a role.

His eyelids closed, and for a brief instant, I saw something fragile flickering across his face. But it disappeared as fast as it first showed, replaced by the cool, deliberate mask he wore rather brilliantly.

Don't let Lily make this personal. This is a type of business structure. You understood right from the start.

"Maybe I did," I shot back, but I signed up to be used like a pawn in your conflict with Hargrave. I have to know what I am opposing.

He breathed sharply, as though he were attempting to control his irritation. Perfect. Do you want the truth? Hargrave is more than just a commercial opponent. He is someone who has gone out to demolish years of worth of creation. And he will stop at nothing to see my failure.

I sucked hard, his words weighing down on me. But why? How could you have made him detest you so fiercely?

His jaw tightened as he paused. You shouldn't give that any thought.

"Damien, please," I said, my voice lower than I had meant and more vulnerable than I wanted. "I cannot be part of this if I do not know what I am facing."

He fixed me, a flickering of something incomprehensible in his eyes. Then his hands were on my shoulders, dragging me close, his mouth slamming down on mine with a great force that stole my breath before I could register it.

Desperate, rough, and full of all the feelings he avoided putting into words, the kiss was As if he could somehow calm the storm raging inside him. I felt the strain, the rage, the frustration surging through him, and I found myself clutching at him.

But he withdrew, his face hardening just as fast as it started. This is the reason, Lily, I advised against getting involved. The planet you entered is not what you know.

My lips still tingled from the power of the kiss, and my head whirled. "Then aid me in understanding."

He shook his head, backing off as though separating us would somehow protect his secrets. Not one. Your safety will be greater the less you know.

His comments simply made me more annoyed; I started raising my voice in search of responses. "Damian, I do not want to be safe. I am looking for the truth.

His view of me was colder than ice. You are much over your head. And clever people will stay out of it.

He turned to go, but before he could get to his feet, the door sprang open, and Victor Hargrave walked into the room.

"Well, well," Hargrave said, his eyes flickering with a predatory gloss between Damien and me. " Isn't this cozy?

Damien's posture stiffened right away, his eyes fastened on Hargrave with a little veiled anger. What the devil are you doing here?

Hargrave grinned and stepped forward, his eyes now fixed on me. I just came to chat with your beautiful wife. She could be interested in hearing a different point of view, I reasoned.

Damien moved to block him, his attitude lethal. I swear if you put a hand on her—

Oh, relax, Damien, Hargrave laughed sarcastically. I just want to give Lily the truth here. Something you seem so determined to hold from her.

My pulse sped up, and I had an unusual flush of defiance. "What truth, Victor?" he asked.

Damien sent me a warning glance, but I turned aside and started ahead to meet Hargrave. Tell me if you know something I need to know.

As Hargrave's smile grew, I could see the delight in his eyes as he turned to face Damien, savoring the authority he possessed at that instant. Damien has not told you, either. Regarding the agreement he negotiated years ago. The one launching all of this forward.

I brushed Damien off, my eyes fixated on Hargrave; I felt his touch on my arm, attempting to pull me back. "What deal?" he asked.

Hargrave bent in, his voice a bitter whisper. To seize the power of this empire, Damien betrayed his flesh and blood, his own family. Lily is an expert at lies. And the worst component? He is equally apt to turn on you.

The comments felt to me like a punch to the belly, and I felt a terrible sense of betrayal chewing at me. I went to Damien and looked for any indication of denial or some comfort, knowing Hargrave was lying.

But Damien's look was blank, his silence more terrible than any tongue.

Is it true? Whispers with a shaky voice.

He ignored me, his eyes straying, and in that instant, the brittle trust I had developed in him broke.

Laughing, Hargrave sounded harsh and triumphant. Lily, you have your response here. Hello and welcome to the game.

Then he walked out of the room without another word, leaving me standing there while my world collapsed around me.

My voice clogged with pain and wrath, I turned back to Damien. You assured me this was simply business. Still, all of it is falsehood.

He went to me, his hand reluctant, almost begging. Lily, it's complicated.

"Don't," I said, returning and heart thumping with a mix of wrath and terror. I'm not sure which lies—the ones you told me or the ones you told yourself are

worse."

And I could feel his eyes blazing into my back as I turned and left, the weight of his secrets coming down on me.