HIS DOE, HIS DAMNATION (An Erotic Billionaire Romance) novel Chapter 74

Meadow’s POV:

It was already dark by the time Nolan drove me back to Alaric’s house. I’d wanted to spend the night at Nova’s apartment to take care of her, but that was out of the question for Nolan. And eventually, Nova had to convince me to leave, saying she was already feeling better.

Now, we were back, and I wished I could be anywhere but here. It was easier during the day, when Mel would be around making healthy noises as she worked around the house, doing things that didn’t even need to be done.

Even the bodyguards were some kind of consolation. At least, I wasn’t alone.

But at night–that was when the loneliness set in. This was a fucking mansion, and I had to sleep in it alone.

“Are you okay?” Nolan asked from the driver’s seat.

I turned to glance at him, giving him a polite smile. “Uh, yeah. Yeah I’m fine.” I started to reach for the handle, but I paused. “And thank you for your help today, Nolan. I know you didn’t have to, but you did.”

He gave a half hearted smirk. “Well, you’re my sister–in–law, aren’t you?” He paused. “You’re family now.”

Something thick lodged itself in my throat. Nolan calling me family didn’t feel as weird as I thought it would feel.

My heart fluttered. Maybe Nolan didn’t… hate me, after all.

He looked away, clearing his throat awkwardly. “Speaking of, you wanna tell me what’s going on between you and my brother and why the hell he’s using me as a buffer?”

I scoffed. “Not just you. He’s using everyone as a buffer. Trip, the prison guards…” he chuckled at that. I continued. “Mel. You know he told her to make sure I don’t miss any meals? So I have to eat breakfast and

dinner, sometimes lunch, even when I don’t feel like eating. He’s treating me like a goddamn child.”

I had no idea why I was telling Nolan this, but the words were already out and there was no way to take them back.

I ran my hand through my hair. “The worst part is, he isn’t even speaking to me. And he was the one who hurt me.”

By the time I turned back to face Nolan, he was already staring at me with an amused glint in his eyes.

“What?” I asked.

“Nothing.” He shook his head, turning off the ignition. “I’m just fucking relieved that it’s not all flowers and rainbows with you two.”

I shot him a glare and he rolled his eyes, stepping out of the car. I followed suit. “Look, I’m not good at the whole pep talk thing, but I will say my brother has flaws. Huge fucking ones. But I’ve seen him with my family, and I’ve seen him with you.”

I swallowed.

“And at first, I was doubtful of this entire relationship, but I forced myself to stop worrying. Ric can feel you, and I can tell he cares about you. That’s all that matters to me.” His voice lowered. “Lord knows he deserves a bit of happiness.”

My heart swelled, and then it panged as goosebumps spread across my skin. I crossed my arms over my chest to hide my anxiety. A look crossed Nolan’s eyes that I couldn’t decipher, but then his eyes shifted behind me.

And he froze.

“Scheiße.”

“What?” I asked automatically, even though I already knew that there was only one thing that would make Nolan curse like that.

I turned around to see Alaric standing right there. The front door was wide open and he had just stepped out of it, standing near the stairs as he watched us.

I wasn’t prepared to see him, and now that I did, I forgot how to breathe.

Had it really been that long?

A dark look crossed his eyes, making him look like a handsome devil in his black t–shirt and pants.

“Look,” Nolan started, stepping toward him. “Before you get pissed-”

“What part of ‘check in and leave‘ was not clear to you, Nolan?”

“Her friend was sick,” he responded. “And if I hadn’t gotten here, your damn bodyguards wouldn’t have let her leave.”

Alaric wasn’t looking at me, he was only looking at his brother. He continued to act as if I didn’t exist.” And you failed to inform me about it because?”

My brother shrugged his shoulders, raising his hands up in defense. “Alright. I will leave you with this, though. She cares about you too much, and I just spent minutes tooting your fucking horn and telling her how much you care about her too. And what you just did trumped all my efforts. Fucking fix it. That’s all I’m saying, Ric.”

That was all he said before he went down the steps and into his car, driving off almost immediately.

It was only after he was completely gone that I ran my hands down my face in frustration.

I already planned to fix things with Meadow. I came back earlier than I initially wanted to just because of her. I couldn’t think, couldn’t work, couldn’t fucking breathe without her near me. And when I checked the camera footage and didn’t see her in the house, I almost lost it before I found out where she went with my brother.

Still, I couldn’t stay away anymore. I needed to see her, feel her. So I took the jet back to Seattle.

And then she finally came home, and I saw her, and I just completely… froze.

Watching Meadow through the cameras was completely different from seeing her in person. I wanted to yank her toward me and kiss her until her lips were sore.

But instead, I gave her the cold shoulder and pretended not to care.

I saw how it fucking hurt her.

Pulling my phone out of my pocket, I checked the cameras again to see if she was in her room.

She wasn’t.

Not in the living room, kitchen or any common area.

That only left one place. The place she’d been going to every night for the past few nights before she retired to bed.

I pulled up the footage for the indoor pool.

And there she was.