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Chapter 87
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His Wicked Games series Chapter 88
- LILY -"I'll do the dishes," I say when dinner is over.Lou starts to protest, but I cut her off."You cooked," I tell her. "That means you're off duty for the rest of the night.""No way. This is your wedding weekend. You have enough to deal with without having to worry about dishes.""Ladies," Ward says, rising. "Both of you can relax. I've got the dishes."But Calder rises just a moment after him. "And you two have done enough for us already, letting us have our wedding here. Lily and I can manage to clean up."There's something about his tone - polite and generous though it seems on the surface - that ends the conversation immediately. I'm glad to win the argument, but I'm worried by the edge in Calder's voice. I didn't miss the words he used - that subtle reference to the fact that they're letting us have our wedding here. It's the first time I've heard even a hint of bitterness from Calder about the situation, but he's been acting strange for most of the evening. Ever si
His Wicked Games series Chapter 89
- CALDER -Lily tells me I owe Louisa's man an apology.I, on the other hand, say that there's nothing wrong with expressing normal brotherly concern, and I refuse to apologize for questioning the methods of a man who hasn't married the woman carrying his child. I have every reason to doubt him.But I'll give credit where credit is due - Ward has been handling this situation well, at least since he returned with Louisa last night. Both mother and child are fine, but the doctor recommended she take it easy for a few days, and Ward has insisted that she stay in bed this morning. I even saw him take breakfast up to her earlier.Maybe there's a good man hiding beneath that grubby exterior after all.But that doesn't mean I owe him an apology.Besides, I have other things to handle today, like helping greet our guests. They've been arriving since noon, and we've been helping them get settled in their rooms. Lily's currently leading her coworker Morgan and her husband up to their suite
His Wicked Games series Chapter 90
- LILY -Sometime around 4:00 PM, I start to feel like I'm going crazy.I love having my friends and family around, but with all the ups and downs of this week, it's a little overwhelming to suddenly be surrounded by so many people. I catch a break when Lou and Ward finally join us. After spending most of the day in bed, Lou seems more than ready to socialize, and Ward also steps up as host, introducing himself to our guests. When I see that Regina and my dad have cornered Calder, I take the opportunity to slip outside for some fresh air.I only mean to wander around the gardens right next to the house. But the weather is so nice and I'm so relieved to have a few minutes to myself that I find myself moving further and further away. I'm the bride - I'm allowed a walk, aren't I? I feel bad for abandoning Calder to our guests, but I'll make it up to him later.It's not until I'm halfway around the house and the maze comes into view that I remember the events of yesterday - and the fac
His Wicked Games series Chapter 91
- CALDER -I can't believe that fucker has been on the estate. That he followed me all the way out here. That he's been breaking onto the property. That he's been in contact with Lily.I want to kill him for that last part alone. I don't even care that he caused a fight between us on the night before our wedding - I blame myself for that anyway. But I don't trust this man, and he could have done something to her - if not out of malice, then out of anger at me, or out of fear that she'd discovered him. She was alone, and she was vulnerable. And all of us in the house were too far away to have even known, let alone stop it.I don't know what Taran Harker intended to do by coming here, but I intend to end this once and for all.Lily is right behind me as I march down the hall."Calder," she says. "We need to handle this calmly."Calm is the last thing I feel right now. That man was on the estate. That man tried to infiltrate this family. That man might have hurt Lily. It doesn't mat
His Wicked Games series Chapter 92
- LILY -Morning comes too soon.I'm regretting asking the hairdresser to get here at 10:00 AM. I manage to roll out of bed at half past nine, but one glance in the mirror reveals that I look as exhausted as I feel. I'm going to need a crap ton of concealer if I don't want bags under my eyes in all the wedding pictures.Calder looks even worse, but that's because of the fighting he did last night. There's a huge bruise on his jaw and one of his eyes is slightly puffy.Fortunately, the answer to that comes at a quarter 'til ten, right when I'm trying to shoo Calder out of the room so I can get ready. There's a knock on the door, and when I open it I find Lou and Ward standing there. Lou has her dress and makeup bag with her, and she strolls right into the room, grinning as if she's completely forgotten about the events of last night. Ward, on the other hand looks a little worse for wear. He's sporting his own set of bruises.For a minute, I'm worried that he and Calder will go at i
His Wicked Games series Chapter 93
- LILY -I imagined we'd find ourselves in a room with a giant bed and a bunch of rose petals. What we get is even better.Ward and Lou have led us to the spa. I've never been in this part of the house before - considering it didn't exist back when I was here the first time around - and it's so beautiful that I gasp as we step into the atrium. The walls are covered with glass tiles of every shade of blue and arranged in wavy, swirling patterns, giving the impression that we're deep in the sea. Lou and Ward have decorated the entire room with candles, and the dancing light cast by the warm, flickering flames make it seem like the waves are actually moving. There's a small, trickling fountain in the middle of the room, and rose petals float on the surface of the water."Ward's been working all week to get it ready," Lou says. She's beaming.Ward actually looks a little sheepish as he rubs the back of his head."It was close to finished when the place passed to me," he says. "It wasn
His Wicked Games series Chapter 94
BOOK EIGHT: A CUNNINGHAM CHRISTMAS- WARD - December 23rdThe tree is up.The stockings hung.The wreaths placed on every door, the garlands hung across every window.But it's not enough.Over the past month, we've turned this estate into a holiday wonderland. This house is so huge I thought I'd never run out of things to do. But I have. The place is an explosion of tinsel and ribbons. The gardens are covered in twinkling lights. And now I don't know what the fuck to do with myself.Most of my initial restoration projects around the estate are done, so I've settled for any job I can find around here. Replacing the moldings. Resurfacing the tubs. Refinishing the hardwood floors. Anything to keep myself busy.That's why, two days before Christmas, I'm in a guest room at the back of the house with a can of paint. As long as I keep working, as long as I keep pushing this paint roller back and forth across the wall, I won't go crazy. I can keep myself from worrying about what's real
His Wicked Games series Chapter 95
- WARD – December 24thIt begins to snow overnight. There's only a soft dusting on the estate when we wake up on Christmas Eve, but the flakes continue to fall steadily. After lunch, when there are four inches of white powder on the ground, Lou bundles Ramona up in her winter gear and takes her outside for her first real glimpse of one of the season's greatest wonders.Our daughter won't remember it, of course, but that doesn't matter. I can hardly see Ramona's chubby little face beneath the hood of her puffy green jacket, but I can hear her laugh. Lou and Lily are sitting with her right on the ground, and they take turns throwing handfuls of snow into the air over their heads. Ramona squeals in glee as the fluffy white powder rains down over them. As I watch, Lou scoops up a huge heap of snow with her gloved hand and blows on it, sending a cloud of snow at our daughter. Ramona laughs again and flaps her arms.I'm standing on the front steps with Calder, watching this scene. I know
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His Wicked Games series Chapter 116
- CALDER -I wait until both Lily and the baby are asleep before I decide to sneak out. As much as I want to sit here with her in my arms forever, our conversation about her mother reminded me of a call I need to make.I look down at her before I leave. Her brown hair is in a messy bun on her head, and she doesn't have a stitch of makeup on, but I don't think I've ever seen her look so beautiful. I lean over and press a kiss against her forehead as I lift our sleeping son out of her arms.He's so tiny that I'm afraid I'll break him. But even though he was born a little early, the doctor told us he's perfectly healthy - and after hearing him scream this morning, I'm tempted to believe him. This little guy has quite a pair of lungs on him.I settle him gently in the bed the nurse wheeled in for him. I can see so much of Lily in him - and so much of myself. I knew I would love my son, but the intensity of my feelings is startling. When I think of how close I came to losing both of the
His Wicked Games series Chapter 115
- LILY – Two Days LaterThey won't tell me what happened.I remember the pain. The screaming. The fear.I remember hearing the first, sweet cry from my son's throat.I remember the miracle of Calder's voice, the proof that he was alive.But after that, there's only darkness.I woke up yesterday morning in the hospital. Calder tells me they were able to get an air ambulance out to us at the estate, but he won't give me any more details than that about what happened two nights ago after he made it to the house. And there's a desperate, hollow look in his eyes when I ask, so I don't press him for details.Honestly? I'm not sure I want to know.And truthfully, it doesn't matter. Calder is alive. I'm alive. And our son is here. So much has happened in the past couple of days, and none of it feels real.I look down at the tiny little human in my arms. He's perfect. Even though he arrived a couple of weeks before his due date, he's still round and healthy. He emerged with a thick cro
His Wicked Games series Chapter 114
- LOUISA -Just stay calm.Just stay calm.Just stay calm.It doesn't matter how many times I say it to myself - it gets harder with every passing second. I spend almost twenty minutes searching for my cell phone in the rain, but I can't find it anywhere. It's not in the car. It's not on the driveway. It's just gone. Finally, I force myself to give up the search and return to check on Lily - and I'm not a moment too soon.If I had any hope that we might make it through the night without this baby - after all, I was in labor for nineteen hours - it's fading fast. After five minutes at Lily's side, it's clear that her little one has no intention of waiting for help to arrive, and she seems to know it, too. Even if I thought I still had a chance of finding my cell phone, I can't leave Lily now.Both Ward and Calder are still out there somewhere. It's just me and Lily - and a whimpering Ramona, who's still clearly confused and terrified. I long to go over to my daughter, to pick her
His Wicked Games series Chapter 113
- LOUISA -Lily's face has gone white."Calder?" she says into the phone, her voice cracking. "Calder! Calder, answer me!" Her hand visibly shakes as she pulls the phone away from her ear."What's going on?" I ask her, running over and shifting Ramona in my arms. I've just managed to get my little girl to stop crying. "What happened?"She doesn't answer. Instead she hits a couple of buttons on the screen, presumably calling him again. I glance over at Ward, but he looks just as shocked and confused as I feel.After a moment, Lily drops the phone, her eyes wide with horror."What happened?" I ask again, my stomach sinking further with every passing second. Something is wrong. Something is desperately wrong. Ramona starts to whimper in my arms."Lily," Ward says firmly. "You have to tell us what's happening."Lily glances up, blinking, as if she's suddenly remembered she's not alone."Something happened," she whispers. "Something happened to Calder."She's in shock, that much i
His Wicked Games series Chapter 112
- CALDER -Lily is in labor. Lily is in labor.That thought drives out everything else - even the raw, gnawing feeling in my gut when I think about what Michelle has done - and suddenly nothing matters but getting to my wife.If I was a madman on the road before, it's nothing to how I drive now. I don't care about the rain or the traffic. I don't care if a cop chases me down for driving twice the speed limit. I'm getting to that hospital. Getting to my wife.I should have been there, I think. I should have been by her side when this started. But though the guilt eats away at me, I can't think about that now. I have one concern and one concern only - getting to her. Being with her as soon as humanly possible. Holding her hand as the pain comes. Even over the phone, I could hear the fear in her voice.I need to be with her.And if I have to kill myself to get to her, I will.. . . . .- WARD -Keep it together, man. They're counting on you.I hate that I have to remind myself o
His Wicked Games series Chapter 111
- LOUISA -It might be storming outside, but I'm determined to make today a little brighter."I have a surprise for you," I tell Ward.It took me half an hour to find him after I put Ramona down for her afternoon nap. Even though I've insisted that he take a break from his restoration projects, Ward has continued to work, and I find him retouching the paint in a bedroom in the eastern wing. He's currently perched on a ladder with a paintbrush in his hand.When he grins down at me, I know he couldn't be happier to see me."What sort of surprise?" he asks, and his expression makes my heart skip a beat. He climbs down the ladder and stands in front of me.I drink him in as he wipes the back of his hand across his forehead. His T-shirt has streaks of paint on it, and there's a new hole in his jeans, but somehow all of it works together to make him look irresistibly yummy. Something wells up inside of me as I admire him - and the way he's looking at me right now brings the blood rushi
His Wicked Games series Chapter 110
- CALDER -Less than two hours later, Michelle and I are in Barberville and I've got her set up at a modest little extended stay hotel just outside of downtown. I've prepaid for a two-week stay, and after that, I'll reassess the situation and figure out the best course of action. Michelle told Lily that she was looking for a job in the area, but since learning the truth about her health, I'm not sure whether that was an empty claim or not. Either way, though, now is not the time to be making any rash decisions. Lily comes first. We'll deal with Michelle after the baby is here.I'm getting ready to leave when a thought occurs to me."Lily will have lots of questions when she learns the truth. And she'll want you to start treatment as soon as possible."She starts to protest. "I still don't think I want treatment - ""At the very least, will you go talk to a doctor here in town? Explore your options? I'll pay for your visit, of course."She hesitates, then nods. "All right."I tur
His Wicked Games series Chapter 109
- LOUISA -I'm in the office on the south side of the house, working out some of the final details of my surprise honeymoon trip for Ward, when Calder stalks into the room."Good morning," I say - though you'd hardly know it was morning, considering how overcast it is outside today. When I glance up and see his face, my fingers freeze on the computer keyboard. "What's wrong? Is it Lily?"We had a bit of a scare yesterday, what with Lily getting rushed to the hospital. She'll be on bed rest for the duration of her term, but both mother and baby are healthy - or so I thought. Calder looks like he's hardly slept. There are dark circles under his eyes, and he seems agitated."We need to figure out what Lily's mother wants," Calder says, jerking a hand through his hair. "It's that woman's fault that Lily is in this state."I lean back in my chair and glance over at Ramona. She's in her playpen over by the window, and she's pulled herself up onto her feet so that she can watch her uncle
His Wicked Games series Chapter 108
- CALDER -That was too close.My jaw hurts from clenching. My mind won't slow down. I've been pacing the same spot on the floor for so long that I'm surprised I haven't worn a hole into the boards.It was only a false alarm, I remind myself. Lily is fine - for now - and the doctor said she was only having Braxton-Hicks contractions, probably made worse by stress. But even though she's now safe in our bed, I still can't seem to make myself calm down. When it comes time for the real thing... I don't even want to think about it."There's no need to be so worked up," Lily tells me. "Everything is fine. Come to bed.""Everything is not all right," I say. "Your mother upset you so much that you - ""It was my dad's fault, too," she says. "And it was a false alarm. I'm all right. No harm done.""Maybe not this time, but I'm not willing to take that chance again." I resume my pacing. "That woman needs to go.""I agree," she says. "And she's already looking for a place. But in the mean
