House of Payne: Ice Read online

  “You know what’s really arrogant? The Fairfax family,” Damien said, and he had the gall to look pious. “They put up this delightful family façade, like they’re so perfect they wouldn’t know how to do a single thing wrong. It’s beautiful to look at, of course, but it’s not real.”

  “It is,” Sunny shot back, dread and fear and anger roiling around in her stomach so much she wanted to puke. “My family is exactly as it seems—warm and loving and wonderful. They mean everything to me, just as I’m everything to them.”

  “Oh, I’m sure you love each other very much.” Damien nodded with a smirk she wanted to slap off his face. “But nothing is as perfect as the façade your parents have spent a lifetime creating, hon. I must say, it’d be a shame if that image of your Norman Rockwell-like family—the epitome of the squeaky-clean American dream—got blown all to hell, don’t you think?”

  “Don’t you dare talk about my family,” Sunny raged, very low because she wanted to scream at this nightmare of a man, to the point where she could feel it clawing up her throat. But before she could say another word, Ice caught her hands still wrapped around him, and squeezed hard.

  “Yeah, that’s it, live down to every shitty little thing I know about you, old man,” Ice said, contempt dripping from every syllable. “Throw out threats and act like you know everyone’s secrets just so you can make them dance. But I’m not going to dance to whatever tune you’re trying to play, and neither is Sunny.”

  “Even if I could make sure the clean-cut image of Archibald Fairfax III and his devoted wife remained unblemished and scandal-free? Because that can still happen.”

  “The Fairfaxes have nothing to hide,” Sunny tried to say coldly, but even she could hear the tremor in her voice. “Besides, who would care? My parents have retired from public life. They’re private citizens and live quietly just like any other family in this city. Why bother making up stories about an old retired couple who no longer have anything to do with Chicago’s government?”

  “He doesn’t give a shit about your parents one way or another, Sunny,” Ice said, while his contemptuous gaze never left his father. “This has nothing to do with them, or you. It has everything to do with me. He thinks he can control me by threatening to rain a world of bullshit down on you and your parents.”

  “There you go again, making me out to be the bad guy.” Damien shook his fat head in mock-regret. “I just want you to return to the beautiful, glittering life you left behind, son.”

  “Don’t call me that. You don’t have the fucking right.”

  “Don’t you miss it?” Damien went on as if Ice hadn’t spoken. “All your friends that were like family to you—the parties, the international holidays, the connections. You could have it all again, if you just came home.”

  “Friends? You mean those potential sources you want me to pump for information? No thanks. One death on my conscience is more than enough.”

  Damien gave a half-assed shot at looking mournful. “Then I guess I have no choice but to reveal the sad tale told to me by a long-time hospice nurse for Chicago’s famous financier and high-rolling political donor, Michael Wozniak.”

  The floor dipped under Sunny’s feet.

  Oh my GOD.

  “Outside of Chicago, I suppose that name isn’t all that well-known,” Damien went on, sounding almost gentle while he went about tearing down Sunny’s carefully pieced-together world, brick by agonizing brick. “But I’d be willing to bet you know that name, right, Sunny? After all, according to this hospice nurse, good ol’ Mike was your father’s long-time lover and number-one political donor.” He made a tsk-tsk noise with his tongue, shaking his head while the air evaporated from her lungs. “That does make your daddy out to be a little on the sluttish side, I’m afraid. Fucking for the big bucks like a common whore, and all that. It’s just so sordid.”

  “Oh God.” She couldn’t breathe. God help her, she couldn’t breathe.

  “That wasn’t how the nurse saw it, of course. She only mentioned how sad it was that neither man felt they could show their undying love for each other out in the open, because they both had those pesky sensibilities of the last generation—old-school and closeted. Secrets are such terrible things, aren’t they?”

  “No,” Sunny whispered, her stomach heaving. This nightmare couldn’t possibly be happening.

  “And did you know I had no clue there was anything squirrelly with your parents? Not one. It wasn’t until Atticus gave the game away on that score, of course.”

  Ice’s growl sounded inhuman. “The fuck I did, you lying sack of shit. I’d cut my tongue out before betraying my woman.”

  “Colorful, but not accurate. A long time ago, my son shared quite a few reflections he had about you, Sunny. It was during the halcyon days when we shared everything, you see, and he noted in the short time you were together that you never seemed to discuss anything personal. I’ll never forget how he asked for my advice on how to get you to open up. It was clear that even though you were only a child at that point, you’d clearly been taught to keep secrets, hon. Good thing Atticus picked up on that.”

  Sunny went cold all over. “What?”

  “That’s it, you motherfucker.” All at once, Ice let go of her hands and went for his father, grabbing him by his lapels and slamming him into the wall by the ballroom doors. “You’re a cancer I’ve wanted to get rid of since that rag of yours made Ethan kill himself. I’ve tried doing the right things—cutting ties with you, hiring private security for Skull and Bones to keep you away from me and mine. I’ve even prayed you’d just fucking die so you’d be out of my life. But I guess it’s true what they say—only the good die young. So fine. Fuck it. I’ll rip apart your tabloid empire piece by piece by letting the world know you stole it out from under your own brother by forging your father’s will and paying off the probate judge all those decades ago. Oh, and that winner of a clause you had the forger put in there—that you had to have an heir? I know it was a clever side project you dreamed up to bag yourself a young European model who’d gotten herself knocked up and was about to be deported. That’s right,” he nodded when Damien’s eyes widened. “Mom told me all about it. I didn’t believe it at first, because let’s face it—hard to believe anything a smackhead says. Not to mention you had to produce a paternity test back when I was born, so I never questioned where I came from. Mom told me you paid someone else off to doctor that up as well.”

  “Like you said,” Damien scoffed, “you can’t believe the word of a junkie.”

  “What I believe is today’s science and technology. I had a private investigator dig through your garbage so I could do my own independent DNA testing. We don’t share one goddamn drop of blood, Damien. Not one iota of that will is legal, and you don’t have any fucking right to be in my life. You are not my goddamn father.”

  “You ungrateful little shit,” Damien snarled, his wide, fleshy face turning an unhealthy purple. “From the moment you were born, I gave you the world on a golden platter.”

  “Yeah, by God, you did. Only it came with one helluva price. You used me as a spy in the world of the rich and famous. You’re a disgusting leech on the ass of the universe, and I’m going to let everyone know it.”

  “The last time you threatened me with exposure, I told you that it would destroy your mother,” Damien said with what Sunny thought was a surprising calm. “Think about it. If all the money dried up, she just might wind up doing something rash. Overdosing, for instance. That would be terrible.”

  “Oh my God,” Sunny whispered as the enormity of what Damien was saying sank in. If Ice chose to expose Damien’s forgery and fraud, his mother’s life would be at risk. “You really are a monster.”

  “He’s a bullshit artist,” Ice gritted out, his tone arctic. “I know for a fact he can’t get to my mother right now. She’s down in San Diego in yet another rehab facility, so now’s the time to do it. Uncle Sully’s going to love hearing about how you fucked him over, old man. Person
ally, I never liked that sonofabitch. He’s just about as morally bankrupt as you ever dreamed of being, but at this point I don’t give a damn. I’m sure he’ll be thrilled to take his rightful place as the true owner of Inquiring Minds. Can’t wait to tell him all about it.”

  Damien’s eyes narrowed. “I’ll admit, you had me over a barrel when you told me you’d tracked down the original Last Will and Testament of my old man. You even went to the bother of getting handwritten proof of the forgery from some so-called expert who used to work for the FBI. Honest to God, I was shitting kittens. If my brother had ever learned of any of the shit I pulled to steal Inquiring Minds from him while he was still alive, he never would’ve stopped until I was ruined.”

  Ice froze. “What?”

  “Yeah, I didn’t think you’d heard about Sully’s death, seeing as how you’ve cut yourself off from the Eisen family. But there it is—Sully is no more, kid. Better still, the statute of limitations for forgery, bribery and fraud have all elapsed, so you can’t go the cops with any of this shit without getting laughed out the door. Then there’s the real cherry on top—when Sully kicked off, he didn’t have any heirs to fight for the legal rights to Inquiring Minds. Guess the men in my family aren’t big baby-makers. You know what that means?”

  “Fuck,” Ice gritted out.

  Damien laughed. “Yeah, you know what that means. It means no one’s left to give a shit about whether or not I stole that rag out from under Sully decades ago. Which I did, but who the fuck cares now? No one, that’s who. But there are still tons of people who’ll care when they find out about the secret life of one of Chicago’s most beloved mayors, and that’s what you need to focus on now, my boy. Come home with me, get back into the luxurious life that you deserve, and all this unpleasantness for the Fairfax family goes away.”

  “I fucking hate you.” Ice’s chest heaved, and he sounded so violent Sunny again wrapped her arms around him for fear he might actually kill Damien with his bare hands. “Swear to Christ, it’s taking everything I’ve got to not just snap your goddamn neck right here and now. Having you dead and rotting in the ground would fix just about every problem I’ve got.”

  “You’re upset. I get it.” Smiling once more, Damien was nevertheless smart enough to pull away from Ice’s hold and retreat a few steps. “Tell you what. Think about it for twenty-four hours, and then let me know where we stand. I can’t wait to tell your mother you’re coming home for Christmas. When she’s conscious, she really misses you…son.” With a jaunty salute, Damien turned and headed for the elevators.

  “Well.” The toxic silence in the Fairfax kitchen was at last broken by Claire, making Ice glance her way. Her patented calm expression showed signs of strain around the edges as she sat at the counter with him and Sunny. “That is one wowser of a story. Forgive me for saying this, Atticus, but your father is the living embodiment of excrement.”

  No fucking kidding. “Father in name only. I’ve got nothing to do with that bastard.”

  “If only that were the case. Sadly, it’s not.”

  “Yeah.” With a harsh sigh, he pushed off his stool and began prowling around the kitchen. “I thought I had him, Claire. Swear to God, I thought I could keep that bastard cowering in a corner while I went about trying to live free of his shit. I still think I can shake his world legally with what I’ve got, but not before he airs the story he claims he picked up from that nurse.”

  He heard Claire swallow. “So you think he’ll release it after the twenty-four hours are up?”

  “I have no doubt in my mind that Damien would release it for the vengeful shits-and-giggles factor, if nothing else. Who gives a damn whether it’s true or not? As long as he hurts me for refusing to bow to him, he’ll be happy.”

  “I can’t believe this.” Sunny spoke for the first time in what seemed like forever, and something in him jolted painfully when he heard the tremor in her voice. “This is a nightmare. This can’t be happening.”

  “Sunny. Baby.” The pain metastasized until it filled every corner of his world. Gritting his teeth, he crossed to her, took her hands in his, then pressed them to his mouth when he discovered how cold they were. “I stopped him before, yeah? I’ll find a way to stop him again. I won’t let him spread lies about your family. I’ll fucking kill him if I have to, but I swear to you, I won’t let him spread those fucking lies.”

  “No. No lies.” She shuddered again as the words left her, and her downcast eyes didn’t waver, as if all her attention was focused inward and she could no longer see him. “Mike Wozniak… He…” Her voice choked off so hard she coughed.

  Cold began to creep into his veins. “What are you saying?”

  She only shook her head, looking more miserable and desperate than he’d ever seen her. She hadn’t spoken the entire drive from the gala to her house, huddled frozen and mute in her seat, barely responding to him with mere shakes of her head. The guilt piled on him with every passing second, because this was his fault. All of it. She and her family would have been left in peace if he was any other man, but he wasn’t.

  No matter what he did, he’d forever be tied to the hideous monster that was Damien Eisen.

  “Listen to me.” He released her hands to cup her face, and when her tear-filled eyes, almost black with shock, locked onto his, the rage almost swamped him. “I’m stopping this, you hear me? Doesn’t matter what that asshole’s spouting. Truth or lies, I don’t give a shit, I’ll stop him, so get that look off your face. Short-term, I’ll do whatever the fuck he wants me to do to keep quiet about your dad, and all the while I’ll be working like hell to get more shit to use against Damien to end him. I’ll destroy that fucker once and for all.”

  “And become like him in the process? Digging for more and more dirt? And what if he uncovers another secret somewhere along the way? Will you be able to stop him then? What if he chooses to get dirt on you? He could chain you to him for life.”

  “Not possible,” he said, kissing her brow when he felt her panic rising. “You know me. I live out in the open, with all my sins there for everyone to see. Besides, I don’t give two shits about what the world thinks about me. I never have. The only person I give a fuck about is you. Just you.”

  “And you think I’m any different?” There was a staggering helplessness in her shaking voice as the tears began to fall, and the sight of them tore at him until he was sure he was bleeding to death inside. “I can’t stand the thought of you going back to California, to that horrible, empty lifestyle and that…that vicious monster who doesn’t give a damn about using you until there’s nothing left.”

  “Sunny—”

  “It nearly destroyed you when Ethan died, don’t tell me it didn’t. I know you’ll carry that guilt in you until the day you die, even though it wasn’t your fault.”

  He gritted his teeth. “This isn’t about me, baby.”

  “Yes, it is. It’s all about you, because Damien Eisen isn’t going to care about how much pain he puts you through. He never will. How could you possibly think I’d ever be able to accept you sacrificing everything that you are—your heart and your soul—for me? I could never let you do that. I would rather die.”

  “Shut up.” A vicious shaft of cold went through him, and he punished her mouth with a hard kiss for daring to utter those intolerable words. “Don’t you ever say shit like that, you hear me? Not ever. This world sucks without you in it, and I know that because I just spent a year living without you. I got you out of my old man’s grasp once before, all the while not knowing if I could ever get you back. I can do anything, endure anything, as long as I know you’re there. As long as you’re okay, my life has meaning.”

  “I love you,” she whispered, and all at once the darkness in the world eased back. Such was the power of her admission; with three little words she could hold his darkness at bay. “I won’t let you do this. If our roles were reversed, you’d never let me do it.”

  Thank God she understood at least that much about hi
m. “I have to protect the one thing I live for, Sunny day, and that’s you. It’s always been you. If I can’t protect you, then there’s no point in anything I do.”

  “You’re not leaving me.” She was openly crying now, and the defeat in every tear that fell burned him like acid. “I’ll go with you. If you’re determined to go to California, I’m going with you. You can’t go through this hell alone.”

  “You think I’d let that sick fuck get his claws into you?”

  “He already has his claws into me. My father, you… It can’t get any worse, Ice. I’m already his slave, so why not be owned by him together?”

  “No one’s going anywhere.” Claire’s voice dropped into the chaotic atmosphere like a comforting blanket, and it brought their attention to her as she slid off her seat. “Your father and I didn’t raise you to think, even for a moment, that you’re anyone’s slave, Sunny Elizabeth. There is no power on this earth that can make you bow. Don’t you ever forget that.”

  He heard Sunny’s breathing squeak to a stop. “Mom, what are you saying?”

  “I’m saying that I can no longer tolerate what our secrets have done to you. And to Ice,” she added with a surprisingly warm glance his way. “What’s more, after witnessing the two of you together just now, I know your father would say the same. Our secrets were never your burden to bear, my darlings, so this stops tonight.” Standing tall, Claire pulled her cardigan around her slender form. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to speak with your father a bit before I make some calls. I haven’t put together a press conference in a while, but I think I remember how to do it.”

  Chapter Twenty

  “…so it’s our hope, my daughter’s and mine, that our story shines a very special light during this holiday season. We’re hoping our family can serve as an example to those who feel they can’t come forward and live their truest lives. If you feel this way, and if you’re listening to me now, please believe me when I say that life is too short to cheat yourself out of a chance at lifelong happiness. Live however you want, love whomever you want, and do it without fear of judgment. Find the courage to be the person you were born to be. I promise you, that person you’re hiding inside is beautiful.” Claire’s voice was calm and almost peaceful as she sat in her favorite chair in the formal parlor, facing several dozen cameras and reporters by Sunny’s estimation. For her part, Sunny sat next to her on a settee with Ice, a delicate piece of furniture that he made appear doll-like just by sitting on it. Her hand was laced firmly in his, and she could only hope he understood how much comfort he gave her. With that thought in mind, she reached for her mother’s, and offered a smile when Claire glanced her way. “If anyone has any questions, my daughter Sunny and I would be more than happy to take them.”