Chapter 4

I groaned and rolled over in bed when the sun peered through the window. My head is pounding and the smell of vomit is strong and it’s turning my stomach.

After we ate pizza the girls and I went to a club and drank shots and danced. I don’t remember getting home, it's fuzzy. How much did I drink?

My eyes widened in horror when my face was inches away from a pile of puke.

Gross!

And the sickest part is, I think it’s mine. I grabbed the sheets of the bed and placed them in the hamper and stepped into the shower. The warm water felt so good and relaxing, and didn't do much for my headache or nausea.

I stayed under the water until it turned cold before I got out. I put on my bikini and slip and tank top over top and blue jean shorts. No doubt the girls will still want to hit up the beach. My phone rings and I grab it from the bedside table and I swallow the lump in my throat before I answer it.

“Sir,”

“Whitney, how are you feeling?”

I mentally sigh he doesn’t really care about that, he's only making sure that I’m sick and didn’t lie to him.

“I’m okay. Sierra and Aurora made me soup and had me resting,” I replied.

Oh, god. I think….I think I’m going to be sick.

“Whitney, are you lying to me?” Dwayne’s voice is calm and he’s never calm, guess it’s the calm before the storm.

“No,” I said, swallowing down the acid that’s bubbling in my throat.

“How do I know you're not lying and fooling around with Avery?”

My hand shot up and covered my mouth as vomit started squirting out like a fountain. I rushed to the toilet phone in hand as I threw my guts up. I could hear Dwayne calling my name but I couldn’t stop.

Dwayne stayed silent until he no longer heard the horrid sound of my gags and coughing.

“You’re not lying?” Dwayne sighs.

“No, sir,”

“Maybe you should come home,” Dwayne said.

“Or maybe I shouldn’t have eaten that soup the girls made. Neither one knows how to cook and god it taste just as bad coming up as it did going down,”

Dwayne laughs and a genuine laugh. He’s never laughed at anything I’ve said before.

“If you don’t feel better by tomorrow you should come home,” He said, after he stopped laughing.

“I will,”

“The good thing is Nikolai won’t be there for a few days, you should be better by then,” Dwayne says.

Who?

“Nikolai? That’s who I’m marrying?” I questioned. I know Dwayne doesn’t like to be questioned.

“Now you are yes. I had things set with Declan Pierce. But I had to change things.” He said.

“Why?”

“Those notes you left about the Volkov’s they found out you were digging around, Nikolai doesn’t like sneaks, he’s killed less. I made him a deal the marriage between you and himself, he accepted,”

My jaw dropped.

What the hell is he marrying me off to the Russian mob? Great Dwayne, father of the year you are.

“But..”

“No buts,” He cut me off.

“He will contact you once he gets there. Remember Whitney, treat well like your life depends on it," Dwayne pauses. “ Because it does,” He said, ending the call.

And I thought my headache couldn’t possibly get worse.

I was wrong.

My head was pounding so bad when I sat down next to the girls at the kitchen bar while they were watching something.

My eyes scanned the room and Enzo was talking to the woman that was making breakfast. They were watching him.

Why? Sierra said he was gross. Doesn’t look like she thinks that now.

“You look like shit,” Aurora said, and I put my forehead on the marble countertop.

“I feel like it,”

Sierra laughs.

“You got so wasted, you passed out at the bar and we had no choice but to call Enzo for help,”

My head snapped up and I glared at her.

“You did not call him,” I shook my head.

She nods.

“We had to, the driver couldn’t lift you,” She giggled.

Oh god kill me now.

The woman that was making breakfast sat three plates out one for each of us and the smell of those eggs curled my stomach and I held my mouth and ran toward the nearest bathroom.

I flush the toilet and leaned my head against the porcelain tub. My head is killing and all that’s coming out of my stomach is pure acid.

I don’t bother opening my eyes when the door to the bathroom opens and closes.

“How are you feeling, Bambina?”

I groaned In response.

His chuckle was deep and sounded like it never left the base of his throat.

I don’t dare open my eyes when he sits next to me. If what Sierra said were true I embarrassed myself by getting slobbering drunk to the extent I passed out.

Fucking great it’s not like I’m in enough trouble with Dwayne already that now I have to add the Volkov’s to my list.

I cringed at the thought.

“Here,” Enzo says, opening my hand and placing what feels like pills in my hand. Without asking I threw them into my mouth and took a swallow of the glass of water he handed me.

I nearly choked to death. It was not water that I drank just now it was so awful I opened my eyes to this thick red creamy drink.

“What the hell is this?”

“Hangover cure,” He shrugged, "I didn't make it, Selma did,”

I stared at the bitter tasting stuff and drank more. My nose scrunching up with every gulp until the glass was empty.

“Yuk.”

He laughs. “You should feel better by the time they’re ready to go,” Enzo said, taking the glass and getting to his feet.

“Enzo,”

He stops, he doesn't look over his shoulder and he doesn’t say anything.

“Will you…”

“Don’t, Bambina. The answer will be no,”He said, walking out of the door.

What’s with him and turning me down? He still can’t be hung up on me trying to touch him….can he?

“You’ve been quiet. Are you okay?” Sierra asked, spraying more sunscreen on her already red skin.

“I’m fine. I’ll be there in a second,” I assured her.

We’ve been at the beach for an hour or two now. I came to sit under the umbrella for a couple of minutes. It’s so hot here and the sun has no clouds to hide behind, just clear blue skies and sun.

We’re definitely getting that sun kissed skin for the wedding which is Sierra's reason for coming for so long.

We’ve taken so many pictures together and even more selfies. I Sent one to my mom to show her my tan line and she called me to say how jealous she was.

I love my mom. I wish she could’ve come, I wish she could help me out of this situation with Dwayne. But I hate to involve her.

I ran back into the water and jumped on Aurora's back ruining her selfie.

“That was great,” Sierra said, asking the young couple passing by to take our photo. The girl grabs her phone and she joins us and they snap the picture.

“Thank you,” Sierra told them and took back her phone.

The three of us joked around splashing and swimming in the clear blue ocean. It’s so beautiful here In LA and this time with the girls really helped me not to think so much on how fucked up my life is right now.

The sun begins to set on the horizon and I must admit that the sunsets are more beautiful on the island, but still just as beautiful.

Once it turned back we headed back to the house. Sierra wants to call Daniel and Aurora also wants to call her boyfriend.

I wish I had someone to call.

This is the sad pathetic life I live thanks to Dwayne. I haven’t been happy in eight years, not since Avery. And I hate myself for letting my thoughts go to him, it makes me feel weak. But I loved him so much and I can’t get over the way he left….how he left, the sad part? He never even bothered to call, text, or anything.

Eight years and I got nothing from him.

Maybe I should go back to that wild girl that Dwayne is trying so hard to contain. I let her out last night but that wasn’t my intention of getting plastered. I just wanted to drink away my misery. But I failed in that because the minute I sobered up it all came rushing back. There's no way to escape the future, and no way to escape the past.

You can try your best to run from the past but somehow it always catches up with you. And there’s no way to avoid a future when your father’s the one who controls it.