Sierra watched Damien walk into the room and her mouth literally fell open. He was beyond simply stunning, he was one-hundred-percent mouthwatering in his custom made tux which fit him to perfection.
She couldn't take her eyes off the man as he stopped and chatted with various people as he made his way across the large ballroom floor.
They were at a fundraiser for the Red Cross, raising funds to help the military troops during the upcoming season. On one hand she was thrilled to be there, loving fundraisers, and how much money could be raised in a single night. The money that meant little to nothing to the wealthy donors, fed soldiers, supplied their families while they were away, and for the unfortunate many, buried them properly.
A sense of dread filled her, though, because she knew her father would be in attendance. She hadn't wanted to come alone, but Damien had been called away at the last minute to one of his local factories, so he'd sent her ahead.
She smiled when she thought about the day before. She didn't know how it had happened, but she'd been living with him for about a month, ever since that first night in his home. He'd changed. He hadn't brought up his vendetta against the Anderson's. The way he spoke to her, the many simple things he did, like bringing her flowers when they were apart and always opening doors for her, was securing him tightly into her heart.
As she gazed at him, she knew she was in love – hopelessly, infectiously in love with him. She could tell he was starting to feel the same way about her. She did her job each day and then made love to him each night.
For the past month, Damien had put Sierra to work. Literally. She'd complained he wasn't giving her a job – well, now she was almost as busy as him. She was more than pleased when she discovered she was actually quite good at being his P. R. Rep.
She handled clients, organized meetings, and typed endless amounts of letters. One thing she discovered about Damien was that he was generous to a fault. He donated far more than what would look good for him on taxes. He personally handled most of the donations, never refusing anyone who called.
Some of the clients received smaller donations, one or two thousand dollars. Some of the amounts he gave were staggering, in the seven figure range. She found the man she'd met who'd been seeking revenge, and the man she was falling in love with were two completely different people.
They'd traveled a few more times to various places, none as far away as Australia, but still beautiful locations. He had a stunning vineyard in California. She didn't understand why he chose to live in Seattle when he could live in Napa Valley, where it was warmer, gorgeous, and he already had a home waiting for him on the edge of his ten-thousand acre estate.
She'd enjoyed their three night stay there, strolling through the rows of grapes, talking with the workers, and drinking too much wine.
She'd found she was quite limber when she had a couple of glasses of wine in her. Damien had seemed to enjoy that immensely. Her smile grew at the fond memory.
"Don't you look mighty happy."
Sierra froze at the all too familiar sarcastic voice of her father. She'd been so focused on Damien, she hadn't even noticed the man who'd terrorized her nearly her entire life, approaching. She concentrated on putting on her mask before turning to him.
"Hello, Father," she said formally.
"I'm surprised you remember who I am since I haven't heard from you once. I've tried getting in contact but your old number is turned off and Damien's security is tighter than mine. Come with me," he commanded as he tightly gripped her arm and dragged her through one of the many terrace doors to a dimly lit patio. He moved to the edge, ensuring more privacy.
The evening was almost bitterly cold, with a light drizzle filling the air. The small area had a roof but it didn't offer much protection. Sierra could tell her father felt the place allowed him privacy, as no one else would be foolish enough to venture to one of the balconies without a heater.
"I shouldn't be gone long, Dad, I'm working tonight," Sierra said as she pushed down the ever present fear of being in her father's presence. She was angry that he was able to invoke the emotion after being away from him for months. She'd felt she had made such great progress on her new independence, too.
"You'll stay as long as I want you to. Have you forgotten who I am! Just because you have a new man in your life doesn't mean jack to me. I can yank you back to my house anytime I feel like it," he snarled as his fingers tightened around her arm.
Years of abuse welled up inside her, until she was boiling. She was sick of his threats, sick of his abuse. She was done. She'd much rather he carried out his threat and killed her than for her to ever live under his roof again. Damien had told her about the deal he'd made. She'd been sickened that her father had basically sold her, but she was also grateful for it. The time away from him, her growth as a woman, and falling in love with Damien had all added up to her no longer being that cowering little girl in the corner.
"No, Douglas, I haven't forgotten anything. The many years of your fist smashing into my face, the threats, the accusations, the slander against my mother, all of it is still fresh in my mind! Do you want to know something, though? I really don't care whether you want to know or not, because I'm going to tell you. I've had enough. I'm not afraid of you anymore. You can't control me. After this little meeting, I never want to speak to you again. You're a miserable man who compensates for short-comings by threatening and harming others. You treat your employees like crap, and what you've done to me is criminal. Release my arm this minute or I'll –"
"You'll what, Sierra!" he interrupted her before lifting his hand and slapping her so hard across the face she became dizzy. She shook her head, trying to clear it, planning on fighting him back for the first time ever. She didn't care if she lost. She'd get a few good kicks in, at least.
Before she could react, though, he was thrown back from her. Her head finally cleared and she looked down, seeing her father lying on the cold floor with blood oozing from his nose as he released a stream of swear words.
She looked up and saw Damien gazing at her, his eyes flashing with fury. He lifted his hand and she flinched, not knowing why, he'd never done anything to harm her – but that look in his eyes was frightening.
"I'm so sorry, Sierra. He should've never been allowed to do that," he whispered as his hand gently caressed her cheek. His fingers shook as they held her face, his eyes still stormed, but his tone was gentle, pained.
"It's not your fault," she whispered as the first tear fell.
"I should've put the puzzle together by now. I knew something was wrong, that your life wasn't what I'd first assumed, but I never thought he was abusing you. I should have figured it out because my mom did the same to me. I, above anyone, should've seen the signs. It's just a part of my life I've blocked out."
His confession shocked her. Even though she'd grown up with an abusive parent, she had a hard time comprehending how anyone who was supposed to be your biggest protector could instead be your worst nightmare. A parent's hands were supposed to be strong, caring, and lift you up, not strike you down and inspire fear.
Douglas had his handkerchief in hand as he attempted to wipe up the blood still oozing from his nose. He was making feeble attempts at standing. She was so focused on Damien she barely noticed her pathetic father.
"Oh, Damien, I'm sorry you went through that," Sierra said as she wrapped her arms around him. How could he want to avenge a parent who'd hurt him so badly.
"I'll make you pay for this, Whitfield, just you wait," Douglas spluttered as he finally managed to rise to his feet.
"You'll leave this porch, and then continue out the front doors. If I ever see you come anywhere near Sierra again, I'll bankrupt what little you have left and make sure you spend the rest of your life on the streets. You've already proven you're an untrustworthy business partner; it wouldn't even take more than a phone call. Make the choice, Monroe," Damien said, never letting go of his grip on Sierra.
Her father looked at her in shock, then back at Damien before he scurried off like the rat he was. Sierra wanted to fall to her knees, thanking Damien. She had a feeling that her father was truly out of her life for good.
"Thank you," she offered as her sobs began. She couldn't say anything more than that.
Damien held her, brushing the back of her head with his hand, making gentle hushing sounds. Sierra couldn't believe what had just happened and that Damien had come to her rescue. All her life she'd wished for someone to deliver her. It was almost too much of a fairytale to believe. As her sobs subsided, Damien led her back inside, straight to a private restroom where he washed away her tears. Her cheek was red with a slight bruise beginning to form. Out of old habits, she always carried thick cover up to mask her father's abuse. She grabbed the compact and applied it, and only upon close inspection would a person see the results of her father's hand.
"Do you want to go home?" he asked.
"No. I want to forget all about Douglas Monroe and just focus on the fundraiser.
With that, Damien gave her a gentle kiss and led her back to the ballroom where the party was in full-swing. A couple hours passed and Sierra forgot about her worries and started enjoying herself.
Damien disappeared with a group of men who wanted to discuss business, promising he'd come back soon. Sierra wandered around, looking at the items up for auction. She found a beautiful sculpture and decided to bid.
"Are you seriously going to outbid me, Sierra Monroe!"
Sierra finished filling out the bidding paperwork, then turned with a huge smile on her face.
"Every chance I get," she responded before she leaned forward and gave her best friend a hug.
"Well, I was buying it for you anyway. The second I saw the figurine, it reminded me of our weekend in Canada. That was when I knew we'd be friends the rest of our lives. When you abandoned me on the dance floor with three guys trying to get down my pants –"
"I was drunk, and I've apologized a million times," Sierra said with a laugh.
"Okay, I guess I can forgive you, but really, that weekend was one of the most fun times I've ever had. I honestly did know I wanted to be friends forever after that trip," Bree said.
"Bree, I have to talk to you," Sierra told her as her eyes welled. She'd put it off because she didn't want to betray either of them, but if Damien did actually follow through on his threats, and Bree was harmed, Sierra could never forgive herself.
Sierra also knew that once the Anderson's found out that Damien was their lost relative, they'd embrace him with open arms. He needed them – he just had to realize that. The first step was talking to Bree.
"What is it? You've turned as white as a ghost. Let's go sit down," Bree said as she took charge, like she always did. Their friendship had worked on so many levels because Bree had been the only person, until Damien, capable of bringing Sierra out of her shell, allowing her to have fun without guilt.
Bree led her to a quiet den and before Sierra could lose her nerve she told her the whole story of how Damien was her relative and what he thought had happened, and what he planned to do.
"I love him, Bree, really love him, and I don't want to betray him, but I could never betray you, either, because I love you. I've been so torn over this whole situation or I would've come to you sooner," Sierra said. She was so afraid Bree would be disappointed in her.
"Hey, stop that! You've done nothing wrong. Don't feel guilt over it. I can't believe Damien is Neilson's son. Seriously. Not very long ago, remember me telling you about my Aunt Katherine telling us the story of how she and Joseph met. She also told us about Neilson. Damien's got it all wrong. His mother wasn't rejected. She showed up on the front porch, yes, and Aunt Katherine was there all alone. She invited her in, fed her, and gave her a bed. The next morning when she went to find her, she was gone. They searched for years, until they finally had to accept she didn't want to be found," Bree said.
"I don't know if he'll believe you, Bree."
"We'll make him believe – he's family." Right there was why Sierra loved Bree so much. She didn't focus on the fact that Damien wanted to destroy them, take away everything they had. She focused on the happiness of finding a lost relative she never thought she'd find. "I have to tell my dad. Come on," Bree said with excitement as she pulled Sierra to her feet and the two of them rushed from the room.