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.Scared."Did they give it to her?""Yes, only she didn't understand they were playing her off against each other.That Damien had in mind toswitch himself for her, to gain his freedom by promising her.Or that Rosa had guessed Damien'sintentions and was maneuvering so that she would gain Marissabelle, but not lose him.Rosa won thatlittle game, and when Damien found out, he left Louisiana and didn't return for fifty years.Marissabelledid what was required of her, and she became quite the favored whore of men throughout the city, andmany of their wives as well.And when that son, who she did it all for, grew up, he left, casting her asidein shame and disdain for what she was, turning his nose up at her love, and making his way north towhere he could be a free man of color and pretend his mother had never existed.""Another betrayal.""Yes, another betrayal, and another hard lesson about men and their selfishness.And yet when he died ina fire, she mourned the loss all over again.""You know this story well." It was surreal, eerie, how Anna was looking at her."That's because this is my story, Miss Marley.Don't tell me you haven't figured that out yet.I'mMarissabelle, and this house was given to me by my rich white lover, Damien du Bourg."She hadn't seen that one coming, and a shiver raced through her.Anna seemed so together the first fewtimes she'd met her, not at all delusional, but she was different today, wilder, unrestrained."But you said1833& there's no way& ""Oh, yes, there is.I served Rosa and the father for a hundred years until I gained my freedom and startedaging, changing my name to avoid questions.Damien wants to know how I broke free, he burns with theneed to escape his immortality, but I'll never tell him.The hell with him.He set me up, manipulated me,and left me high and dry, and now he can want answers, but I'll never give them." Her nostrils flared inanger, spittle appearing in the corner of her mouth."Not when I sit here rotting year after miserable year,too old to do a goddamn thing, unable to die.This isn't escape, this is worse than servitude ever was."Marley stood up quickly."I, uh, should get back to the house." Anna was scaring the crap out of her.She looked fierce, feral, and her words were jumbled, made no sense to Marley.She could not be 170years old for obvious reasons, and she'd clearly lost her grip on reality.But Anna grabbed her arm in a steely grip that was way too strong for a ninety-year-old woman."Theywant you, you know.Not your sister.You, because of your goodness and innocence.They love thatyou've gotten Damien to break his vow, and they love that he's leading you from right to wrong.Itdoesn't feel wrong, does it, not when it's one small step at a time, easing you in so you hardly notice, untilin two years you'll find yourself fucking anything that walks for him, and you'll love it at the same time youhate yourself."Heart pounding, adrenaline rushing, Marley yanked her arm back."I don't know what you're talkingabout.""No? Then you won't see it until it's too late.And I hope you sink fast and hard because then I get mybody back all that much quicker."Marley stumbled down the steps."Sorry to have bothered you.""Go on, go to your sex party, See how it makes you feel, see if you've already gotten used to it.Seewhat a dirty little whore you are, just like I was." Anna cackled in laughter, voice high and unnatural.Giving in to her urge to run, Marley jogged over the grass, the gravel, feet flying, that horrible soundringing in her ears."It's too late to run, you know," Anna screamed after her."You're too late.You've already servedyourself up on a platter."Chapter SeventeenThe guests had already arrived.Marley saw the cars with dismay and veered off to the back of thehouse.She didn't want to see anyone except Damien.She needed to talk to him, have him hold her,assure her Anna was crazy.Not that she believed any of Anna's ramblings, but it had made her feelunsafe, unprotected, unsure that she knew what was going on, ashamed that Anna had guessed at herlustful relationship with Damien and smirked at it.While Marley had been feeling empowered, Anna had told her she was being used, and it scared andworried her, made her wonder who was right.Especially since she was living in Damien's house andwearing a skirt, tank top, and shrug sweater that he had bought for her in the French Quarter, including avery expensive coral necklace and earrings.Everything on her body had been purchased by him, rightdown to the mango-colored seamless bra and matching thong.Yesterday it had felt thrilling, romantic to have him giving her gifts, but now she felt& kept.Determined to find Damien, see him smile at her, reassure her, whisper words of affection and banish allthe uncomfortable, icky feelings she was having, Marley went in the back door and quickly ran throughthe rooms on the ground floor.No one was down there, so she went up the stairs to the main floor.This party was even more crowded than the last, and Marley squeezed past people gathered in thecenter hall, moved through laughing couples, into the salon that Marie had called the morning room.Shescanned quickly, ignoring a few glances in her direction, turning away quickly when she realized therewas a man standing in front of the French antique mirror she'd always admired, watching Marley in thereflection as a blonde gave him oral sex.Her gaze shifted, landed on a woman who was sitting on adark-haired man's lap, her skirt lifted to her thighs as she rode him, head back.Another turn, another setof bodies, flashes of skin, sounds of moaning, hot breathing, candles and sex scents floating through theair, and Marley felt panic rise like bile in her throat.This was wrong.This was wrong, and this was all done by a man she said, thought, felt she loved.Howcould she have ignored this, convinced herself that Damien was removed from these parties? He createdthem, nurtured them, encouraged them.Must enjoy them.She turned quickly, needing out, and her arm brushed a man's bare ass as he thrust into his partner, whowas bent over the antique Sheraton desk, its hand-carved cherry legs shaking from the jarring motion."Sorry," she murmured.Instead of being annoyed, he smiled at her, hips still moving."No problem." He looked down at herchest."Hey, stick around for a second.She's almost done here."Marley realized the bent woman was moaning quite vigorously, her voice rising."Then I'd like to get to know you."They were having this conversation while he was having sex with another woman, and Marley didn'tknow whether to laugh or throw up."Oh, uh, no thanks, I'm looking for someone& " She trailed off asthe woman went into frantic mewls.On that note, Marley turned and left the room.She just couldn't do this.Trying not to make eye contactwith anyone, touch anyone, or see any more body parts, Marley moved past through the opposite salon,the dusky room quieter than the last, conversations, intimacies more muted, couples tucked into corners,on couches, but no Damien.Deciding she just wanted to go upstairs and get the hell away from all of this, Marley eased toward thedoor.And nearly bumped into her sister."Lizzie!" Her sister was leaning against the wall, a man bent over her breasts.Her eyes popped opened."Hey, Mar." Her voice was languid, aroused."Great party, huh?"No.In fact, she didn't think she could stand one more minute and she'd only been there for five."I'm soglad to see you! Come upstairs with me so we can talk."Lizzie looked down at the man."Alex, can I go upstairs with my sister to say hi?"His head lifted."No."Lizzie shrugged."Sorry, Mar, Alex says no.Maybe later."Marley stared at her sister."Lizzie." She hadn't seen her in almost three months, and she wanted to talkto her [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]