A New Beginning

Chapter 96: Different Perspectives

Riptide lays awake as the morning light slowly starts to creep into the room, still unable to sleep. It's not because of the mattress he's sleeping on or the room that he now resides in, but basically, everything that has happened leading up to this moment. When he had first been hired by the Caledon Hockley, he never expected any of this to happen. He never expected to hurt so many people and follow a man who had become a monster so blindly. Now, he was in too deep and it felt as though there was no way out. When they were caught, he'd spend the rest of his life in prison, there was no doubt about that. This is not how he imagined his life going. He thought that he would work for this wealthy family, provide security and protection to his employer, make enough money to attract an interested woman, buy a home, settle down and start a family. Simple and easy, but now, that expectation is gone, crashed and burned the minute he said yes to spying on Mr. Hockley's former fiancée.

He begged for sleep to take him. Anything to give him relief from his guilt or let him escape this horrible reality for a little bit. Even a dreamless state would be bearable. However, his conscience... or what was left of it, did not allow it. Despite his own exhaustion from the long road trip and the moving of the prisoners, his mind still kept him up. It didn't help that after the prisoners had been placed where Cal had demanded they go, he had to help his master get ready for bed, which took some time including, turning down the bed and providing the Hockley man with a glass of brandy, which the manservant had to somehow find in the dark and in a house that he was unfamiliar with.

Even when granted any room he wanted, Riptide could not settle, and he cringed at the thought of what the new day would bring for him or the two people currently held in the house against their will.

He turns over away from the breaking of dawn and shut his eyes. Praying that his master was satisfied enough to sleep a little longer.

...

Cal awakens to sunlight peering through the curtains of his family's Pennsylvania home. It had been a bit of time since he'd spent the night here and the unfamiliar surroundings had startled him when he'd first opened his eyes. It took a quick moment for him to remember why he was staying here but then it all came back. Dawson attempts to rescue Rose, but him being captured as well and then flees the mansion in haste to avoid the authorities. Now, both were in his possession and at his mercy. He wanted to dispose of the gutter rat as soon as possible, but perhaps making him suffer a little bit before being put out of his misery. That wandering artist had been a thorn in Cal's side since the day he was forced to reward him for saving Rose. If only Rose had not wanted to look at the propellors... or whatever she had intended to do. He suspected all along that the whole story was nonsense, but he had not cared then, nor did he care now about the real reason she had nearly fallen. What mattered was him. If it had been an officer of the ship or any other person, both he and Rose would be married by now and perhaps she would be pregnant with their heir. Perhaps then, they would be visiting this house on holiday rather than her being held here as a prisoner. Regardless, Dawson's days were finally numbered and soon he'd be out of Cal's life for good.

The steel tycoon gets out of bed and lets his feet slide into his slippers. He then goes across the large master bedroom and removes one of his father's robes. While he had his own designated room in the house, Cal could not help but take advantage of sleeping in the vast master bedroom as his father nor mother was here to say anything otherwise. Here, he was the king and the owner of this castle and that's how it would remain.

He then exits the room and walks down the hall to the room that held Rose. He's tempted to go in but decides to have his coffee first before dealing with her. Her soft breathing can faintly be heard behind the oak door.

He descends the stairs and goes to the kitchen. He could very well have roused Riptide to ask him to bring him some coffee, but for some reason, he decides to do it himself.