Free Controlling Interests: A Step-Brother Romance (The Legacy Book 2) by Lana Grayson Page B

again and again to the men who wanted nothing more than to claim me and reap the benefits for their own wealth.
    Money didn’t matter.
    Family didn’t matter.
    But I’d endure every torture of hell if it meant I could watch Darius suffer through the same horrors he inflicted on me. Nick didn’t have a majority for the takeover? That was fine. I’d crush his father for him.
    And they’d all be lucky if they recognized the Bennett Empire when I was done.
    Hate thickened into venom in my veins. I stormed the corridor to Darius’s office, the same hall where I once fled from the raging beast only to trap myself within Max’s punishments.
    Then, I feared what pain he’d inflict.
    But in my irrational, frantic anger, I denied every beat of my heart punishing me with fear.
    It ended now.
    I kicked the office door open.
    And my rage bled into shock.
    Darius welcomed me from behind his desk. He clicked his tongue and sent the fluffy golden hairball scampering in my direction. His words trapped me between pounded heartbeats.
    “I brought you a present from home, my dear.”
    I crumbled to the ground as the goldendoodle slammed into my chest. He yipped around me, licking my face, hands, and plopping onto his side to demand belly rubs.
    “ Hamlet ?” I stared at Darius. “Why do you have my dog ?”
    A dozen horrible, heart-breaking tortures scoured my mind. I searched his curly coat, but Hamlet didn’t look injured. Or worried. Or anything but a couple pounds heavier and spoiled with a fresh grooming. He wiggled, kicking his hind legs in desperation for my scratches.
    “My little girl shouldn’t be without her puppy.”
    Tears replaced the rage. “You’ll hurt him.”
    “Nonsense.” Darius dismissed the accusation with a frown. He offered me the chair opposite his desk, but I learned his tricks from the last time. I stood, holding Hamlet’s collar to keep him close to my legs. “I rather like dogs, as do your brothers. Hamlet is perfectly safe. I promise.”
    “Like I’d ever take your word.”
    He pretended he hadn’t heard the bitterness in my voice. “My first wife was allergic to dogs. We didn’t know about hypoallergenic breeds then. You are fortunate to have a pet with your asthma.”
    Hamlet was one of my greatest loves in the world, and he never once judged me for a single attack, even when I hid my wheezing in my bedroom and hugged him to avoid worrying Dad.
    Aggravating Dad.
    This was wrong.
    All of this.
    I expected Darius Bennett to attack me, hurt me, rape me. Instead he delivered my dog and even throw him a damn milk-bone from the bag he kept in his desk .
    What was he doing? The hair on my neck prickled. I prepared to run.
    “I figured it’d be wise to bring Hamlet to the estate. Your pup requires more attention than your mother can provide.”
    “Why? Did you kill her?”
    Darius also pretended he hadn’t heard that. The frustration mounted in my chest. He showed no restraint before. Even a foul glance would have earned me a slap across the mouth.
    What was his game?
    “Sarah, she can’t possibly take care of Hamlet. Not with her early onset dementia.”
    Now I did sink into the chair. Hamlet’s cold nose pressed against my knee.
    “What did you say?”
    He held my gaze. “Last weekend’s trip to the farm included an appointment with the best neurological specialist in the country. Fortunately, the doctor suggested many experimental avenues we may pursue. Also, she spoke of some promising pharmaceutical products. You’ll be pleased to know I invested a considerable amount of money into those companies to facilitate their research.”
    He lied. He had to be lying.
    “She’s depressed, Darius. It’s not dementia.”
    “You must have known. You saw the signs.”
    “Well, she married you, so obviously something’s wrong. But that’s nothing medication and an annulment won’t fix.”
    “Is it so strange for you to believe that I might love your mother?”
    “You’ve never loved