Read The Golden Locket (Unbreakable Trilogy, Book 2) for Free Online Page B

been forced to listen as her lover’s brother burst back into his life then tried, and failed, to reduce him to something beneath his shoe.
    But the portrait’s mournful gaze told me I was wrong to envy her. I was in the right place, with the right guy. His hand had just been forced. He hadn’t chosen to reveal the saga to me this evening. His brother had made the choice for him. But at least now I knew what, or who, had wrecked Gustav’s life.
    I never wanted to be that girl again. I was never going back to a life without Gustav.

CHAPTER THREE
    ‘No, Gustav isn’t here,’ I reply to Pierre’s quiet taunt now as we stare out at the New Year fireworks. ‘But he will be.’
    I search the sky out east again, where the planes are taking off and landing. I rub at the blur of steam my breath has left on the glass. Oh, Gustav, where the hell are you? This is the night you promised to meet your brother. I’ll do my best to keep things sweet until you get here but, like you said, this is your fight, not mine.
    I move away from the window, away from Pierre’s piercing eyes, and go to fill my glass. Right up to the brim. Polly is sprawled on one of the long, low sofas that are angled to get the best views from up here. She’s already pretty drunk, but it’s a kind of aggressive drunkenness I’ve never seen in her before.
    ‘Why won’t you come out with us? When did Serena Folkes become such a bore?’ Her voice is a lazy slur. ‘You’re only just twenty-one. You’ve got a swanky new pad, photographic commissions to sink your teeth into, a new city to explore and a wardrobe full of Ralph Lauren for me to borrow, but you’d rather spend the evening hanging round at JFK arrivals lounge?’
    I press my glass against my hot cheek. ‘I’m just worried about Gustav, that’s all. I won’t relax until he’s back here with me. I didn’t want him flying at such short notice to the house on Lake Lugano just when we’d had such a lovely Christmas together. I hate the idea of him being there, full stop. He bought it with his ex-wife so there’s all these ghosts from his past life, Polly. Without me he’ll be surrounded by them.’ I glance at Pierre, wonder if he’ll pick up on what I’ve said about ghosts, but he’s still over by the window, frowning at his mobile phone. I run the glass over my lips. ‘I’m worried something has gone wrong. Why wasn’t he on that flight back from Switzerland?’
    ‘Worried his evil ex will have turned up to claim him? Oh, don’t get all upset, Rena! There’s bound to be a good reason why he’s late. No need to fret. Especially as the cavalry has arrived! Your New Year wouldn’t be complete without me, now would it?’ Polly kicks her foot against the tawny, butter-soft suede cushions. ‘If you’d been here last New Year you’d have been whirling like a dervish as they counted down. Probably wearing nothing but sparkly cheerleader hotpants and an Uncle Sam hat! You can be the life and soul when you’re on form, girlie! How is it that you’ve changed so much?’
    ‘I haven’t changed, and I’m not a bore!’ I take a long swallow of the vintage champagne that fills our fridge here and sit down in the sofa opposite, tucking my feet up under me in an effort to chill. ‘If you weren’t my beloved cousin you’d get a slap for a comment like that, the mood I’m in, so watch it. In any case, this time last year I was in Piazza San Marco, not Times Square.’
    ‘Dressed as one of your masochistic Venetian nuns, no doubt!’ Polly tips her head at Pierre as he comes across the room and flops down next to her. He drapes his arm closely around her neck and gives me an astonishing, broad grin as his hand lands on the swell of her breasts.
    ‘Yeah. I wish I’d bought those kinky convent photographs I’ve heard about from your exhibition before they sold out. Think how educational they would have been for my popsicle here,’ he smirks, fingering one of Polly’s nipples