CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

AVERY

I STARE UP AT THE CEILING, not really seeing anything. Her body is soft against mine, and her breathing has evened out. She passed out in my arms. Silent sobs shook her body, but she never made a sound. She’s stronger than she needs to be. I don’t know if she feels she needs to be tough around me, or if she thinks showing me how she truly feels will make me think she’s weak, but she’s anything but.

I haven’t given her a chance to speak up about anything since I brought her here. That’s going to change. I want her to tell me what she is thinking. What she needs. What she wants. It’s all my fault, after all.

I slide out from underneath her and then lift her in my arms and carry her out of this bedroom where I’ve kept her locked up. She’s light. Too fragile. I carry her down the stairs and down the hallway, passing my study and take her to my room. This is where she has always belonged. I was just too stupid to see it. Once I have her under the covers, I leave her be, knowing I have to take care of something.

I pull up to the warehouse and enter. My brother and Kayn stand in the middle. They both turn to face me when I shut the door. Tristan crosses his arms over his chest, and Kayn places his hands in the front pockets of his black slacks. Both men have no clue what I plan on doing. “They’re all here, boss.”

I nod. “Where is …?”

He moves to the side, and I see Darrell’s dead body lying on the concrete floor. His clothes covered in blood, and the smell of rotting flesh beginning to fill the large space. I clap my hands together to get everyone’s attention. “I have called you all here tonight because it seems we had a rat,” I start. “And Darrell told me that the only people I could trust was myself, Kayn, and Tristan. So, which one of you knew what he had planned?”

Mason is the first to speak up. “Sir, I had no clue. I swear. I wasn’t even here. You had me in New York looking for Preston …”

I raise my hand, and he silences immediately. “You are correct, Mason.” I take a step toward him. “But that doesn’t get you off the hook.” I start to walk back and forth in front of the twenty-five men. “Kayn,” I call out, and he pulls a cell out of his front pocket. He looks over it for a few seconds, his fingers working the keys. Then his eyes meet mine, and he nods his head. I take the phone from his hands and read over the message typed out on Darrell’s phone.

“Get out of the house tonight.” Then I look up to my youngest guy, Jacob. He’s only nineteen. And I thought I would make him a man. Now I’ll make him an example.

He begins to shake his head quickly. “I didn’t know what he had planned.” Jacob swallows. “Darrell sent me that message, and when I questioned why, he said you ordered it.”

I walk over to him. Beads of sweat gather on his forehead. His brown hair hangs in his hazel eyes, and he swallows nervously, making his Adam’s apple bob up and down. “Please believe me …”

“Turn around,” I order.

“Avery … I didn’t know …”

“Turn around!” I snap.

He sucks in a long breath and does as I say. His shoulders shake, and he looks at the floor. He thinks I’m gonna kill him right here and now, but he’s wrong. What I have planned will take days.

I hold out my right hand and snap my fingers. Kayn hands me a knife. The same one that I used earlier to cut off Bunny’s brand that my brother gave her.

I step up to the kid and wrap my left hand around his neck from behind, and he whimpers. “I’m sorry …”

“You will be.” I ram the knife into the middle of his back. Right below his T6, severing the spinal cord. He lets out a cry and falls to his knees, then his face. The knife still stuck in his back. Everyone takes a step back from me except Kayn and Tristan.

“I didn’t do it!” he wails.

“If anyone thinks that they are going to double-cross me, just remember that I don’t take well to traitors.” He sobs and starts to crawl across the floor using his hands. I crouch beside him, pressing my hand to the back of his neck, holding him in place. “This isn’t gonna kill you, but it has paralyzed you from the waist down.” I stand and turn to face the men. They all stare at me wide-eyed. “Everyone grab a shovel and go out back, where you will start digging.”

Mason pulls his brows together. “Dig what?’

“Two graves.” I turn and start to walk toward the door but stop when he speaks again.

“But Jacob isn’t dead.”

I turn back around to face him. Reaching into the back of my slacks, I pull out my gun and shoot him in the head. The loud bang makes some of my guys flinch, and our ears ring. Mason stands upright, staring at me for a few seconds before his eyes cloud over, blood runs out from between his lips, and then he too, falls to the floor.

“Three graves,” I call out. Then I turn to face all the men. “Anyone wanna make it four?” Silence follows my question. I take that they understand me. “Bury Jacob face down. The knife is not to be removed.” Then I look at Kayn. “Watch them. Make sure they do as they’re told. If not, take care of it.” Then I turn and walk out of the warehouse, heading back to my house.

PRESLEIGH

I lie on the concrete floor. My hands still cuffed behind my back. And I hate it the most. How it takes any chance I have to fight away from me. I hear the door creak open, and I keep my eyes shut.

“I know you’re awake.” I hear his voice and whimper. It’s Victor.

He grabs me and pushes me onto my back. My eyes spring open, and I try to fight him. I lose.

He straddles my hips and places his hands on my face, holding it in place. Then he slaps me. I bite my inner cheek to keep from making any kind of noise. He likes it when I scream.

“I must say, Presleigh, I like you much better this way. Even though you have no chance, you try to be strong.”

“He’ll find me,” I say through gritted teeth. I have to keep hope. If not, I’ll be a crying fucking mess. Just like he wants. Any fate I have with Avery is better than in Victor’s hands.

He laughs. “So naïve. I thought you grew out of that. The only reason Avery took you is because someone else wants you.”

I shake my head. He said it was because of Preston. “You don’t know anything,” I snap. Keep him talking. He can’t rape me if he’s too busy running his mouth.

“I know everything,” he says, lifting his hand. I flinch, thinking he is about to slap me, but he just laughs and places it on my cheek. I pull away, trying not to puke at the thought of him touching me. “A man by the name of Damon wants you.” I start shaking my head. “Oh, he does. Your brother fucked him over, and he wants you for payment.”

“Preston?” I ask, and my chest tightens. Avery told me it involved my brother.

He nods once. “But Avery wouldn’t have that. He couldn’t imagine another man having you as their slave, so he decided to take you instead.” He places his hands on my ribs, and I thrash underneath him when they begin to run up my sides. He cups my breasts, and I cry out as if he hit me. “Then he took you to that party and strutted you around like a fucking trophy.” Tears burn my eyes. “He set you up, you know. Him and Tristan. They knew you would act out, and he would have to punish you.” He chuckles. “I watched the tape of him whipping you. I must say I didn’t think Avery had it in him to touch you like that.”

“Stop.” I choke while his hands massage my breasts.

“I watched the way you got off on it, Presleigh. And I like to think I had something to do with that. My intentions were to ruin you for anyone else, but I guess it did the opposite. Considering you’ve fucked your way through New York.” His hand lets go of my right breast, and he reaches up, grabbing a fist full of hair, and yanks my head back. It causes the shackle around my neck to pinch my skin. He lowers his mouth to my cheek, and whispers, “Did you like the way I beat you before, Presleigh?” I whimper, trying to struggle with my cuffed hands underneath me. They’re numb. “The way I fucked you?” His other hand slides between our bodies, and I struggle harder when he cups me between my legs.

He doesn’t move any further. He’s toying with me. Last time, he raped me hard and fast. Now he knows there’s no one here to interrupt us, so he’s gonna fuck my mind too.

“But I do believe he will come for you. Because, as I said, he wants you to be his slave. No one else’s. Avery is no different than anyone else in this world you were born into. He’s gonna come for you guns raised and with an army. And you’ll be here, chained and bloodied waiting for him to take you home and nurse you back to health.”

“What do you want from me?” I scream; he’s playing some sick game.

He pulls back and looks down at me with a smirk on his face. “I’m gonna let you go back to send a message.”

“Message?”

His sits up and removes himself from straddling my hips. I almost cry in relief. Then he spreads my legs apart. “Nooo.”

He places himself between them and spreads them further with his knees. Then his hand runs over the brand on my thigh and I bite my lip to keep from crying out as the tears run down my face. “A message that he may have you, but he’ll never own you.” He slaps me, and my head whips to the side. “You were always meant to be mine, and that will never change.” He grips my chin and leans his face down to mine. “He’ll never fucking own you.”

Gasping for air, I sit up and blink but see nothing but darkness. My body starts to shake, and my hands go to my neck. I cry out when my fingers feel the sensitive skin.

“Bunny?” A light comes on. “You’re okay.”

I look over to see Avery sitting up. He wraps his arms around me and pulls me to him. I push him away, and he allows it.

“Where am I?” I ask with a shaky breath.

“You fell asleep in my arms, so I brought you to my bedroom.” He lowers his voice. “I didn’t wanna leave you alone …”

His words trail off, and I understand them perfectly. In case I have nightmares.

He stays silent beside me while I try to take a few calming breaths. After a while, he breaks the silence. “Do you wanna talk about it?”

“No,” I say, shaking my head. I can’t. I didn’t tell him what happened eleven years ago, and I won’t tell him what happened now. “I just … need a shower,” I say, getting out of his bed and making my way to his bathroom on shaky legs.

“Do you need some help?” he asks, getting out of bed.

“No,” I answer, not looking back at him.

“I’m sorry, Bunny.”

His words make me stop, and I turn back to face him. He now stands beside the bed, his hands in the pocket of his dark jeans, and his dark blue eyes travel up and down my body. He flinches as if he fucking cares what happens to me when he gets to the bandage on my leg. “For what?” I ask, fisting my hands down by my side.

His eyes meet mine. “For what Vaughn did to you.”

Vaughn? I throw my head back, laughing as though I’m losing my mind at the mention of his brother. When my eyes meet his again, they show their concern for me. “Why am I here, Avery?” I ask. I’ll give him one more chance to tell me the truth. If he does, I’ll tell him everything. He already knows that I know. I yelled it earlier before he cut off the brand. But he didn’t say anything about it. Confirm or deny it. Now it’s time for shit to come out. And after that, he has to let me go. There’s no way around it now. I’m not afraid of this Damon guy because I know no matter who is after me, Victor won’t let them come near me. But as long as I’m here with Avery, I’m dead. And after being around Victor again, I’ve decided I want to live.

“I told you. Preston …”

“Stop lying!” I shout. His eyes narrow on me. “I know, Avery! I know that you took me as your fucking slave because Damon wants me. Or did you forget that already?” His lips part, but I don’t let him answer. “I also know that you set me up at that house in Rio.”

“Did Darrell tell you that?” he snaps.

“Is it true?” I ask, feeling my anger fade. A part of me wants to believe that Victor was lying. That a part of him was just fucking with me. Trying to get me to hate Avery because he seems to be the only one who cares for me at all. Even if it is out of jealousy.

His eyes drill into mine, and his jaw twitches. My stomach drops like a boulder off a cliff. Tears instantly sting my eyes. “You’ve been lying to me?” I choke out. For some reason, knowing that hurts worse than anything Avery could possible do to me.

“Bunny.” He takes a step toward me.

“No!” I say, and my voice cracks on the single word. “Don’t, Avery. Just … don’t.” Then I turn around and run to his bathroom. Shutting the door behind me, I allow myself to cry.