CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT

AVERY

I STAND IN THE WAREHOUSE in New York City with Preston sitting in a chair in front of me. But this time, my brother stands to the right of me.

I take the knife and spin it around in my hand. “I will admit, I underestimated you.”

He yanks on the rope that ties his wrists to the wooden chair. “What the fuck, Avery?” he snaps.

“Never thought you had it in you.”

He throws his head back and screams. “FUCK!”

“Yes, you are,” Tristan informs him.

“Okay, okay …” The panic is starting to set in. “I made a mistake.”

I set the knife down on the table, giving him a second of relief. That maybe I won’t kill him. I won’t. Not here. Not right now anyway. “I never wondered who contacted Darrell. Until Victor brought it to my attention.”

“It was your dad’s idea!” he shouts. “He wanted her! She was always his!”

I nod. “So he says.”

“She is!” he spits out. “My father sold her to him during a poker game when she was younger—”

“The how and why doesn’t matter at this point,” I interrupt him.

“I called him when I found out that you were looking for me.” He swallows. “I killed Damon’s brother for him. I owed him money that I couldn’t pay back, and he told me if I killed you and brought him Presleigh, then my debt would be repaid. After you shot me, I informed him that you took her.” Preston bows his head. “But that’s wasn’t enough,” he grinds out. “The sorry, greedy bastard wanted more. When he found out that you had her, he gave me two options. Get her or he was going to kill me!” His voice rises. “So I called up Darrell and offered him a deal he couldn’t refuse.”

I take a step toward him. “Were you in my house?” He doesn’t answer, just glares up at me. “Did you help take her?” I shout.

“Yes,” he answers without any remorse. “She was fucking easy …”

I slap him across the face, like the bitch he is, making his head snap to the side. Then I grab his chin and force him to look up at me. “You’ll pay for taking something that didn’t belong to you. But first, I want to know where Vaughn is.”

He yanks his chin out of my hold. “You’ll never find him.”

Tristan chuckles behind me. “Oh, I’m positive we will.” I turn around to watch him pull a cell out of his pocket. He waves it in the air before pressing some keys to open the screen.

“You son of a bitch!” Preston yells.

“See, Preston,” Tristan begins, “I’ve been talking to him for over an hour pretending to be you.” He smiles. “And he is already on his way to us.”

I turn back to face him and remove the syringe out of my pocket. Preston’s eyes widen, and he starts shaking his head quickly. “No …”

“Yes. We’re gonna take a little trip.” Then I stick him in the neck with the needle. His eyes close instantly, and his head slumps forward. I turn and face my brother. “Make the call. I want wheels up in an hour.”

I’m ready to go home.

PRESLEIGH

A week I have been in this hellhole. Back in prison, but this time, I don’t get any conjugal visits. At least, Alex is here with me. All she does is try to get me to discuss what all happened last time I was here, but I ignore her. Though she is taking her life sentence much better than I did at first. She hasn’t even tried to escape once. Before we left New York, Kayn went to take her phone, and she threw it at him. Satisfied when it hit him in the head before he could react and catch it. She gave up her freedom so easily. I think back and wonder how my body wouldn’t have been beaten if I had done the same.

I lie in Avery’s bed just staring up at the darkness. No clue what time it is and don’t care. I leave the curtains drawn. The sunlight hurts my eyes.

The door opens, and I close my eyes with a sigh. “I’m not in the mood, Alex. Please just leave me alone for one night.” I don’t even know why she came. I love her to death, but she doesn’t belong here. She doesn’t deserve this life.

The light turns on, and I let out a growl of frustration at her persistence to make me get out of bed and walk around this damn mansion like it isn’t a prison. My eyes spring open, and I shove off the covers and sit up. My heart stops when I look into a set of blue eyes that don’t belong to her.

Avery stands in his doorway. His arms crossed over his chest, and his hip resting against the doorframe. He doesn’t show any sign that he’s happy to see me. Or that he’s sorry.

I look away from him as the shame washes over me like it has every other damn time he makes me feel something. “Go away.”

He pushes off the wall and starts for the bed. I jump out of it and run into his closet.

“Bunny …” he calls out from the outside. Then he pounds on it when he finds it won’t open. I’ve had a week in this house without him constantly watching my every move, and I’ve had an exit strategy this entire time. I just haven’t had the guts to do it until now.

I drop to my knees and open his safe. It’s amazing what you learn when you have hours and hours of uninterrupted time. After trying a thousand difference dates, I finally found the one that worked. It was the due date of our child. A part of me understood how sick he is to make it that combination. Another part of me dropped to my ass and rocked in the closet while bawling. Understanding he never forgot our child who never got a chance to know how loved he or she was.

But that’s what Avery makes me do—lose my fucking mind.

I yank the gun out, then turn to face the shut door and remove the piece of wood that I have shoved against it to keep it closed.

He storms in but comes to a stop when he sees the gun I have raised at his chest. Avery throws his hands up in surrender, and my body stiffens. I don’t trust him. Not anymore.

“Bunny …”

“Don’t fucking call me that!”

“Let me explain.”

“No.” I can’t allow him to talk. “You don’t deserve that.”

He lowers his hands to his side, and I feel him about to pounce. I take a small step back. “I don’t. But please let me.”

“I said no—”

“I did what I had to,” he interrupts me. “To save you.”

“You lied to me.” I swallow the knot that forms in my throat. “You promised me.” His flinches at my choice of words. “You fed me full of bullshit! For what?” He doesn’t answer. “For what?” I shout, and my hands start to shake.

“Just … lower the gun and we can talk.”

“No, Avery.” I shake my head. “I’ve had enough.”

“It’s over.”

“I don’t believe you.”

“I promise you, Bun …”

“Your promises don’t mean shit!” I scream. Tears start to sting my eyes. “I believed you.” I lick my lips nervously. “But never again, Avery.”

He takes a step back from me and stands outside the closet. “What do you want?”

“To go home.” My voice cracks because it’s a lie. I wanted him. I thought we were finally gonna be the old us again. “I want my life back.”

His jaw tightens. “The one where you spread your legs for any guy who looked your way?”

“They never lied to me!”

His eyes narrow on mine. “No. They just used you.”

“So did you.”

“What the hell is going on?” Alex comes into view, and she gasps when she sees I’m holding a gun. “Pres. What are you …?”

I don’t take my stinging eyes off Avery. “I’m so tired,” I admit. I haven’t slept in I don’t know how long. My mind is playing tricks on me. My memories haunting me. The first tear slides down my face, and his eyes soften while they follow it. When his eyes meet mine again, he stares at me with pity. As though I’ve lost my mind. And I have. The gun shakes in my hands. My arms already tired from holding it up at him. My body is that weak. I’ve been starving myself. And for what? All because he threw me away like trash? He’s not the first guy to do it, and I’m sure he won’t be the last.

“I know, Bunny.”

“I need to go home.” Another tear falls.

“You can. As soon as you get some rest,” he assures me.

“Lies.” My voice cracks again on the single word.

He reaches into this pocket slowly and pulls out a cell phone. It’s mine. He holds it out to me, and I just stare at it. “Take it.”

I look back at him and shake my head once. It’s a trap.

“You can have it back, Bunny. It’s yours. You can call anyone you want to come get you.”

I release the gun with my left hand and snatch it. I press the unlock key and see that it’s fully charged. I go to my call log and hover over the last call I had made for them to come and save me. I pause over it when I see it’s Alex. It won’t do me any good. She’s already here.

I look up at them. Tristan stands next to Alex now, watching me intently. No doubt about to jump me so I don’t shoot his brother. Avery holds out his right hand. “Give me the gun, Bunny. Come on, baby.”

A sob bubbles up in my throat, knowing I can’t fucking do it. Even when I have the chance to stop the madness, I’m too weak to go through with it. I never wanted to kill Avery. I’m not like them. I don’t need to destroy or make things bleed. I just want us to be like it used to be. If I had got a hold of a gun sooner, I would have used it to escape. But I never got that chance. I was too busy allowing them to hurt me for the cost of freedom. But I don’t want to leave. Not now. Not like this. I told him that he couldn’t change the past so I don’t know why I’m trying so hard to do it now. My eyes blink away the stinging tears and my shaking hand grows tired of holding the weight of the gun.

He wins. He always has. Always will. My mother once told me that a woman must learn her place. Each one plays a different role. And I guess without knowing it, I’ve come to terms with mine.

I place the gun in his hand and then drop my face into my shaking hands. I hear some commotion, then I feel hands on me. I jump from the contact and try to pull away, but instead, I’m swept off my feet into a strong set of arms. Then we’re lying down. I turn in the arms and bury my face into a chest and inhale, smelling Avery. My hands grip his shirt, and he rubs my back.

I begin to sob, not knowing what the hell is wrong with me. But I need to let it out. Need to cleanse my soul and heart. Because I have no idea what tomorrow will bring. Will he lock me up in the cellar for punishment? Or will he send me back home to live a pointless life until I die? At this point, I’m not sure which one I want more.