The dark sky has the ominous feeling in my gut churning. She’s going to be taken, broken and I know there’s nothing I can do. I was forced out of the house, leaving her to fend for herself. I have nothing. Flopping onto the bed, I stare at the ceiling and picture her. Long, flowing red hair, emerald green eyes. Sweet, sensual curves. Her creamy skin that turned rosy with my handprint. All that pulled me in. But what kept me enthralled was her smile. When she gifted me one, it was as if my world had lit up for the first time in years. She became my focus, and I lost her.

The sounds of sex filter down to the bedroom where I’m currently lying. My best friend, Axel, is a man whore, but he’s given me a place to stay. I can’t complain. But it’s the fact that he’s fucking his way through the city, while my heart lies back in Caged, which has me second-guessing my choice of accommodation.

Closing my eyes, I recall the memory of my father disowning me. It doesn’t matter if he doesn’t consider me a Wolfe any longer. The only thing of value that I had in my life was my Phoenix.

“Sit.” My father glares at me, and dread fills my veins as it riddles my body with a shudder. The chair I settle in is uncomfortable, not because of the actual seat, instead it’s the prickling awareness that my father must have found out. He stands behind his desk, hands in his pant pockets, feigning a casual demeanor I know well he does not possess. Lifting my eyes, I meet his blue ones, they’re cold, icy and feral. “I’ve come to notice a few things about you, son.” He settles in his leather chair opposite me. There’s a barely controlled rage that drips from his words.

“I’m not sure—”

“Oh, Kael. Don’t lie to me. I can read you a mile away, you know.” He smirks. His fingers steeple in front of his mouth as he regards me. “You and Sam have always been different. At first, I thought it was a good thing. But, now I feel differently. It has been brought to my attention you’ve let your feelings get in the way of your work.”

“No, I’d never do that.”

“Kael, should I mention the redhead?” His question jars me, and I sit back, my mouth pursed in a thin line. Shit. How could he know? “She’s certainly beautiful. She’ll be an attraction for many clients. And as much as I’m interested in seeing her starting in the rooms soon I’d like to get her on the floor. Tonight. Do you think she’s ready?”

“Not yet,” I respond, hoping he doesn’t notice the tick in my jaw.

His glance on me doesn’t linger as he nods slowly. “Funny you should say that, I think she is. I want her on the floor tonight. In fact, I’ve got two clients who would love to see her curves.” Fisting my hands was a mistake because his gaze drops and narrows in on them, then lifts to my face. The emotion must be written all over it because as soon as our eyes lock it’s done.

“Father—”

“These are your papers.” He shoves an envelope toward me. “They’ll explain exactly what happens now that you’ve been disowned. You’re also to pack a bag, one bag, and depart immediately. Dax will escort you off the property safely. You should have known better. These are mere whores.”

“She’s not—”

“Exactly! I want you out of this house, off my property immediately. You thought I wouldn’t notice the sweet, loving touches. The soft, soothing words?” He rises, rounding the desk, and stalks toward me. “You knew the rules. No personal attachments. They only end in fucking disaster. Your mother learned that when your sister killed her by being born. Women are nothing. They’re toys to be used. I want you out. You’re no son of mine.”

I push off the chair and stalk toward him. “If I’m leaving, she is too. I want her. You can keep all my belongings. Just give me Paige.” The words have barely left my mouth before the sting of his punch leaves me tasting metal. The gold ring my father always wears on his left hand bites into my lip, leaving crimson dripping from my mouth.

“She stays. You’re out.”

“I’m not leaving without her.”

“We’ll see about that.” He crooks his finger, and I realize we’re no longer alone. Along with Dax are two men who look like they could possibly break me in half with a snap of their fingers. “Kael needs to be escorted off the property, immediately.” Without another glance at me, the man who I called father turns his back on me.

“Father, listen to me, I’m not—”

He pivots, pinning me with a glower of disapproval. “If you don’t leave quietly, I’ll bring her in here right now and show you how a whore is meant to be treated. Do you want to watch while I fuck her holes? Because I will.” His words send revulsion coursing through my veins. Knowing I have no choice, I turn and stalk out, meeting Dax’s eyes, seeing the apology that flashes in them. Two guards grip my arms and tug me along. I can’t help fighting them off, but my father bellows an order. “Teach him a lesson while you’re at it. Then take him to the gate. He leaves with nothing.”

That’s all these thugs need to hear before they shove me down and land one kick to the ribs, another to the face. The pain that shoots through me is no worse than the thought of what’s going to happen to Paige. Fists fly, connecting with my face and jaw.

Groaning in agony, I roll over, trying to shield myself. But it’s no use, two of them, one of me. I deserve it. I hurt her and now I’m paying the price.

“That’s enough, let’s go,” Dax’s cool tone halts their movements. Even though my father is in charge, they will listen to the man who’s head of security. Dax tugs me up and half drags me toward the exit. When I step outside, I leave my soul in the house. In the room where she lies waiting for me.

As we reach the gates I find Samael waiting on me. “I told you to be careful brother,” he says. The confident smirk I’ve come to recognize on my brother’s face is noticeably lacking as he takes in the blood dripping from my face. “You look like shit.”

“You knew he was going to do this?” He shakes his head. Is that sadness on his face?

“Look, Kael. You may hate me, and that’s okay, but I never wanted this to happen.” For the first time in a long while I see sincerity in those blue eyes. “I know you love her,” he states matter-of-factly. I don’t respond, merely a nod tells him he’s right.

“I need your help. Sneak me back in. I can get her, we can both leave and we’ll be free. Samael, please?” I turn to my brother then. Meeting his gaze, I implore him.

“You know he’ll not think twice about killing you. Or her for that matter. I can’t see that happen, brother. Trust me when I say, I’ll be there for her.” We stare at each other, the hatred and anger we’ve become accustomed to fades and I see him for the first time. I see my brother.

“I’ll come back for her.” I vow. But I know he’s right, I can’t go back in there now. “Please look after her?” I sound like a goddamn woman.

Cobalt eyes stare through me, seeing my soul. It’s then that he recognizes it and utters. “You’re really in love with her.” I can’t voice my agreement, so I nod. “We’ll both look after her,” my brother gestures to the other man who’s waiting behind me. When I turn to Dax, he affirms with a nod.

“I’m sorry, Kael, he called me in suddenly. I didn’t know what was happening until I overheard what he said to you.” I know he’s not lying, because his eyes speak with more honesty than any words could. “I’ll get her out of here. Somehow.”

“We will.” Turning to Sam, I see a hint of the human side of him and all I can do is hope.

Anger runs rife through me, and I can’t help but land my fist in the wall beside the bed. Blood seeps from my knuckles, but I savor the ache. The pain.

It was my fault for allowing myself to feel. To finally believe that happiness wasn’t merely what other people had. The thoughts of her, of what she’s going to be put through, are worse than any ache or pain.

The only thing I can hope is for Sam to make sure she’s strong. That she survives whatever they’re going to throw at her. If my brother takes over as her trainer, I know she’ll get through it. He’s brutal. But I know my Firebird. If she has something other than a broken heart to focus on, she’ll be okay.

I knew I couldn’t give her a forever.

Deep down, every day I walked into her room, I knew something was going to obliterate us. And now as I lie alone with nothing but the thoughts racing through my mind on how to get back to the house to save her, I wonder what she’s going through. If they’ve already hurt her. Just that thought alone makes me want to walk into that shithole and kill every last one of them.

She needs to be strong. She needs to fight because I’m going to fight for her. Somehow, I’ll find a way to get back to her. Even if it’s the last thing I do.

She never even saw my face. All those times we spent together, I didn’t have the courage to show her the real me. I need to find a way to get her out. There must be something I can do to save her from what I know she’s about to endure. Even though I was the one who trained her, those monsters who frequent the club are not me. They’ll hurt her beyond repair. What I fear most is that they’ll not only break her body, but they’ll shatter her mind.

* * *

I watch the sun rise from the window. Most of the night was spent formulating a plan. But each one I came up with left me or her dead which is not an option. I have no way of contacting her. No way of even speaking to her. I tried calling Sam, but he said my father has put the house on lock down. Cameras are now running twenty-four-seven in every room.

Pushing off the bed, I open the bedroom door to the sound of silence. I make my way into the kitchen to find a pot of coffee brewing. Axel must be up already. Perhaps he threw out whichever girl he’d been fucking the night before.

“Hey man,” his voice comes from behind me as I fill a mug.

Dragging my gaze up, I meet Axe’s cocky smirk. “Hey.” He’s dressed in a pair of jeans and a black Guns N Roses T-shirt.

“Sleep okay?” he asks, sauntering into the kitchen, grabbing his own mug and filling it with the freshly brewed coffee.

“Not really. Between you banging that chick and my mind racing a million miles a minute trying to figure out how to get my girl out of that place…” I let my words taper off when he turns to me.

“You need to clear your head. I’m leaving tonight, heading to New York. Come with me?” I glance at my best friend, who regards me with a narrowed blue stare. “Dax wants me back at Inferno while he’s here at Caged. Somehow, I don’t think I can let you out in the world by yourself. You look like shit, man.” He sips his coffee as he regards me, and I know he’s right. I’m a mess. Not only because of the black eye, bruises, and possible fractured ribs, but because I have no way of ever getting back into that house.

The need to get as far away from Caged as possible is running rife through my veins. “Then let’s get this show on the road,” I smirk, schooling my features so my best friend doesn’t see the agony that’s slowly seeping through my veins like a poison.

“Whoever she was, she’s not worth it, man.” He slaps my shoulder. Without responding, I turn and head back to the bedroom where I spent the night and start planning. Grabbing my phone, I hit dial on Dax’s number. As soon as he answers, I ask the one question that’s been on the tip of my tongue all night. “How is she?”

“I haven’t seen her. Sam’s been in there a couple of times. He told me your father called for her. I don’t know what happened, but she is in her room. Sam said she’s pretty broken.”

“Dax, I need you to get her out of there. Or get me the fuck in there and I’ll walk out with her. I’ll burn the whole place down.” My voice is urgent, the anger at my father using her, breaking her, is about to consume me.

“Kael, I need you levelheaded. I’m working with Sam. We’ll get her out. Just trust me. If you come back here, you’ll only make him angry. He will kill her. Then he’ll kill you.” He’s right. I’m not thinking clearly.

“Get her out. Just save her. That’s all that matters to me.”

“I know.” With that he hangs up, leaving me cursing the ground my father walks on. Dax’s promise to get her out only gives me a moment’s reprieve.

I can run, I can go to New York, but I know I’ll never be able to leave her behind. There’ll never be redemption for what I did to her. No salvation for what I left her to endure.

Rearing my hand back, I fling the phone against the wall, watching it shatter. Exactly like the love I hold for a woman who’s probably going to be a shell when they’re done with her. “Hey man, Dax just messaged to let me know he’s got us a place to stay until we get ourselves sorted. Do you want to help me in the club? Security detail? Or…”

“No. I’m not cut out for that. I’ll find my way. But I’ll take you up on the offer of a place to stay until I find my own apartment.”

He nods, closing the door again, and I pack up my meager belongings that Sam managed to salvage last night before I was thrown out. The drive into the city won’t be long, and we’ll get there by lunch time if we leave early enough.

As I stuff my clothes into the suitcase, I know it’s time to trust in my brother. It will be a first. I just hope he doesn’t let me down.

Now all that awaits me is a city that can swallow me whole. Perhaps a new life. But I know I’ll never be able to rid myself of the memories. Those are ingrained in me, and there won’t be any absolution from them.

In fact, I welcome them.

They remind me of something I’ll never allow myself to do again.

Love.