Total pages in book: 85
Estimated words: 80102 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 401(@200wpm)___ 320(@250wpm)___ 267(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 80102 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 401(@200wpm)___ 320(@250wpm)___ 267(@300wpm)
“Pretty fucking stupid,” Kincaid says to the man that abducted his godson and three others. “I should shoot you where you stand.”
Donavan doesn’t say a word. He simply looks over the president’s shoulder, his eyes locked on the woman tied to a chair. Alani is just as pretty as her older sister, but there isn’t fear in her blue eyes as she narrows them on the man across the room.
Chapter 33
Ayla
I feel frozen in place. I want to run to my sister, to make sure she’s okay, but she hasn’t pulled her eyes from Donavan as Kincaid gets in his face.
The man stares right back at her, and it makes me wonder what happened between the two of them. Trusting a man not to exert his power over a woman is not something I’ll make the mistake of doing ever again, but I see no bruises from where I’m standing. It doesn’t mean he didn’t hurt her in other ways.
There’s a very good chance that the man is willing to do whatever it takes to get paid, and this entire situation is just proof of how far he’ll go. Nash said he was instructed to keep her safe. Somehow, his definition of safe is her, along with three men, being tied to chairs in some abandoned house.
Tears start to leak down my sister’s face, and I understand them immediately. Reality is starting to settle into her. As much as I wanted to protect her from every aspect of this, I know that in doing it, I’ll only make her less safe. Protecting someone from the evils in the world could leave them vulnerable. If Alani knew what had happened, maybe she wouldn’t be in this situation at all.
I watch her watch Donavan until he walks out of the house.
Members of Cerberus work to untie the men and Alani. The two men with wedding rings hug, whispering softly to each other. One of the Cerberus men walks up to them, his eyes scanning each of them for injuries. One looks angrier than the other, and the Cerberus member has to press his palm into his chest to keep him from leaving the house. I imagine this is the one that vowed to hurt Donavan.
The third man goes right to Alani, wrapping his arms around her. I’d suspect that he’s her boyfriend with the affection he’s showing her, but her arms are loose at her side, her eyes glued to the door Donavan left through.
Slick approaches my sister, who looks relieved when the guy hugging her takes a step back.
Even with Nash right beside me, I feel alone, left out, as if I’m watching this whole scene play out in a movie rather than experiencing it myself.
I feel her eyes on me. As much as I was looking forward to seeing her again, I hadn’t considered it would be under these circumstances or that she’d even have a clue about what happened while I was gone. I prayed that if we were able to see each other again, she wouldn’t have a clue, and if I ignored it long enough, the pain from it would fade away.
Alani breaks away from Slick, walking toward me, but there isn’t relief in her eyes.
“I guess I have you to blame for all of this?” she snaps. “This has something to do with all the twisted shit you’ve been involved in?”
My throat seizes, and I have to wonder just how fast she was able to reject any benefit of the doubt after getting that tape.
I want to explain it all to her. I want her to understand that everything I’ve done has been to protect her, but I can’t. Despite these people knowing what happened, I still don’t feel comfortable just vomiting all my trauma for them to hear.
“Your sister was abducted from the parking lot outside of your dorm building,” Nash growls, coming to my defense.
I grab his arm, a nonverbal insistence that he shut up, but the man’s intention can’t be stopped.
“She was abused, tortured, fucking raped a countless number of times, to fucking protect you,” he growls.
Alani darts her eyes from his to mine, her chin trembling with each one of his words.
She shakes her head as if she can’t fathom that he’s telling the truth. When she looks at me and I don’t deny it, she knows it to be true.
“Ayla?” she asks, stepping forward.
“Donavan may have gone about it the wrong way, but he was here to keep you safe. The video you were sent was a threat.”
Alani looks sick to her stomach. “They made you do those things?”
I nod, unable to find words right now.
“You’ll tell me everything?” she begs.
I nod again, grateful she’ll give me the chance to speak.
Slick steps forward, a compassionate look on her face, and I hate the way Nash takes a step back. I want him beside me, but I have no right to ask that of him. He’s already done so much.