Chapter 14
Callie
I t's surreal seeing my father hanging from chains in the basement that he loved using to hurt me. His arms are stretched overhead, and his body is just high enough off the floor that only the very tips of his toes touch the ground. He groans, and his eyes open as he quietly examines his predicament.
Luckily for us, he already had one of the rooms down here set up for a nice little interrogation session. This room is fully equipped with a camera in the corner that Barrett and Soren were able to hack into while Seb was getting my father secured in the chains.
My gaze leaves my father and lands on Seb as he pulls a knife out of his pocket, flicks it open, and steps closer to my father.
"This is for Callie, her mother, every other person you fucked over along the way, and most importantly my brother."
My father doesn't even seem fazed by his situation. He just narrows his eyes, challenging Seb. "Why would you care about someone you never even knew?"
"You’re the reason I never knew him. You knew I was searching for information on Maxton, and you hired us to do a job you never intended to pay us for. Nobody gets away from the Monroe brothers without paying their debt. You will pay for yours with your life. I find it fitting. A life for a life."
Sebastian lifts his hand, sliding the knife across my father’s cheek, and my father doesn't even flinch. He cuts off his shirt and drags the knife across my father’s stomach in a diagonal line. It's not a deep enough cut to be fatal, but the blood immediately begins to drip from the wound, coating his skin.
"You killed my brother in cold blood, right in front of the love of his life."
My father snorts before his eyes lock on Seb's. "Maxton was always going to die. Your shared father sealed Maxton's fate when he became a liability to Rogue. It just happened sooner than I originally planned. I was going to use him as blackmail, string him up in this very room, actually."
"You let Callie believe his death was her fault when you planned to kill him all along?" He slides the blade across his skin again.
Sebastian seems like he is defending me instead of blaming me, and it’s throwing me off a bit, considering when I spent time with him before, he always blamed me for Maxton’s death.
"She had her crush, and I told her to end it. She should be thanking me for allowing her to have two years with him."
"She was just a kid trying to find comfort in someone because you refused to give it to her. You said my father was a liability? Why?" Seb pinches the top of his nose before throwing his hand to his side.
"Just kill me," my father says .
I look over at Sebastian. "You don't blame me?"
"I had a lot of time to think while you were away, Callie. You never deserved the blame I put on you."
My father bursts out in a manic laugh. "Well, isn't this an adorable little therapy session? Look at you two sharing all your precious feelings."
I walk over to Sebastian, grab the knife from his hand, and plunge it into my father's thigh. The relief I feel has me pulling it out and repeating the motion three more times, making sure I don't hit anything vital. When I pull the knife out for the last time, my eyes meet his.
"You remember branding me, right? What about the time you locked me in a dark room and left me alone to cry, completely terrified?”
I bring the blade down and stab him again, blood coating the tops of his thighs.
"You always made sure I felt like I wasn't good enough. You tortured me and Mom. You stole my childhood, and you don't even feel bad about it. You would do it all over again if you were given the chance."
I bring the knife up to his face this time and slice him under his eye. "You forced me to marry Damien. You let him hurt me."
I cut him superficially, over and over again, letting out every emotion without giving him the opportunity to fight back or defend himself. The time for defending his actions is over. This is his fate, and he sealed it the moment he walked me down that aisle to marry that vile human .
"You and I both know everything I did for you and your mother only made you stronger. You've always been too emotional. It's your biggest weakness. You let your feelings control your actions. I tried to fix that."
"You're wrong, Father. My emotions have always been my biggest strength. Look at you, weak and alone in the end." I tilt my head and stab him in the gut this time. I know this will slowly kill him if he doesn't get medical attention. This isn't the type of stab wound you come back from. "I have three men willing to risk their lives for me. Three men who consider me family. What do you have?" I pause, giving him time for my words to really sink in.
He coughs up blood, and I watch as his eyes begin to sag. The blood loss is starting to get to him, but I'm not going to do anything to stop it.
"Stupid girl. You're the biggest mistake I've ever made. I could have picked anyone, but I picked you. I tried to give you everything, but you've always been ungrateful."
What the hell is he talking about, picking me? It makes no sense. Before I have a chance to respond, Sebastian interrupts.
"Kill him, Callie. End this so we can get you home where you belong." He places his hand on my shoulder to reassure me.
"She can't do it because she's too weak," my father chokes out between coughing fits.
"Take this moment for yourself, Callie. He killed Maxton. He hurt you. This is your opportunity to get the revenge you deserve."
I hate how much I'm hesitating. Even after everything this man put me through, the loss of Maxton, being forced to marry and endure Damien, and torturing my mother, it's not enough. He still holds power over me. My emotions still hold power over me. My hand begins to shake, and I look down at the knife. I take a deep breath, trying to convince myself this is what he deserves. I just need to inflict the one final blow to end it all. I can't do it.
"I can't," I whisper, letting the weakness win.
Sebastian steps into me and puts a finger under my chin, lifting my gaze to his. "You can do this, trouble."
I shake my head. "I can't, Sebastian. He's my father. He raised me. Regardless of what he's put me through or what he's done, I'm not like him. I can’t hurt my family."
Sebastian’s eyes fill with sympathy, and he reaches down to take the knife from me. He gently strokes my cheek with his other hand, and I lean into his touch. He's never been this forward with me, and right now, he knows this is what I need without me even having to say it. This one simple act speaks volumes. The fact that he’s willing to do this without me even needing to ask says a lot about him.
He steps over to my father. "Your daughter is one of the strongest people I've ever met. What you see as weakness, I see as bravery and perseverance. She endured you and all your bullshit. You killed Maxton. You abused her. She doesn't need the strength to kill you because I'll be her strength. I will be the final piece she needs to rid the world of you forever." He looks over at me, waiting for my nod of approval, and I give it to him. "Do you want to know what true weakness is, Gabriel?"
Despite his current predicament, my father chuckles. Blood coats most of his body now. "Why don't you enlighten me, boy."
"You have nobody who truly cares for you or what happens to you. When you die, your society will grieve your loss briefly, and then you'll be forgotten. Nobody will speak of you, and this so-called perfect legacy you worked so hard to attain will come crumbling down to nothing. I will ensure it."
He holds the knife up in front of my father, moving it from side to side as my father’s eyes stay locked on the metal blade.
"You're lucky we're pressed for time. What you truly deserve is to be tortured for days on end with no reprieve." I harden my face and step forward to stand at Sebastian’s side. He glances down at me, and I intertwine my fingers in his free hand, showing my solidarity.
"The dead can't speak, Gabriel. How’s that for weakness? You are nothing."
I watch Seb slide the knife across my father's throat. Blood runs from the cut, and my father chokes out one final "fuck you" before his head flops down to his chest. He lets out a few bubbly breaths before the room falls silent, and I know he's gone. It's over, and I should feel bad, but all I feel is relief.
Sebastian looks at me and drops the knife. "Callie, I'm sorry for spending so long blaming you for Maxton's death. It wasn't fair. You lost him too, and the fact that I even put one ounce of blame on you makes me sick. I thought you were exaggerating about how things were for you here. I'm so sorry."
Seb doesn't seem like the kind of person to admit he's wrong often, much less apologize for it, so this surprises me. I gaze up, unable to speak. My body is running on a kind of high with my father not being able to control my life anymore. I'm so fucking grateful to Seb for doing what I couldn't do myself.
"Don't listen to anything he said to you today. He's wrong. There's a reason Barrett and Kyler are both in love with you. You are so stubborn, Callie, but no matter what situation you're placed in, you find a way to push through. You never give up. You don't—"
I don't give him the opportunity to finish whatever he's saying. I cut him off by reaching up to wrap my fingers around the back of his neck and pull him down to me. My lips crash to his, making him groan. He reaches down to grab my legs, pulling me up so I can wrap them around his waist.
"Are you sure you want this?”
Adrenaline rushes through me, and there’s no going back from this. "Sebastian," I breathe out.
I hear a light mumbling sound coming from Sebastian's ear and realize he still has the earpiece in. Before I can tell him yes or no, he responds to the voice in his ear.
"Fuck you, Barrett. You're more than welcome to watch."
My eyes land on the camera in the corner for the briefest moment, and I smile. Sebastian’s hands run up and down my body. My fingers tangle in his hair. It’s longer than it used to be and I like it. I pull back, and he hisses in my ear.
He carries me across the room and places me down on the metal table in the corner. His hands grip either side of my face as his mouth devours mine. I can feel the hard outline of his cock when his body presses against mine. I let him control every piece of the moment, but he pulls back.
I eye him with concern, and he shakes his head. "We aren't doing it like this."
My brow furrows, and confusion overtakes me. Is he turning me down? What the fuck? Of course, in true Sebastian fashion, he has to build things up and then disappoint me.
"I don't want you to regret this. We can revisit it once we get home if you still feel like you want this with me." His eyes burrow into mine, and I can't help but feel disappointed, even though I should be thankful for his clear mind.
"We should get out of here before someone catches us." I rub the back of my neck and avert my eyes from his. Looking at him feels too intense right now.
He grabs my chin and forces me to look at him. "I'm so fucking sorry for leaving you here so long, Callie. Once we get back, we will find a way to make sure you get your revenge on Damien. Let's get you out of here. Barrett won't stop screaming in my ear."
My heart tightens. Barrett. I can't wait to see him and tell him I love him. I should have said it when he confessed his feelings to me months ago, but he wanted me to think about it. Well, I've had months to think about how every piece of me is in love with both him and Kyler.
I grab my father’s notebook, and Seb leads me up the stairs and out of the front door. We slip around the back of the house where the backyard meets the woods and use the trees for cover to avoid being seen. I'm surprised to find the guards that are usually positioned out here either missing or sitting in front of their tree with their heads slumped back, not paying any mind to the world around them.
We make quick work of our escape, and I finally let myself believe this is really happening. The trees begin to thin in front of us, signaling we are nearly to the road, and I see a figure standing there waiting for me.
My heart skips a beat, and I turn to Sebastian to shove the notebook at his chest before sprinting toward the figure in the distance. As the space between us closes, I make out more of his features. His tattoos and the dimples from his smile are the last things I see before launching myself at him and jumping into his arms.
My arms wrap around his neck, and my legs around his waist. Immediately, his arms close around me, and I snuggle my face into his neck. He smells like vanilla, leather, and home. Exactly as I remembered.
He leans down to kiss the top of my head and whispers, "Hey, princess."
Tears well up in my eyes, and I tighten my hold on him. "I missed you so much," I cry into his neck.
He holds me like that for a few minutes as we let our bodies relax into one another again. When I finally pull my head back to look at him, he crashes his lips onto mine. We get lost in an all-consuming kiss, letting our tongues dance together. He bites my bottom lip, and I pull his into my mouth, sucking on it.
After a few minutes, I'm left breathless and staring right into the green eyes that I love so much. My hands move to cup both of his cheeks, and I say the words I've been holding onto for longer than I ever intended to.
"I love you. I love you so much, and I'm sorry I didn't get a chance to tell you before."
I try to kiss him again, but he stops me. "You never had to tell me, Callie. I already knew how you felt. I love you, too."
"You still love me?" I ask, needing the reassurance of hearing it one more time.
"I've felt nothing but pure misery since you've been gone. Pain felt like pain. There is no pleasure in it without you, princess. The only thing that kept my panic at bay was knowing we would get you back."
"I've been through so much," I tell him, choking on a strangled sob.
"I know. We’ll make it all alright again. I love you so damn much."
My body comes alive at his words. Barrett will know how to take the pain I've endured and turn it into something beautiful. He places one more chaste kiss on my lips before looking over to Seb, who is now standing next to us. "Let's get the hell out of here and get our girl home."
He drops my feet to the ground, and Barrett slides into the back row of the SUV with Seb as I slide into the middle beside my mother, who is waiting for me. I glance up to the front and see the nurse who helped me with my burn in the passenger seat and Soren in the driver's seat. She gives me a faint smile but doesn’t say anything.
"Soren will drop us off at the airport," Seb says from behind me, and all I do is nod.
I lean my head on my mother’s shoulder and close my eyes as Soren drives us away from Rogue. For the second time in my life, I'm leaving this place in the rearview mirror. The only difference this time is that I'm surrounded by the people I love.