Malone's Fate (Haven, Texas Book 14)

Chapter 48

Today was the day and Lilac was so fucking nervous. She’d been awake all night, unable to sleep.

Tanner had tried to wear her out, giving her three orgasms with his mouth. But it hadn’t helped. Her mind had kept going over everything that could go wrong.

Now it was five in the morning and Tanner was heading out with Maddox, Butch, and Raid to the meeting point. West and Alec were going with her later. Beau and Jaret were staying with all the women and children. Along with Victor Malone and the men he’d brought with him.

He was kind of a scary guy. Silent. Huge. But everyone seemed to trust him to take care of things here.

Alec had called Stefan yesterday afternoon and made all the arrangements for this morning.

It made her shiver, thinking about Stefan, wondering if he was close by.

She hadn’t been there for the negotiations. Alec didn’t want her getting upset.

Tanner had been kept away too. Which was definitely for the best.

“Be safe,” she ordered him, hugging him tight.

She didn’t know where the other men were. They must have said goodbye to their loved ones already.

“I will.” He cupped her face between his hands. “I’ll be fine. We’ll all be there to watch over you. You will be safe. You will do what you’re told. And you will come back to me.”

She nodded, then kissed him, watching him walk out the back door.

“He’ll be okay.”

She glanced behind her to find West standing there, watching her with serious eyes. He wasn’t a happy, easygoing guy. But he had a confidence about him that eased the panic in her tummy.

“I know. Will everyone here be all right?” She didn’t think Stefan would come after them, but she couldn’t be entirely certain either.

Everyone had moved into the big house during the night with Victor’s men helping. Now all of the bedrooms were filled with people.

It was a tight squeeze, but under other circumstances, she might have found it fun. However, no one was in a cheerful mood.

“They will be,” West told her firmly. “Beau, Jaret, and Victor are here. Victor’s men will patrol the Ranch. Oh, and Linc’s here, too.”

She could see that filled him with enthusiasm. None of the Malone men seemed to like the way Linc looked at Ryleigh.

“Go get ready,” West said gruffly. “Let’s get this over with.”

With a nod, she moved upstairs.

After getting dressed, she went downstairs to meet Alec and West. Ryleigh and Opal were there as well. Ryleigh threw herself into Lilac’s arms. “Are you sure it shouldn’t be me going? I feel like it should be. Why you?”

“It’s always been me. In Stefan’s twisted mind, I’m his. I’ll be okay, Ryleigh.”

“Promise?” she asked.

“Promise.” She hugged Opal next.

The other woman held onto her fiercely. “I’ll look after her. But you make sure you come back. Understand?”

“I will.” She glanced over at where West and Alec were hugging Flick and Mia.

Victor stood off to one side, watching over them. Alec spoke to him briefly and Victor nodded.

They climbed into a car she hadn’t seen before. The windows were tinted. West was driving. She and Alec got in the backseat.

“You’re good with what is happening?” Alec asked.

“Yep. I’ve got it all.”

“You stay next to me or West at all times. We lure him out to where Tanner has a shot.”

That part made her feel ill. But she had this.

“What the fuck?” West grumbled. “Alec, we’ve got a tail.”

“What?” Alec turned. “Fuck! I need to call Victor.”

“Shit! He’s coming up fast! I can’t outrun him.”

Panic flooded her as she turned right as the car behind them smashed into the back of them. She screamed but West held the car steady.

Oh God!

She should have known that Stefan would have a plan. That he’d know they were up to something.

Tanner! He was going to be so upset if something happened to them.

Suddenly, a car pulled out from a side road, crashing into the front of them and sending their car spinning.

The last thing she remembered was a loud screeching, yelling, pain.

Then nothing.

* * *

Lilac woke up with a groan.Where was she?

“Hello, sister.”

She stared up into Stefan’s face. He looked cold. Emotionless.

This wasn’t good.

But how did he get her? What happened? Why did her body ache?

Then it came back to her. Driving in the car with West and Alec. Someone tailing them. The crash. Then nothing.

“You crashed into us?” She sat up even though her entire body screamed in pain. As she took stock, she could tell she wasn’t severely injured.

Well, not unless the shock was disguising the pain of an internal injury.

Numbness filled her as she stared out the window of the car they were in. Where were they?

Oh God.

“I had my men stop the car you were in, yes,” he replied.

“West and Alec! What did you do?” Were they all right? Fuck. This is what she’d been trying to avoid . . . anyone else getting harmed.

“Why do you care?” he asked in a soft voice.

Immediately, dread rushed through her. This was Stefan at his most dangerous.

It was like he was trying to lure you into his web with false promises before he bit off your head.

Gruesome? Yes.

Accurate? Also, yes.

She swallowed. “I don’t care about them. But if you kill them, it’s going to leave things messy. The people of this town won’t rest until they find you, including the sheriff.”

He made a scoffing noise. “As if I care about a few hillbillies and an idiot sheriff.” His gaze narrowed. “You’ve gotten some attitude while you’ve been gone. You’ve forgotten that you’re not allowed to lie to me.”

Oh God.

Danger. Danger.

“Believe me, I haven’t forgotten anything.”

Reaching out, he grabbed her by the front of her throat. “You ran from me, Lilac. From. Me. I own you. You do not get to run from me. And then I find you with other men.”

“They . . . I . . . they aren’t my men,” she managed to get out. “They have families.”

“I know. And if they weren’t related to Regent Malone, they’d be dead.”

That meant they were still alive. Thank God.

Stefan drew his hand away from her neck. He watched her closely. “So why were you so concerned about them? Because they’re Ryleigh’s half-brothers?”

“You knew about her half-brothers?”

“Of course I did. You know I always do my homework, Lilac. I knew her old man’s last name before I even met him. I did underestimate you all, though. I never expected you to escape. Or to be able to hide from me for so long.”

Was that pride in his face?

Fucking hell.

He was angry at her for leaving him and proud of her for evading him? This was the problem with Stefan. It was hard to best him when he made no sense.

“Why did you do that? Crash into them? They were bringing me to you.”

He shot her a cold look. “Were they? Or was it a trap? You forget, Lilac, I haven’t lived this long by being stupid.”

“I…I don’t know what you’re talking about. They were going to give me to you in return for you leaving Ryleigh and Opal alone.”

“As though I care about those two stupid sluts. No, I couldn’t trust those assholes you were with. I don’t know them. And I’ve got enough issues.”

“Like what?”

“Well, first, my sister ran from me. Hid from me. I really thought you’d go straight to Ryleigh’s brothers. When I realized you were smarter than I’d given you credit for, I drew my men back from watching this hick town. It wasn’t until your name set off an alert that my guy found you’d been in the hospital here. Lilac Malone.” He leaned into her. “That’s never going to happen, by the way.”

Oh God.

Tanner.

He’d never wanted her to do this. To be a part of this. He was going to be so upset.

She felt ill at the thought.

“You won’t go after Ryleigh and Opal, will you?” she whispered.

He might have said that he didn’t want them, but that didn’t mean he wouldn’t punish them from running from him.

Stefan waved a hand through the air. “Like I said, I don’t care about those two sluts. They’re not my blood. Ryleigh is tainted and Opal was just a hole to fill.”

Gross.

But she thought he was telling the truth.

“And me?”

“You’re mine. I’ll have to punish you for leaving. Hmm, perhaps I should have grabbed Opal as well. Or maybe even that baby. I could’ve used either to them to punish you for defying me.”

Don’t vomit. Don’t react.

Her entire body was throbbing with pain.

“You could have killed me, ramming that car into the one I was in,” she pointed out.

“My men were told to do it in such a way that no one was harmed. If you’d been killed, they would’ve suffered my wrath.”

Still, she wasn’t sure if he’d genuinely care if she died or not.

The real question was…did he know that she was in a relationship with Tanner?

Lilac didn’t think that he did, or he would’ve been on the rampage.

She had to fight hard not to show her fear. Or how much her body hurt.

Showing Stefan any weakness was just asking for trouble.

“Why do you want me, Stefan?” she whispered. “Why come after me?”

He stared at her with vicious intelligence. He was so smart. He could be so charismatic. And yet, he had no empathy, no sense of morality. Of right and wrong.

“I’ve told you so many times, my sweet sister. You. Are. Mine.” Reaching out, he brushed his cold fingers down her cheek. She had to fight hard not to shudder. Not to throw up.

How was she going to get out of this? She’d never be able to escape him again. She’d be lucky if he didn’t lock her up.

“What now, Stefan?” she asked.

“Well, I’ve got some plans for you, Lilac. After I spend a suitable amount of time punishing you, of course. I can’t let you get away with this display of disobedience.”

No, Lord forbid that she try to do something he didn’t want her to do.

A shudder worked its way through her.

“And then I’m going to marry you off, build my empire.”

“You . . . you what?” Her mouth was so dry.

Marry her off to whom? Had he decided on someone?

Would they be worse than him? Oh fuck. What was she going to do?

“You’ve made a decision then?”

“Everything will become clear soon,” he said with a drawl as they slowed down.

She looked out the window, despair filling her.

A plane.

“Since when do you own a plane?” she whispered.

“I called in a favor. Don’t worry, you’re going to help me pay him back. I’ve been having some . . . business issues. Which is all going to be solved with our new partnership.”

With whom? With the person he was going to marry her off to?

“Couldn’t you let me go, Stefan? Just let me be free? Isn’t there some small part of you that loves me?” she whispered.

He grabbed hold of her arm. Tight. “That’s just it. I do love you. I already told you that you’re mine.”

“That’s not love. That’s possession.”

“Same thing.”

Right. Which just proved that he had no idea what love was. Lilac wasn’t sure why she’d thought he would understand.

“Come on, come meet your fiancée. We’re going to fly home and get you married.”

Fear held her immobile. But Stefan just dragged her out of the car and toward the plane. She tried to fight him, to break his hold, but he turned and slapped her across the face. She let out a cry, her face stinging.

“I’m going to have to ask that you don’t harm my fiancée,” a cold voice said from above them.

She looked up, but her eyesight was blurry, and she couldn’t be certain about what she was seeing.

That voice . . . though . . .

“She’s still my sister and I’ll treat her how I want.”

Stefan dragged her up the stairs as tears dripped down her cheeks. But she held her shoulders back, facing the person who’d spoken. They’d moved back, letting them have room.

“Here she is. Your new wife.” Stefan shoved her down and she fell onto her knees in front of the man.

The man who’d betrayed her.

How could he?

He glanced down at her. His face was icy cold, and she trembled. She wanted to put on a brave front, but it was nearly impossible.

All she wanted was Tanner.

God, she wanted him here so much.

“Yes, well, I’ve decided not to do that,” the other man said.

His words took a moment to filter through the terror surrounding her.

“What do you mean?” Stefan asked. “We’re going to form a partnership.”

“I’m afraid not. You don’t think I know you plan to have her marry me, then kill me? Take everything I own? That’s not happening, Stefan. At least, it won’t be you taking what I own. It will be the other way around.”

“I don’t think so,” Stefan sneered. “I’m not going down like this.”

Before she even knew what was happening, the man in front of her raised a gun.

“Yes, you are.”

This wasn’t happening. Lilac stared from one to the other. She saw Stefan tremble. He wasn’t used to not having the upper hand, to not being fully in control.

And now . . . oh, God, she was going to be sick.

“I’m a bad person, Stefan. But you’re the Devil himself. And you belong in hell.”

The gun fired and she screamed, her arms going over the back of her head as she huddled down to protect herself. Her entire body shook, and she knew she was going to be sick.

But she couldn’t stop herself from turning to look.

She saw Stefan lying on the floor. He was so still.

So dead.

“Oh God. Oh God.”

“Get up, Lilac.”

His voice wasn’t unkind, but she was too scared to reply as she forced herself to stand.

“Is he . . . is he . . .” she stumbled over her words, her hand over her tummy.

“Oh, he’s quite dead.” There was almost a cheerful note to Donatello Rossi’s voice as he spoke.

Turning back to him, she saw that he’d put the gun away and was pouring himself a drink. How had this even happened?

“You killed him.”

“Yes,” he replied calmly.

“I thought he was your friend,” she said. Well, as much of a friend as Stefan had.

“Stefan doesn’t have friends, you know that. And he was no friend of mine. It was only a matter of time until he betrayed me.”

“You keep helping me.”

He eyed her for a long moment, then he sighed. “I once had a sister who I loved. I couldn’t save her. But I could save you.”

She swallowed heavily. “It seems too easy. He’s been the boogeyman under my bed for so many years and now he’s just…”

“As monstrous as I’m sure he seemed, he was just a man, Lilac. A man who got what was coming to him.”

Still . . . she felt all mixed up. He was a terrible person. He would have taken her back to his house and hurt her for defying him.

But he was still her brother.

Who was now gone. And she was free . . . wasn’t she? Or had she swapped one monster for another?

“Where are his men?” she asked worriedly. They’d been just outside the plane. Why weren’t they here?

“My men have taken care of them. The idiot thought I wasn’t a threat to him because I agreed to be his ally. Don’t worry, no one will find out what happened here.”

Right. Uh-huh. Yep.

“What . . . what happens now?”

“Now, my dear, you have a choice. You can come back with me, of course. I’ll provide you with a safe place to live. Time and money to do whatever you desire.”

She shook her head violently and he smiled.

“Or you can pretend this never happened, you never saw any of this, and you can leave.”

“I want option number two. I’ll never say a word, Don. I promise.”

Please don’t let him take her back with him.

“I know you won’t, sweetheart. I’m taking over everything he owned, you know. You won’t get any of it.”

“I don’t want it. I just want to live in peace. Please.”

Don cupped her face with his hand. “I know you do. I saw that in you the first time I met you. I have no desire for an unwilling woman.” He stepped back.

“Some of the people who worked for him . . . in the house . . . they’re good people.”

“If they’re good people, they won’t be harmed, I promise.”

Lilac nodded. She just wanted out of here.

Tanner. She needed Tanner.

“Now, we’re going to leave, and you need to get off the plane. But don’t worry, I’m sure your man will be here soon.”

“You know about Tanner?” she asked.

“Hmm. Tell him Mateo sends his regards.”

“You know Mateo?” she whispered. She remembered Alec had talked to him, and he’d said he’d discreetly ask around about her brother.

Why hadn’t he mentioned Don to Alec?

“Yes. He contacted me to see if I knew what was happening with Stefan. Mateo wasn’t able to get directly involved. But I told him I would do what was necessary to take care of you. He didn’t know the details.”

Okay. All right.

“I’m sorry, sweetheart, but I’m going to have to ask you to get off the plane. I need to leave now.”

Sure. Uh-huh.

Why did she feel so numb? And yet her legs didn’t want to move properly.

She had to step over Stefan’s body to get out. A sob escaped her. By the time she descended the stairs, the plane was getting ready to leave and she was barely able to stumble far enough away.

Pausing, she heaved up the contents of her stomach, which wasn’t a lot.

She wanted to believe she was safe.

She slid onto her ass and waited.

When Tanner arrived with Raid and Butch. He opened the back door of the truck before it even stopped, running toward her.

Crouching down, he cupped her face in his hands. His face was pale, his eyes wild. “Baby, baby, are you all right? Are you hurt? Fuck, talk to me.”

“He’s dead, Tanner. He’s finally dead.” She threw herself into his arms, tears sliding down her cheeks.

She wasn’t sure why she was crying, exactly.

Because of everything that had happened? Because he’d nearly taken her? Or because he was dead?

It was all so mixed up in her mind.

“Shh. It’s all right. You’re safe. I have you. I have you, baby. And you’re never going to leave my sight again. I’m going to spank you every night for a year. I’m going to glue you to me, put a leash on you, fucking something.”

She let out a sobbing laugh and leaned back to look up at him. “I’m all right, Tanner. I promise I’m safe.”

“You better fucking be. Because there’s no way I can ever go through this again.”

“I love you, Tanner Malone. With all of me. And this . . . this is the start of our happy-ever-after.”