Chapter Five #2
With a scowl, I shove the car door open without waiting for the car to stop.
Carlisle falls into step behind me as I peer over the side of the bridge and into the rushing water.
A tow truck nearby is pulling the car from the wreckage.
There’s a bitter taste in my mouth as I make my way under the bridge, my heart sputtering when I spot the trail of blood.
I stop breathing as I kneel on the bank in front of the water and study the scene. Slowly, I rise to my feet when I spot two pairs of footsteps, and the air whooshes back into my lungs. A heartbeat later, I turn to face Carlisle.
London isn’t dead. She can’t be.
“Spread out and find them,” I say calmly. “Bring me whoever is responsible for this. I’m going to nail their goddamn balls to the wall.”
Carlisle doesn’t say anything.
“What the fuck are you waiting for?”
It takes every ounce of self-control I have not to take my anger out on everyone around me.
I examine the blood stains and keep myself from imagining the worst. My men are still searching the area when Carlisle returns, dragging someone by their neck.
The man’s hands are bound behind his back, and there’s a bag draped over his head.
I pull it off, and other than a few scrapes and bruises, our prisoner is intact.
As his eyes meet mine, I punch him in the stomach.
Carlisle yanks his head back, and tears spring to the man’s eyes, but he says nothing.
I punch him over and over, the crunch like music to my ears.
On the fifth punch, the man lets out a wheeze, and it clears some of the bloodlust darkening my vision.
My knuckles are raw, and the man has blood streaming down the sides of his face, but it does nothing to quell my anger.
“He was found surveying the area nearby,” Carlisle tells me, in a low voice. “He’s one of the Fitzpatrick men. I’ve seen him a few times. There was a car too, but it drove off. Some of my men are chasing it now.”
I turn back to the man and give him a cruel smile. “You can either talk now or later. It doesn’t make a damn difference to me. I’m going to have my fun anyway.”
The prisoner stares at me through his good eye, blood already caking on the side of his mouth. “I’m not going to say a damn thing.”
“I was going to give you a quick death,” I say, “but since you’ve offered nothing useful, I’m going to let my men have their fun with you once I’m done.”
Carlisle hands me a pair of pliers. After pausing to peel off my jacket and hand it to one of the men, I kneel.
Then I dig my nails into the man’s cheeks, eliciting a howl of pain.
He squirms and tries to scramble back, but Carlisle holds him firmly in place as I lift one of the man’s fingers and study it.
In the background, my right hand man makes a few phone calls then returns to whisper something in my ear.
“It’s amazing how much pain a human can endure,” I say as I stroke his finger.
I wait for another moment and smile. “You can bring a man to the brink of death over and over, but you know what really drives the point home? Giving a man hope and then snatching it away. Say, for example, that little family you have tucked away in the suburbs. Good call, making sure they have a different last name.”
The color drains from his face as he sucks in a harsh breath. “You’re bluffing.”
My smile grows wider. “You sure you want to take that chance? Your twins already hate you. Imagine their last thought being of how their father failed them.”
His eyes tighten, and he yanks on his restraints. “They have nothing to do with this. Leave them alone.”
I position the pliers over his fingernail and tug. “Don’t they? You went after my family tonight, so it’s only fair that I return the favor.”
Thin beads of sweat roll down his face as I tug harder.
I keep my eyes fixed on his face as I yank out the fingernail, and he throws his head back, a hiss of pain slicing through the night air. When he tilts his head to look at me, I see fear and know I’m close to breaking him.
I’ll do whatever needs to be done to bring London home.
“I will rip you apart and leave you bleeding,” I tell him. “You’ll beg me to end your life. If that doesn’t work, your family will learn about consequences the hard way.”
With that, I rise to my feet and motion to Carlisle.
He hands me a large leather bag, and I open it and peruse my options. Underneath the pale light of the moon, I know the prisoner is studying the tools and wondering how far he can take this before he breaks. I roll my shoulders and reach for a small, silver chainsaw.
I hold it up to the light and hear the man swallow. “Let’s try this again, shall we?”
***
Carlisle and another man drag the man’s inert body as I watch, the smell of blood filling my nostrils. Once they disappear, I return to scanning the area as my hope grows fainter. Little by little, my men clear out until only Carlisle and I are left.
I’m still reviewing my options as Carlisle drives us home for a debrief.
I’m not giving up, but I need some time to think where it’s safe.
Leaving the estate means I’m exposed, and there’s too many eyes and ears everywhere for me to do what needs to be done.
I’m going to find London, no matter how long it takes.
The wrought-iron gates open, and I do a double-take when I see London on the front steps, her hair matted, and her wet clothes clinging to her.
She stands as the car stops. I also see Katia in the shadows with her left arm in a sling and a cut down the side of her face.
She doesn’t flinch when I give her a withering look before crushing London to me.
She’s warm and solid and real, but it doesn’t dull the roaring in my ears.
My chest aches as I linger for a moment longer, needing to make sure she doesn’t disappear.
Relief and frustration pump steadily through me as I draw back to look at her, hungrily drinking her in.
Half of me wants to lock her away forever, and the other half wants to keep her chained to my side.
London is going to be the death of me, I’m sure of it.
“It’s good to see you, too,” London says. “I thought it would be better if I waited for you out here.”
I tuck her into my side and turn to Katia. “I’ll deal with you later.”
“Don’t take it out on her. I forced her—”
I silence London with one look. She snaps her mouth shut, and I half-drag, half-carry her into the house, past my irate-looking father and my disgruntled brother in the foyer. Upstairs, I throw the door to my master room open and motion to London. She reluctantly steps in and turns to face me.
The door clicks shut, and I say nothing as I peel off my jacket and throw it onto a chair. London stares at me, myriad emotions dancing across her face. After a long pause, she clears her throat.
“I know what you’re going to say.”
“Do you?”
She nods. “You’re going to rip me a new one for sneaking off the estate when you told me not to, and for endangering Katia’s life. But you knew I wanted to check on my dad, and that he wasn’t answering his phone.”
I remain silent.
“I got in touch with Noah and asked him to check in, but I wasn’t sure he’d do it because of how we left things…”
“I see.”
London drops her hands to her sides. “Don’t look at me like that. I didn’t have a choice. I tried to talk to you about this, but you wouldn’t listen, and then you distracted me.”
I raise an eyebrow. “So, you thought it would be a good idea to sneak out with Katia, knowing full well that my enemies are lurking around every corner? You’re right. That was a far better option. How did that work out for you?”
London winces. “I figured I was as safe with Katia out there as I am in here. I didn’t know they were going to run us off the bridge—”
“How did you make it back here?”
London blinks. “We hitchhiked. Well, I did most of the talking. Katia was a little out of it. She hit her head pretty hard. She should see a doctor.”
I curl my hands into fists at my side. “So not only did you sneak out, but you also asked a stranger to bring you back? Did it not occur to you that it might’ve been a ploy to get past the Mason estate?”
I can’t tell whether I want to shake some sense into her or hold her to me and never let go.
“Well, when you put it like that, I—”
“You, what? You had good intentions? You made sure they didn’t drop you off at the front gate? Tell me, London, which part of the plan did you think through? Because from where I’m standing, the whole thing was fucking stupid and dangerous, and I should punish you right now for what you did.”
London’s eyes flash. “Okay, I know I screwed up, but what would you have done if you were me? You were off doing God knows what, and I had to make sure my family was safe. You didn’t honestly expect me to sit around, did you? That’s why you had Katia watching me.”
I cover the distance between us and level London with a look that would’ve had my enemies cowering.
“I thought you had enough goddamn sense to figure out that Katia was meant to protect you from… uncertainties within, not drag her off on a suicide mission. I should lock you up and take away the key.”
London’s mouth falls open. “You wouldn’t.”
I rake my hands through my hair and scowl. “Today is not the day to test me. Did anything else happen I need to know about?”
London looks away, a furrow appearing between her brows. When she looks back at me, her expression is pained.
“When we were at my dad’s house, there was a sound like a gunshot. Katia told me it was an old car backfiring, but I don’t think that was true.”
I let out a stream of curse words. “Is there anyone else you’d like to announce your presence to? Why don’t I just march you over to my enemies myself? Save us the time and hassle.”
London scowls. “I made sure my dad is safe. You can be pissed all you want, but I’m not going to apologize for that.”
“You will.”
“I will not,” London counters hotly. “It doesn’t matter what you do.”
This stubborn, infuriating woman is going to be the death of me.
“I want to renegotiate the terms of my contract.”
I frown. “Excuse me?”
“I want to extend the terms of my contract in exchange for money to get my family to safety. You can do that, right? Arrange for them to start over somewhere safe.”
I stare at her in disbelief. “The contract is no longer valid.”
London’s face falls. “I have nothing else to bargain with, but I’m sure I can pay you back. I just need to—”
“Shut the fuck up, London. This is no time to bring up the contract, and you don’t need to barter for money.”
London’s eyebrows draw together. “I don’t?”
“Take off your shirt.”
London’s eyes bulge, and she takes an involuntary step backward. “You can’t be serious.”
“Take off your shirt,” I repeat. “Now.”
Her fingers move to the buttons of her shirt.
As it falls to the floor, I push her onto the bed.
Then I lower myself onto the floor and reach for her mud-caked shoes.
After throwing them over my shoulders, my hands move slowly to unfasten the button of her jeans.
London’s breath hitches in her throat as she stares at me.
Wordlessly, she tilts her hips and allows me to slide the jeans off the remainder of the way.
When she’s in her bra and underwear, I stand up and step into the bathroom.
London gives me a confused look when I return and kneel in front of her to run a wet towel over her skin.
A sigh falls from her lips as I take my time, cleaning every inch of her skin until she’s covered in goosebumps.
As I reach her stomach, she swallows, and her fingers move to the back of my head to thread themselves through my hair.
A tingle races up my spine as I place one arm on either side of her and wait for her to look at me.
“If you want money, all you have to do is ask. You’re not under contract anymore.”
“Oh.”
I lean forward and brush my lips against hers. She sighs and melts against me. When she runs her tongue along my lower lip, I growl and plunge my tongue into her mouth. As we fall backward onto the bed, my hands move to her arms, pinning them over her head.
London whimpers when I stop kissing her, her eyes half-closed. “What are you doing?”
“Look at me,” I say, in a whisper-soft voice.
London’s eyes flutter open, and the hungry look she gives me almost makes me abandon all reason.
“You are not under contract,” I repeat in a stronger voice. “You are here because you choose to be. I will give you money, but if you sneak out again, there will be consequences.”
“Like what? You’ll handcuff me to the bed?”
I hold both hands in a vise-like grip and rub myself against her. “That’s not a bad idea. I know you’re used to a different life and having independence. I’m not trying to take that away, but if you want to be a part of this world… my world, changes have to be made.”
London nods slowly. “Okay.”
I lower my head and pepper her neck with hot, open-mouthed kisses. She wriggles against me, and it sends another jolt of desire through me. “I am not going to apologize, either. I do what I have to do to keep you safe. If you wanted something different, you shouldn’t have stayed.”
London shakes her head. “I only want you.”
I release her hands, stand up, and lean over the bed. After pulling out a pair of handcuffs, I let them dangle from my hands and look at her. “Good. Now, about that punishment.”
London looks between my face and the handcuffs. “I thought you said that would happen if I snuck out again.”
“I think a demonstration is in order, don’t you?” I lean over the bed so our faces are inches apart. “You need to say the words, London, and surrender yourself to me.”
Something moves in me as her eyes sweep over my face. “I do.”
Nothing else matters as we fall backward, and I lose myself in her.