Chapter 2
2
CHARLOTTE
M y head pounded as I stirred, and it took a moment to remember what was going on. Dad was dead. Richard’s men grabbed me…. I shifted slightly in the chair I was in and felt the tug of restraints on my wrists and my heartbeat quickened in my chest. My head hurts, what happened? The last thing I remembered was calling Roe for help, then I was grabbed; beyond that, darkness. I had to play this smart. I knew then that they had tied me up and would be watching me, so I feigned like I was still unconscious.
I heard Richard speak about doing horrible things to me, and I peeked up through my eyelashes to see Rowan on his knees. One side of his face was a deep shade of red, and he had a cut on his face that started from his cheekbone, extending to the top of his upper lip. It bled, but he was chuckling. My senses narrowed as I focused on what they were saying. Rowan was the type of person who could show his emotions through the features of his face, and it made it easy to tell what he was feeling to an extent. But this gaze, it was different, he was already planning his revenge.
I had heard Roe say something about going back to the Walkers if they let me go. Fear coursed through my body as I realized that he was trying to trade his life for my own, and it broke my heart to hear him vocalize it. Over my dead body that was happening. How dare he give his life away so easily, like it means nothing. I zeroed in on the current conversation, listening closely.
“I’ve had my sights on Charlotte for a long while, son. When I found out you two reconnected, it was such a treat for me. Two for the price of one, right?” Richard said.
Just like that, I knew that neither of us would be leaving unscathed. But we would be leaving this, I would keep fighting and he needed to concentrate to do the same. This was my legacy and my father worked endlessly so I would be okay when he was gone.
However, I had underestimated Walker’s dark tendencies.? The most concerning thing to me was that he was true to his word. He never told a lie; at least, not directly from what I had heard about him. I raised my head, no longer wishing to remain unseen.
“You bastard,” I spat. “Let me go, you sick son of a bitch.”
I pulled at the ropes that held my hands down, hoping for any kind of friction or loose ends to slip them out. Walker snapped his finger and a man stepped out of the shadows standing behind me with his hands on my shoulders. His touch repulsed me, and I struggled to stay still so he wouldn’t have to painfully dig his fingers into me further.
“Charlotte. How sweet of you to join us,” Walker said joyfully. “I was just telling Rowan here about all the fun you and I are going to have.”
“Fuck you,” I spat, shooting a look of disgust his way.
“Oh, yes. That will come, eventually. You and Roe had a lot of fun in Hawaii, didn’t you? Now it’s my turn, and I can’t wait to get my hands on those legs of yours.”
I felt the blood drain from my face. Rowan was right… Richard was a creep, a man with no morals. I broke eye contact with him and stared at the floor, embarrassed at what he said.
Suddenly he crossed the room and I sank into the chair before he grabbed my chin harshly, yanking my head up toward him so I could look him in the eye.
“Don’t touch me,” I spat.
Walker wrapped his hand around my throat and ran his tongue along my jawline up to my cheek, and I resisted the urge to vomit.? “Come on, Charlotte. Tell me you’ve thought of this moment.”
In an attempt at resistance, I spat in his face and reveled in my victory as he released me and backed away with a repulsed look on his face. I released a breath in a false sense of security before hearing his dark chuckle. My eyes followed him as he paced around me, and my fear was starting to get the best of me. Not knowing what his plan was for us allowed thoughts to swirl around my head.
“Lottie!” I heard Roe call out before a stinging sensation spread to my mouth and nose. Before I could react, Walker pulled himself close to me again slamming his hands down on mine, crushing them into the arm of the chair. I bit my lip, swallowing down the painful cry that sat within me.
My body reacted trying to pull them away and it only caused me to groan in pain, my face heated and my eyes flitted to Roe. He wasn’t moving, his jaw clenched, and his eyes were closed. I wanted to tell him I was okay, but Walker's face swam into view and my gaze hardened. I could feel his hot, rancid breath on my neck.
“Do you know what happens to bitches that don’t listen?” he hissed. His words were cold, evil. No but I bet you're going to tell me.
I stared at his beady eyes and was shocked to find nothing within them. I don’t think this man even has a soul.
“They get punished and make no mistake; I’m not against carving you into tiny pieces until you get the hint. Understood? One more chance, Charlotte. Be good.”
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Roe clamber quietly to his feet. He was going to take a chance, and my heart pounded at the thought that freedom was close and so was Walker's demise, and I wouldn't stop Rowan from whatever he had planned.
From behind Roe, I saw two of Walker's men approach, ready to interfere if needed. It’s a trap, he wants him to attack. Attempting to give any sort of warning, I gently raised a few shaky fingers, motioning for Rowan to stop. He listened for once and froze quickly standing down, and I tried to communicate with my eyes hoping he would understand what I was trying to say. I don't want them to hurt you…
My gaze leveled, and I took a deep, steadying breath. Rowan relaxed his stance a little, and Walker spoke.
“I’m going to love breaking you. You're going to make me so much money, but I'm not going to sell you?off. No, people will pay to have their way with you, and I’ll watch with pride as my new pet takes it so well.”
Bile rose threatening to expel from my body as his hand slithered in between my legs parting them to rest on my thigh. “And when you are not in use, you’re mine. If you're not by my side, you will be helping others…adjust, but only when I can trust you won’t run.”
His fingers hovered just outside my panties, and I felt humiliated knowing Rowan and anyone else present in the room had a front row seat to my assault. I heard Roe growl behind Walker and a tear escaped my eye as I twisted my hand around trying to get free in any way I could.
“Don’t worry Charlotte, it will hurt at first, but you will learn to love it. I mean look at you already; so wet, you like this don’t you?” I shook my head furiously as he pulled my panties to the side and shoved his fingers inside of me roughly.
Crying out, I tried to close my legs, trying to relieve the pain being caused to me. The man standing behind me slithered his hand around my throat squeezing tightly, and Walker forced my knees open again. He dragged his fingers back and forth spreading his sharp fingertips along my walls, and I was useless to fight against him.
Rowan lunged forward, aiming for Walker's throat when the men standing behind him moved fast, and grabbed his arms pulling him backward.
“Get off of her!” he screamed. It was laced with panic and anger, which made fresh tears of embarrassment fall down my face. I couldn’t bring myself to look at him.
Walker smirked and straightened his posture, his mouth wrapping around his fingers, tasting what he had just taken from me. He fixed the hem of his coat and turned toward Rowan, laughing.
“I bet you weren’t expecting that,” he said. “I always have men to bend to my will, Rowan. I’m not that easy to take down. You, on the other hand. Piece of cake.”
He walked to the door of the study and opened it, ushering someone through the door. In the darkness of the room I couldn't tell who it was.
“Hold him, boys,”
In a flash Rowan was held over the edge of the oval table where so many meetings were held. I could hear his panicked breaths and growls of frustration as he squirmed and fought against them.
“Stop!” I cried out. “He’s panicking, you animals!”
A familiar clearing of a throat snapped my attention back to the door. Blinking a few times to make sure this was right, and I wasn't going crazy, dread overcame me realizing that I wasn't dreaming.
My mouth dropped open. I had never felt such betrayal in my life.
Jace was prepping a needle and filling it with some clear liquid from a tiny jar. He approached Roe slowly making sure they were holding him down in a way where he had the correct access and stuck the needle in his neck.
The man standing behind me still had his hold, crushing my windpipe, yet, I was able to let out a scream as I watched his body twitch; and his once angry growls became whimpers as his situation caught up to him.
Rowan weakly turned to me as his struggling arms stilled.
“I’m sorry, Lottie,” he whispered. His head relaxed and he stopped moving completely. Seeing him in that state forced my wall to crumble and I sobbed.
“Why isn’t he moving!?” I screamed.
Jace turned toward me and stared at me with cold, hard eyes.
“Jason, what did you do!”