Chapter 3
3
ROWAN
What's happening to me?
I couldn’t talk or smile if I wanted to, no matter how hard I tried. If I had a mirror in front of me, I would be willing to bet I couldn’t even look sad or angry. What I could feel was the pain when I was ripped from the cold surface and thrown to the ground. Bracing myself wasn't even possible as I landed painfully on my arm, and there was nothing I could do but lie where I was left and watch everyone interact around me. Whatever I was given had me struggling to stay awake and focused.
My emotions were still very real, and it was a strange feeling; to have an emotion and be unable to express it by any means. Anger was prominent in me that day, but so was a feeling of betrayal. Jace had somehow screwed me over and I had no way of knowing it. Looking back on the last few months, I realized that it was clear how Jace felt about Charlotte and me. I should have known he was a part of this. He’d pushed so hard for me to tell Charlotte everything. Why I would come home hurt, why we were gone so long, or why she was forbidden in the basement. His reasoning didn't make any sense, until now. When Benny told me the job was to split me away from Lottie, something clicked within me, but I couldn’t confirm anything until I saw it for myself.
As Jace jabbed a needle filled with god only knew what and forced it into my neck, I thought back on how I’d told him so many deep and personal things, and I couldn’t help but wonder how many of those secrets he’d betrayed. It made sense to me suddenly how Lacey knew Charlotte was in Hawaii, and how they had pictures of us. It was all Jace. What else was done right under my nose that I knew nothing about?
Jace knelt beside me after the men let me fall to the floor, leaning in close so I could hear.
“Hey, man. Sorry about this. You really are a good friend to me, but I had a job to do. The closer I was to you, the easier it would be to collect,” he said.
If Jace was a traitor, what about Nikki? I had to tell Charlotte. Seeing her cry in her restraints had me furious, she wasn’t relaxed enough to think things through. I needed to find a way to tell her, but I couldn’t even vocalize my concerns to her. I wanted to wrap my hands around Jace’s neck and squeeze until he stopped breathing.
“It’s nothing personal, you should have stayed away; now you’re nothing more than collateral damage,” Jace said, patting me on the cheek as he stood.
I watched in panic as he?approached Charlotte, grabbing a knife held out to him, and I struggled even harder to make myself move.
Please, anything… I tried so hard to lift something as small as my finger to no avail.
He wheeled the chair close to me, the squeaking rubbed against my eardrums, and I couldn’t shield myself from it.
“Charlotte, on the other hand,” Jace continued. “This pampered brat doesn’t do anything but complain about the inheritance she’s about to receive, and I’m so tired of it. She doesn’t deserve it, does she?”
He pulled a lock of hair away from Charlotte’s face and I watched as she yanked her head away from his touch.
Jace kneeled next to her and grabbed her chin, guiding her gaze to me.
“Look at him, Charlotte. Look at how weak Rowan is. The man who’s supposed to protect you can’t even talk.”
Chuckles echoed around the room and the helpless look on Charlotte's face killed me. I hated that I put myself in a situation where I couldn't protect her, and I was forced to admit defeat as he rose to his feet; using the knife to undo Lottie’s ropes.
He nodded to me. “Say goodbye, Charlotte.”
She stared at him, unmoving, until he grabbed her by the arms and threw her down toward me. I couldn't even hold her. Her soft thumb ran along my face and rested on my jaw before she latched onto me, wrapping her arms around my neck.
“It’s going to be okay. Don’t fight for me, fight to live, Roe, then if you can, find me,” she started sobbing.
My heart hurts, is this what it feels like? A broken heart.
“Take him downstairs,” Walker instructed. My stomach sank. I’d heard that same phrase many times before, and I knew what it meant.
Charlotte began fighting them, holding tight as she twisted her hands in my shirt and pulled me into her chest. “No, no, please don’t do this!”
They picked me up, attempting to shake her off, but all she did was hold onto me tighter, digging her nails painfully into my shoulder. Locking eyes with Walker, my drowsy eyes followed his movements as he walked forward and reached for a fistful of her hair yanking back, causing her to stumble. She looked into my eyes and I told her what I needed to say. You have to let me go…
“I love you,” she whispered, allowing him to pull her into the middle of the room where Jace moved fast to subdue her, placing some sort of collar-like device around her neck. It wasn't bulky, fitting around her neck perfectly.
“Don’t worry,” Walker said, keeping one hand tangled in her hair, while the other hoisted her up and slammed her on the desk in front of them. “I’ll take good care of her.”
I kept my eyes on her, she was facing away from me, on her stomach and breathing heavily, fighting against him, but he swiftly took her arm and twisted it behind her back. If he wanted to take her right in front of me, there would be nothing I could do in this state. Don’t fight them, Princess. It will only be worse….
“Should we give him a little show Charlotte? He loves to watch you know,” he laughed, signaling Jason to stand behind the desk. “Always did. Jason, hold her arms, I want another taste.”
“Rowan!” She yelled.
A rumble deep within my chest resembled a sob as I watched Walker press a button and Lottie crumbled against the wood, convulsing. Kneeling, his hand traveled up her dress bunching it against her waist, his lips licked and sucked their way up her thighs. I moved my eyes to Jason, why wasn’t he doing anything? It wasn’t some random girl; it was Lottie. He was just letting Walker rape her like she was nothing, hearing her cry for all of it to stop. His jaw was clenched, yet instead of stopping it, he held her arms tight. Guilt and anger engulfed me as I watched Walker bury his face into her, taking what was mine, hurting the one person that made me feel something in this fucked up world. And I would never forgive myself for this moment.
Hearing her cry as they forced me out of the room and further down the hall haunted me.
“Rowan!”
Her screams faded and those gathered against the wall watched me in sorrow, unable to help the cause. Now everyone knew, I had failed.
Charlotte
I couldn’t hold my tears back as Richard’s men dragged Rowan away. As I lay there in pain from the current of the collar, and the roughness of Richard as he assaulted me, all I could think was I lied to him…
Even if I didn't believe my words, as long as they gave him comfort, I accepted them. He needed to focus on staying alive.
I knew that he was unable to move or speak, and I could see by the look in his eyes that he was trying to tell me he loved me. I didn’t want to think about the kinds of things they would do to him. I knew that there was a strong chance I’d never see Rowan again, especially if Richard was putting Jason in charge of the torture. Jason's hands wrapped painfully around my wrists and held them straight out. The only thing I had as another painful shock ripped through me was the hope that Roe would find a way and we would be together again.
Before long my hands were free and my panties returned to me. My hand immediately flew to the collar tugging at it, trying to relieve any amount of pressure I could. In my haste, I tripped over something, falling painfully to the floor.
“Take Charlotte downstairs, too,” Richard said to Jace. “I want Rowan to hear her scream.”
Jace nodded and knelt down holding a hand out for me to take. I stared at it, holding my fury back for fear of worse backlash. After all of this he wants to be nice? I stared at his open hand, and I had no intention of going willingly, not anymore.
Jace rolled his eyes and grabbed my arms, lifting me to my feet.
“Move,” he commanded.
“Fuck you, Jace,” I spat. “All you are is a fucking traitor.”
In the blink of an eye, he had me pushed against the wall with his hand clamped tightly around the small area of my throat between the collar and my jaw, and my eyes went wide as his breath blew across my ear.
“You’re going to get your ass moving, or I’ll make sure it’s worse for you,” he whispered. “Don’t test me.”
He released me roughly and then pushed me toward the door. I stumbled a little but put one foot in front of the other as I held my head high. Jace kept a hand firmly on my upper arm, and as we walked through the office door and into the hallway, I saw all of my father’s men— my men— lined up along the wall, held at gunpoint by more of Walker's men. This isn’t an ambush; this was carefully planned. A hostile takeover.
My eyes scanned the room looking for Thomas or Arthur, and hope flared within me that they had escaped and would be the ones to save the Bennett’s. I kept my expression flat, and thoughts to myself. Jace paraded me in front of the men and paused next to one of Walker's men.
“If they don’t agree to join us,” he said, scanning each man standing against the wall. “Kill them.”
He pulled me away from my men and shoved me further down the hallway away from my father’s legacy.
“Why did you let him do that?” I asked shakily. “You let him hurt me.”
“Because you deserve it. Rowan couldn’t put you in your place, now, Walker has to.”
“What does that mean Jason? Where’s Roe?”
I couldn’t help the tears that continued to fall as we walked. Part of me didn’t really understand why this was happening, or maybe I was just in denial; like I had always been. My breathing quickened and the walls felt like they were closing in on me.
“Jason, I don’t want to die.”
“Trust me, you will,” He mumbled almost inaudibly.
As we turned a corner, I heard the first gunshot resound through the house. Men I had known my whole life, most watching me grow into the woman I am, rather should be, died for their loyalty and nothing more.
They deserved a stronger, smarter leader. I'm sorry.