Chapter 10
10
ROWAN
I sat on the edge of her bed and glanced over her wounds, most of them superficial and would heal in time, completely disappearing or scarring over. While I gave her a once-over, my eyes caught and zoned in on a bandage on her inner right thigh and I moved slowly and carefully to remove it.
As my hand grazed her thigh, she snatched it away and squeezed, her whole body shaking and tense. The pain in my hand increased as she applied pressure, and I hissed in pain as the area pulsated.
“Charlotte, let go,” I whispered through clenched teeth. She did, letting her hand fall back to the mattress below her.
“I’m just making sure you’re okay, Princess. I’m not going to hurt you,” I said gently.
She nodded curtly, and I moved my hand toward the bandage again. Seeing where the injury was, I knew what was there and part of me didn’t want to remove it at all.?I didn’t want to accept it.
Taking a labored breath, I peeled the gauze away and peeked at what was underneath. My jaw clenched as I took in the scabbed-over brand that was the Walker crest. I stared at her sullen, unmoving form, and if I wasn’t staring, I wouldn’t even know for sure she was breathing. I carefully put the bandage back in place and rubbed my sore hand unsure of what to do next.
Charlotte was staring at me, a pained expression glued to her face.
“I understand if you can’t love me anymore,” she said as fresh tears glossed in her eyes. “I’m disgusting…and used. My neck, Rowan.”
“Listen to me, you are not used or disgusting. Do you hear me?” I needed her to believe it, and the fact that she thought I would love her any less upset me. “And what happened to you does not change how much I love you.”
She took my bandaged hand in hers and gently caressed it. “Roe, what did they do to you?” she whispered.
I unwrapped the bandage on my hand and showed her what Jace had done, watching as the cleanly stitched nub tried to move around freely like the others. Fresh tears sprung to her eyes as she looked at it, and then I stood and removed my shirt, turning for her to see the new wounds I had on my back, but I said nothing, I didn’t feel like it; not anymore.
She stood and placed her hands on my shoulders, holding me in place so she could trace the edges of my cuts. I winced, my body tensed and shuddered under her touch, and I had to put all my energy into holding still. I knew she wasn’t going to hurt me, but the muscle reactions I was fighting threatened to send me back to a place I didn't want to be. My eyes fluttered shut, and I focused on her movements. Shivers began deep inside my stomach and ran down my spine.
My eyes flew open at the sound of her choked sob, and I turned to face her.
“I’m so sorry for bringing you back into this,” she said, sniffling. “It’s all my fault.”
I raised my hands, pausing briefly as she flinched against my movements, and placed them gently against her cheeks, using a thumb to stroke along her jawline. I bent down and kissed her forehead gently, hating that I couldn’t kiss her on the lips. What was worse was I couldn't immediately tell her everything was going to be okay. The truth was, what came after was where the real brokenness lies, and it killed me that I couldn't hold her and tell her this was something I could fix. Charlotte will rise up, she was no victim; she was a survivor, and in time she will realize that.
“I would do it all over again if it meant keeping you safe, Princess,” I whispered, pulling her into my arms loosely.
The aftermath was never something I had to deal with, or think about; until now. I was afraid that she’d fear my touch, and in an effort to show her I wouldn't make her feel trapped in my embrace, at her slightest movement to pull away, I released her and smiled.
“I love you, Rowan,” she whispered. “Please don’t leave me.”
I searched her eyes. “Charlotte, I don’t ever want to leave you. I want to lie in bed with you all day and never leave. But there is something I have to take care of before we can do that.”
She would never know of my rising anger, and the thought that the beginning of my revenge was sitting in the ground level of her home. I needed to do this, I wouldn’t allow him to hurt anyone else.
The gears turned in my head fighting with staying and going. Charlotte saw that by the constant clench and unclench of my jaw and she knew. “Okay, but promise you’ll come back?”
“I promise, Lottie.” I squeezed her hand before tucking her back into bed and heading for the door.
“Rowan,” she called from behind me. She was faced away from me, her voice sounding timid and muffled. “We can't let him hurt anyone else, he's a monster.”
“He won’t hurt anyone ever again,” I mumbled, shutting the door lightly behind me before taking off down the hall.
As I strode down the hallway, my mind swirled, battling the emotions in my heart, but I had to push them aside, at least, for now. Most of Charlotte's men parted for me, and I didn’t really understand why. I'm the bodyguard, and I have no status. One of them caught my attention as he nervously threaded his fingers together. Am I really that scary?
I laughed to myself, my face was beaten and bruised, a healing scar from the ring that the bastard wore, and my finger was missing. My tongue ended up needing some stitching, causing me to have a slight lisp when I spoke, so I rarely did these days, not like I wanted to anyway. Mix that, accompanied with stubble that grew in whisps on my chin which I made a mental note to clean up later. I refused to get a good look at my back to know how bad the damage was.
“Sir? What do we do with the body? Thomas isn’t here and we were told to stay away from Miss Bennett for the time being. So, I was really looking for anyone, no offense,” he stated.
“Why are you asking me? If you need to ask what to do with a body once they are dead, you're in the wrong business, kid.”
He looked to only be what? Maybe nineteen or twenty at most, better here with us though. “Well, it’s Mr. Bennett, Sir, so, I didn't know what to do.”
Tilting my head in disbelief, I doubletake and narrowed my eyes at him “You mean to tell me he’s still laying on his bedroom floor with the sheet I put over him, over a week ago?” I asked, raising my voice.
He flinched. “I–I guess.”
With a sigh, I stood up straight digging for my wallet. That was irresponsible to just leave him rotting like that and if I would have known, it would have been the first thing I did after waking up. He deserved better. Fishing out some cash, I slapped it in the kid’s hand.
“Cremate him, and he gets the best urn, if you need more let me know, and I’ll talk to Char–Miss Bennett.”
Turning my attention back toward Walker, I headed for the stairs and rolled my eyes when he called for me again.
I turned around. “Kid what! I'm busy.”
He held something in his hand and gestured to me, “Sorry, you dropped this.”
He held out a picture. It was Lottie and me. It stayed in front of my mother’s note. Nikki had taken it at my house, her head rested on?my lap , and her eyes closed as she softly snored. I had placed my hat over her eyes to block out the setting sun and I couldn't help but thread my fingers through her soft hair. I was high when this picture was taken, but I remembered that day, and sadness radiated through my chest as I looked at it. She would never be that person again . Walker took the last bit of innocence she had.
“Thank you.”
The halls echoed as my heavy steps strutted through the corridor, Richard would be in the same place I was kept, and I?couldn't help but think history would be repeating itself.
With a deep breath, I pushed the heavy door open and my eyes fell upon Richard's form, it looked like he was sleeping and that just wouldn't do.
There was a small tap near the corner and I filled up the bucket pouring it on his head “Wake up!”
“I thought you would be the one to come down here,” he said, spitting the water at my feet with a grimace.
I didn't say a word, he didn't deserve them. What I did do was drag one of the tables out, preparing to live up to my promise to him.
“Do you know what my favorite part was Rowan? How the bitch couldn’t even handle four of my fingers down that slutty throat, threw up all over herself,” He chuckled. “That cunt though, I couldn't get enough.”
My tongue poked the inside of my cheek and I bit my lip holding back a laugh of my own. “Four fingers, you say?”
He was too busy stroking his disgusting ego to notice the sharpened blade I grabbed from the table. Placing his hand on the smooth wood, flattening it; I patted the back of his hand a few times. “Well, that's on me, I should have trained her better then.”
He grunted in surprise and his eyes narrowed. “I’m glad you see the error of your wa?—-”
He didn’t finish the sentence, because I brought down the knife cleanly slicing through all four fingers, muscle and tendon severed as I surgically removed them to the second knuckle; just as mine was.
“Was it something like this, Richard?” I growled before I grabbed them, shoving only two into his own mouth.
“How does that taste, Richard!” I yelled holding up the other veiny lifeless fingers. “These” I chided. “Will be going to your only son, do you know why?”
His chest rose and fell as he expelled the contents of his stomach and onto the floor. I threw the knife down?sticking it to the table before bracing myself on either side of the chair that was holding him captive. “Because I killed your daughter, I watched the light leave her eyes. I left her blue on the floor of this very room.”
When I picked up the mask, flashes crossed my mind, and I had to blink them away before fitting it to his face.
He wouldn’t just pay for what he did to Lottie. This was for me, and Mr. Bennett as well, and every fucking person that he tainted, broke, and sold into slavery.
“We're going to play a little game, Richard.” I mocked the same words said to me, chuckling sinisterly as I flicked the lights off leaving us in complete darkness.
Charlotte
Rowan hadn’t come back in a while and I was silently thankful for it, though I felt extremely guilty for having that feeling at all. What I did need to do was talk to Richard Walker, I just had to wait for the chance. Maybe this was it.
I couldn’t even be bothered to get dressed as I grabbed my robe from the small armchair and threw it on before heading for the door. I felt self-conscious walking down the halls and swallowed thickly, opting only to nod at those who stared at me like I was a scared animal; so fragile, the wrong look would cause me to crumble. Footsteps sounded behind me and I went on high alert, whipping around.
“Where are you going?” Thomas asked.
“I…am looking for Rowan,” I lied. Hopefully he believed it and just let me tend to what I needed to do, before Roe did show up.
“He’s busy, in the basement,” he replied nonchalantly, making no attempt to stop me. He just gave me a wink before moving around me slowly; tracking off down the hall.
I didn't want to go back there, but I needed to know why. My father was no longer here and I desperately needed answers.
It took some time, but I eventually made it down there and stood in front of the door that held screams resembling the squeal of a pig, and internally my insides twisted around. I didn’t know if it was the fact that Roe was dishing out the torture, or the fact I would be face to face with Richard again.
With a slow steady breath I opened the door and my heart dropped. This was a different kind of rage from Roe, his eyes were wide open, and his laugh shot through me causing my body to quiver. His hand held a bloodied knife; the crimson running down the blade and onto the floor. I felt like my body was present but my mind was completely clouded as I opened my mouth to speak, but the sight before me rendered me speechless. He only said two words as his eyes snapped up to mine.
“Get out.”
I found my legs propelling me forward toward the two men and stopped just short of Roe. He was crazy if he thought he was going to disrespect me. We stared each other down, his heavy breaths encasing my face. I reached down and gently took the knife from his hand.
My hand went to the back of his neck and gripped it tightly, bringing it to my level. And my lips grazed his. “I think it's best to remember who you’re talking to Rowan. Go to the corner and grab the chain that's hanging on the wall.”
“You don’t have to do this, you have nothing to prove.”
“I have everything to prove,” I whispered harshly, letting him go.
“Pain in my ass,” he mumbled, walking over to the rusted chain that sat on the opposite wall.
He dropped the chainlink at my feet and I moved quickly to pick it up, running my fingers along the jagged edges.
“Why did you do it?” I asked Richard.
“Sweet girl, because I can,” he laughed.
I strutted over to him, looping the chain around his neck, leaving the rusted edges to dig painfully into his skin. I attached it to the loop in the floor and grabbed the remote. I had never tortured anyone before, but I will get my answers; one way or the other. I watched with a smirk, and pressed on the up button causing it to wrap around another gear, hidden under the floor.
“Why do you force people into submission?”
“Because it’s fun. Your father enjoyed it for a short time too. Why don’t you look right next to you Charlotte, and ask him,” he sputtered.
“You’re lying!” I yelled, pressing into the remote again, the gear cranked as Richard’s body fought to hang against the restraints Rowan had tied him down with. At this point in time, I didn’t know who or what to believe, and for just a moment, I questioned whether Rowan did enjoy it or not.
I turned to Roe. “Did you like watching the abuse? Collecting them? Training them to submit?”
He looked at me with disbelief. “Lottie don’t let him get into your head.”
I pushed the button and heard Richard wheezing and gasping for air, and held the knife up to Rowan.
“Answer the question Rowan,” I said darkly, backing him against the wall until the knife was pointed at the base of his throat.
“No, Charlotte, I never liked being forced to watch those women being raped. I never liked having to brand every single one, like I was. Like you were!” his voice rose. “But yes, sometimes I enjoyed the chase, I was high and it made me feel powerful, in what I felt was a helpless situation. I’ve told you this. Put the knife down.”
He was right and I was projecting my fear. He had already told me everything and Walker's laugh behind us only confirmed that I was letting him get into my already messy brain. I looked into Roe’s eyes and released the button, allowing Richard’s now unconscious body to fall limply into the chair. My body shook and I dropped the knife to the floor.
“I’m…I thought…” I placed my hand over my chest, the room started spinning and my breathing picked up.
“What’s happening, Rowan, make it stop.” I reached out for him and he grabbed me immediately, pulling me as close as I allowed him.
“I don’t want to be like this. I don’t want to hurt people,” I said in a choked breath.
Silently he placed my hand over his heart and leaned down. “Do you feel that?” He asked. “As long as I am here you will never carry that burden, and you will never have blood on your hands unless you wish it. That's my promise to you.”
I felt my legs give from underneath me, but Roe moved quickly, scooping me up into his arms.
“Let’s go get some rest Princess.”
My hand twisted in his shirt and the tears fell loosely down my face. He must have noticed, because his lips met my sweaty forehead gently.
“Don’t worry Lottie, no one is dragging me away from you ever again. You can let go of my shirt.”