Chapter 11
Chapter Eleven
ANGELICA
There was only silence outside my door. I strained to listen for any hint anyone was out there at all.
But there was nothing. Just an emptiness.
A hollow void where salvation lay in wait.
Would I dare make a run for it? I’d be out of the rear door in an instant.
Forget about the shelter, I’d just run and I’d keep on running.
The only question was, did I dare do it now?
Open the door. Find out for sure. My hand trembled as I twisted the handle and cracked open the door, finding only darkness.
My pulse pounded as I opened it wider and stepped out, rolling my feet as I crept along the hallway.
“Need something?” Jude lifted his gaze from the end of the corridor, then pushed against the floor and rose.
I froze, glancing at Gabe’s closed door just in front of me and turned back to him. “No…I, ah.”
But he kept coming, heading along the hallway toward me.
Fear kicked inside me, leaving me scrambling back to the safety of my room once more. I grabbed the handle, pushing the door closed before Jude stopped it with his hand.
I jerked my gaze to his hand and moved backwards, as he entered. He looked around, his eyes adjusted to the gloom as he looked at my room like it was the first time he’d ever been in here. Who knew, maybe it was.
“We went too far last night.” He said carefully and looked my way. “I want to make sure you’re not about to run screaming to the authorities.”
I said nothing, my senses screaming at the careful, dangerous tone he was giving.
“Are you?”
I swallowed hard. “Am I what?”
He narrowed in on me and strode forward, pushing me backwards until I hit the far wall and stopped. In the faint spill of moonlight his eyes looked demonic black as he lifted a hand placing it against the wall, blocking me in. “Going to cry rape and run to the police.”
I did that and I was over. I knew that without hesitation.
Jude was the quiet one. The Ares son who wanted nothing to do with the business.
“Because if you did, that would cause problems for my family. In particular Silas who is under a great deal of pressure right now. We don’t want that now, do we?”
His black eyes sparkled. I understood at that moment just how dangerous this family had become for me.
At first it was my salvation from the cruel orphanage where I was raised.
A beacon of hope and love, especially in the arms of the woman who became my mother.
But now she was gone…and that light of hope was now gone, leaving something dark and hostile to move amongst the shadows.
“No.” I whispered. “We don’t want that.”
“Jude?” I turned my head as Gabe stood in the doorway. He looked at his brother, then me. “What’s going on?”
“Nothing little brother.” Jude pushed off the wall and took a step backwards. “Just making sure our sister here was on the same page.”
He turned around then and left, striding past Gabe. “I’ll be just out here in case you need anything, Angel.”
My stomach tightened at the name mom gave me. She was the only one who’d ever used it and now so did Jude.
“You okay?” Gabe asked when his brother left. But there wasn’t a trace of concern in his tone. He might as well have asked me if I was a murderer.
I crossed my arms over my chest remembering the look of disgust on his face from before. An image that was now burned in my mind. “Do you really care?”
Silence.
I guess that was an answer in itself. I turned my head, unable to look at the detached, stoney stare anymore.
“It’s not safe here for you anymore. Maybe it is best for you to leave.”
My knees buckled, leaving me to slide down the wall. Gabe was the only one left who cared about me. Agony tore across my chest and tears followed, blurring the darkened outline of him.
“I thought you were better than what you did tonight. I thought you were…special. I guess now I know you’re not. You’re just like the rest of them.”
A sob ripped free, searing like fire in the back of my throat. I closed my eyes as the memory came, tearing me apart with talons. OWNED. DAUGHTER. MINE. MINE. MINE. I was back there, at that place. With that man. He stood over me, looming in the shadows. His face was nothing more than a blur.
That’s the way. He gasped, breathing hard. Just like that, Angelica. Just. Like. That.
My body reacted, throbbing and warming. I opened my eyes staring through the blur at an empty room. Gabe had left me, just like he had last night. I was alone now. Maybe I always had.
Beep.
Through the watery glare I caught the screen light up from my cell phone. The one I had in my purse that Silas stole from me. I stopped crying, and looked at the empty door knowing it was Gabe who left it. Gabe who didn’t quite turn his back on me after all. Gabe, who gave me a way out of here.
I lunged, scurrying forward across the floor and grabbed my cell.
Penn: Your goddamn brother just attacked me at a party. What the fuck is happening and where are you?
I sniffed, my hands shaking as I unlocked my cell and pulled up his message. He hadn’t responded to the last five of my calls and messages…until now. I typed a reply.
Penn, I need your help. I need to get out of here. My brothers… I stopped, my mind racing before I started again. My brothers think I had something to do with our parents' deaths. I need you to come and get me. Can you do that?
Send.
I waited with my heart in the back of my throat.
Beep.
Hurriedly, I turned the volume down, pushing the cell hard against my chest as I shoved up from the floor and moved to the door, closing it as gently as I could before turning to the reply Penn sent me.
Penn: what the actual fuck, I’m sorry I missed your calls. My stupid brother broke my cell and then dragged me to this goddamn place with his friends. I can’t get you tonight, but I promise to come tomorrow, unless you’re in actual danger. Are you in danger?
Am I in danger? I weighed up the question. Yes. No. Maybe , I didn’t know. I was in my room, guarded by my damn brothers who were planning what I didn’t know. But I had time, didn’t I? I had time to figure out how to get away from here. I glanced down at my cell.
No. I typed. I’m not in danger. I’ll see you tomorrow and Penn. I’m glad you’re okay.
Send.
I made my way to my bed, slipped under the covers and pushed my cell under the pillow. It was the only weapon I had now. One which might get me out of here…but it did nothing to ward off the nightmares of that place.
The moment I closed my eyes they swept in, almost like they were waiting for me.
Promise me , mom barked, her eyes wide as she wrenched her gaze from the road to me. Promise me you’ll never tell them . I looked down at the buttons on her blouse and fear gripped me.
Mom. I lifted my gaze to hers. Mom, your buttons aren’t right.
Terror filled her stare as she looked down.
The car swerved, pulling over hard on the shoulder. Her fingers shook, fixing the buttons before she stopped and burst into tears.
Mom. I reached forward, pulling her against me. My body ached, my jaw the worst, tender as I held her.
He will kill me if he ever finds out, you know that right, Angel. She lifted my gaze, staring into my eyes. No , she said. He will kill us.
He will kill us.
Those words echoed over and over again.
He. Will. Kill. Us.