Chapter 13
Chapter Thirteen
ANGELICA
“Wake up.”
The snarl came before a weight pressed over my face. I jerked my eyes open, finding the darkened blur looming over me. A blur that looked a lot like my brother.
“No.” I shoved backwards as shadows moved in behind him. Still I knew it was Silas as he reached for me. His heavy hand pushed harder, smashing my lips against my teeth.
“Quiet.” He commanded, then. “Get her arms.”
The others kicked into action, yanking me from the bed and forced me to my feet.
I fought them, wrenching my arms from their hold and dug my feet hard against the floor.
But my pathetic attempts at fighting were useless against their strength.
They dragged me toward the door before one turned and picked me up, throwing me over his shoulder with a low snarl.
It was Theo.
I knew him anywhere.
My nightdress rode high, revealing my bare thighs. Still, I didn’t stop, beating his muscled back with my fists. “Put me down!”
It was useless…no, I was useless, slamming my pathetic blows into the side of his head, until I earned a savage glare. “Do that again,” he growled. “And see what happens.”
I froze, my blooming pulse all I could hear as they carried me toward the front of the house. There was no salvation of sleep anymore. No, that was ripped further away as all three carried me to the brightly lit study and stepped inside.
“What are you doing?” I bucked in Theo’s arms until I fell, hitting the floor instantly.
My knees buckled before I landed on my ass, staring up at them. Jude closed the study door and turned to me, leaving all three of them staring down at me.
“What the Hell do you want from me?” I dragged my knees closer and pushed backwards.
“You will tell us what you know.” Silas’ voice was colder and deeper. “You’re not leaving this room until you do.”
I glanced from him to the only other brother who might’ve helped me…Jude. But one glance his way and I knew it was over. Are you going to cry rape and run to the police? His warning from earlier rose. Because if you did, that would cause problems for my family. We don’t want that now, do we?
I found Silas’ cruel stare once more. He licked his lips, his chest rising hard. “Don’t make me hurt you, Angelica .”
The way he said my name sent a cold shiver along my spine.
“I don’t know anything—” I started…until he clenched his jaw, the muscles bulging.
There was an edge to him now, a dangerous edge. One that hadn’t been there last night. Something had changed. My mind raced, sending that icy wave of panic deeper.
“Tell us and we’ll let you go.” Jude added slowly. “You can leave today if you want. We’ll even give you money and you won’t ever have to see us again.”
Theo shifted with that, clenching his fists. Deep down I knew it was a lie, still that thrum of desperation took hold.
Jude leaned down, bracing his hands on his knees. “You’re our sister and I know you’d want to help us. You want to tell us the truth, because hiding something like that must be tearing you apart.”
Silas and Theo just glared at me.
“I told you before.” I whispered, carefully. “I had nothing to do with what happened.”
“But you know things we don’t.” Jude urged. “Tell us what you know about the Order.”
I shook my head, memories collided, fragments of them so clear…the click of the locks on the door. The shiver that raced as that voice came. You know what to do, Angelica. On your knees. But the rest of the memory was nothing more than a darkened blur. I just…didn’t remember.
“Tell us again where you were that day?”
I lifted my head, my mind trapped on the hazy blur inside my head. “What?”
Jude stared into my eyes, searching for something. “Tell us where you were that day.”
“Shopping.” I murmured without thinking.
“Lie.” Silas snarled, those dark, unforgiving eyes fixed on me.
I gave a tiny shake of my head. But he wasn’t having it. He strode forward, then lunged, grabbing me from the floor and dragged me to stand. Cruel fingers dug into my arms, bruising as he drove me backwards until I hit the wall. He was everywhere, crowding in until his body blocked out the others.
“Don’t make me hurt you,” he shook me so hard my teeth gnashed. “TELL ME WHAT WERE YOU DOING THE DAY OUR PARENTS WERE MURDERED?”
“Shopping!” I screamed. “I was shopping!”
“STOP LYING TO ME!” He released my arm and grabbed my throat instead, clenching tight enough for me to feel his strength.
“I’m not lying,” I gasped.
“You told us you were at a fundraiser.” His thumb pressed down against my throat. “So, which one is it? Were you shopping, or partying?”
His face blurred through the sheen of tears.
“See, this is how I know you’re lying, little sister.
You’ve done everything but tell us the truth from the day you came here.
You’ve lied. You’ve manipulated,” his grip clenched until I couldn’t draw breath.
“And now it’s time…” His jaw clenched so hard the muscles bulged.
“It’s time for you to feel the consequences. ”
I opened my mouth, my lips moved even though there was no sound.
“She’s trying to speak.” Jude said.
But Silas never looked away. Instead, his lips mashed together, turning bloodless with the effort. Stars danced behind my eyes as I tried again, my lips moving.
“ Silas!” Jude barked, grabbing his arm and broke the hold.
My knees buckled, sending me crashing back against the wall as I sucked in hard, consuming breaths.
“For fucks sake!” Jude roared. “You could’ve killed her!” He grabbed me, lifting my chin to stare into my eyes. “Are you okay?”
I couldn’t even nod, just dragged in enough air to drive the darkness from eating the edges of my vision.
“What were you saying?”
Tears slipped free as I blinked and lifted my gaze to Jude. His hazel eyes darker under the dull overhead lights.
“Angelica.” He urged. “This is important now. What were you trying to say.”
My throat burned, still I forced sound into that hiss of air. “I. Don’t. Remember.”
He scowled, then slowly rose to his full height. The glint of hope dying in his eyes. He dropped his hand and took a slow step backwards. “Okay. If that’s how you want to play this.”
The door opened to my right and Gabe stepped inside, blinked his sleepy stare away and mumbled. “What the Hell is going on?”
Theo strode forward, trying to shove him back out and started to close the door. “Nothing.”
Gabe saw me. He stopped, then glanced and panicked at Silas and Jude before he looked at me once more.
I fought weakly, clawing at the hands that pinned me.
“I don’t know!” I screamed. “Don’t you get that? I. Don’t. Know. I can’t REMEMBER!”
They all froze. “What do you mean you can’t remember?” Silas snarled.
“Just that, genius . I can’t remember what happened in that place. Not completely. Only fragments.” Through the blur of tears I found his cell in his hand. “That video was the only proof I’ve ever seen that this really happened.”
He looked down, scowled, then it was his time to shake his head. “You lie.” He growled, then met her stare. “That’s what you do. You lied to get into our family and now you’re lying about this.”
His words hit me harder than any blow he could deliver . “No…I never lied.”
“You were abandoned, right?” He took a step closer.
“That’s what our mother was told. That you were some sad fucking abandoned kid right on the cops doorstep.
Only that never happened, right? Just one more lie.
But it was that lie that got you in here, where you could dig your claws into our family. ”
Our family.
But not mine, right?
No, because someone like me could never be wanted. Not like they were.
Agony plunged through me, thickening the back of my throat as they moved in closer.
“Well?’ Silas leaned down, those harrowing dark eyes fixed on mine. “Admit it. You lied from the moment you saw our mother. She was so fucking desperate to have the one thing she didn’t already have…a mini version of herself that she swallowed them too.”
“F-fuck you.” My whisper trembled. But I refused to look away…I wouldn’t give them the satisfaction of seeing me broken. Still, their faces blurred. “Fuck all of you.”
I looked for the doorway, desperate to run, but they blocked my way.
“I think that’s enough.” Gabe said slowly.
“No,” Silas rose to his full height, looking down at me. “She’s not leaving until she tells us the truth about what happened.”
Tears slid down my cheeks as I stared up at him. It didn’t matter what I said to him, the truth, a lie. He’d believe what he wanted to believe. I saw that now as I stared into the empty depths of his stare, and he stared into mine.
“I have no memory.” I whispered, trying one last time to get him to understand. “Don’t you get that.”
“Maybe…she’s telling the truth?” Jude glanced at Silas.
But our brother wasn’t interested in the truth, was he?
No.
He wasn’t interested in that at all.
He wanted to hurt me. I could see that now. He wanted me exactly where I was, on the ground at his feet. I don’t remember what I ever did to make Silas hate me the way he did. But I don’t think that mattered one little bit.
Because he was made for hate. I lowered my gaze from his eyes to the heavy tattoos around his neck, to the ones peeking out from under the sleeves of his shirt that ran all the way down to his hands.
He was hatred coiled up in the body of a man…and now I saw him for what he was.
I lifted my gaze once more.
“Believe me or not. I don’t care anymore.”
“Were you drugged?” His voice was husky.
That’s the way, on your knees and open your mouth. That voice echoed back as perfectly clear. I shook my head.
He leaned down again. “Then how can you not remember?”
Mine.
Owned.
DAUGHTER.
“Maybe she’s telling the truth?” Jude said louder, inching closer to stand in front of Silas.
“This is bullshit.” Theo barked, pushing Jude out of the way.
He came for me faster than I could move, lunging to grab my arms and lift me.
“No! Let me go!” I screamed, thrashing and fighting, until he drove me backwards and against the wall.
“You need to tell us the truth.” He bellowed. “DO YOU HEAR ME? TELL US THE GODDAMN TRUTH!”
I tried to fight him but Theo was cruel, wrenching me forward until I slammed into him. The strap on my nightdress slipped falling down my shoulder. He was like a shark scenting blood in the water, narrowing in on the movement and yanking me forward.
Cool night air caressed the tops of my breast. The white lace one he liked me to wear.
OWNED.
OWNED.
OWNED.
“Things could get really ugly for you,” Theo’s tone was dangerous as he lifted his gaze to mine. Hunger moved behind them, like the predator he was. Still, he pulled the strap lower, until the satin strained as he murmured. “Tell us what happened. Tell us now and this can all stop.”
For a moment I couldn’t breathe. Memories collided, the way Theo caressed my nightdress was exactly like him, the man in my dreams.
“No.” I shook my head, trying to force away the memory, but when I looked at Theo…all I saw was him.
It was his hand that dragged my nightdress lower. His big, powerful hand cupping my breast. His fingers exploring. I stood there, trapped by my brother’s wrist around mine and the memories of that place. Memories that lulled me. There was no panic here, no sadness or hate.
That’s the way, listen to the sound of my voice. Let me in, Angelica. Let. Me. In.
“We don’t want to hurt you.” Theo’s voice sounded dull now, and so far away. “But we will.”
I couldn’t fight him even if I wanted to. My face went slack, my own need passive and robotic. “Okay.” My whisper was so faint I barely heard it. “Whatever you want.”
“Whatever I want?” Theo repeated, his chest heaving with a hard breath. There was a flicker of panic, of hunger and excitement as he slid his finger under the thin strap until he brushed the top of my breast. He wanted this…no, he craved it.
“What I want…” He started, then stopped before slowly lowering his gaze. “Is the truth. Tell us.” His nail dug into my flesh, inciting panic inside me. “Tell us and this can all end here.”
Do what I tell you to do, that deep throbbing voice echoed from a memory. That’s a good girl, just like you’ve been trained. Now, on your knee s.
My knees trembled. I was moving before I knew it, looking up at him as I sank lower until I hit the floor. This was where they wanted me to be. Where I needed to be. On my knees with my hands behind my back.
That’s it, now open your mouth. That hypnotic command resounded in my head and every cell inside me wanted to obey . My lips trembled, slowly parting.
“What the fuck is she doing?” Jude stepped forward, reaching out to grab me.
“Don’t you fucking touch her.” Theo growled, his dark hazel eyes fixed on mine as he licked his lips.
“That’s enough.” Jude pushed past, grabbed me and dragged me forward along the floor.
Like a sudden screech of tires, Jude jolted me from that hypnotic hold and slammed me into the present. “Don’t you… don’t you dare do that to me again!”
Only Theo and Silas both stared at me.
“Both of you need to calm the fuck down.” Jude barked. “This is the second goddamn time this has happened. We’re supposed to stick together, not fucking attack each other. What the Hell has gotten into both of you?”
They never answered as Jude yanked open the study door, steadied me, then pushed me out the door.
“Go to your room.” He commanded. “Don’t come out until I figure out what to do. It’s not safe for you here anymore.” His voice lowered. “Not even amongst family.”
I didn’t wait for him to say more, just tore away from him as I raced back to my room and slammed the door behind me. Warmth slipped from my eyes and raced down the side of my nose. Jude had finally realized what I’d known all along. This place wasn’t home for me…not then…and not now.
No, this was a war zone.
And I was the enemy.