Chapter 14
Chapter Fourteen
SILAS
Jude didn’t close the study door, leaving me to track the soft thud of her bare feet on against the floor as she fled from us. I took a step, then stopped, fighting that howling need to go after her. Heat raced along the back of my neck as I turned my head finding the disgust in Gabe’s stare.
“Who the fuck are you?” He whispered quietly, then looked at Theo. “It’s like I don’t know you anymore.”
I clenched my fists and bit down on all the things I wanted to say to him. Because the truth was, I didn’t know who I was myself.
Beep.
My cell chimed as Gabe strode out of the study after them, leaving Theo and me behind. I reached into my pocket, pulling my phone free.
Lincoln: We need to talk, in the office…now.
“What’s that about?” Theo asked, peering over my shoulder.
The heat that lingered on the back of my neck grew hotter. “Nothing.” I answered, pocketing my cell. “I’ve got it handled.”
Theo dragged his fingers through his hair. “I thought she’d tell us.”
“Yeah,” I swallowed down the desperate need to go after her. “Me too.”
I did leave, making sure she was behind her locked bedroom door before I headed to mine. Lincoln no doubt had been informed of the breach of our systems. That didn’t take long. I grabbed the keys to the Maserati and headed out the back door.
Headlights flared as the engine started.
I pulled out of the garage, leaving the house behind and headed back to the office.
I was tired, maybe more than I’d been in my entire life, but the worst thing was I couldn’t sleep.
Every time I closed my eyes I saw that blood-splattered study, the cloying stench of my parent’s blood clinging to my nostrils as I woke.
I met my own gaze in the rearview mirror, finding the harrowing empty stare as I took the backstreets and pulled into the almost empty carpark…apart from Lincoln’s Mercedes. Even the sight of his car pissed me the Hell off. I climbed out, slammed the door closed and locked the car.
Thumb against the scanner and the locks disengaged.
I was pushing through, heading to the elevators before I released a pent-up breath.
I don’t remember!
Her scream resounded as I pressed the button and the doors closed.
I have no memory. Don’t you get that?
She lied. That’s all she did. I couldn’t trust a thing that came out of that mouth of hers. I licked my lips, picturing the bloodless slash of her mouth. A mouth she parted for the bastard on the video. A mouth that would part for me.
Thud.
The elevator shuddered to a stop, wrenching me out of the thought.
I inhaled hard, straightened my spine and walked out as the doors opened.
A few of the guys sat around monitors. But I never looked at them.
Just at the brightly illuminated office at the end of the room.
The one where my uncle stood there waiting.
I stepped in, then closed the door behind me, rendering the room soundproof.
“I’m sorry, Silas.” Sloane said carefully. “He already knew.”
“It’s okay.” I met Lincoln’s blazing stare.
“You want to explain why the fuck I wasn’t told about this?”
No wonder my father wanted his brother out of the business. Because he was a giant pain in the ass. “I didn’t think you needed to know.”
“You didn’t think I needed to know? And why is that, Silas?”
I clenched my jaw as he paced the floor in front of me. “Because I’m handling it.”
One glance at Sloane as he rose from behind his desk and I could see the man hadn’t stopped searching for the leak. His shirt was creased, sleeves unbuttoned. There were two empty coffee cups on an otherwise spotless desk. No, the man had barely moved since I’d left.
“You’re going to ruin this company.” Lincoln warned.
I wrenched my gaze upwards, rage seething inside me.
Lincoln saw it, stopping suddenly as I took a step forward. “You wanna say that again?”
“You’re making bad decisions.” My uncle continued, looking me up and down. “Look at you. You look like you haven’t slept in a week and you reek of desperation.” He searched my eyes. “It’s her, isn’t it? It’s Ang?—”
I lashed out, grabbing his shirt. “Say her goddamn name and I’ll put my fist through your fucking teeth. Family or not.”
His eyes widened. “Y-you’re fucking unhinged.” He stuttered. “You know that?
Okay.
Her voice moved inside me.
Whatever you want.
My pulse boomed at that dull, empty tone.
“What we did was wrong. No, what you did was wrong.” Lincoln pulled me back. “You need to stop this mindless pursuit of revenge before it gets out of hand. Give her to me. She can stay at my home. She’ll be under my guard. I won’t let her escape.”
I flinched, scowling. I saw the way he looked at her in that den, and the way he was acting now made it all too fucking obvious.
He wanted her. Wanted my sister under his roof and in his bed.
I could see it now, she’d be on her knees for him and he’d fucking love it.
Just one more piece of our family and our legacy he could steal from me.
I lifted my gaze meeting his stare. The idea of that made me feel dangerous.
“No.” I answered. “I’m taking care of that too. ”
“How?” Lincoln barked, anger flaring, before he got a hold of himself and adjusted his tone. “She’s a problem to you, let me take care of it. I’ll find out what she knows about your parent’s deaths. If she knows anything at all.”
I saw it now. Saw just how much he wanted her. That’s what this whole thing was for, wasn’t it? It wasn’t about the breach of security. He wanted to use that to make me hand her over. To give him…the one person who could tell me the truth about that night.
I didn’t think so.
I shook my head and stepped away. “She stays with us…her family.”
“Silas.” My uncle growled my name, stopping me as I headed for the door. “You’re making a big mistake.”
“It’s not the first time though, is it? Sloane,” I glanced behind me. “I’ll be waiting for your call.”
I didn’t wait for him to answer, instead I grabbed the door handle and yanked, getting out of there as fast as I could.
By the time I slid back behind the wheel I knew this wasn’t over, not by a long shot.
Lincoln wanted her bad enough to make out it was about the business.
If he couldn’t get her away from me, then there was no doubt he’d go after Jude next, or Theo.
Hell, Gabe might even be in his sights. My little brother was soft enough to fall for his lies too.
No. She stays where she is.
Somewhere I can watch her.
Somewhere I can control her.
And make her talk.
Don’t you get that? I can’t REMEMBER! Her screams echoed.
I reached into my pocket and pulled out my cell as the rear door of the office opened and Lincoln strode out. He saw me and stopped. That same desperation still in his eyes, like I was the only thing standing in between him and his brand new fucking toy.
He wanted her…that was obvious. It was only a matter of time he’d try to get her again. The only question was, why?
That image of her on her knees rose. She looked so peaceful there, so…empty. Like she was born to be right there. Her knees parted, breasts straining against that satin nightdress with every breath.
“Yeah well, let’s see about that.”
Across the street my uncle took a step toward my car until my cell vibrated in my hand. I scowled, looked down and stilled at Jude’s number splayed across the screen. My younger brother rarely called me. I pressed the button, answering instantly. “Yeah.”
“What the fuck did you do?” Gabe screamed in the background.
“Silas,” Jude said, his voice strained. “You need to get home right away.”
“Why?”
“Look at her!” Gabe sounded hysterical. “Angelica… please , look at me.”
“She’s having some kind of episode.” Jude snapped. “It’s like she’s catatonic. I think we broke her, Silas. I think we fucking broke her!”
I stabbed the button, starting the car. “I’m on my way…and Jude? Don’t call anyone else until I get there.”
“Okay…but hurry.”
I shoved the car into gear, swinging out of the car park in a screech of tires and hauled ass back home. With every corner my mind plunged deeper into the abyss of panic. I think we broke her…
“Jesus.” I gripped the wheel and pushed the sports car harder, hurtling along the city streets as the sun started to rise.
By the time I pulled into the drive Jude was already standing outside waiting for me. The biting smell of the hot engine hit me as I climbed out.
“She won’t stop murmuring, won’t look at anyone, just stares at the wall.”
I slammed the door closed. “What the fuck happened?”
“I don’t know. I just came in to check on her and found her like that.”
“Christ.” I followed him through the rear door and into the house.
We did this.
They were the words unsaid. Still, they stayed with me as I followed Jude to her bedroom. Gabe paced the room, wrenching a desperate, savage stare my way as I entered. “Look!” He stabbed the air desperately. “Look at what you’ve done.”
I stepped around the door and stopped instantly. She sat in the corner of the room, her feet curled under her, eyes wide, staring at the wall.
Jude stared at me, waiting for me to do something. Only, I didn’t know what to do.
“Daughter. Owned. Order. The Order. I belong…I belong to the Order.” She murmured, still the words were clear.
They hit me hard.
“On your knees.” She whispered. “Owned. Daughter. The Order. The Order. The Order…”
The Order?
My pulse thundered. That place? That’s what she talked about?
“Don’t just stand there.” Gabe strode closer, pushing me toward her with a shove. “Do something!”
I jerked my gaze to him. “What the fuck do you suggest I do?”
“Owned. Controlled. No…no, Order. I obey, Order.”
I did this.
I fucking DID THIS.