Chapter 7
Chapter Seven
Chelsea
We sat in silence as the car headed away from the cottage.
My mind was in turmoil. Disbelief. The only thing keeping me sane right now was Dallas' arm pressed against mine, our fingers intertwined. We didn't look at each other or speak, but we took strength from each other.
I couldn't bring myself to glance at Atlas or Jay.
The feeling of betrayal by Atlas was something I experienced before, right after he found out about my previous life. He'd turned his back on me and walked away. I thought that was it, we were done.
Then, I thought he'd accepted it. He’d responded by killing Bruce Fergus, the team's former GM. He explained everything and we'd moved on. I barely gave it a second thought.
But this? This was a whole other level of betrayal. We'd faked working for these people, but he hadn’t. All along, he was playing us.
Where Jay stood, I didn't know. Presumably wherever Atlas did.
He seemed unhappy with the situation, but he hadn't fought it.
Hadn't seemed to surprised. Of course he wouldn't. Except, Atlas hadn't told him Max Stanley was alive.
Unless he had and Jay faked his annoyance.
That could have been another part of the act.
If that was the case, he was an excellent actor. He had me fooled.
Now, we were stuck in the back of a car heading to fuck only knew where. With them.
If either of them thought they could touch me, they'd have to think again. Right now, I felt like I was held together by sticky tape and string, but when the shock was over, I'd have a few things to say to both of them. Starting with the words 'get fucked.'
"It'll be okay," Dallas whispered. "I won't let anything happen to you."
"I know you won't," I whispered back. "I won't let anything happen to you either." I hoped like hell I could keep that promise.
Jones wouldn’t hesitate to kill Dallas if he got in his way. I should have insisted he stay back with the others. Why hadn't I? Because, selfishly, I wanted him with me. I didn't want to be alone with these people, and now I might get him killed.
Am I the asshole? Yes, yes, I am.
I'd have to try to find a way to get him out of this.
Maybe they'd let him walk away. He didn't have to do get any deeper involved in this.
He might not do it willingly, but it was for his own good.
Dallas should be focusing on playing football, not being distracted by me.
He should be off living his best life. He should be?—
I glanced out the rear window as a flare of light blossomed in the night sky. The flames burst out above the treetops like they were trying to singe the moon.
"Bloody hell!" I gaped at the sight in absolute shock. I couldn't be seeing what I thought I was seeing. Could I? My blood turned to ice.
"Is that…" Dallas' voice wavered.
"The cottage," I said reluctantly. I tore my gaze away from the sight to glare accusingly at Jay, who sat on the other side of me, with a side eye at Atlas who sat in the front passenger seat.
They were both staring, behind us, mouths open.
Jay's face was pale. His horror looked genuine. So did Atlas', but I knew by now how good an actor he was.
"Did you do that?" I demanded. I couldn't hold back the tears that poured down my cheeks. "You killed them."
Storm, Frost and Ramsey. And Max Stanley.
If they were anywhere near the cottage, if they were inside it, they would have been incinerated.
If they were lucky, they wouldn't have felt a thing.
But me, I felt everything. The pieces of my broken heart shattered into a million shards.
My whole beautiful world with my sexy guys was nothing more than ashes.
Atlas blinked at me a couple of times. "I did not. I had no idea." He looked ahead to the car that held Carlos Jones, then back at me. "I swear, I had nothing to do with it."
I shook my head at him in disbelief and looked away, nestling into Dallas.
For a short while there, I'd almost let myself fantasise that Storm, Frost and Ramsey would come for me.
They'd contact my brother and his partners and friends and find me.
They'd come in, proverbial guns blazing, destroying anyone who stood in their path.
But now… It could take days for my brother to work out I was missing, much less where I'd gone. By the time he knew, I could be on the other side of the planet. I could be dead.
Or worse.
"This is bullshit," Jay whispered. "Chels, I swear I had nothing to do with this. I promise you. You saw how Atlas kept me out of the loop. I didn't even know there was a loop."
I looked over to him resentfully. "I didn't see you doing anything to stop any of this. You seemed perfectly happy to go along with it."
"I wanted to be with you and Atlas." He looked like someone kicked his basket of kittens. "That was all. I didn't want…" He glanced back out the window.
"Sure you didn't," I said sarcastically. Part of me wanted to believe him, but the rest of me was hurting too badly to throw him a lifeline. Right now, I didn't care if he and Atlas drowned.
I hated myself for loving both of them, even now. They might as well have torn my heart out and stomped all over it with footy boots. Crushed it into the grass.
Jay looked back at me, hurt in his brown eyes. "You're right, I should have stayed back with them. Then I'd be dead too." He turned away to look out the window.
I choked back a sob and turned my face to bury it in Dallas' chest. A few hours ago, we were a perfect little family. Now, we were torn apart. Literally and figuratively. Nothing more than dust on the breeze.
"I've got you," Dallas said softly. "Whatever happens, I'm not letting you go." He stroked my hair and held me so tight I could barely breathe.
I knew he meant that. It might be the only thing I knew right now. He was the only person in the world I could trust. The only one, apart from myself, who'd get me through this. We'd get each other through this. Somehow.
"I've got you too," I managed to say. "We can do this."
What choice did we have anyway? We'd survive and find a way to get out.
I'd never given up on anything yet, I wasn't going to start now.
Did that mean I hadn't given up on Atlas and Jay?
Deep down I wasn't ready to do that yet.
We'd been through too much together already.
While there was a possibility they knew nothing about blowing up the cottage, however small, I'd cling to that.
It might just be the only thing that kept me sane.
We drove along the dark highway until we reached the outskirts of Dusk Bay.
Here, small houses sat on big blocks, resisting development for now. Most of them stood for close to one hundred years, while the city grew up nearby.
The driver turned the car off the highway, and up a long, winding driveway to a large house. Its grand colonial features appeared to be newly renovated and possibly extended.
Not everyone was resistant to change it, I supposed.
The car came to a stop beside Jones' vehicle. We were immediately surrounded by his armed minions. One of them opened the door beside Dallas and waved his gun to gesture for us to get out.
I wanted to tell him to fuck off. The minion, not Dallas.
Since he was armed and looked like he was willing to use the weapon, I followed Dallas out of the car, keeping physical contact with him the entire time.
Atlas and Jay came around to stand beside us.
Dallas and I both glanced at them, and deliberately kept an arm's distance between us. The moment reminded me of the days when Storm and Atlas hated each other. Maybe it would have been better if things stayed that way. Storm, Frost and Ramsey would still be alive.
Of course, I let Atlas' charms get the better of me. My pussy wanted what she wanted and now we were all fucked. I hated myself for it.
Atlas rolled his lips and looked frustrated, but he didn't say anything. He obviously got the message that I didn't want to hear it right now anyway. Nothing would excuse any of this, not now.
"Take them inside," Jones instructed.
The minion nodded. "Yes boss." He waved his gun at us again, gesturing in the direction of a side door. He walked behind us, Atlas and Jay on one side, some other minions on the other. We were outnumbered and outmuscled, so any thought of running was pushed aside for now.
Once we got inside the building, escaping would be more difficult, but we'd find a way. Dallas and I were smart and resourceful. We wouldn't stop looking for opportunities until we got our chance.
Inside, the house looked even bigger than it did from the outside. My initial perception that it was newly renovated was backed up by the large kitchen with shining appliances and dark marble countertops.
If I had to guess, I'd say the floors were original, but the stain on them looked new.
To the side of the kitchen was a sitting room with white couches and light-coloured rugs, all of which looked like they'd been put there the day before.
One of the rugs was even curling upward in the corner, as if it was recently unrolled.
The whole place smelled of fresh paint.
"Welcome." Jones stretched his hands to either side.
"You're my first house guests. Don't worry, we won't be here for long.
I have some matters to attend to in Dusk Bay, then we'll be moving on for a while.
I'm sorry I don't have time to give you a guided tour, but I'll be back in a few hours.
" He gave me a slick smile and a lowered his hands as though somehow I should be happy to be here.
"Take her into the room at the back," he instructed. "Keep an eye on her. I want her in one piece when I get back, ready to enjoy her."
I debated the wisdom of spitting at him, and decided it was probably not a good idea. As well as being unhygienic, he might retaliate. Getting out of here would be even more difficult if I was battered and bruised.
No, I’d restrain myself. For now.
"We'll see she stays put," Atlas said. "She can be a handful, but we know how to handle her."
I raised an eyebrow at him. I wanted to handle his cock with my knee, or maybe a brick.
I forced myself not to think about his cock.
That kind of thinking would only lead to increased frustration and anger at his betrayal.
I'd let him fuck me and this was how he responded? That was in no way okay with me.
Dallas squeezed my hand tight. So tight, I could tell what he was thinking.
He was trying not to snap at Atlas, or anyone else here.
He wanted to tell them to keep their hands off me.
But he knew speaking out could get him killed.
If he was dead, he couldn't be with me anymore.
We'd already seen what they'd done to my other three boyfriends. I couldn't lose him too.
I had to give him credit for his self control. Storm would have told them to ram it up their ass.
I swallowed down a heavy ball of grief and let them lead me to a back room as the weight of everything that happened tonight started to settle on my shoulders.