Chapter 20
Chapter
Twenty
ASHER
Iwatch from across the circle as Preston pushes his way into the fray with Penelope by his side. That idiot is always arriving late. I’d love nothing more than to have him never show up here again, but barring him entry would cause more problems than it’s worth.
Something about Penelope has me glancing over at her several times as the ceremony starts. Normally she wouldn’t command much attention from me. We’ve fucked a few times, but she’s average at best.
It takes me a moment to figure out exactly what is catching my attention. She’s leaning her weight on Preston, almost as though she’s counting on him to keep her standing. That strikes me as strange. Penelope doesn’t usually come to these things messed up, though she can get messy once she’s here.
I turn my attention back to Sid pressing the tip of the knife into Emery’s breast. He loves this shit, so he’s often the one to perform the annual blood ritual. And I know for certain Emery was pleased when he picked her to participate with him.
Blood pools on her breast and Sid leans down and swipes his tongue over the cut, tasting her as part of the ritual.
There’s some type of commotion across the circle, and I glance at Penelope falling until Preston heaves her up into his arms. Her cloak spreads open, revealing her legs, and Preston swings her around, telling the crowd to part so that he can move her out of there.
What the fuck is she thinking about coming here in that state? The three of us will be having words after the rite is complete.
Then, what I just saw registers in my head.
The birthmark above her knee.
Anabelle’s birthmark above the knee.
Panic freezes me for a beat until rage takes hold, setting my blood on fire and unleashing the animal inside me. I turn to Kol. “Take over for me. I have to deal with something.”
“You can’t leave—”
But I ignore him, leaving the circle and pushing through everyone as their murmurs get louder and louder around me.
Where did that fucker go?
I leave the main room and head down the hall that leads to all the specialty rooms. Because everyone is in the main room, it’s not that hard to locate Preston and Anabelle.
They’re in one of the private rooms, and when I whip the door open, Anabelle is passed out on the bed.
Her cloak is splayed open, and Preston sits on the side of the bed, hand on her thigh.
The idea of another man tasting her, knowing how sweet she is, brings out the savage beast in me. I don’t think, I just act, tearing inside the room and pulling him away from her by the shoulders.
He stumbles but gains his footing. “What the fuck, Voss?” He pulls his mask off and tosses it on the floor.
Good, tonight is the last time he’ll be using it.
“Don’t what the fuck me, asshole.” I push him, so he stumbles back. “First you bring in someone who isn’t a member here, endangering every one of us.” I push him again. “Then you’ve drugged her, and she can’t even stay conscious?”
“I don’t know what the fuck you’re talking about!” he shouts.
I push him again. This time, his back hits the wall. At this point, it feels a little like playing with my prey before I eat it, and I savor the feeling.
“You know exactly what I’m talking about. I know what you’re into. And I’d bet my fortune on the fact that the woman lying unconscious is not a willing participant.” I bare my teeth at him and practically growl.
“You don’t know shit. Prove it.”
“I don’t need to.” I swing and hit him square in the jaw. Blood bursts from his mouth as his head whips to the side. The bastard doesn’t even try to defend himself as I level hit after hit on him until he slides down the wall.
I stare down at him, and it feels good to watch him bleed. He deserves it for what he’s done.
“Jesus Christ, what the fuck, Ash?” Nero rushes past me to where Preston lies against the wall, barely conscious.
Then Sid and Kol join us, and Kol tells everyone the show is over, and the door closes with a slam. Nero checks Preston’s pulse.
“I left him alive,” I say.
“What the hell happened?” Kol asks.
Sid chuckles. “Told you Preston would eventually reach the end of Ash’s patience.”
Figures he’d think this was funny. There will be repercussions for what I’ve done here tonight, but ask me if I give a fuck.
“Pull the mask off her face.” I motion to where Anabelle is still unconscious on the bed.
My brothers are the only ones I trust to touch her.
Kol pushes her hood back as far as it will go and pulls the mask off Anabelle’s face. His head whips in my direction. “How did she get in here?”
“This piece of shit.” I motion to where Preston lies, beaten to a pulp.
“Doesn’t surprise me that Preston would pull this shit. He’s always thought he was above the rules. How’d she get past security is the better question,” Sid says.
“Pull the footage and find out, Nero.”
He nods and stands from where he’s crouching. “At least Preston’s still alive. I thought maybe we’d have another situation like we did with…” My youngest brother trails off before he says the name. “I’ll figure out how he got her in here and take care of it.”
“He drugged her.” My hands flex and squeeze at my sides. It’s all I can do not to strangle the life out of Preston.
“You don’t know that,” Kol says.
I glare at him. “We all know what he’s into.” Then I look at Sid and hold his gaze.
“Maybe she consented,” he says.
“Not a chance.” I step over to the bed, pushing Kol out of the way and gently picking up Anabelle’s prone body. “She’d never consent to that.”
“What? All of a sudden you know her?” Sid mocks. “The woman you hired merely to torment her for your own enjoyment?” A caustic laugh leaves his lips.
“If you don’t want to be next on my list, you’ll shut the fuck up right now.” I pin Sid with a glare, and I think he might say something more to me, but he presses his lips together. “I need to get the doctor here to look at her. You guys will take the trash out?” I nod in Preston’s direction.
“Gladly,” Kol says.
I meet all their eyes and nod, then turn toward the door.
Nero comes over to open it for me, and I move as fast as I can the opposite way of the main room, toward the entrance that only my brothers and I use.
Nero follows and takes his skeleton key out to unlock and open the door for me.
Then I start up the stairs with her and head through the manor toward the west wing.
Anabelle has her own room not too far from mine, but tonight she’ll be staying in my room whether she likes it or not. I need to know that she’s okay.
I bend down and kiss the corner of her eyebrow. “I’m going to take care of you, don’t you worry.”
The words surprise me when they leave my mouth, but there’s no denying that what just happened changes everything.