Chapter Thirty-Nine
Olivia
A fter Ellie left, Dorthy was still gone, so I knew it was my chance to talk to the girls one-on-one and I had to do it quickly.
Everyone was standing around touching up their makeup or hair.
“Can you all come over here please?”
They all look up. Some took longer than the others, but once all their eyes were on me, they gathered around closer.
Inhaling deeply, I say, “Okay, please listen to me carefully.” I pause, reminding myself to breathe. “This is not something that is easy to say, but I was in this auction a while ago. My father is not a good man and none of his men are going to be good to you either.”
One girl with a shaky voice says, “You are the girl we have been told about.”
My eyebrow raises. “What?”
She is timid when she replies, “A girl named Gloria was our ‘teacher’ a few weeks ago. She was supposed to be teaching us how to be a proper lady for our husbands. She said if we ever met you to listen to whatever you said and you would make sure we would be okay.”
Her voice cracks, “I have been held since they took me from the grocery story parking lot.”
Another girl chimes in, “I was out shopping, and some men came up and drugged me.”
And another, “I was drugged at a club one night.”
My heart ached with every confession. “Gloria is a friend of mine and she is now safe. I want to do the same for you. When you get on the dance floor, find the men wearing full white masks. Tell them I sent you to them. They will lead you out.”
They all nod, listening to me carefully. “Is it true?” the first woman asks me.
“Is what true?”
She looks around nervously and then back to me, “That you are the true Queen of the Underworld.”
I grin, “The old man sitting on the throne is about to find out.”
“Alright girls.” Dorthy comes running in the room. “It is almost showtime.”
You’re damn right it is.
***
Hayes
I WOULD BE LYING IF I said I was not nervous. Anything could go wrong. It’s a risk anytime we do these raids, and I know Ashton and his men are on high alert. Thankfully, there are perks to having an insider in his security with Maxwell.
We are all spread out across the main floor; my black mask covers my face while my men are all wearing white masks.
I notice one fucker in particular by how loud he is being, but thankfully, he has not touched me. He appears drunk already and the party has not even started.
Dante talks to some men standing by him and takes a swig of his beer, while I paint the picture in my head of how good it’ll feel finally putting a bullet in his skull for what he tried to do to Olivia that night in the alley.
The lights dim and music starts playing. I walk closer to the stage so I can get a glimpse of who walks out first, and my hope is that it is Olivia.
“Olivia Ashton,” the announcer says, and I want to slit his throat and pull his vocal cords out just for saying her last name. She will have mine before long.
She walks out in the beautiful black dress she was wearing when I fucked her earlier. My dick throbs in my pants watching her make her way down the stairs. She takes my breath away like she did that first night I saw her.
Her eyes roam the room below her as she descends to the main floor and then her eyes latch onto mine. I step toward the bottom of the stairs and hold my arm out for her, but before she can reach towards me, someone else steps in the way.
The drunk bastard whose brains I should have blown out the moment I had the chance.
Olivas’s eyes falter for a moment, but she regains her composure, grabbing Dante’s arm and smiling at him while taking her eyes off mine.
“Better luck next time, man,” his slurred words are mumbled at me.
I nod but follow slowly behind them, keeping my eyes on Olivia.
“Darling, I knew we would meet again,” Dante tells her. “Where is your knight in shining armor tonight?”
She stays quiet and shrugs.
Good girl. If he thinks you are timid, he will think he has the upper hand.
I keep my distance but stay close enough to listen to everything he says as different women walk down the stairs.
One by one the men whoop and holler when each one walks down the stairs. I notice each woman is scanning the crowd as they descend each step, and after making it to the floor, they all happen to find each of my men with a white mask.
Taking a deep breath, I am relieved Olivia remembered the plan. This just might work.
“Is he afraid to show his face?” Dante asks Olivia again. My last guy just walked off with the last lady on his arm, giving me the opportunity to do what I wanted to do all night.
Easing my way up to Olivia and Dante, I clear my throat behind him.
“Dude, she’s with me. Leave us alone,” Dante’s words slur again.
“I wouldn’t be so sure.” I grin and raise my hand to slowly remove my mask, revealing my face.
All the color leaves Dante’s face and someone to the right of us says, “Where did all the women go?”
Dante’s Adam apple rises and falls, knowing what I have done, and he reaches for his gun in his waist band, but I am quicker.
Pulling my gun, I squeeze the trigger in one fell swoop, hitting him right in the forehead.
As he falls to the ground and blood runs out onto the floor, all the men around us grab their guns, aiming them at us.
“Ricci!!!” Ashton’s voice rings from the place he stands a few feet away, watching his beloved Dante fall to the ground.
Alan and all my men come in, guns up and ready for the moment we have all planned.
I look at my enemy. “Yes?”
“What was the fucking point in that?”
I snarl, “I told him if he came near her again, he would die. He apparently did not take my warning seriously.”
Ashton walks towards us but stops before getting in front of his men with their guns raised. What a coward. Never been leader material.
“Olivia,” he sneers, “You have no idea what you have done.”
This manipulative son of a bitch is trying to guilt her. He wants her to feel bad for her choices.
Not on my watch.
“Ashton. You will not speak to her. Do you understand me?” I order.
He chuckles. “She is my daughter. I can speak to her however I deem fit. She is weak and will never cross me. Just like her mother.”
Maxwell walks to the top of the stairs getting my attention. From where he is standing, only my men and I can see him.
He nods at me, giving me the go ahead.
“Olivia.” I look at her with sadness in my eyes. She will hate me for this. It was not in the plan I discussed with her.
“Olivia, go with your father.”
“What?” She looks at me shocked.
“Go with your father. Get out of here.” I yell at her.
“Hayes?” Tears cover her eyes, “What are you doing?”
“I don’t want to see you anymore, Olivia!! Just fucking go!”
I watch as the woman I have fallen for walks over to the man who has hurt her in more ways than she deserves.
I may never see her again if this moment kills me. But I will know that Maxwell and Alan will keep her safe. A war is about to break out and I need her off the floor.
Ashton won’t fight this fight. He will leave his men to do it for him. He will order Maxwell to take her away so the investment he will get from her is safe.
My hope is she will understand I have done this out of love and not hate. I could never hate her. She saved my life. She is my Queen.
“Maxwell!” Ashton yells loudly and he descends the stairs.
“Sir?”
“Take Olivia away for awhile. I need to teach Ricci a lesson.”
“No. Hayes!! I am not going!!” Olivia screams.
“You will go!! I do not want you around me anymore.” I tell her without looking her in the eyes.
Tears stream down her face and my heart breaks a little. Stubborn little doe, this is the only way to get you to listen to me.
Maxwell grabs Olivia and she fights him, her feet kicking and voice screaming, “Hayes!!!”
I fight back tears from my own eyes. Knowing that this is for her own good. She has to stay alive. She has so much life to live.
The ladies at Hope House need her. The ladies we just saved need her. I need her.
Maxwell picks her up and throws her over his shoulder. He nods to Alan and me as he walks by.
Olivia’s cries are heard until the elevator door shuts, and I turn my attention to Ashton and his men who still have their guns drawn.
“So, let’s settle this once and for all, shall we?” I aim my pistol at one of his men on the front lines and pull the trigger; he falls to the ground.
The next few minutes is a blur as other triggers are pulled, and bodies line the floor.