Chapter 17
Even with her ears covered, Becks heard things she never wished to. Or maybe it was her brain filling in the sounds. Either way, the frustrated shout that soon echoed through the cells startled Becks so much that she jumped and turned over on instinct.
Cameron was sitting back on her heels, wiping at her mouth like she’d just eaten something disgusting. “Ugh! Are you fucking kidding me right now, Ranger? You’re fucking disgusting! How weak are you that you can’t even get it up right now?”
Becks tried to ignore the intimacy part of that statement concerning her brother, and tried to think about it from a medical stance.
After the trauma Liam had endured the past four days, in addition to whatever drug they were forcing him on, Becks was not surprised that he had trouble achieving an erection.
Even if he knew what it was that was happening to him, it was no less sexual assault.
New fears and horror filled her at the knowledge. Torture and now rape? What more were they going to put her brother through?
“I’ll do it.”
Her words were so low that neither Cameron nor Ritchie seemed to register them at first. Then Ritchie spun, staring down at her through the bars separating hers and Liam’s cells. “What did you say?”
Tears dropped off her chin as she sat upright.
The place on her stomach where the prongs of Ritchie’s stun gun had burned her throbbed, but it was nothing compared to the emotional turmoil she was suffering through.
Or the guilt that she hadn’t even had the strength to try to reach her brother, to somehow help him, while his ex-girlfriend raped him…
No, there was no getting over that guilt.
But maybe she could still do something to save him.
“I’ll do it,” she declared louder. “But only if you let him go.”
Liam made a noise—the first he’d made in a long time—that sounded like a protest of sorts. How aware was he? Did he remember where they were and what was happening to him?
“He’s our leverage to make you sign,” Cameron snapped, getting to her feet. She wiped off the dust from her knees.
Becks shook her head. “I won’t sign anything if you continue to torture and rape him.”
Cameron scoffed. She crossed her arms over her chest. “Oh, please. Don’t be so dramatic. That wasn’t anything close to rape. And he would have enjoyed it if he could have gotten it up,” she added defensively, as if she wanted it known that it wasn’t her performance that was the problem.
Becks had to swallow back the bile. “Let him go. Let him get medical help, and I’ll sign anything you want.”
This wasn’t false bravado either. Becks was very aware that as soon as her signature was on whatever it was they wanted her to sign, her life was likely forfeit.
She didn’t want to die, but she also couldn’t just sit here, day after day, and watch her brother’s torment.
She knew Liam would hate her for her decision, but she didn’t care.
Because, right now, Liam wasn’t in a position to save her, but she was in a position to save him.
And for once in her life, she was going to be the protector.
Ritchie leaned against the bars, far too casual considering where they were. “Doesn’t work like that, princess. See, big brother here, was supposed to die the other day. As far as anyone in the outside world knows, he did. So I can’t just have him show up at the hospital, now can I?”
Becks swallowed hard. So Liam had been right, and this would end in their deaths. Until Ritchie had confirmed it, she’d suspected, but hearing the confirmation was…chilling. But it still didn’t change her mind. Becks hardened her resolve. “I don’t care. You let him go or I sign nothing.”
Cameron pouted. “I’m tired of this, Ritchie.
” She walked up behind him, running her tongue up her neck like she hadn’t just been sucking off another man.
“I want out of here. This place smells, and he,” she said pointedly at Liam, “reeks, and I want the mansion you promised me with a pool boy I can fuck whenever I want.”
Becks tried really hard not to picture that reality.
Ritchie didn’t take his eyes off Becks as he answered Cameron. “We’ll only get half,” he griped at her. “That’s less than a million each!”
Confusion filled Becks. Did he just say a million dollars?
She certainly did not have that sort of money!
Her grandma had, but she’d always said she was going to donate her money to charity when she passed.
Since Becks hadn’t heard anything else after her grandma had passed, she’d never given it another thought.
Sure, it would have been nice for her mom to have gotten something, but it wasn’t like her mom was hurting for money either.
She lived comfortably, and had never been one to want for more.
“But it’s more than zero, and let’s face it! Our plan isn’t working!” Cameron complained.
“And whose fault is that?” Ritchie rounded on her, scrunching his nose as he sniffled.
“Who’s idea was it to bomb the bar instead of just poisoning them like I had wanted?
Who’s idea was it to have some amateur moonshine peddlers build said bomb for us?
And whose idea was it to use my H to fuck up her boyfriend and kidnap him too? ”
Did Ritchie just say ‘H’? As in heroin? Oh God! Had that been what they’d been dosing Liam with? Becks had suspected, but had hoped she was wrong.
Cameron put her hands on her hips, not backing down from her stepbrother’s accusations. “And who decided to get fucking drunk and high before his wedding that would have secured him as her beneficiary!” She waved a hand blindly in Becks’ direction.
Wait, what? While Becks didn’t know what the paperwork they wanted her to sign was, she’d assumed it had something to do with the wedding.
But she’d never been able to figure out what.
Everything seemed too extreme for what they were putting her and Liam through.
Fables and tales talked about scorned women, and she’d assumed this had to do with him being a scorned man, but now that seemed like it was inaccurate.
Becks knew in her heart of hearts that she’d never loved Ritchie. She’d been infatuated with him, sure. The idea of marriage and kids and being the respected wife of a big city lawyer… But that wasn’t love. That wasn’t true love.
No, true love was sacrifice, and giving your all to ensure your partner’s happiness.
Marriage wasn’t fifty-fifty; it was two parties giving a hundred and ten percent.
It was safety and warmth and a shoulder to lean on and a partner to hold and knowing that the bad times wouldn’t be so bad because you had them.
It was everything she had with Ghost. He’d shown her the true meaning of love without even trying, and he made it look so simple.
He never asked anything of her. He might be possessive and demanding, but he wasn’t controlling or spiteful or mean.
He loved every inch of her body and cared what she thought, felt, and said.
There was no comparison, even before Ritchie had kidnapped her. From the moment she’d met Ghost, she’d known. She just might have been too stubborn to listen at first.
But learning that Ritchie had never loved her.
That their marriage had been some sort of plot that he’d messed up by getting trashed the morning of their wedding…
? It didn’t hurt in a heartbreak sort of way, but in a shame sort of way.
Because she’d fallen for it. She’d believed that Ritchie loved her.
And now he was showing her his true colors, and fucking hell, Becks didn’t know she could hate someone as much as she hated Richard Austin right now.
“You have no idea what you’re talking about? If that fucking man hadn’t been there, none of this would be happening! She probably offered to pay him!”
Did he mean Ghost? Like she’d chosen some random Joe Schmoe off the streets to marry when Ritchie hadn’t shown up? And pay him, as if that was the only way someone would marry her?
Becks got to her feet, because she was so tired of trying to piece together just what the fuck was going on. She was not about to sacrifice herself to save her brother without knowing all the information.
“What are you talking about?” she asked Ritchie. He spun back around to face her, and she noticed just how dilated his eyes were. Yeah, he was definitely on something. “I’m not swimming in riches, and neither is Liam.”
Cameron threw her head back and laughed like the evil bitch she was. “She doesn’t even know!”
Ritchie backhanded Cameron, which Becks really shouldn’t have found so satisfying.
But the look of surprise and hurt on Cameron’s face was priceless.
“Of course she doesn’t know, you fucking moron!
We forged their signatures, remember? So they wouldn’t be ‘suspicious’,” he made air quotes when he said the word, “when one of them died before the other.”
Becks frowned. Forged their signatures on what?
Ritchie turned back to Becks. “Grandma Bertha left you quite an inheritance. Split her entire three-point-six million between her two precious grandchildren.” He gestured between Becks and Liam behind him.
Becks’ jaw dropped. “No,” she argued automatically. “No, she said she was going to leave it to charity.”
Ritchie’s jaw twitched. “You forget who I used to work with before you got me fucking fired! I worked under the attorney who helped secure your grandmother’s estate when I was little more than a junior associate.
And the way she talked about you…?” He looked Becks up and down, clearly unimpressed.
“I knew you’d be easy pickings, but I had no idea just how easy.
Now that one,” he threw his thumb over his shoulder at Liam.
“At least he put up a bit of a fight. Made it so challenging that my sister, who literally will spread her legs for anyone,” he ignored Cameron’s outraged gasp, “couldn’t get him to agree to marriage. ”