Chapter Eight
E than
Oliver is sitting in the back of the car as I lean back in my seat watching the studio door.
Shawn hasn’t said much since we left the center.
Emory made it clear that Shawn was coming with me if I wanted him to or not.
I was honestly planning on coming on my own.
But I have learned not to fight with Emory on anything because once her mind is made up everyone else will lose the battle with her.
And I knew if I tried to fight with her on this, I would be hurting later. Emory has become a very strong woman and no one fucks with her. Not even me. She keeps Shawn in line too. At first it made me laugh, but now I can see that Jenn will probably keep me in line as well.
Men like us need strong women who are not afraid to fight back against us.
Who call us out on our bullshit and will never leave our side and I think I have finally found a woman who can handle me.
All of me, not just pieces that they choose to see.
Jenn has already seen more of me than any other woman has.
And for me, that is going pretty far—letting her in.
But then again, I didn’t let her in—she fucking crashed through me, and I am still trying to catch my breath.
I know Emory cares about me and that’s why she wanted Shawn to come with me. I do feel better having him with me, but at the same time, he has a wife and kids to think about and if anything ever happened to him because of me, I would never fucking forgive myself.
“What now?” Oliver asks in a concerned voice.
“We go in,” Shawn states through gritted teeth. He and I use to go out all the time to make a statement to those abusing others. But since he’s gotten married and has his children, he’s been stepping back from that part and I’ve taken the lead because I had nothing to fucking lose.
But this time is different. this time I do have something to lose, and I am terrified. Doing this can either help us or hurt us and right now I don’t know which direction it is going to go.
We all knew about the studio behind our nightclub. But we left them be because we had no proof of what they were doing. Now we have all the proof we need to make a statement and let them know that we are not fucking around.
I know that Jenn’s father is in there. He walked in about two hours ago with Tristan, and since then they haven’t come out.
I can only imagine what they are doing and what they are talking about.
He sold his own fucking daughter to a dangerous prick for money and power.
That is all Jenn’s father cares about. He wanted to keep her.
But now that she has escaped, he’s lost control of her so he did the only thing he could to try and gain the power and control back. He fucking sold her.
I take a deep breath and all three of us open our doors and quickly step out of the car. I reach behind me and grab the gun in the back of my pants. I look over at Shawn and Oliver as they do the same. We have come prepared.
Shawn knows what I have planned. The biggest statement you can make is killing someone.
I plan on making a statement all right. I plan on leaving fucking bodies when we leave.
Tristan will know exactly who the fuck he is dealing with once I am done with him.
He will remember all the rumors and will know that they’re true. That I am the monster people say I am.
I quickly walk around the front of the car and make my way to the back door of the studio, the same back door Shawn informed me Jenn escaped from and that they don’t lock it.
It’s how their clients go in and see the women.
And why the fuck would they lock it? No one is stupid enough to go in and start trouble . .. or I mean no one was stupid enough.
I grab onto the doorknob and turn it slowly pushing the door open.
I can feel Shawn is right on my heels and Oliver is right behind him as I walk into the building.
The hallway is dark, only the lights above the doors making any kind of light.
I hold tightly onto my gun as I make my way down the hallway to look at each door.
On the outside they look like normal doors with a different girl’s name on each one.
And the light above the doors saying ‘busy’ or not.
It makes my stomach turn because I know what it means if the light is lit with busy. So far there are only a few lights lit at the top of certain doors. Jenn’s father has many other girls to pleasure the sick fucks that come to him to get off.
People will do anything for money and will do anything to get off.
It makes me sick to know we can’t save all these girls, at least not right now.
I came here to make a statement about Jenn and right now that needs to be my main focus, but I know as soon as Shawn tells Emory what is happening inside this building, we will be coming back here to get all the girls and give them a way out of this life.
I stop when I see a familiar name, a name that makes my heart fucking stop. “Remember why we’re here,” Shawn says from behind me but I have to... I have to fucking see.
I quickly push open the door and investigate the room that has Jenn’s name at the top of it. I see the chains connected to the floor. The bed in the room that is neatly put together. I see a dresser in the corner with lube and other things sitting on top in a neat little fucking row.
I feel my heart shatter and my blood start to boil as I turn and start making my way down the rest of the hallway.
At the end of the hall there is a room. The door is cracked open so I can hear voices talking and laughing. And screams in the background.
I lift up my gun as I stop at the door and look through the crack.
Tristan is sitting next to a man looking at a video.
The screams, the crying... I know who they are watching.
Jenn. They are watching one of the takes.
The man sitting next to Tristan has to be Jenn’s father.
I can hear about five other voices coming from the room.
But they are on the other side of the room out of view.
“Ready,” Shawn whispers behind me. I lift my hand and tighten my grip on my gun as I push open the door and walk inside.
Shawn and Oliver both come to my sides as we stop a few feet away from Tristan and the other man.
I look over to the other side of the room and see the men standing still looking at Shawn, his gun pointed right at their faces.
His breathing is steady and even as he keeps his eyes dead locked on them.
I turn and look at Oliver whose gun is pointed at the back of Tristan’s head.
I turn back and look at Tristan and the man. They both take a deep breath and slowly stand up, turn around, and lift their hands. Tristan’s eyes are locked onto me. His breathing is as steady and even as Shawn’s. Well, that won’t last forever, believe that shit.
“I will say you have some balls on you, Ethan” Tristan states with a grin. I can’t wait to wipe that fucking smile off his face.
I take a small step toward him, keeping my gun pointed right at his head.
“You have no idea. But you are about to find out,” I state calmly, even though my heart is beating so fast I can hear it is my ears. This must be done. This message needs to be sent if I want to keep my family safe. If I want to keep Jenn safe. This fucking has to be done.
This is the only way I can make sure Tristan knows I will not give into his demand. He will never have Jenn. He will have to fucking kill me.
“If you are here, I can guess she is, too” Tristan states with amusement, looking at the open door behind me.
I can see the hope in his eyes. The hope that I am about to fucking shatter into a million pieces.
He is a dumb prick if he actually believes I would bring her to him.
He doesn’t know me at all. Or he’s just fucking stupid.
I slowly shake my head. “Nope, it’s just me,” I say with amusement.
“That was a stupid choice, Ethan. I thought you were smarter than this.”
“What the fuck are you doing in my studio?” Gael finally speaks, taking my attention away from Tristan.
I move my gun in his direction now pointing it at his head.
seeing him up close makes me sick. Knowing what he has done to Jenn.
Knowing that this fucking prick has caused her so much pain for his own gain.
I feel my blood boiling as I keep my hand steady, tightening the grip on my gun. “You sold your daughter,” I state softly, a lot softer than I thought I would.
“It’s none of your fucking business what I do with my daughter,” Gael snaps back, the rage in his eyes growing with every second.
But for the first time in his fucked-up life he is not the one in control.
He has no power over me. This is not going to go his way.
His life is now in my fucking hands. And I can tell he wants to snap my neck.
But he won’t. He isn’t that stupid.
I take another step forward keeping my gun pointed at his head.
“That is where you are wrong. It is my business,” I whisper, feeling the rage in my voice as I look into the eyes of the man who sold the love my life, the man who doesn’t care what happens to his daughter as long as he fucking gets paid.
“What do you want?” Gael asks.
“I want you to let Jennifer be free.” It is all I want—her to be free from them, to be able to choose for herself what kind of life she wants to live.
Tristan laughs. Her father chuckles at me, both not taking my words seriously. Fine, they want to play, I’ll play. I look over at the first guy I see and point my gun at his face.
I turn back and look into Gael’s eyes. “Let her be free.”
“No.” I can see in his eyes Gael is testing me, not believing I will pull the trigger. He doesn’t fucking know shit. He doesn’t realize the monster is now unleashed inside me. These men. Him. Tristan. None of them mean shit to me. They are just a means to an end.
I pull the trigger and hear the body fall. Gael’s eyes go wide but he doesn’t say anything.
I look over at the next guy and point my gun at his head and turn back and look at Gael again. At the end of this my point will be made. They will learn I am not playing around. I don’t care who I need to fucking kill to make it to where Jenn will be free.
I will burn this whole damn town to the ground to make sure she is safe from these fuckers, to make sure that she no longer has to be afraid. She has never had anyone to stand up for her, to fucking fight for her. Well, that changes now.
I will always fight for her. I will always be here to make sure she has solid ground to stand on.
Strong arms to hold her. A listening ear to hear her fears.
A warm bed to lay her head. Food in her stomach.
I will be whatever she needs me to fucking be.
And right now, she needs me to be the one to stand up and say enough is enough.
I will burn this building the ground to make sure no one will ever suffer inside these walls again.
“Let her be free.” I look directly into Gael’s wide eyes.
“No,” Tristan answers for him. I pull the trigger and hear the body fall to the ground.
“You motherfucker,” Gael screams as he takes a step toward me. I stay planted where I am and slowly point the gun at his head. I take a small step forward. The gun touches his forehead, but he doesn’t try and move back.
“She will never belong to you. She is mine. I own her. I sold her,” he says calmly as he lowers his hands to his sides.
The fear is still in his eyes, so much fucking fear.
But even now with me standing here in front of him, two of his men dead, he still will stick to his irrational beliefs about his daughter.
I feel my heart racing, my blood boiling at his words.
“Ethan,” Shawn states softly. But I don’t look at him.
I don’t fucking move. I keep my gun against Gael’s forehead and look into his eyes.
He has no guilt or shame or remorse for what he has done to her.
And she will not be safe as long as he is alive.
He will not let her go. He will never fucking stop torturing her.
“Wrong answer, prick” I state as I pull the trigger. His blood hits my face as his body falls to the ground. I turn and look at Tristan. He is looking down at Gael’s lifeless body. He takes a deep breath as I turn my gun on him.
He slowly looks up at me. His eyes are calm but filled with rage. There is blood on the side of his face and on his clothes. But he doesn’t try and wipe it away. The rage and confusion take over his face.
“You have no idea what you have just done,” Tristan says, his breath becoming a little unsteady.
I keep my gun steady, pointing at his head. “I do know. And I would do it again. She is mine. You don’t own her. She is free. If you come looking for her or threaten my family again, I will fucking kill you.”
I see the rage and disbelief in his eyes. Fucking finally! He is finally starting to understand what is happening here. “You can’t escape me, Ethan. She can’t escape me,” Tristan whispers. His voice is shaking.
I feel a hand on my shoulder making me turn and look at Shawn. He slowly nods to me and drops his hand from my shoulder. I lower my gun and take several steps back.
“This is just the beginning, motherfucker. Come for her and see what happens.” I calmly turn around and walk out the door. Shawn follows closely behind me and Oliver behind him as I make my way down the hallway.
I can hear the men behind us screaming and cussing. But I don’t hear Tristan’s voice as I pull open the back door and step outside. I quickly make my way back to my car and open the driver’s side door, sliding inside.
I can see Gael’s blood all over my skin.
Shawn and Oliver both get in and close the doors as I set my gun in my lap and start the car. I put it in gear and look at the back door. I see Tristan standing in the doorway leaning against the door frame with his arms crossed over his chest.
I just started a fucking war. A war that I intend on winning.