Chapter Twenty-Four
TOREN
The look of contempt on his face is priceless. Xaden is used to being the one calling the shots, in charge and the dominant person in the room, but I’ve turned the tables on him. The look of murder in his eyes sends a shiver down my spine, he never thought I would turn on him.
“You plan to kill me with that, Tink?” The mockery in his tone grates on my nerves. It’s clear he thinks I have no idea how to use the gun so I smirk at the smug bastard and flick the safety and tip my head to the side, playing the part of an air head.
“I just pull this right?” I say as I slide my finger over the trigger.
His face pinches and I know he is trying to work out the best way to disarm me without getting shot, but I won’t give him the chance.
Carnage has shown me how to shoot. I’m not great but I know enough to put someone down at close range.
He may have also shown me some self defense moves.
When he tilts his upper body forward like he is about to rush me I click my tongue. “Don’t,” I warn.
“Do it, Tink. This will be the one and only shot you have at taking me down.”
I scoff. “You are going to let me walk out of here with Carnage and his brothers. You will let Harper come with me.”
His features pull taut and his eyes blaze with condemnation at my audacity to order him around.
“Fuck you.”
“I’m walking out of here, Xaden. If you try to stop me, I’ll shoot you.
” I press forward and move around him. He turns his whole body, following my every move and never once giving me his back.
I push against the door and step into the hallway.
I look side to side quickly to make sure that none of his men are around.
“You’re going to pay for this.” His tone is ice cold and filled with a promise of pain.
I look him dead in the eye and nod. “I told you I wanted this place burned down. I meant it. What I won’t do is stay here and watch as you execute the staff. I’m grateful everyone in this place is going to be free and no one will ever be locked in here again, but the staff doesn’t need to die.”
“From the moment you are born you are dying. All I am doing is deciding their fate and they deserve to suffer.”
“That might be true but it doesn’t mean you have to be the one to do it.”
A sinister smile touches his stoic face.
“But I fucking want it to be me, Tink. I want their blood covering me. I want to hear them scream and beg for their pathetic lives while I carve their skin and remove each of their lips to add to my treasure jar.” A groan of satisfaction tumbles from him and horror washes over me at the sight.
“Goodbye, Xaden.”
Darkness shrouds around as he stares at me, a cold shiver of dread rolling down my spine at the evil look in his eyes. He reaches up and pushes the earpiece in his ear and says.
“Let the fairy leave untouched with her pussy squad.” He releases the earpiece, then gives me the most terrifying finger wave with a dark smile that promises retribution.
“Run fast, Tink. Enjoy the freedom while you have it because when I catch you,” he closes his eyes and groans, then darts his tongue out to wet his lips before looking at me, “I’m going to destroy your fucking world and break every part of you. ”
I pull the door closed and ignore his warning as I run for the exit.
I make it to the entry of the building in record time but skid to a halt at the sight of the staff with their arms cable tied behind their backs and all of them on their knees waiting for the executioner to make his grand entrance.
All Xaden’s men have their guns aimed at me.
Carnage and the others are nowhere to be seen.
“Guns down. Boss said to let her go,” Cas says, drawing my attention across the room to him. He looks at me with no emotion and that stings. The sight of Harper standing behind him smiling has boosted my confidence.
“Let’s go, Harper,” I bark as I make my way through the men heading for the exit.
“Help us!” A woman calls out. I whirl around and stare at the woman on her knees with tears rolling down her cheeks. I may not want to kill them but I also don’t want to set them free. What the fuck does that say about me as a person?
“Help yourself,” I grit out in a cold tone.
“You chose to work in this place, knowing exactly how fucking wrong it was. Tonight the devil decides your fate and believe me, he’s in a foul mood.
” I stalk out of there with my head held high.
The sight of Carn and the others huddled around their car has me sighing in relief.
He didn’t leave me!
When he spots me I see the tension in his shoulders drain. “Let’s get the fuck out of here,” he says. I nod and look back over my shoulder to see Harper rushing out to catch up to me. She links her arm through mine and drags me to the car.
“Girl, after a solid night of sleep, you are going to give me every damn detail about what I have missed since you disappeared.” I smile at my friend and for the first time in months, I actually feel like I can pull this crazy ass plan of mine off.
When we got home, we all agreed to catch some shut eye, then fill in the blanks when we woke. Carnage made me promise to tell him everything. That thought kept me up long after the sun had risen.
When I finally wake, it’s dark out. I gasp and jolt upright in bed.
I look to the other side and see Harper isn’t there.
I jump to my feet and rush out of the room, terrified Xaden or Cas came and stole her away while I was sleeping, but when I hear the sound of her voice coming from the living room, I follow it.
When my eyes land on her sitting on the sofa next to Halo, I finally release the breath I didn’t know I was holding.
She’s safe.
She looks over at me with a frown. “You okay, Tor?”
I blow out a breath and nod. “Yeah,” I mutter as I move through the room and flop down on the bean bag next to Carnage. He looks over at me and snorts out a laugh at the sight of me wearing another one of his shirts. I shoot him a wink. “It’s so comfy,” I tease.
“I know, that’s why I bought it,” he says with an eye roll, making me grin.
Omen clearing his throat draws my attention to him, Vatican and Pope, who are all occupying the other sofas.
At the look in Pope’s eyes, I grow tense.
They aren’t even going to let me get a coffee or some food before they interrogate me.
“The deal you made with Tate hindered you from telling us the truth.” His tone is filled with scorn and I can’t be mad at him for that, he’s right.
I told her enough to garner their help but I never told her everything and in my defense some of the things I have learned I only figured out when we got here.
I clasp my hands in my lap and begin to fidget, Carnage leans over and places his hand atop of mine drawing my gaze to his. Tears cloud my vision and a sympathetic look washes over him at the sight.
“Whatever you have to say won’t change my allegiance to you. I gave you my word that I would help you and I never break my word.” His reassurance is comforting.
Halo scoffs drawing both our gazes to him. “Yeah, my twin is loyal.” The sarcasm in his tone is thick. I know they don’t have a great relationship and tend to fight more than anything, but I’ve never asked why that is.
“Want to take this outside and see how loyal I really fucking am?” Carn fires back.
Before they can get into it I cut in. “It happened the night Xaden became don.” At my outburst everyone goes silent and focuses directly on me.
The attention has me wanting to cower away as these brothers are a damned force.
Being in the same room as them makes me feel tiny and meek as they ooze power without even trying.
You sense how deadly they are just from being near them.
I feel Harper’s gaze boring into the side of my head, but I keep my gaze on my hands and nibble on the corner of my lip as I try to find the right words to explain everything.
“Whatever you tell us, will remain with just us,” Pope says.
“With the exception of Alex,” Vatican adds.
“And Tate,” Omen tacks on, earning a groan from his brothers. I stare at them and wonder what it is about Tatum Lawson that has all their eyes shining with respect and admiration for the woman.
“Forget about them and just tell us what you are comfortable with sharing,” Harper snaps as she sends the guys a glare, making me smile.
I meet her gaze as I say, “Meekan shouldn’t have known where Walter House was when he got you out.”
Her brows slant. “Huh?”
“Meekan is dirty, he’s working with my father and set you up. He used you as bait to get close to me and Xaden.” Her eyes widen. “What exactly did you tell detective Di-Leo about me, Harp?”