Chapter 31
Chapter Thirty-One
MERCURY
I startle awake.
My eyes and limbs feel heavy, and there’s an ache in my neck that wasn’t there before. I double blink, checking my surroundings.
Where am I?
“There she is,” someone says, making a cold shiver run down my spine. My head jerks to the side. I’m in an unfamiliar room—a bedroom, maybe? It’s hard to tell. There’s very little furniture—a twin bed and a small desk. Piles of clothes line the wall, along with empty soda cans and dirty plates.
I try to move, but my wrists and my feet are tied behind my back. When I try to call out to the voice, I realize I can’t because of the cloth in my mouth.
Cloth…Oh god.
It all comes rushing back.
The security guard with the big hands.
He told me Asher had sent him, then escorted me outside. When I saw the car parked off to the side of the house, I started to get suspicious. It was as if someone was trying to hide it.
And then there was the fact that there was no driver.
But I never got the chance to voice any of those concerns because the moment I turned around, the blond security guard shoved something in my face and—
My eyes dart around, searching for that voice that is now so familiar. I suck in a breath when I find him leaning against the door with a cruel grin on his face.
“Most people don’t take that long to wake up, but I guess you’ve lived a bit of a charmed life, haven’t you, princess?”
I try to respond before I remember I can’t, but it comes out garbled and unintelligible.
He laughs, and the sound is menacing. In uniform, he looks younger. Innocent, despite his large build. With his pale-blond hair combed back and the smattering of freckles, I realize how easily I once overlooked him in the halls and the cottage in the highlands.
But standing here before me now, in dirty jeans and a bare chest full of tattoos that I would definitely classify as toxic red flags, he’s scaring the hell out of me.
How long have I been here?
Where exactly is here?
Where is Asher?
My eyes squeeze shut as I imagine just how scared he must be. A tear leaks out of the corner of my eye and down my cheek.
“Aww, is the princess scared?”
It’s cute when my sister calls me that, but not him.
No, definitely not him.
I give him a scathing look, which only makes him laugh.
“You know, I was there that night when he brought you into the estate, trying to convince me you two were just friends. But I knew better. I knew he wouldn’t risk the anonymity the rest of us were working so hard to protect for someone unless they were special. And I was right.”
Who the hell is this guy?
If he is the one who’s been sending all those texts to Asher, what’s his angle? I wish he’d take this stupid gag out of my mouth so I could probe him for answers.
I make a few more noises, hoping he gets tired of basically talking to himself, but he doesn’t move. He just stands there in the same stoic pose, staring at me with that awful smile as if he’s won some game I didn’t realize we were playing.
A faint knock comes from outside the room, and his grin widens. “Our guest of honor is here.”
What? What does that mean? Oh god. He can’t mean Asher? Can he?
I start shouting, despite my gag, begging him to do anything—let me go, stay, anything but open that door. But he ignores me and walks out anyway.
I feel panicked. I’ve managed to stay calm until now, but the thought of Asher walking into some kind of trap sends me into a spiral.
I frantically twist my wrists and ankles, trying to loosen the knots in the rope, but neither moves.
I wiggle in the metal chair, but all that does is create a loud scraping sound against the tile floor and move me just an inch closer to the door.
Two sets of footsteps draw near, and my heartbeat triples. I look around desperately, searching for something. Anything.
I feel so fucking helpless.
Then the door opens, and I gasp.
The second man is not Asher. It’s Mitch Zegler.
He stops in his tracks, eyes widening in horror as they focus on the ropes around my ankles, then drift to my chest before locking on the gag in my mouth. “Ian? What the fuck is this?”
Although I’ve never met him, I recognize his face immediately from the many band photos and videos I watched as a teen.
He’s aged significantly since then, with wisps of silver at his temples and deep lines around his large brown eyes.
He looks much older than the other founding members, even though they’re all roughly the same age.
Ian doesn’t seem to notice Mitch’s grim expression and seems to beam with pride. “I got you a present.”
“A present?” Mitch exclaims in disgust. “Are you fucking serious, Ian? Why the hell would you ever think I’d want you to do something like this?”
He doesn’t wait for an answer before he strides across the room.
His steps slow, however, when he sees me flinch.
“I’m sorry,” he says softly in his regal British accent.
“I didn’t mean to scare you. I’m just going to get rid of this, yeah?
” He motions with a shaky hand to the fabric wedged in my mouth. I nod.
With the utmost care, like he’s approaching a tiny bird, he takes the last few steps and then reaches out to loosen the knot at the nape of my neck. He pulls it free, and it drops to the floor. My jaw feels sore, and my lips are dry.
“You all right?” he asks in a low voice.
All I can do is nod. Because no, I’m not all right, but I don’t dare voice it for fear that acknowledging it will unleash the avalanche of tears I’m desperately trying to hold back.
“I’m so sorry about this,” he says with a look of pure agony in his gaze. “We’ll get you back to Asher, I promise.”
My eyes widen. He knows who I am?
“We will not!” Ian shouts, obviously overhearing him, despite his attempt at discretion. “Do you know how hard it was to get her here?”
Mitch whirls around, taking a protective stance in front of me.
“Your sister and I have been trying to get in contact with you for months, Ian. She’s worried sick.
And then, out of the blue, I get a call from you telling me to meet you in Iverloch of all places, and this is what I find?
Asher Knight’s girlfriend? You know this is a kidnapping, right? ”
“But I did it for you!” Ian roars. He frantically starts pacing and pulling at his hair.
His icy demeanor is all but gone and is now replaced with something closer to an erratic child being scolded by a parent.
“You always said you hated Asher for taking everything away from you. You wished he could feel the same overwhelming sense of loss you did when he kicked you out of Manic.”
Mitch takes a step back, inching himself closer to me.
“Yeah, I did,” he agrees, his voice calmer than before, almost pacifying.
“I said a lot of stupid shit when we first met. I was angry and hurting, but then I met your sister, and she helped heal a part of me I think was broken for a long time.” He takes a breath and looks at the man I know will be his future brother-in-law.
“I think something might be broken in you too, Ian. Let me help you?”
“No.” He shakes his head. “No! There is nothing wrong with me. I did exactly what you wanted. I left Burnhollow and used my military background to get a job at Blackstone House. I was ready to wait it out for years, but then Asher showed up a week later, after more than a decade away. That’s not a coincidence.
That’s fate! I was destined to do this!”
“Ian, how about we let the poor girl go?” Mitch suggests in a soft voice, but Ian just ignores him and continues his mad rant.
“And then she—” He staggers forward, pointing at me with wild eyes.
Mitch takes another cautious step back. His legs are almost touching mine.
“Shows up, and it doesn’t take long to figure out how much he loves her.
So I started sending texts. And then photos.
I wanted him to know how much he took from you, Mitch! ”
“Oh, Ian…” Mitch says in a devastated tone.
“Getting her out was tricky, but I pulled it off. And now, you want me to let her go?” His eyes flicker back to me, and I feel a cold wave of dread run down my spine. “No, we’re not letting her go. We’re getting even.”
He rushes toward us, or maybe just me. My heart leaps into my throat, and I let out a scream as Mitch lunges forward to stop him.
But he’s clearly no match for Ian, who’s younger, stronger, and far better trained.
He dodges Mitch’s punch and throws one of his own, hitting the former bass player square in the jaw.
Mitch’s eyes roll back as he goes down hard.
I turn to Ian, and he’s staring at Mitch with a mix of betrayal and disbelief. Then he shakes his head, and his back stiffens as he pivots back to me.
The supervillain is back.
He’s grinning again, moving purposefully as his gaze sweeps over me in a way that sends shivers down my spine.
“I thought he’d appreciate everything I did for him. But I should have known,” he says with contempt. “Ever since he started fucking my sister, he hasn’t been the same.”
Then it dawns on me…
“You love him,” I say, realizing too late that I’ve voiced the words aloud. But it makes sense—his jealousy toward his sister and the elaborate plan he believes will earn Mitch’s affection.
Ian’s eyes widen. “Shut up!” I barely register his hand moving before I feel the back of it collide with my face. I cry out in pain.
Fuck, that hurts.
Ian looks over his shoulder at Mitch, who is slightly comatose and clutching his nose, which is gushing with blood.
“If he doesn’t want to finish this, I will,” Ian says with a gleam in his eye. “But first, we’ve got to get a photo for your boyfriend.”
Photo?
He grins as he moves to the small desk and grabs his phone.
God, what I wouldn’t give to get that from him.
“Of course, I already sent him one when you were asleep with a sweet message.” His eyes drift downward.
Mine follow, and I gasp when I see thick black letters on my chest. Finders Keepers.
Oh god, Ash…“But I’m sure he’s dying for another. ”
I notice out of the corner of my eye that Mitch is gradually leaning to his side. At first, I worry he’s losing consciousness, but then I realize he’s trying to grab his phone from his pocket without Ian noticing.
He needs a distraction.
“You seem to enjoy sending photos,” I say quickly. My voice is hoarse, and my throat feels sore. I try to keep my focus on Ian, even though every inch of me is dying to look at Mitch and see if he’s managed to get that phone out of his pocket.
“I enjoy taking them too. Now, smile for the camera, princess.”
“Fuck you,” I seethe.
His cruel grin falters. “That’s not very nice. Do you want your earl to see what happens when you misbehave?”
He lunges at me but doesn’t get very far. Mitch grabs him from behind just as the door flies open, and Lewis, along with two police officers, rushes in.
The officers head straight for Ian and Mitch, while Lewis approaches me. Seeing his familiar face brings tears of relief to my eyes.
Ian might be strong, but he’s no match for the police officer, who quickly overpowers him until he’s face down on the ground with his hands behind his back. Mitch, however, doesn’t fight back and instantly raises his hands in surrender.
“Wait,” I say as they start to separate the two men and read their rights, motioning to Mitch. “He wasn’t involved. He was trying to protect me.”
Mitch gives me a nod of appreciation, but doesn’t offer up any additional information. Maybe he does feel a little responsible. Maybe a small part of him still feels loyal to Ian. Who knows?
But as I watch them take the two men away, all I can think about is getting away from this horrible place and back to Blackstone.
Back to Asher.
Back to home.