Chapter 21 Lena #2
Marco went still.
“Twins?” he repeated softly. “Knox and Silas Mercer…”
“Yeah,” Yuri said, uncertainty creeping in now. “They look exactly alike. Why?”
Marco’s gaze snapped to him.
“You don’t ask me questions,” he said coldly. “You answer them. Tell me what they look like.”
“Uh… big. Even for alphas. One keeps his hair short, the other longer. Pale blonde. Almost white. And their eyes—”
“Blue,” Marco breathed.
A slow, wicked smile spread across his face.
His hand came down on my head. I flinched instantly, my body recoiling on instinct, desperate to avoid him. For a moment, he patted me almost absently, like I was his pet.
Then his fingers tightened.
They speared into my scalp, gripping at the root as he yanked me forward.
A cry tore from my throat as he dragged me by the hair through the maze of shipping containers, my feet stumbling to keep up with his brutal pace, until he finally stopped in front of a black SUV.
He didn't bother looking at me as he barked, “Get in.”
I obeyed immediately, scrambling into the vehicle, hoping compliance might soften whatever punishment he had already decided on. A shudder ran through me as I slid across the leather seat.
He climbed in beside me, slamming the door shut with a heavy thud.
“Seatbelt,” he ordered, his voice low and dangerous.
I pulled it across my body with trembling hands and clicked it into place.
The engine turned over, and the car rolled forward. Through the window, I caught a glimpse of Luca pressing a wad of cash into Yuri’s hand.
So, I was sold to Marco, again…
First my mother and now Yuri. Two people who were supposed to keep me safe.
I looked away, trying to keep the tears from flowing.
Instead, I focused on the passing city, buildings blurring into streaks of gray and steel as I tried to steady my breathing, and force myself back into that empty place inside. The place that had kept me alive.
If I could go numb, I could survive this.
But the numb didn’t come.
Not like it used to.
Silas and Knox had broken open that emptiness, filling it with something I couldn’t shut off anymore. They had taken the hollow space I used to hide in and made it warm and alive.
And now…
When I needed it most…
It was gone.
“I know exactly who your little boyfriends are, Lena,” Marco said, his tone calm in a way that felt far more dangerous than anger.
I said nothing, but my eyes flicked to his before I could stop them, betraying me.
A slow smile tugged at his mouth.
“I killed their mother,” he said, as casually as if he were commenting on the weather.
The words hit harder than I expected, a sharp intake of breath catching in my chest. Knox had already told me, but hearing Marco say it so easily, so carelessly, shocked me nonetheless.
“Our maid,” he went on, waving a hand dismissively. “Maria? Nicole? Maybe Merideth... Oh, I don’t even remember her name.”
His attention drifted, unfocused for a moment as he leaned back , getting comfortable.
“But her twin boys… I remember them.” he said, his voice filled with something almost fond.
“Two scrawny little alphas. So young. Barely more than bones when we first met. They used to follow me around my house like stray pups, waiting for scraps, watching me like I was going to feed them.”
His lip curled.
“And then they grew. Filled out. Got bold. Started eating everything in sight, walking through my home like they belonged there, like it was theirs to take.”
His eyes sharpened.
“My father used to fuck their mother,” he said bluntly. “Did you know that?”
A quiet, humorless laugh slipped from him.
“I’d call her a whore… but she cleaned too, so I suppose ‘maid’ fits if you want to be generous.”
He waved a hand dismissively.
“That’s why he let her stay in our home. Her and those two brats tucked away in the servants’ quarters. Close enough that he could get a fix whenever my mother was away,” he said with a sneer.
“Then came the omega girl,” he continued, nostalgically. “My first.”
His mouth curved faintly.
“She went to high school with me. Girl was dirt poor, but on scholarship. Worthless to anyone except for what she was.”
A low growl slipped from my throat before I could stop it.
Marco laughed.
“There she is,” he murmured. “My Lena. Still full of spite and spirit despite everything I've done to you.”
He shook his head slightly, like the memory amused him.
“There’s something about the first time you dip into omega cunt,” he said. “ The excitement of it… I suppose I got carried away.”
He glanced at me, eyes gleaming.
“Had a little too much fun.”
His voice stayed calm. Too calm.
“In fact, I was having so much fun that I didn’t even realize the maid was in my bathroom, cleaning the whole time! Listening. Waiting for a chance to slip out without me noticing.”
A small shrug.
“But when I found her hiding… and then she saw the girl…”
Another shrug. Colder this time.
“I just knew the maid wasn’t going to keep quiet.”
His gaze didn’t waver.
“So I did the same to her.”
Silence stretched for a beat before he continued.
“I would’ve done it to her boys too,” he added. “Wrapped my hands around their throats and finished it right there… but they were slippery.”
His smile returned. Slow. Cruel.
“I often wondered where they ended up. We searched the city looking high and low for the brats, but they stayed hidden. I suppose it’s a delightful coincidence,” he said softly, “that my favorite wife led me right back to unfinished business and loose ends.”
“They’ll pay for this,” he added, brushing his fingers over Silas' claiming mark. I jerked my head away from his touch.
He just laughed, settling back into his seat across from me.
“I’ve just had the most wonderful idea,” he went on. “I think I’ll make them watch.”
My brow furrowed.
“Yes. I'll make them watch as I fuck you for the first time. They won’t be able to do a thing while you wail fat tears with my cock inside you.”
My eyes widened.
“See, your little escape attempt has made me realize something,” he continued, his voice dropping lower. “Your submission isn’t all that important to me anymore. For five years, I waited. And then you were gone.”
His gaze hardened.
“I’m not going to risk waiting again.”
He leaned over, his voice close to my ear.
“I will take what’s mine, whether you submit or not.”
A dark smile spread across his face.
“And while I’m doing it, I’ll make Silas and Knox watch.”
A pause.
“Then I’ll kill them…” he said almost thoughtfully.
His eyes locked onto mine, gauging my reaction.
“And maybe I’ll fuck you again in the presence of their cold, still, corpses… just to make sure you understand.”
His voice snapped, violent and final.
“You belong to me!”