Chapter 44
Riley
“It’s him, isn’t it?”
I don’t have to ask who she’s referring to. “Yes.”
She sighs, and she sounds so weary. “It’s time I finally dealt with him and ended all this.
Your father’s tried to protect me all these years, but it’s time I dealt with him.
” Her eyes are full of regret when they land on me.
“I should have just told him the truth back when I was in college, but I was young and dumb.” She shakes her head.
“One day, your father swept into my life, knocked my feet out from under me, and I knew what real love was.
I tried to let Bane down gently, but I should have just been firm with him.
He's made contact a few times over the years, but I never followed up. I really thought that was the end of it. When he resurfaced last year, I was shocked.”
“Touching story, Kelley. Too bad it’s not the truth.”
I startle at the dark voice, berating myself for not paying better attention to my surroundings.
I feel like I’m in a tunnel without my connection to my wolf, and all my senses are muted.
I glance at my mom, who lifts her head in a show of defiance.
“Bane. This is enough.” I recognize that voice; it’s her “mom” voice, also known as her “don’t mess with me” voice.
He walks over to her, and I tense when he stares down at her. “Kelley.” Whatever he used to feel for my mom has been displaced with anger and bitterness.
“This has to end,” my mom tries again. “I made my choice.”
He continues to stare down at her. “You made your choice,” he repeats and then laughs; it’s cold and merciless. “Are you ready to tell the truth?” She doesn’t say anything, and I can see the defiance in her eyes. “I’ll give you time to think about it.”
And then he’s gone, and the other men go with. I stare at the door and wait for them to come back. I hear my mom take a shuddering breath. “Are you okay?” I ask her.
“He gave me something before he left.” Her voice is breathy and slurred. Her head lolls a moment later.
“Mom. Mom, wake up.” There’s nothing from her in return. The minutes drag into hours or maybe longer. I have no way of telling time down here. I drift in and out of it, still fighting the effects of whatever was in that coffee.
Eventually, the door opens once again. Bane and two other men enter.
I lift my head and track them. My heartbeat speeds up, and I brace myself for what’s coming.
I’ve never been subjected to torture or abuse, and I’m not really sure how I’d hold up.
I'd like to think I’d be strong enough; I want to be strong enough.
I expect them to come for me, but they walk over to my mom instead.
“Leave her alone,” I demand. Nobody pays a lick of attention to me; it’s as if I’m not even in the room.
I watch in horror as one of the guys pulls over a small table and puts a black case there.
I feel the blood drain from my face. The guy opens the case, and I fight against my restraints.
Bane steps forward and gets right in my mom’s face.
“I’m glad you’re finally here, Kelley, so we can set the story straight.
” He puts a hand up to my mom’s face. She doesn’t move a muscle, but I fight against my chains.
Bane looks over at me. “It’s time you learn the full truth. ”
“Stop,” my mom says.
I stare Bane down. “I won’t believe a word you say. You’re the worst kind of evil.”
My words don’t have nearly the impact I want them to. He throws his head back and laughs, but it’s evil. He sobers quick enough. “Do you want to tell her, or should I?”
“I’m not going to believe a word you—” I don’t get to finish before he backhands me. My head slams into the wall behind me.
“Shut up.” He’s in my face a moment later.
My face burns, and fury pounds through me.
He grabs hold of my hair and pulls so hard it brings tears to my eyes.
But I stare him down. He turns to look at one of the men with him.
“If she keeps talking, I give you permission to cut her tongue out. She doesn’t need it for what I have in mind.
” Horror and terror roll over me, and I bite my tongue so hard I taste blood.
I believe his threat. He turns back to my mom.
“If you hurt my daughter,” she starts in a scarier voice than I’ve ever heard her use.
“That’s rich, coming from you,” he says. He steps back and walks over to the black box and pulls out a wickedly sharp knife.
“What are you going to do?” My mother’s voice is calm, so calm. Meanwhile, I’m trying desperately to get free.
He steps up next to her. “How about a cut for every lie?”
“Stop!” I demand, yanking against the chains.
Nobody pays any attention to me. Bane moves close, putting the knife to my mom’s cheek. She goes very still, and anger burns through me. “Did you ever tell him?” he asks.
It’s quiet, and I yank hard again. “Stop, Bane,” my mom says in a calm voice.
“Did you tell him?” he roars at her.
“There was nothing to tell.”
He strikes, and I scream when he draws the blade down my mom’s cheek. Blood drips down her face and onto her shirt. “Stop it!” I scream at him.
“Did you tell him?” he asks again.
“There was nothing—” she doesn’t get the words out before he drags a different knife down her arm. This time she cries out in pain.
“Stop it!” I scream, pulling at my chains. Reid! Dad! I scream through the bond, but it’s silent in return.
Bane grabs my mom’s head and tips it towards me. “Tell her the truth!” he demands shoving my mom’s head into the wall. She cries out in pain, and I scream in anger and frustration. “Tell her!” he roars at her. I know by looking at him that he’s ready to kill my mom. There’s no calming him down.
“Mom, tell me!” I demand with as much force as I can.
“I don’t care what it is; just tell me.” Her eyes are full of agony as she looks at me, and I can’t take it.
She has blood dripping down her face and arm, and her face is ashen.
She closes her eyes, and I beg her to just tell me and end this.
“Mom, whatever it is, it will be okay.” I keep my voice calm but authoritative.
“It’s not worth dying over.” She opens her eyes, and they plead with me.
But I don’t know for what. I’ve never seen her like this.
Of course, I’ve never seen my mom tortured before.
I watch as the tears track down her face, and I swallow the sob in my own throat. “Tell me,” I plead with her.
Bane steps back and cleans his knife on his pants. “I’ll be back when you’re ready to tell the truth.”
“You can’t just leave her like this; she’ll bleed to death,” I yell at him. He doesn’t say a word in response, and he and the other men leave. “Mom,” my voice cracks.
“I’m okay, Baby; I heal fast.”
Not without her wolf, but I don’t speak the words out loud. “What can I do?”
“I’m just going to rest for a little bit.” Her voice is thin and weak, and fear fills me. I can’t lose her. I pull against my chains, causing my already cracked and bleeding wrists to bleed more.
“I’m going to get us out of this, Mom.” She doesn’t respond, and I curse Bane all over again.
I have no idea how much time passes before Bane shows up once again.
All I know is one minute I’m asleep, the next, I’m soaked with cold, wet water.
I gasp and try to catch my breath. I hear my mom doing the same next to me.
Bane pulls over a stool and sits in front of my mom. “Rest well, Kelley?”
“Go to Hell, Bane.” She spits in his face, and I can’t decide whether to be angry at her for it or proud of her.
He stares at her and then slowly reaches up to wipe the spit off his face. “Are you ready to tell the truth?”
My mom doesn’t say anything. Bane sighs. “This is getting old.” He walks over to the black box, and my panic grows. My heartbeat is already beating too fast. I know it’s a combination of fear and fatigue and probably dehydration.
“Mom, just tell me whatever it is you need to tell me.” I refuse to let any more harm come to her. “I already know the story.”
She closes her eyes as if she can’t look at me, and I can tell she’s given up. Her breathing is rough, and she looks terrible. She looks ready to break. She finally speaks. “I slept with him.”
Her words are like a gut punch; I can literally feel the impact of them.
So many things hit me at once. “Does dad know?” I ask in a whisper.
She doesn’t respond, and I get my answer.
I feel betrayal on my dad’s behalf, but I push it away.
I can’t deal with that right now. “Okay. We’ll tell him; it will be okay.
” I’m not sure if I’m saying the words to me, to my mom, to Bane... “Dad loves you, Mom. It will be okay.”
“It’s not okay!” Bane roars at me. Before I realize what he’s doing he spins and throws a knife. I don’t even get a chance to brace. It slams into my upper arm.
A scream rips from my throat without my permission. “Stop!” My mom screams at him.
“Tell her the rest!” he roars.
I turn to mom as agony spears through me. I can’t even dislodge the knife from my arm; I’m pretty sure it’s lodged in my bicep. I’m past feeling anything but anger. “Just tell me!” I yell at her. “This ends now, unless you want either of us to sport another knife wound.”
I watch Bane walk over to the box. He pulls out a knife, unlike any I’ve ever seen before. The blade is almost conelike with jagged teeth on all sides. I can’t imagine the damage it could do. “Mom,” I plead with her.
She stares at me as tears track down her face.
“It was only one time.” There’s such sorrow in her voice; it breaks my heart.
“It was early December, and I shouldn’t have been fertile.
” Everything around me seems to go still, and I lock my focus on her.
“I got pregnant.” The words are barely a whisper.
Shock and unbelief war inside me. “But...” I don’t finish; I can’t. I suddenly feel sick. “Mom?” I can hardly speak.