Page 124 of Poisoned Promise
Weapons braced, Toph and I hang back and let one of my men pull the heavy lock back with a clunk, then the door swings open with a creak.
“I told you to leave me the fuck alone!” Reese’s voice drifts from inside and my blood runs cold. Weapon raised, I sprint inside just as an explosion outside rocks the entire Estate and fragments of dust and dirt drift down from the ceiling.
“Drop it,” I yell, skidding to a stop with my gun raised at Reese.
Dove’s hanging from the ceiling, her arms hooked up to chains straining in either direction like the shape of a Y.
Naked, her head hangs low between her shoulders with Reese’s gun pressed to her temple and several fresh lacerations sending blood trickling down her body.
I’m going to tear this bastard apart.
“How the fuck did you get in here?!” Reese yells, wincing as another explosion far above tremors through the ground.
“Drop the gun!”
Toph appears at my shoulder and he raises his gun too. “Drop it!”
Reese glances between us and winces, defeat mingling with fury clear in his eyes. “And if I don’t?”
37
DOVE
“You don’t get it!” Reese’s fist slams into my gut and the world goes white.
I can’t breathe.
I can’t think.
Every muscle contracts in agony, and my body fights to curl up and protect itself. Earlier, he moved me to new chains so I hang in the shape of a Y with my wrists pulled skyward. There’s no way to curl up. No way to protect myself.
I have to soak it up and pray for it all to be over.
“Then… tell me,” I gasp out, my words as raw as my core. He punches less when he’s talking and I’ll give myself as much grace as possible.
“Why, so you can pretend you care?” He rubs his fist against his opposite palm, and then hits me again, sending my stomach up under my ribs. “Everyone forgets that Nico had more than two people in his life. Sure, I wasn’t a brother like Felix. I didn’t know him until later but that doesn’t make me any less important.What, you think friendships can only be measured by the length of time for importance? Nah. We knew each other after he saved my life and he didn’t blink twice when he did it. We hung out. We got drunk together, we scoured bars and hooked up with hot bitches.”
“So you helped him rape them?” The words slip out before I can stop them and I’m silenced by Reese’s fist in my jaw.
“Fuck you,” he snarls. “Y’know, half of those girls retracted their lies anyway and the others were more than happy to get paid off so I don’t see what the big deal is.”
“You don’t?” I slowly lift my head, then swipe my tongue around my mouth to gather the blood leaking from my split cheek. Once it’s heavy on my tongue, I spit it on the floor. “You covered up crimes that most would kill you for. More than that… you let those lies manipulate Felix for years.Years. Never mind how many people signed on the dotted line because they felt bad for that bitch upstairs.”
The next punch knocks me out cold. I catch a gleam of the ring on his knuckle as it flies toward my face and then there’s nothing but empty, hot darkness.
I’ll die here.
But it’s okay.
I gave Alex fourteen good years and Felix can give him decades more. He’ll protect him. Keep him safe.
I hope they bond.
In my unconscious dream, I exist in a world where we left together. I told Felix the truth and he came with me when I ran. We moved to somewhere with mountains and nature, likeMontana or even all the way to Canada, then we raised Alex together.
No guns. No blood. No death.
Just a peaceful life.
