He cringes, still pulling me along. “I sorta told Vincent DeCarlo where the fuck he could stick his shitty offer, and possibly insinuated that he could go and fuck his own mother in the process.”
My eyes bug out of my head. I don’t know these people but I know gang leaders and I’m assuming they all work the same. “You disrespected his fucking mother? Are you insane? Do you have a fucking death wish? He’s out for blood.”
“Just … I know. Okay, I know. It was fucking stupid but you had the shits with me. Jacqueline was trying to do me fucking dirty, and I just snapped. It wasn’t my finest moment.”
I pull back on his hand, desperate to bring him to a stop, really not giving a shit about his explanation. “My mom is out there somewhere. Harrison and Maryne too. We can’t just leave them.”
He pulls back, practically dragging me along the hallway. “They’ll be okay. They have emergency procedures in place for attacks. This isn’t the first time something like this has happened. Please, Jade. Just let me get you to safety.”
Procedures? What procedures? I’ve been here for over a month and this is the first I’m hearing about it, and I can guarantee that if Mom knew something about a procedure that was put in place to keep me safe, she would have told me at the first chance she got.
She doesn’t know anything about this.
“No,” I scream, hearing a loud banging noise from downstairs, so loud that I hear it perfectly over the alarm. “I have to find her. I have to know she’s okay.”
Colton groans and as he looks back at me, I see nothing but regret. I try to pull away, knowing exactly what I’m seeing in his eyes because it’s the same thing that’s looked back at me from my four boys anytime shit went down in Breakers Flats.
My hand is pulled free of his and I take off at a sprint, desperate to find my mom and get her away. When shit goes down, we never leave someone behind. That's just the way it is. That's just what being family means.
Colton’s steel grip crushes around me and I’m lifted off the ground. He throws me over his shoulder and I desperately try to get free. “I have to get to my mom,” I scream with tears rolling down my cheeks.
“I’m sorry,” he says, running through the hall, the alarm so deafening that I hardly hear myself think. “Please forgive me.”
Colton runs into a room upstairs that I’ve never been in before and steps in front of a huge family portrait. There’s a keypad on the golden frame and he hashes in a code. The whole wall sinks back, making a door and he rushes into a hidden room before pressing another button and the heavy door slides closed.
“No,” I cry, kicking until he lets me down. I run for the door, pressing every fucking button I can find, desperate for it to open. Getting absolutely nowhere, I turn back to Colton. “How could you do that? My mom is out there. Open the door.”
He shakes his head. “I’m sorry,” he says, hurrying over to a massive computer system and turning it on. “I can’t do that.”
“You have to,” I cry, rushing after him.
“I’m sorry, Ocean. I won’t risk you like that,” he tells me. “Once the door is sealed, it won’t open until the threat is gone. The cops were notified the second the alarm sounded. They’re going to be alright.”
I slam my hands into his back, demanding his undivided attention. “That’s my mom. My fucking mom. You’re just going to leave her out there to get hurt? Who are you?”
Colton turns around and I instantly slam my hands into his chest, over and over until he pulls me into him and locks me in his steel arms, caging me in. “I’m sorry,” he murmurs as the fat tears continue rolling down my cheeks. “Just trust me, please. Your mom is going to be alright. She’s a smart woman. They gain nothing from hurting her. They’re after me.”
“Then let me go.” When he doesn’t respond, I feel myself breaking like never before. “Please,” I whisper.
I feel as he shakes his head. “I need to let go of you, Ocean. I have to turn on the camera so we can see what’s happening out there. Are you going to be alright?”
I shake my head, not knowing what I’m going to do, but as he releases me from his tight grip, all I feel is empty. I sag to the concrete ground and drop my face into my hands as sobs tear painfully from deep in my chest.
I feel his eyes on me as he steps back in front of the computers but I don’t dare look up at him as I know all I’m going to find is his pity. Minutes pass and I hear loud yelling coming from the ground floor of the mansion and I can’t help but raise my gaze to the monitors to watch what’s happening below.
There must be four or five men storming through the mansion each with a black bandana covering the majority of their faces. They’re dressed in all black and if I didn’t know any better, I’d say that it looked like there was a gang war going on downstairs.
“Is that the DeCarlo family?” I question as I watch them make their way through the mansion, looking like my worst kind of nightmare. This is the kind of thing that I would have expected to happen in Breakers Flats, but here, I thought we were safe.
“Yes,” he says. “They’re Vincent’s sons. They’re bad news.”
“No shit,” I grunt, pulling myself up off the cold ground and moving in closer to watch as two maids scramble under a table, holding onto each other in terror while one of Vincent’s sons takes the room by storm. He's waving his gun in the air and yelling violently at them, their heads shaking in response.
They’re not willing to give their boss away and it becomes all too clear why Colton was so desperate to get me in here. These guys are ruthless. They don’t take prisoners and they honestly don’t give a shit how they have to get what they want. How did Charles keep them at bay all this time?
My gaze flicks to the next monitor to where one of the brothers stands at the entryway of the staff quarters and my stomach sinks. The door is locked and he slams his fists against the wood. Panic rises within me. “Are they in there?”
Colton shakes his head. “I don’t know, Jade,” he tells me, looking over to the next monitor that shows the inside of the staff kitchen. The room looks empty but I give it a second glance just to make sure.
The guy gets annoyed with the door and with one big kick, the door splinters and flies off its hinges. He strides into the staff quarters and starts looking around, checking under tables and inside of cupboards.
Not finding what he’s looking for, he moves on and I try to take a calming breath. They would have gotten away. Harrison and Maryne have been working here for years, they would know every little hiding spot in this place. They have to be alright. They would have taken Mom with them. They’re going to be okay.
There’s movement on the first screen and my gaze shoots back toward it to find mom dashing across the formal living room. “What the hell is she doing?” I panic, watching as she rushes around, her phone in her hand, desperately searching. Then it hits me, she’s looking for me.
“No, no, no, no, no,” I chant, leaning into Colton’s side, needing the comfort his closeness always seems to bring as he stares motionless at the screens, watching it all play out like some kind of horror movie.
Mom’s head whips around, clearly hearing something and dives behind one of the large statues, crouching down low and doing her best to keep herself hidden. “Why can’t I hear anything?” I rush out, searching around the computers for a volume button.
“There’s no sound. Only visual.”
“What?” I demand. “You’re a fucking billionaire. Why is there no sound?”
“It’s not my system,” he tells me. “Trust me, if this was on me, I’d have sound in every fucking room.”
My heart stops as a man walks through the formal living room and mom begins silently praying that she will get out of this. Her gaze falls back to her phone and she holds it to her ear. Whoever she’s trying to call doesn’t respond and she tries again and again.
I pat around my pockets and realize that she’s probably calling me. My phone is back in the po
ol house and she has absolutely no idea if I’m safe. The man walks out of the room and like lightning, mom flies in the opposite direction, continuing her search.
“I have to let her know that I’m okay,” I tell him. “Do you have your phone?”
He shakes his head. “It’s back in my room.”
“FUCK! She’s going to get herself killed.”
“Check the drawers,” Colton says, indicating to the row of drawers that span the length of the room. I practically dive on them, tearing each one of them open and madly searching. There are all sorts of things in there and I realize that each drawer was filled specifically with the intent to keep them alive in here for weeks on end.
I get to the fourth drawer and as I tear it open, I find an old phone attached to a charger and I rip it out faster than Colton dragged my ass in here
I rush back over to the computers and keep my eye on mom as I madly start hashing out a text.
Unknown - Mom. I’m in the panic room. Stop moving around. I’m okay. Go and hide.
Unknown - Where are Maryne and Harrison?
I watch as her head snaps down to her phone and she quickly reads over the text. Relief visibly pours through her and she sags against the wall, needing a moment to catch up with everything that’s happening.
I’ve never wanted to scream so bad in my life but she quickly gets moving and I watch as she dives into the coat closet just outside of the entryway foyer.
She’ll be alright in there.
The phone in my hand buzzes and I quickly scan over the text.
Unknown - Thank God. I was so worried. Don’t you dare come out of there until they're gone. Do you understand me?
Unknown - Maryne and Harrison are in the wine cellar under the Carrington’s private kitchen. They’re going to be alright down there.
I let out a shaky breath and step back into Colton’s side. “They’re in the wine cellar.”
“Which one?” he rushes out in a strange tone. “Dad’s personal one or under the kitchen?”
“Kitchen.”
Colton presses a few keys and within seconds, he brings up the camera for the wine cellar but instead of finding them hiding in there, we find Maryne being dragged out by her hair while a gun remains trained on Harrison’s chest.
“Fuck,” Colton grunts, flying out of his chair. He instantly begins pacing in front of the screen in an absolute panic, not once taking his eyes off the people who have done more for him than his own parents.
The need to break out of here pulses through me and I wonder just how stupid it would be to race down to the pool house and find Nic’s gun in the back of my underwear drawer. I stand no chance against these guys but at least I’d be doing something instead of just standing here and watching as it all plays out.
Maryne is dragged up the six steps leading down to the wine cellar and she scrambles to get free, clawing at the guy's hand in her hair. She draws blood but he’s relentless and refuses to release her.
They get to the top and Colton switches the screen so we see them in the kitchen. The DeCarlo son stands over her, yelling in her face. Tears roll down her cheeks but she’s strong, whatever he wants, he’s not getting it from her. She spits in his face and my eyes widen in fear as he rears back and slaps her hard across the face.
Harrison appears in the kitchen and I’ve never seen him look so pissed. He rushes toward them but the guy jams the gun hard under Maryne’s chin while grinning up at Harrison like some kind of monster.
Harrison comes screeching to a stop, hands up, and looking at Maryne with fear in his eyes. He pleads with the brother to let Maryne go but in the blink of an eye, a sick grin twists across his face and the trigger is pulled, sending blood spraying throughout the kitchen.
Chapter 21
“NOOOOO,” I scream, racing to the door and banging my fits against it. “You fucking bastard. I’m going to kill you.”
Colton races after me, curling his strong arms around my waist and hauling me away from the door. “Shhhh, Jade. Shhhhhh.”
I fight against his hold, clawing at his arms, desperate for my freedom. I’d do anything to get downstairs and curl my hands around that fucker's throat. Hell, maybe I’ll shove his own fucking gun against his jaw and shoot him exactly the same way he shot Maryne.
He didn’t even hesitate, just shot her. She didn’t do anything wrong, never hurt anybody, and was always the first person to offer me a warm smile. I need to make this right. I need to get out of here. I need my fucking Widows. I need Nic. He’ll know what to do.
“Come on, baby, please. You need to calm down. We’re outnumbered. If they find us up here, they won’t leave until we’re in body bags. Come on, Jade. Please, there’s nothing we can do.”
“No,” I cry, desperately trying to pull free. “There has to be something. I refuse to just sit here and let them get away with this. They can’t do this. She ...she ...”
Colton turns me in his arms and crushes me into his wide chest. “I know,” he murmurs. “But I’m not going to let that be your fate. We have to wait them out. Believe me, we will make them pay. I will end them, but we can’t win like this. We have nothing. If we run out of here right now, we’re both dead.”
“I ... I …” He holds me tighter and the fight begins to leave. She’s dead. He just took her life as though it meant nothing. Sweet Maryne, gone just like that.
My eyes begin welling with tears as reality truly starts to sink in.
She’s gone.
Gone.
My eyes flash to the monitor to see Harrison on his knees with Maryne’s lifeless body in his arms. He holds her tight, sobbing for his lost friend as blood pools around his knees. I’ve never seen someone so filled with pain and it becomes instantly clear—Harrison was deeply in love with Maryne.
My breath catches on a lump in my throat and as the grief comes up and hits me, heavy sobs begin to overwhelm me.
I cry into Colton’s chest and he holds me impossibly tighter, resting his chin above my head. I only knew Maryne for a month but in that time, she became so much more than just a supervisor, she was like another mother to me. I can only imagine how hard this is hitting Colton.
Maryne’s been the only motherly figure in Colton’s life since his own mother left a few years ago and even before then, she was probably still the only motherly figure. After what I saw at the funeral, I doubt Laurelle Carrington has a maternal bone in her body. If anything, it was probably a competition between Charles and Laurelle as to who could be the shittiest parent.
It all becomes too much and as I watch the men storming through the mansion and wreaking havoc on the staff, my knees buckle and I sink to the floor. Colton drops down with me, refusing to let me go as he watches the screen closely, removing all traces of emotion from his face.
“It’ll be over soon,” he promises me, his hand roaming up and down my back. His tone doesn’t match his words and the lack of confidence leaves me wondering if he's even talking to me. It sounds more like he’s trying to convince himself.
Ten minutes turns into twenty and then thirty as I watch the men get more agitated. Someone checks the garage and checks for Colton’s Veneno, making sure he’s even on the property. I watch as they go back and forth in front of the coat closet that mom hides in and every time they do, my breath catches. I can not lose her. She’s the only blood family I have left. Without her …
Shit.
The same brother who had shot Maryne walks past Harrison at least ten times, smirking at her lifeless body, and every time he does, my body stiffens with the need to grab one of the many knives in that kitchen and slice it across the fuckers throat. I’ll be more than happy to be the one smirking then.
Harrison flinches and holds Maryne tighter and I watch as every time the brother steps out of the room, Harrison drags her body further and further away.
Colton stiffens beneath me and I follow his line of sight to the next monitor to find two of the brothers searching through the bedrooms.
One goes through the bedroom I had used when I first arrived here while the other recklessly searches through mom’s old room, trashing it as he goes.
They quickly realize that there’s nothing in there and move onto Colton’s bedroom.
Within mere moments, they figure out whose room they’re in and they spend a little more time tearing it apart. They go through his private things, checking over papers, and scanning through any documents they can find. But they won’t find whatever it is they’re looking for. Colton’s not stupid and Charles certainly didn’t teach him to be careless with anything important. It would all be hidden away and seeing as though they haven’t found Charles’ office, I’d dare say that everything is safe.
They spend ten minutes tearing his room to shreds and I find myself glancing at the time in the bottom right corner of the monitor. It’s well past ten at night and we’ve now been in here for forty-five minutes. Where the fuck are the police?
This should be over. They should have shown up here ten minutes after the brothers first stormed the mansion, the DeCarlo’s should have been carted out of here in either handcuffs or body bags, and they sure as hell should have had this dealt with before Maryne was shot and killed.
The two brothers move from Colton’s room, continuing to make their way down the hallway and closer to the panic room. They trash everything as they go, tearing priceless artworks off the walls and shooting holes through the family members’ faces as they come across their portraits.
Colton’s eyes darken with every step they take. I've never seen him like this before. His eyes didn’t even look this haunted when we stood in his father’s office, staring at his dead body. It’s only moments before he snaps. There’s only so much patience one man can have.
The brothers move into the room that Colton had only dragged me into a short forty-five minutes ago, the room that hides the secret door.
Colton goes stiff and the silence in the room becomes eerie.
We watch them make their way around the room, tearing shit off walls and destroying everything that the Carrington’s have built over the years. Colton curls my head into his chest so I don’t see the screen and holds me as still as a statue. “Shhhhh,” he whispers so softly that I barely hear him.
Cocky F*ck: A Dark High School Bully Romance (Rejects Paradise Book 2) Page 22