by Dark,A. A.
I hit rewind, watching Jarrett pull West’s car up. Within a minute of him returning to the dinner with the Masters, he was stepping up to the dining room entrance like nothing had happened. Like he was doing his job and protecting Everleigh. The timing and how quick he was blew my mind. And the thing was … she had to have known what he was doing. The moment he arrived, she went into acknowledging the secrets she carried.
I hit fast-forward again until he was bursting into their white room. Everleigh was unconscious while he dressed West. Just seeing Everleigh lying there because of what I did made my heart cramp through the rapid beats. I wasn’t ready for all of this. Not mentally and sure as fuck not physically.
“Everything’s ready. Let’s go.”
His words to Everleigh as he helped her up sent the side of my fist slamming into the island next to my laptop. Derek was yelling into his radio, giving orders, all the while, looking at his own computer.
“They’re not moving, Main Master.” He leaned in, only to look up to meet my stare. “They haven’t in a good five minutes. I think they ditched the car. It’s still at the same location on the outskirts of Cheyenne. Should we call in the Chief of Police?”
“Not yet. I’m supposed to be dead. I’m not ready to go as far as coming back from the grave. Let’s get this under control first. Our guys are headed in that direction. We’ll find them.”
My head shook in aggravation as I brought up a map of codes and locations. I was bred for this. Trained for every situation possible and I’d made sure to stay on top of it over the years. Whitlock would not fall. Ever. And even if they didn’t have plans to expose this place, no one escaped. It had never happened and I wouldn’t be the first to allow it to.
“Wait. Wait … Here we go. They’re moving now.”
I forced my way through traffic cams, letting my fingers work so fast that it all came back to me as second nature. I put in times, mixing it with the coordinates, mixing those with even more codes. When I saw West’s car speed by, I smiled, following it—breaking into even more camera’s as they slowed and parked. I knew I was few minutes behind real time, but it was the only way I could see why they’d stopped. I couldn’t miss anything. I couldn’t afford to.
“I got them pulled up.” I paused as Derek rushed over. “Hold on. Wait … What are they doing?”
My lips separated with the scene and my eyes widened at seeing Everleigh come up behind West and put the knife to the base of his neck. I zoomed in, catching the look in her eyes. There was no love. No … emotion at all. When she walked around and thrust the blade through Jarrett’s neck, I had no words through the confusion of what was really going on. I took nothing at face value. Not after the end of that goddamn poem. It wouldn’t leave me.
The tears won’t stay hidden.
They flee who they know.
I love you, I swear it
But alas I must go.
I backtracked, zooming in on their mouths, mainly Jarrett’s. “What happened? What is he saying?”
“They’re arguing over something,” Derek mumbled. “He’s saying no to whatever West is accusing him of.”
I let it play out even more, taking in Everleigh’s upset face as she spoke to the High Leader. “You …lied. She thinks he lied to her about something.” More, it unfolded. “Hurt you.” I rewinded. “He’s … hurt you … again. He’s going to hurt you again. Know … money … now. We …know … money. Where the money is now.” I took in Eveleigh’s face as I repeated the scene and let Jarrett speak the words I had figured out. My eyes snapped to Derek. “Look at her expression. He’s talking about West hurting her again and that they know where the money is now. They’d need it if they were planning to escape. West would have been their only option. Do you see that? She seriously considers turning on West at this point. Something stops her. She’s not done with him, even if she does know where the money is. This isn’t about them being together. She smiles just before she stabs Jarrett. Everleigh … this is all her. These men mean nothing to her.”
I jumped the footage forward, clenching my jaw through their kiss. Just as he pulled away, all the fake passion she had melted from every inch of her, turning her stiff again. Everleigh shoved the bloody knife under her robe, glancing toward the main road as they spoke in a rush. Where they were parked, it concealed Jarrett’s body, but wouldn’t for long if the store became busier. I saw her need to flee, but there was no sense of urgency from West. There was a crazed look in his eyes, an excitement of the situation that I didn’t like. Even if I was beyond pissed at Everleigh, it made me unsettled to see her around him. He wasn’t stable after what I’d put him through. He may never be again.
I stared down, watching them rush back to the car and get in. I fought to track them. West stayed off of the main road, only coming into view at random moments. I leaned forward just as headlights came back into view.
“Here we go,” I mumbled, seeing his car stop almost out of the picture. It was down a residential block, closer to the city.
“White car, dark tinted windows. I need that plate,” Derek said, leaning in closer to me. “I can track it if it’s a newer model.”
I zoomed in, freezing the screen on the barely visible numbers. I could only make out two, but my smile grew as I reached over, grabbing the scotch I shouldn’t have been drinking.
“We may not need it. Everleigh took something from Jarrett before they left. I think it may have been a cell phone. We’ll track that. Call in and get me his phone number and information.”
“Yes, Main Master.”
I put all my attention into trying to catch up to where they were. It didn’t take long to find them and get a better picture when they hit the freeway. I sped through their journey, losing sight when they entered the mountains.
“Fuck!”
“Not to worry,” Derek said, sliding over a piece of paper. “I’ve already got it covered. Here’s the number you requested, and if you want to type in that code with the last four digits of the bottom number, you’ll be able to see where they’re going, too. She’s got it. She took his phone. I already have the men on their trail.”
I wasn’t sure whether to smile or laugh. Everleigh thought she was smart, but she’d never outmaneuver me and my men. She’d never escape me.
“How long?”
Derek’s smile faded. “We’re about forty-five minutes, give or take.”
My lips pressed together and I went into the program I needed. I entered in the phone number, clicking on another screen as I brought up the audio. My heart dropped to my stomach as I focused more on the sound than the dot flashing on the map.
“Wherever you want to go. I can have a jet ready by the time we make it back to the city.”
There was a hesitation on Everleigh’s part. “Won’t they ask questions? What will you tell them? That you’re taking a trip with your wife? What if they tell someone? What makes you trust them?”
“One question at a time. I’m not working that fast yet, baby.”
“How can you trust them?” she asked, flatly.
“They work for me. No one else. I pay them. They’re on call at all times.”
Another pause. “Do they know you’re married?”
“Of course. Everyone knows that.”
“And you’re sure they won’t tell anyone where we go?”
“Everleigh, I’ve had plans in place long before I took over Whitlock. My father taught me well. Before you were even mine, I had your passport made. It’s with my stash. You were going to be mine no matter what happened. These men have been waiting a long time for this call. Their lips will be sealed.”
“I want men at the airport, now!” Rage rocked my insides, but I continued to listen.
“I need this passport?”
West laughed. “You can’t leave the country without it. Do you know where you want to go, yet? I’ll let you choose, first.”
There was a deep sigh. “I don’t know. I … I just want to be free. I wan
t the sun and maybe an ocean.”
“No, no. Don’t cry, baby. I know you’re scared. You didn’t like being away from Whitlock. You were terrified of the city and the helicopter, but the jet is different. It’ll be okay. And we’ll go to an island somewhere that doesn’t have the l-large crowds or traffic. And you have me. You know I’ll take care of you.”
“Yeah.”
The one word had me closing my eyes. It was in that moment—in the tone of that one word—I knew everything about my slave and her plans. I stood, pacing while I let it all soak in. Her actions, her behavior, her betrayal … her fear of me. Her wishes on the dandelions. Freedom. She was willing to do whatever it took to have some sort of peace, and she fucking deserved it more than anything. More than anyone. And it was going to be me that took that reality and dream away from her. Any love she did hold for me would be gone when I brought her back. Everleigh might even choose death over returning to this place. It would kill her on the inside if I had her dragged back. Nothing I could ever do would make up for what I was about to take away. But what choice did I have? Greed. Duty. It ruled me. I couldn’t let her leave Whitlock. It was a safety matter. And my love … my obsession and possessive ways … they were back full-force. Maybe more than they ever had been. It prevented me from letting her go. It was a losing situation no matter how I looked at it.
“Get the chopper ready.”
“Main Master?”
“You fucking heard me! I want a car and an SUV awaiting our arrival in Cheyenne. We’ll be at the airport ready to cut them off if they make it that far.”
West’s voice filled the room, making me sweat through the situation and what could all go wrong.
“I’m going to show you the world and you’re going to love it. You and me, baby. You know, I thought Whitlock was the best thing that could have happen to us, but I was wrong. I see that now. We don’t need status to make us great. We were already there. We ruled and we won. You chose me. Now, we’re free. It’s a new start and we’re going to make the best of it.”
“How much money do we have?”
Silence.
“West? How much? Can we survive off of it for a while? Forever, until we die?”
“You’re worrying over nothing. We have enough.”
“How much is enough?”
He laughed. “I took over six hundred million from Whitlock and transferred it into a secret account. The information is in the vault with my stuff.”
I jerked to a stop, my head whipping toward the computer. I’d spent so much time focusing on Everleigh’s money and my funds associated with her that I hadn’t made it around to looking into Whitlock’s private account.
“Like I said, I thought everything through.”
Soft laughter was all I heard as I rushed to grab my jacket. West had been smart, true, but I was betting Everleigh was smarter. If that money was his, it was hers. She’d have access and if she slipped through my fingers, she was as good as gone.
Chapter 32
24690
West bit his busted bottom lip, looking up to smile at me through swollen eyes. He was bent over his desk, pulling out a folder he’d gotten from a box in his hidden vault. My heart was racing so fast, I couldn’t stop my body from trembling. Stacks of money were strewn across the top of the oak and my life was only just beginning. Happiness sent a squeal from my lips and I couldn’t stop from throwing myself into his waiting arms. His lips met mine and his blood swept over my tongue from the impact. In my life, nothing had tasted so sweet. The hell he put me through was about to pay off. And the monster I married had made it all possible.
“Why didn’t we do this weeks ago? Why couldn’t I see what I do now?”
Faster, he kissed me, speaking while he tugged up my nightgown. The box slid from my weight as he placed me to sit on the top of the desk. My hands jerked at the button of his pants and I was through with caring about morality or what was wrong or right. Excitement soared, as did impatience.
West’s hard cock sprang free and I tugged at his shirt, bringing him closer as he positioned himself. Terror mingled with what I knew was going to come and I was so wet at the thought. I’d viewed him as being the evil one for so long, but it was me who had turned into the villain of our story. When I read Bram’s words, even through the relief and possible hope that came with them, I was already gone. Already calculating. Manipulating. The evils of Whitlock and all it held had corrupted my mind. Yes, I was afraid of what my life with my Main Master would bring, but had I stayed, it wasn’t me who should have feared the most. I was past the point of saving. Past the point of being redeemed. To kill was to be free. To be a Master or Mistress was to evoke authority. I could have done it all. I could have turned into the most feared Mistress that stone fortress would have ever held. The slaves who went on auction would have been terrified of getting bought by me. And I could have done it at Bram’s side had I wanted to be honest with him about my secret desire to kill. But how long would it have been before he crossed the line?
I held to the fear that it was him who would kill me, but deep down I knew the truth that whispered in my mind. One wrong move on his part and my insanity may have had me burying my blade right back in the heart that already held stitches for me. Because of me.
It was better this way. He once said to fear the devil that tracked my every move. And maybe he always would. But he’d never find me. Especially now. I was going to be free and I wasn’t going to let anyone stop me. I deserved this after what I’d been through.
“Make the call,” I moaned. “Call the pilot and tell him to expect us.”
“In a minute. Just …” A deep moan left West as his cock plunged into me. I reached back, shoving the receiver of the landline in his direction.
“Fuck me, but make the call. We don’t have time to wait for them.”
The thrusts increased while he leaned over me, blankly. “I can’t remember the number.”
I froze, preventing myself from attacking him like I wanted.
“Then maybe we should stop.”
“Don’t get mad at me, baby. Hold on, it’s right there. Right …”
He scanned the buttons, hitting one, and then another. His cock withdrew, only to slide back in as he hit a third. Before I pounded against his chest like I wanted, he pressed even more. Faster, he thrust while he waited. The moment his voice sounded, the calm returned. I grabbed a piece of paper mouthing for him to write the number down. And he did.
“It’s time. Get the jet ready. Mrs. Harper and I will be there shortly.” He glanced at me. “I’ll let you know where we’re going when we get there.”
The edge of his mouth pulled back and he clumsily placed the phone down, tugging at my hips as he fucked me faster. I gripped the back of his neck, bringing his mouth to mine. I put every ounce of passion I held into our kiss. My orgasm built and I edged myself until the events were too much for me to push away anymore.
“I love you, husband. Say you love me, too.”
West’s fingers buried in my hair while the other held firmly around the back of my hip. He was so lost in his lust that he could barely stop kissing me as I began to scream through the spasms.
“I love you, wife. I love you so much. More than any— t-hing. F-uck. F …” Blood dripped in a constant stream over my chest while I used the grip on the back of his neck to imbed the blade deeper to the area of his heart. His mouth was opened and the disbelief and horror in his eyes only fed my pleasure. My body was still humming so much that my pussy clenched around him repeatedly.
“I’ll think of you every day,” I said, breathlessly. “I’ll remember this moment as one of the happiest days of my life. I love you for making this happen. I love you.”
Blood poured over his lip and I rotated my hips, sliding my pussy along his length. Dark red trailed down his chin and I pressed my mouth into his, letting my channel squeeze around him once more. Weight increased and I cried out from the sensitivity to my clit. Within seconds he we
nt limp, falling onto me. I threw my shoulders, dumping his dead body on the floor. The wetness between my thighs as I stood had me satisfied while I looked down at his lifeless frame. His eyes were still open. Still staring at me with that shocked expression.
“Now I know exactly what you mean. Best sex ever, husband. I might actually like to try that again.”
I reached down, pulling the knife free. I knew I had to hurry, but I couldn’t stop myself from lowering to kiss him once more. My fingers swept over his hair, pushing it away from his forehead. I had to stop my hand with the knife from rising to do what I wanted more than anything.
“I really do want your face. God, I’m going to miss it. I wish I could take it with me. I wish I could keep it forever.”
A tear splashed against his cheek. I didn’t want to admit how far gone I was or how my need to cut into his skin was overwhelming to the point that it sickened me not to have my way. This was his fault. All his fault.
My eyes scanned the room and my fingers fisted his hair for only a moment before I let go and forced myself to the doorway. I opened the first bedroom in the hallway, heading right for the closet. Men’s suits were aplenty, as were polos. I pushed to the back, nearly crying out at the small section of women’s clothes West had mentioned. He truly had thought of everything. It brought more tears to my eyes, but I wouldn’t let anymore fall. A line of fancy dresses sat in the front. There was only one pair of black slacks with a matching turtleneck. I grabbed them, shuffling through the dresser that sat at the far end of the large closet. The panties and bra set sent me moving even faster. When I was dressed and came across a pair of black heels, I wasn’t surprised. There was even a selection of purses and expensive luggage that I knew was meant for me.
I raced back into the office, stuffing the money into the suitcase and putting the folder into my large purse. The number to the jet had me pausing. I picked up the phone’s receiver and the paper, pressing in the digits.