The Hunted (The Killing Hours Book 1)

by Christy Anderson

  “I can’t breathe! I can’t fucking breathe!” I fight against Knox’s hold as I shout and slide down his body to my knees.

  It can’t be true.

  My world spins on its axis, and everything is turned upside down. A few words have altered my very existence.

  “No, no, he wouldn’t. He loves her,” I whisper more to myself than to anyone.

  “He’s fucking lying, Raven! Don’t listen to him! He is fucking crazy and is going to kill us!” Ethan roars behind Knox’s back.

  I feel a finger under my chin before my head is gently lifted up. Knox is on the ground, on his knees in front of me.

  “Baby, he sold your sister to pay off a debt he owed to some very dangerous people. They were going to kill him, but he gave them your sister to save his own worthless life.”

  At his words, I lose it. Sobs wrack my body. My sister has been sold! My God, where is she? What’s happening to her? My worst fears are true. I try to lie on the floor, but Knox lifts me up into his arms.

  “Please,” I plead. “This can’t be true. No! Please help me find her! Please!”

  Jesus, my sister. My poor baby sister was sold. I’ve wasted all this time at that estate and she was never there.

  “Shhhhh…baby. I will. I’ll find her for you,” he promises as he carries me out of the room.

  “Raven, wait! I’ll tell you who I sold her to, please don’t let them kill me. Help me, Raven! Please! Don’t leave me here!” Ethan’s tearful screams pierce my ears, but Knox doesn’t turn back.

  Stunned, I tuck my head into his shoulder and let the sobs shake my body. Knox tightens his grip on me, and he carries me back to his car. When Knox asked me to spend the day with him, I never could have dreamed this was why.

  How could Ethan have sold her? Her own fiancé? She trusted him, hell, my entire family trusted him. They were together for three fucking years. I never had any inkling anything was off with them or that Ethan could be involved in anything so seedy.

  How did this happen?

  Knox sits me down in the car, kisses my head then gently brushes my hair from my face.

  “Baby, I have to go back in for a few minutes and deal with Ethan. Stay here, and when I get back, we’ll go home.”

  “W-what are you going to do to him?” I stammer through tears, almost afraid of the answer.

  “What I have to.” His touch is gentle, but that cold look still haunts his eyes, and I know exactly what he means to do, without needing to ask.

  He’s going to kill him.

  “Wait. Shouldn’t we call the police so they can deal with him and start looking for my sister again?”

  “I promise you, if anyone can find her, I can.”

  He hasn’t shown or told me anything to prove it, but somehow, I believe him. I know Knox isn’t lying.

  He kisses my lips and shuts the door, locking me inside his car. He glances at me over his shoulder briefly, before he heads back into the building. I know I don’t know him, but there are two things I do know.

  One: My sister’s piece of shit fiancé sold her.

  Two: The man I just had sex with is a murderer.

  12

  Knox

  I shove open the door, and Ethan Miller sits there covered in blood and piss, crying. My fingers twitch as I fight the urge to put a bullet in his fucking brain. He doesn’t deserve an easy death.

  No, no easy death for this mother fucking piece of shit.

  Stretching my neck from side to side, I try to release some of the building tension within me. I haven’t wanted to kill someone this fucking bad in a long time.

  “You know what happens to people who sell women, Ethan?” I ask as I walk slowly toward him.

  “Please don’t kill me, please! I’ll help you find her. I can tell you who I sold her to!” He sobs harder now, realizing his death is only minutes away.

  “I know who you sold her to and why, Ethan.”

  Early this morning while Raven still slept, Marcia called with the information I was waiting on. Marcia has more connections than I could dream. She’s worth every penny I pay her.

  Once Marcia gave me the run-down, I contacted Ace and devised a plan. I probably shouldn’t have brought Raven with me today, but had I not, she might never have believed the truth. Someone she thought she could trust betrayed her in the worst way. Without seeing it for herself, she would never have believed me.

  I slowly circle around Ethan, rolling the sleeves of my shirt up to my elbows, and I stop behind his back.

  “Please! I’m sorry, please,” Ethan cries harder now that he can’t see me.

  “You are of zero use to me. I’ll tell you what, I’m feeling generous today. I’ll give you a choice in how I kill you, which is more than I usually give my marks.”

  Ethan sobs harder, like the little bitch he is, and it’s music to my fucking ears.

  “Number one, I slice you apart. Literally. I fucking gut you, like the fucking piece of shit pig you are. That’s my favorite option. I really hope you choose number one.”

  He sobs and shakes. I just laugh. There’s nothing better than watching a shithead who knows he’s going to die fall apart like a fucking bitch.

  “Number two, I take that rope over there,” I grip his filthy hair roughly. He cries out in pain as I jerk his head in the direction of the rope,

  “and end this. It’s a lot less fun for me, but as you can understand, I have a very upset lady waiting for me outside. It’s not nice to keep her waiting.”

  I release his hair, and his head falls forward. He carries on blubbering and groveling as I cross the room to get the rope, listening to his heavy sobs. I twine the length around my hands.

  “Tick-tock, Ethan. What’s your decision?”

  I turn to find he’s pissed himself. It runs down his legs, darkening his pants as it spreads, joining the previous piss stain.

  “Your decision, Ethan. I promise you don’t want me to choose.”

  “Rope,” he whispers out, the sound barely audible.

  “I’m very disappointed, Ethan. I was so hoping to have some fun with you.”

  I smile as I move toward him, grasping the rope tighter in my grip. He whimpers. I move behind him and place the rope in front of his neck, keeping both ends tightly wrapped around my hands. The rope digs into his flesh, and I tug. Ethan tries to scream and thrashes in his binds. Poor, dumb bastard, this only makes it more fun for me.

  “You may have gotten away with this if Raven weren’t such a dedicated sister. Do you know the things she has done to find answers? That alone is reason enough for me to kill you.”

  Thoughts of Raven swirl like a storm through my mind while I tighten the rope. She left her job, her friends, her family behind to come to the manor and subject herself to a lifestyle she has no business even knowing exists in hopes her sister might be there. When I think of the things she has witnessed and only possibly escaped being involved in, it’s clear to me now. My brave little bird threw herself into the lion’s den.

  His struggle really sets in now as he realizes these are his last few breaths. The muscles in my arms and chest tighten and strain. He jerks, and I pull harder. I lean in to whisper into his ear the last words he will ever hear on this Earth.

  “You didn’t deserve her sister, you piece of shit. I’ll find her and kill anyone in my path.”

  Ethan no longer struggles, and I release my grip on the rope. Without a look back, I leave him motionless in the chair.

  I open the door. Ace stands on the other side.

  He leans in and examines Ethan’s lifeless body still tied to the chair. “Shit, this is cleaner than usual.”, he mumbles to himself then heads back out of the doorway.

  “Can I trust you to clean this up?” I ask, brushing past him.

  “Fuck you, Bane,” he spouts back, smiling as he walks into the room carry two cans of gasoline.

  The truth is, I trust Ace Alexander with my life. He’s had my back since childhood, and he’s my only
family now. He’s the family I picked. In my line of business, you can’t afford to trust anyone.

  “I get no thanks for finding the fucking weasel and bringing him here?” Ace asks while he pours the gas around the room and over Ethan.

  “Yeah, thanks, asshole,” I toss back over my shoulder before I head for the stairs. Ace’s barked laugh echoes after me down the hall.

  When I reach the car, I find Raven with her head in her hands, her body wracked with sobs. I open her door, and she peers up with her tear-stained face. Now that murder isn’t clouding my mind, my soul hurts for her. I know the loss she’s feeling. The pain that comes from losing someone you love more than anything in the world. A piece of you is lost with them, leaving you empty, hollow. I push my own memories away as I kneel down on one knee to wipe the tears from her face. She reaches out for me and falls into my arms. I hold her tight in my embrace, giving her the comfort she needs. Why she would want it from me after what she saw, I’ll never understand. Nor can I grasp this tightness in my chest at knowing she gets me for some damn reason, enough that she isn’t appalled and running…after what just went down. I lean in and brush a soft kiss to her hair.

  “We have to go, baby.”

  She nods against my chest, and I gently settle her back into the car. I fasten the seatbelt around her, taking the opportunity to place another kiss on her soft, tear-dampened lips, and I shut the door. Once in the driver’s seat, I fire the engine, shift into gear, and head back toward the estate. I’ve got a plan to put into motion and a girl to rescue.

  13

  Raven

  I’m barely functioning as Knox speeds back to the estate. Music pours through the speakers and establishes our silence. I think he’s trying to give me some time to process this, but it’s all just too much, too fucking much. Every terrible scenario I can imagine my sister in occupies my thoughts.

  Did she know her piece of shit fiancé betrayed her? Has she been raped, beaten, starved?

  Likely all.

  Is she even alive?

  It’s that thought that brings tears forth again, and they last until we return to the manor.

  All I want to do is disappear. Pretend none of this is happening and Scarlett is somewhere safe.

  I let Knox wrap me in his arms and guide me back to his quarters. Once inside, he leads me into his bedroom and stops beside his bed. He stands in front of me, assessing me. My eyes dart up to his briefly before I drop them back to the floor. This moment is too intense, too personal.

  I can’t believe I broke down like that in front of him.

  I thought I was so much stronger than I am.

  His fingers brush my cheek to swipe away a tear then he begins to strip off my clothes. I should resist him, make some move or say something to stop this. But I can’t even muster up a protest.

  “I’m sorry you had to be there and see him. I didn’t think you would believe me otherwise.”

  His voice is low, gentle almost, as he slides my shirt over my head. My arms fall uselessly, boneless back to my sides. I say nothing. I have no words to give to anyone. He’s right, though. I wouldn’t have believed him. I still find it hard to accept as the truth. I should feel guilt or something that I know he killed Ethan, but I don’t. Honestly, I hope he suffered.

  What does that say about me?

  Knox slips off my shoes and pants before sliding a t-shirt over my head. He pulls my arms through the sleeves for me, almost like he’s dressing a child. I feel like a child in this moment. Small and unable to help myself. His scent surrounds me, musky and manly, and I watch him pull back the covers on his bed. He picks me up in his arms, brushing a kiss to my temple before he lays me down on the soft mattress. He pulls the covers around me, tucking me in. I dare a look at him. His eyes are soft, sad almost. I can’t look away.

  “I’ll find her, Little Bird. I will make it right for you and for her. Rest now.”

  He turns and leaves, closing the door behind him.

  My mind won’t shut off.

  Where is Scarlett? How will I find her?

  I’ve already committed myself to a year in this sex den to get a lead. I know I’ve been fortunate in evading most of what I’m supposed to be here for, but I’ll go to whatever extremes I have to for her. If that means working with and fucking Knox for his help then that is what I will do. I’m not sure of his motivation, but I’ll do anything to secure her return. She’s out there somewhere, alive I hope. Probably terrified. God, what if she is being raped? Are they caring for her basic needs? Is she safe? The worry consumes me until I fall into fitful, nightmare-filled sleep.

  I awake groggy and depressed. My eyes burn, and my head throbs but my heart, my heart hurts the most. I walk out of the bedroom and down the hall to the kitchen for a drink. Knox stands on the balcony with his phone to his ear. I sip my water, and Knox comes in. He sidles up behind me and pulls my back to his chest, leaning in to place a kiss to my neck.

  “I have a lead on your sister,” he says as he turns me to face him.

  “Tell me. What is it? How, how did you find it?” I wrap my arms around his neck, lifting up onto the tips of my toes to kiss his lips. The action is strangely comforting to me.

  “I don’t want to give you false hope. Once I can confirm, we’ll move forward.”

  “We?” I ask. “You’ll help me find her?”

  Why is he willing to help me?

  I definitely won’t turn his help down. He’s obviously doing a hell of a lot better job than I have been.

  “Yes, baby. I’ll find her.”

  I sink into his embrace and try for the first time in months to breathe.

  “I can pay you for your help.”

  “I don’t want your money.”

  “Why would you help me Knox? You have no reason too.”

  “It’s simple, Little Bird. I’m a selfish son of a bitch. I like having you near me, in my bed, under me. You’ll stay here in my quarters with me while I work to find your sister.”

  Sex. He’s helping me because he wants sex. A part of me isn’t surprised by this at all, considering this world he lives in, but a small part of me had hoped his concern was genuine. A man simply helping a woman who is in desperate need of help.

  “Okay, Knox. Thank you.”

  At this point, I’ll agree to anything to secure my sister’s return.

  Knox slaps my ass playfully, and he turns me toward a stool at the kitchen counter.

  “Sit down, babe. I’ll make us some dinner.” He smirks over his shoulder at me as he heads toward the refrigerator.

  “You cook?” I slide up onto the stool. I’m not very hungry, but I know I need to eat.

  “I’m a man of many talents. You’ve only seen a few.”

  His smile is broad and infectious as his eyebrows lift up and down. I realize he’s trying to lighten my mood. A giggle erupts from me, and it actually feels good to laugh. I believe Knox means what he says. He will find my sister. He found out Ethan sold her, after all. That should make me have faith in him, but knowing he killed Ethan, however justified that may have been, is still terrifying. This man is a vigilante, a cold-blooded killer. I’m just not sure I can trust him or his motives.

  He moves around the kitchen with ease. He hums quietly, happy to be doing the most mundane of things as he stands at the sink, peeling potatoes. The muscles in his back ripple and flex underneath his shirt as he works. He must sense me staring. He glances at me over his shoulder, before quickly returning to the task at hand.

  He’s a very guarded man, and I don’t expect him to be an open book, but it’s nice to see him in a different light. His good mood could be the chance I need to learn a bit more about him.

  “Knox, can I ask you a question?”

  He drops the potato slices into the fryer and grabs a pack of ground beef from the refrigerator, setting it on the island. His eyes meet mine, and I try not to squirm under his gaze.

  “Ask away.”

  “Did you kill Ethan?” />
  I know he did. I have no doubt, but I need to have that confirmed. Scarlett will need to know once she returns.

  He doesn’t answer right away. Instead, he opens the package of meat, starts forming patties, and puts them in the pan on the stove. He then turns back to the sink, washes his hands, and then dries them on the towel slung over his shoulder.

  “Yes.”

  He answers without looking at me, grabs a tomato, and starts slicing it. I may as well have asked him if he read the paper today or if he had coffee this morning. That is how nonchalant he appears to be about snuffing out another human being’s life.

  “Did he suffer?”

  He stops slicing the tomato and turns to meet my eyes.

  “I’ve already told you more than I should have. I will tell you, he died a lot less painfully than I would have liked.”

  His words have my breath catching in my throat. Jesus, this man is scary as hell. Ethan was guilty, I’m pretty sure I’m okay with his death. But vigilante justice is wrong. Ethan should have been brought to court to answer for what he did.

  “How did you kill him?”

  I don’t know why I want to know. Part of me is horrified he so easily took a life and part of me hopes it was sufficient to suit his crime. What the hell is wrong with me? I’ve never once wanted someone’s death.

  “I’m not going to tell you that. As I said, I’ve told you too much already.”

  His tone is final, it brooks no argument. Now might be a good time to tread on safer ground.

  “Have you lived here, at the manor long?”

  “My entire life.”

  Really? Well, I have to say I didn’t expect that answer. I can’t see any mother raising a child in this debauchery.

  “You grew up here? In this, this chaos?”

  He looks at me again as he moves to tend to the food cooking in the frying pan on the stove.

  “It wasn’t always a club. It’s been in my family for generations. My mother left it to me.”

  What does he mean? Did she pass away? Is she somewhere else?