by Jordan Marie
“King! No!”
“I won’t have the boy talking back to me! He’ll learn or by God, I’ll make it so he can’t mouth off to me again!” He goes to slap Ryan again, and I twist to reach between them. His hit connects with my arm and though I don’t stop him completely, I do enough that he turns loose of Ryan and twists my arm.
“No!” I cry.
“Do not try to get between me and my child, Rory!” He growls.
“I’m not your child!” Ryan cries, his body trembling.
“You little—”
“King, he’s just a baby. He doesn’t understand. He just needs some time. You can’t hurt him. If you hurt him he’ll never fully accept you,” I cry, desperate to keep him from hurting Ryan.
“He has to be punished, Rory. I will not allow such insolence. This is what happens when he’s allowed to live with trash,” King growls and his hands go to his pants. He undoes the buckle of his belt, a large wide strapped leather belt, with an almost deadly looking silver buckle.
My heart stops.
“King you can’t. Please give him another chance.”
King watches me closely. His eyes go from me to Ryan’s and then a smile comes over his face. It’s a smile I don’t like and one that scares the hell out of me and turns my blood cold—all at the same time.
“Rory…” Ryan whimpers, his voice quivering. King has let him go and he moves to me. I shuffle him behind my body. I feel his hands bite into my dress, pulling on it. I feel his body shaking against mine. It seems to tremble out of time with my own.
“Someone has to be punished, Rory. Otherwise the boy won’t learn,” King says coldly, but it’s the glint in his eyes that truly chills me.
“King—”
“You care about my boy,” he says, sounding as if he didn’t expect that. Then again, maybe he didn’t. People—even a child he claims is his—are just possessions to King. My brother, the one I loved, no longer exists. Ryan is right. This man is a monster.
I don’t answer, not verbally, but my hand moves behind me to gently touch Ryan, hoping to reassure him as his trembling increases. That’s the only thing King needs. I know it when I see the glint in his eyes.
For as long as I can remember, King and Tony both loved to prove to me that I was stupid. They liked to punish me, took great pleasure in it. They would find reasons to do it. I would leave a towel hanging haggardly on the bar in the bathroom, that brought punishment. It was usually in the form of a hit, sometimes being locked in my room and sometimes… sometimes worse.
I blink those memories away, before they get time to settle inside of me. I fought those for so long, I can’t allow them space in my head again. I can’t allow them to hide inside of me, taking away the self-worth that I’ve fought to build. It’s not easy. Being back in Virginia, being back in this house and back in my brother’s control… it’s a struggle not to give into the past, into the worthlessness that he makes me feel. Sometimes it’s so strong I feel like I’m drowning, but I can’t. I have to keep my head above water. I have to do it… for Ryan and for my child.
I don’t have a choice.
“Are you willing to take Ryan’s punishment then, Rory?”
My eyes flash to his hand, which is gripping his belt tightly—so tight that his skin has turned bright white just from the strength of his hold. Then, my gaze travels back to his eyes so full of sick pleasure that my stomach churns and I try not to gag. Slowly my eyes travel to his lips. Thin, almost blue and moved into the form of a smile that is filled with evil.
“Rory—”
I squeeze Ryan’s arm gently, hushing him. I close my eyes as I make a decision that is impossible to make. King is going to make this hurt. I know it from that look and I know it from our past. He looks even more twisted than he was back then. How do I choose Ryan and put the child I carry at risk? How do I not?
“Are you?” the monster baits.
“No! Rory, no!” Ryan begs from behind me.
“Let Ryan go back to his room,” I tell him, my voice soft but steady. I take pride in that, because inside my soul is trembling, crying and screaming.
“He’ll never learn like that,” King says and I know in that moment that nothing I say will change his mind. He flicks his head and too late I notice a man standing in the corner. It’s the same man that I’m fast associating all my nightmares with. He’s my brother’s new second in command, obviously taking Tony’s place and it’s a toss-up, but I think he’s even more twisted inside than Tony was.
Wolf.
He comes to me and I prepare my body, but it’s not me he grabs. He grabs Ryan, pulling him from me and then goes to stand by the window. Ryan is trapped in his hands, as he plasters the little boy to his front.
Ryan will be forced to watch.
I want to beg King to not let that happen, but before I get the chance King’s belt comes down. I twist at the last second, trying to protect my stomach and the leather sears into my skin.
“Take your dress off, Rory.”
“King, don’t—”
“You’ve forgotten since you’ve been gone.”
“I haven’t,” I argue, and I haven’t. It’s all burned in my brain.
“You don’t get a choice in this, Rory,” he growls.
He grabs me by the hair and pulls me to the table, slamming my face down into the glass. I can hear Ryan in the background, but his voice sounds so far away. My head is cloudy, I’m more than just dazed and I can’t seem to clear it. I hear the ripping sound of my dress. Then, I feel the harsh leather burning against my back, the blows so forceful my body jerks with each hit. I can feel the metal of the buckle lacerate into my skin. I close my eyes and pray it’s over soon. I pray for protection over my child. I pray that Ryan has somehow managed to hide his face.
I just pray.
Each hit is more painful than the last, each hit makes me lose touch with reality a little more. I almost feel like I could float off in a shroud of misery and pain. I don’t fight it. I don’t want to stop it. It’s better to be out of my head and I embrace that. I let it happen.
Then, the hits stop…
I sink to the floor, my legs not strong enough to hold me. I’m still lost somewhere in the haze of pain and that was my mistake, because that’s when King kicks me.
Not once.
Not twice.
Repeatedly.
I wrap my arms around my stomach and curl, but inside… inside I know…
It’s much too late.
8
Rory
“Rory! Wake up! You have to wake up!”
Ryan’s voice pulls me out of the fog. I scrunch my face as the pain begins to register. My head feels so heavy it hurts to move it. Carefully I open my eyes, the bright light almost blinding. Pain thrusts behind my eyes like a sharp slash of a blade. I close them again, just by reflex. I take a breath—which hurts just as bad—and then finally open them. Everything around me is kind of blurry. I can’t seem to focus. Ryan cries out in relief as I carefully pull my body up… from the floor.
I catch him and I can’t stop the whimper of pain his body colliding with mine causes. I wrap my arms around him and I don’t think Ryan understands that he caused me pain, his relief that I’m awake so tangible that I can feel it surround me.
“I’m okay,” I tell him, mostly lying, but willing to do anything to help him calm down.
“You wouldn’t wake up. I was so scared.”
“I’m okay now, Ryan. Are you okay? King didn’t hurt you, did he?” I ask, worried my brother would have done something while I was out of it.
“No. He just threw me into the room with you. He hurt you bad, Rory,” he tells me, something I already knew, but I wish Ryan hadn’t seen it.
“I’m okay,” I tell him again—lying.
“But your back,” he argues.
“Honey, I’m okay,” I tell him, cupping the side of his face and trying to look at him, despite my vision still being blurry. My mouth is dry too. I look around the
room and even that slight movement causes my body to scream in protest.
“Are you sure?” Ryan asks, his voice sounding almost hopeful instead of panicked.
“I’m sure,” I lie—again. “How long was I out?”
“All night and then today too. I was scared. I put a blanket over you,” Ryan answers, barely taking a breath between each sentence.
“Thank you,” I whisper, swallowing. “I’ll see if I can take a shower and get dressed. We’ll try and get us something to eat. Have you had anything?”
“No… but the door is locked,” he whispers.
“Maybe it will be unlocked by the time I get out of the shower. I don’t want to leave you alone. Do you think you could sit on the floor in the bathroom until I’m out?” I ask him. I will be hidden from view in the shower, not that he could see through the frosted glass really. I don’t want to leave him out of my reach… just in case.
“Yeah,” he whispers.
“Okay, baby. Stand back now and let me get up, deal?” I ask him, trying to smile, but knowing I mostly fail at that.
Ryan pulls away, moving so his body leans against the foot of the bed. I close my eyes, knowing this is going to hurt. Past experience has taught me that, but for some reason it seems to hurt more this time. But then, King had an audience. He tends to get inspired when others are watching, perhaps that is why.
It takes me three tries before I can stand. I use the wall to hold myself up, leaning heavily on it. My stomach is so sore and my hand automatically clutches against it. The back of my dress is open and torn. My back is burning and so inflamed the air is painful against it.
“Rory,” Ryan whispers, his voice trembling in terror.
For a minute I’m scared that my brother has come back. I look to the door, but it’s still closed.
“What is it, Ryan?” I ask, my brow furrowing with the question.
“You’re bleeding,” he whispers.
“I just need to get…” I stop when I notice where Ryan is staring. In a mixture of the pain, fear and trying to focus… I didn’t notice. I do now. I look down where my hand is holding my stomach and the splash of dark red blood has soaked into my dress. The wetness between my legs is there too. I cry out before I can stop myself, before I can worry about Ryan.
I cry out, because I know what this means. I know.
The reality of it… destroys me.
I’ve lost my baby.
9
King
“What in the fuck do you mean the FBI has taken over the area? How in the fuck did they find it?”
“Hell if I know, King. All I know is my contact on the MSPD called me and told me the Feds have swarmed the area where we dumped the body and torched the truck.”
“I’m surrounded by fucking idiots,” I growl.
If Chul gets wind of this, all of my damn hard work will have been for nothing. He won’t let someone who can’t even manage to dispose of a biker, who is as dumb as a bucket of shit, help run his operation.
This is my fucking father’s fault. When I killed him and took over the business, I saw his mistakes. He let age make him soft. The men I had at my disposal were idiots and so fucking sloppy it’s ridiculous. The only good thing he managed to do in years was fuck a woman whose father ran the Korean mob. Bastard wouldn’t let me into that chair, but having my stepbrother there is enough… It gives me the power I need, but to get access to all of it I need Chul to trust me more.
That won’t happen if I draw attention to the failure inside my own organization. Which is exactly why I’ve been trying to extricate my son, without making obvious moves. This fucking sucked, but I had no choice. Regardless, I have him now. I just hope it’s not too late to train him.
“Who was in charge of disposing of Cross’s body?” I ask, dragging my attention back to the shit-storm I have to deal with.
“Troy and Hunter,” Sanchez answers.
I curse under my breath, looking around my office for something to punch. I could probably take Sanchez, but then I’d have to kill the dumbass and I don’t have the patience to find someone who could actually follow a fucking order and dispose of a damn body without leaving a trail.
“I want their heads,” I bark. Their blood might be the only thing that makes me feel even a tiny bit better.
“Attached?” Sanchez asks.
“What in the hell do you think?” I ask, because that’s a pretty stupid question.
“I’ll take care of it.”
“Good and this time find someone fucking smart enough to torch the body too. Do you think that’s possible?”
Sanchez gives me a look, I can tell that I’m pissing him off, but I don’t give a damn.
“I’ll take care of it,” he says again. “Personally.”
“Please, for the love of all that is holy tell me that they at least made sure that fucker was dead before they left him.”
“Reports say he was taken to the Whitefish hospital, but I’m sure that was just to deliver to the morgue.”
“Find out immediately and you better pray that he was dead. If not, I’ll be looking for new men—all new men.”
“Will do,” Sanchez responds.
“Who is in charge of the investigation on the FBI?”
“Gavin Lodge out of the Montana field office.”
“So not on our payroll,” I growl, knowing this is going to be a headache. FBI are like fucking flies, always buzzing around my shit and giving me grief. If Chul catches wind of this shit, I’m screwed. I need to lock it down immediately.
“We can call Wheeler. He’s not in the Montana office, but he’s in Topeka. He could step in before shit is totally fucked up,” Sanchez suggests.
“Do it. Let me know at once. If we need to we can eliminate Agent Lodge.”
“Might buy more heat if an FBI Agent goes missing.”
“Not if it’s done correctly and not by idiots who don’t bother to burn a fucking body.”
“I’ll get on it immediately,” Sanchez says and he leaves.
I let him go, staring out the window over the lawn of the front of my estate. This wasn’t a problem I needed. It’s taken me way too fucking long to get my hands on my son. I need time to mold him into the type of progeny I can be proud of.
Fuck.
10
Rory
I’m hiding in the half bath outside of King’s office. I listened to everything they talked about. I didn’t plan on it, but once I heard them mention the FBI… I had to. I’m not going to get many chances to leave and take Ryan to safety. I need to do it soon. I’d like to see a doctor, although after yesterday I’m sure I’ve lost my baby. I’m still bleeding, although not as heavy. I hear King’s office door close, but I still wait another five minutes before I go outside.
I can’t be away from Ryan too long. He’s promised me he will play nice with King for now. I hate that he has to, but my body can’t take any more abuse. Still, I can’t leave him alone and totally unprotected. I carefully leave the room, after looking to make sure the coast is clear. I’m almost back to the false safety of my own room, when I hear his footsteps.
“What are you doing out, sister dear?”
I hate when he calls me that.
“I needed to use the restroom and Ryan was in ours,” I invent. King studies my face and it takes everything inside of me to keep it devoid of emotion.
“I was harsher than normal with my punishment,” he says as if he regrets his actions. He doesn’t. I wish I was the kind of person who could kill without guilt. King needs to die. His hand moves against the side of my face and I flinch before I can stop myself. King grins.
The bastard.
“I’m going to lay down, King. I’m not feeling well,” I say quietly, avoiding his cold eyes.
“You’ll have to learn, Rory. Ryan has to grow strong. He can’t do that if you coddle him.”
“I’ll make sure Ryan grows strong,” I answer him, but I doubt my brother understands what I’m saying.
“I’ve missed you around here Rory.”
“I’ll see you at dinner,” I tell him, then walk around him, only wanting to leave. He reaches out and grabs my arm.
“Make sure Ryan is dressed appropriately.”
“I will,” I tell him. King stares at me a few moments and then finally lets me go. I walk away, closing my eyes—just grateful for the escape.
In my head I’m plotting. I need a way to contact this Agent Lodge without my brother finding out and then I need to take Ryan and get as far away from King as I can get. There are only two problems with this plan.
I need to do all of this really quick and I have no earthly idea how I’m going to do it….
11
Rory
“Did you have a good day today, Ryan?” King asks him once we’ve settled at the table. I have my hand under the table, wrapped around Ryan’s much smaller one and his little fingers tremble underneath my hold.
“Yes,” Ryan mumbles.
“Is that how you address me?” King asks, and I squeeze Ryan’s hand. He looks at me, his eyes large and round, fear and panic in them. Those are emotions that should never be on the face of a child as young as Ryan.
“Yes…fa…fath...er,” he says stumbling on the word. His tiny grip gets so tight it cuts off my blood flow.
“That’s better,” King says and I decide in that moment that maybe I could kill him and live with it. “Now, eat up. I have a surprise for you,” King says, clapping his hands.
Fear hits me. King’s surprises are never good.
“What is your surprise, King?” I ask before I can stop myself.
“Rory, always so impatient. It’s one of your biggest faults. Father always said so,” King delivers with a smile. He thinks his words will hurt me… maybe. They don’t. I’ve come to terms with how purely evil my family is and I did that a long time ago. My biggest regret is that I underestimated my brother. I didn’t have any idea what kind of master manipulator he was.