“Aiden, when you came to me and asked me to go to the Society and hire Ellie, I knew there had to be more to the story of your lost days in the cabin. You’ve always been able to hold your liquor pretty well, and it was inconceivable to me that you would’ve passed out for days. Especially when you knew Ellie was counting on you.”
“But I did,” he says, squeezing my hand. “I passed out and let her down.”
“No, you didn’t. Before I contacted Reina, I had Theo pull the surveillance tapes from your cabin and go over them. I knew you were too freaked out about Ellie to have checked them yourself, and before he went to work for your mom, you know he was a trusted member of my security team.”
“Was there something on those tapes? Did something happen? What happened?”
“I think it’s best if you see them yourself.”
I’ve seen the tapes, so I know what to expect. Aiden—well, he has no idea about what he’s going to see, or how bad it is. I wrap my other hand around his, and lean on his shoulder. He kisses the top of my head, and I have to hold back my tears at what’s to come. And then the large TV in the study comes to life.
The date stamp shows the day before the homophobic protesters were killed. Andres enters the cabin, using the security code he got from Tim. All of the sensors recognize him since he’d been there with Aiden years ago, and no alarms go off.
The cameras follow him as he walks to the bar set in the great room wall. He takes out several syringes and injects something into every bottle of alcohol, before placing them back in the exact order he took them from. His eyes are wild, and he seriously looks crazy as he laughs on his way out.
“He drugged me? That son of a bitch drugged me?”
“There’s more, Aiden. Please keep watching,” his dad says, barely controlling his anger.
The new video shows Aiden passed out on the floor, a bottle of tequila empty near him. Andres is next to him, injecting something directly into his arm. Whatever he’s given him is so strong that he doesn’t even stir.
The last video comes on then, it’s Friday, the day that everything happened with me. Andres is once again in the room while Aiden is passed out. Aiden’s phone lights up, and Andres looks over at the text, a sadistic smile crossing his face as he laughs.
“That text was from you, wasn’t it?” he asks, turning to me. “He saw that you were in trouble and he laughed.”
“Yes.”
“You knew? All this time, you knew I was drugged and that it was him?”
“Yes.” I should say more, but it’s all I can get out.
“All of you knew?”
“It’s why I sent the Society to help you,” Tim tells him.
“What?”
“Your mother and I didn’t ask for help to protect her; although, everyone was keeping an eye on her. We asked them to come here and stop Andres from framing you.”
“Tell me the exact plan,” Aiden says as he lets go of my hand and stands to face everyone. His eyes and his voice are cold as he takes us all in.
I speak up, because I have to. “Faith and I followed you when you went out at night, and made sure Andres didn’t kill the people you targeted. Jake and Isa made sure their victims were safe. They figured out quickly that you already had guys on those people, so they mostly stayed in the background, but they were there.”
“The bruises you and Faith had the night my mom was attacked? They weren’t from sparring, were they?”
“No. Andres was getting more reckless and unpredictable as we kept stopping him. We started going out together instead of alone. That night, he was particularly crazed, and he put up a good fight.”
“You’ve been lying to me all this time. About everything.”
“No. Not everything.”
“How do I know, huh? I mean, you knew I didn’t just pass out and leave you without help, but did you tell me? No. You let me believe that it was my own actions that caused you to be captured. And yeah, I guess I was still partly to blame, but not like I thought. And then you lied to me about why you were here. You were seriously following me every time I went out? Who does that?”
“Someone who cares about you.”
“No. Someone who wants to be the hero does that. You’re not my hero, Ellie. I don’t need that from you. I just needed you to love me.”
“I do love you. I wasn’t trying to be a hero. I was trying to help you.”
“By lying to me? We talked about Andres, and you never told me he was behind everything. That’s all you had to do—tell me, and I could’ve handled him myself. But you didn’t. You just lied to me, over and over again. What else did you lie about? What happened to you when you were caught? Was what you told me about that a lie too? Were you trying to make me feel bad for you?”
Nate has his hand wrapped around Aiden’s neck, and he’s lifting him off the ground before any of us even know what’s happening. “Don’t you fucking dare do that to her. You can yell about all of us keeping what happened to you a secret, but you will not attack Ellie, or belittle what she went through as long as I’m breathing.”
“Let him go, Nate,” I say, struggling to breathe as my heart smashes into a million pieces.
“I’m sorry, Ellie. I-I shouldn’t have said that,” Aiden tells me, and I can see that he means it.
“But you’re not going to forgive me for helping you are you?”
“For lying? No. I can’t forgive that.”
I nod, because I expected this. “Can someone call me a cab, please?”
“I’ll drive you,” Faith says.
“Don’t do this, Aiden,” Tim pleads with him.
There’s silence, and it’s not a surprise. I knew this was coming, and I also knew it would split me apart like nothing else ever could. No matter how many times Aiden fought me and our love over the years, I had hope. Now that hope is gone, and I’m left to try and put together as many pieces of myself as I can. I’ll never be completely whole again, and maybe I never was.
* * *
Aiden
It’s been two weeks since I let Ellie walk out the door, and my heart still feels like it’s bleeding from the wounds her betrayal caused me. I still can’t get past the fact that she lied to me for so long. I know she has to lie to people all the time for her job. But, I’m not a part of her job—I mean, yeah my dad hired her, but I thought I was more to her. I thought we were more. She said she wanted to help me, but it feels like she was mocking me all that time. Giving me pieces of herself while holding back everything that was important. My pride won’t let me get past that, even though my heart wants her back.
Working here at the bar isn’t helping things. I had nowhere else to go, though. I can’t go back to Vegas, where I’d no doubt see Ellie because we have the same circle of friends, and I don’t want to just disappear again. My lone wolf days are over—the solitary life just doesn’t hold the same appeal that it once did.
That doesn’t mean I want to find someone else to keep my bed warm. Once the waitresses found out that Ellie was gone, and that Tieny was taking over as manager, they started circling me again. I’ve assured them that I’m still not interested, and I throw away all the numbers I’m given during my shift, because honestly, I’m not over Ellie. I can pretend I am, but I’m not. I seriously doubt that I ever will be.
Norma sucks in a breath, and curses, making me look to the door. Oh hell no. Ellie just walked in with some suit, and she’s looking like she just stepped off a Victoria’s Secret runway. She’s got on a full lace corset that’s only got some satin covering her tits, and a super short black skirt. I can see the garters peeking out below it as they hold up her stockings. Her hair is down, and the loose waves nearly reach her ass. The suit is looking like he won the lottery, and just no. This is not going down here.
I motion Tieny over as they’re seated in a secluded booth. “Yes, Aiden?”
“What the fuck is she doing here? You need to kick her out.”
“I can’t. Your mom m
ade the reservation for Ellie herself.”
“I’m taking off then.”
“Oh no you don’t. I’m not sure what went down with the two of you, but you have a shift to work tonight. Man up, and do your job.”
“This is bullshit.”
“Take it up with your mom.”
“Oh, I intend to.” I didn’t even think Ellie was still here in D.C., and now she walks in with someone else. And my mom knew? I don’t need this shit.
I can’t keep my eyes off that table, even though I know I should. I watch as that guy puts his hand on Ellie’s arm. That’s my fucking arm, motherfucker. I nearly break the glass I’m holding, as the alpha caveman in me comes out. I’m white knuckling the bar when Norma comes over with their drink order.
“A beer and a water.”
“He ordered a water?” I ask, knowing the beer’s for Ellie.
“Yep. And a salad.”
I almost laugh out loud. No way is Ellie going home with a guy who orders a salad and a water. No fucking way. I can’t wait to see how she gets herself out of this.
She excuses herself soon after the food arrives and heads to the bathroom. I intercept her before she makes it there, and push her into her old office, locking the door.
“What the fuck, Aiden?”
“I can’t believe you showed up here with a suit, and he ordered a salad,” I tell her with a laugh.
“He likes to be healthy,” she says, crossing her arms and tilting her head up in a challenge. Game on.
“Really? You’re defending him?”
“There’s nothing wrong with a salad and water. It’s time I moved on from guys who drink beer and eat burgers.”
“You drink beer and eat burgers.”
“Yep. So, I need someone different. You know what they say about opposites attracting.”
“Don’t pretend you’re into him. He’s not going to throw you on a desk and make you come three times with his tongue. Or tie you to a bed, and fuck you hard.”
“No one’s going to tie me up, Aiden,” she tells me, and I see her shaking a little. Oh yeah, she’s into the way I’m talking to her.
“I will,” I say, grabbing her arms, and holding them above her head. I push her against the wall, and increase the pressure on her hands as I push them into the wall.
“Let me go,” she whispers, and I realize immediately that it’s more plea than a sexy request.
I also realize now what I’ve done. She wasn’t shaking because she was turned on. She was scared. Of me. I was so consumed by jealousy that I forgot for a minute that she was restrained and tortured sexually. That she’d been tied up while men touched her, and degraded her. I immediately drop my hands.
“Oh my God, El. I’m sorry. So sorry. Are you okay?”
She shakes her head and turns away from me. “I knew you hated me, but this. How could you do this?”
“I swear I didn’t mean it.”
“Yeah, right.”
“Ellie, come on. You know I wouldn’t purposely hurt you.”
“Really? Because cutting me off after all I did was try to help you didn’t purposely hurt me?”
“You had no right to do what you did.”
“Why? Because I helped you, and the all, powerful Aiden Ford can’t allow anyone to help him.”
“I accept help.”
“When? When have you ever let someone help you? You’re more than happy to put your life on the line for everyone else, but no one can do the same for you. You think you need to save everyone, yet no one can try and save you. It’s not a sign of weakness to need help, or to ask for it. We all need help, all of us. You’re just too blinded by your stupid ‘code’ to see it. Is it worth it, Aiden? Being this big, brave white knight when you’re all alone because you refused to let anyone in?”
“I let people in.”
“As long as you can help them. Once you need someone, you cast them aside.”
“That’s not fair.”
“No, it’s not. I’ll never have anything close to what I had with you again in my life.”
“You shouldn’t have lied.”
“And you shouldn’t be letting your stupid pride keep us apart. Or make you threaten me.”
“I didn’t mean to threaten you. I promise. I was just jealous.”
“You should be jealous. That could’ve been you out there with me. And it could be you I’m going home with tonight. But it’s not. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have a date to get back to.”
She takes a wide berth as she walks past me, and I let her go, even as everything inside of me is screaming to reach out for her. She was still shaking a little, and I don’t want to send her into a full blown panic attack. In fact, I need to make a call on her behalf. I know I’m about to have Hell rain down on me, but I deserve it.
Chapter 17
Ellie
I’m trying to act interested in this guy, even though I never should have said yes to a date with him. It was a moment of weakness—and I wanted to make Aiden jealous. I can admit it. Maybe not to Aiden, but I’ll be honest with myself. This guy is so not my type. When he ordered the water and salad, I wanted to run. Far, far away. There’s nothing wrong with a guy ordering those things, he’d just never be the guy for me.
If I’m being extra honest with myself, I also know that Aiden wasn’t threatening me in the office. He was just being the jealous alpha that he is. It’s not his fault that it made me have a flashback to what was done to me. He was never anything but loving and careful with me. And another truth—I probably would be okay with him tying me up. Only him, but still. Totally non-threatening. I should tell him that before I leave. If I can figure out how to leave with this guy, but not actually leave with him.
Those thoughts are thrown to the back burner when the bar door slams open and Nate comes stalking in, followed by Matt. “What the fuck did you do to her?” Nate asks, getting right up in Aiden’s face.
Oh shit. He called Nate? And now Nate’s going to kill him. I jump out of my chair and sprint over to the bar. “It’s fine, Nate. He didn’t mean to upset me.”
“But he did.”
“Yeah, I did. That’s why I called you. To make sure she’s okay.”
“You don’t care if I’m okay,” I tell him.
“Of course I care.”
“Let’s all take a step back here,” Matt says. “What exactly happened?”
“She came in, dressed like that, with that suit over there with the salad. I got jealous and cornered her. She said that opposites attract, and I grabbed her, and told her I bet he wouldn’t tie her up the way I would. She freaked, I freaked, and then I called you.”
“You’re an asshole,” Nate tells him.
“I know.”
“And you’re ridiculous,” Matt tells me.
“For freaking out?” I ask him, my eyes wide.
“No. Of course not. You’re ridiculous for using some salad eater to try and make Aiden jealous.”
“There’s nothing wrong with a guy eating a salad.”
“No. There isn’t, and I’m sure he’ll find someone nice to have a glass of wine with. We both know that’s not you. Does he even know what a beer is?”
Nate snickers, and I glare at him. “Fuck you all. I have a date to get back to.”
Matt picks me up and sits me on a barstool as I let out a squeal. “Not just yet. The two of you need to talk.”
“He said he won’t forgive me.”
“I won’t. There’s nothing to talk about.”
“Um, excuse me, but Ellie is my date, and I’d like it if she came back to the table now.”
We all turn to look at my date. He has his chest puffed out, and he’s trying not to look intimidated by the guys. He gets an “A” for effort, but we all know he wouldn’t last five seconds with any of them.
“I’m sorry about my friends. Of course I’ll go back to the table with you. Goodnight, guys.”
I link my arm with his, and lean over to kiss his
cheek as I hear Aiden growl behind me. Good, let him be a jealous prick. I did what I did to help him, and if he can’t accept that, then we both need to accept that there’s no future for us. Ever.
I act like I’m having a great time for the rest of dinner, but part ways with my date once we get outside. I tell him he’s a great guy, but just not the one for me. He waits while I get a cab, and then drives off.
Once I’m back at the Corrigan townhouse, I change into one of Aiden’s t-shirts and grab one of my last pints of ice cream. I really need to stock up tomorrow. Actually no, what I need to do is go home tomorrow. Back to Vegas, and my life. I gave Aiden a chance to change his mind about us tonight, but he didn’t. Yeah, he got angry and jealous, but he didn’t want me back. I have to accept that he’s never going to want that, and just get on with my life. Maybe buy a cat or two. There’s nothing wrong with being a spinster, right?
I throw a couch pillow across the room. Fuck that, I’m no spinster. If I can’t have a man, I’ll just be like Helen. She is technically my mentor after all, even though things have changed in the Society. I’m sure she has an extra boy toy or two lying around that she could let me borrow for a few hours. Not yet, but in a couple of months. Then I can just go back to the mindless hookups I had before Aiden finally gave in to me. Although, I should’ve known from those circumstances where he admitted it that it wouldn’t last. Having the guy you love buy you in a human trafficking auction really isn’t that romantic. But then again, it really is.
I’m just screwed, while not getting screwed. And why am I even thinking I can get it on with someone else. My vagina’s not going to go for that, and neither is my heart. Back to the cats and the spinster life for me.
* * *
Aiden
I’m back at the scene of the crime, also known as my cabin. Ainsley had the entire place swept, and my liquor all re-stocked, while everything was happening in D.C. I’ll have to send her a thank you card for that, or some flowers. I could thank her in person, but I’m too much of a coward to go back to Corrigan & Co. Those women would take me down without batting an eye. I hurt one of their own, and never mind that she betrayed me, I’m definitely the enemy in this situation.
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