by J. L. Beck
©Copyright, 2019 J.L. Beck & Cassandra Hallman
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Prologue
Xander
The gun was heavy in my sweaty hands. I wasn’t afraid of killing my father. I’m sure he knew it was coming far before I decided to do it, but tonight was the night. He wouldn’t hurt Damon and me ever again, and I’d be fucking sure of it.
I walked down the dimly lit hallway, and then down the steps toward the patio.
“I’ve always thought you were the weakest link of this family. It seems the beatings never really did anything to you. You’ve still shown weakness...and weakness just isn’t acceptable in our family.” My father’s voice carries through the house as he talks down to Damon.
Anger surges deep inside me, on the verge of exploding outward. I see the glint of a gun in the moonlight that pours from the night sky as I turn the corner.
“You’re a piece of shit. A monster who will never amount to anything,” Damon spits. “And someday when you’re old and gray, I’m going to treat you the same fucking way you treated me and Xander.”
I can’t see my father’s face, but I’m positive there is a cruel smirk on his lips. I wonder if this is the moment I’ve been dreading. I knew it was coming for a while but I’m not sure this is it until I see my father raise the gun and point it at Damon.
There’s not a damn bone within my body that is scared of killing my father. After all, this is what he had planned for me, for us, right? I wait, watching, to see what his next move is.
“You won’t be doing shit but letting the worms and bugs crawl through your decaying body.” My father flicks the safety and aims the gun. I don’t really understand why Damon still stands there, but he does, his eyes never wavering from Dad’s.
“Don’t make fun about it, just fucking do it,” Damon grits out, darkness resonating out of him. As soon as the words are said, everything seems to slow down.
I don’t know why Damon and our father are fighting or what it was even about, but when I see him squeeze the trigger on his gun, I know I have to end him. He’d hurt us for so many years, abused and killed those we loved.
He was the real monster, and I was ready to put a bullet in his head.
Lifting my gun, I watched in horror as our father shot Damon in the shoulder. Maybe it was his intention, or maybe it wasn’t. I don’t really know. I didn’t really care or stop to ask. In fact, I was past caring. He deserved to die.
Flicking the safety off, my eyes met Damon’s and for a fraction of a second, he sees me. The real me, the man who had spent years taking beatings so his life could be easier. The poison of this world was slowly seeping into my veins, but it didn’t have to taint Damon.
I pulled the trigger without another thought, watching as the bullet went straight into my father’s chest. When he started to fall over, his knees slamming onto the hard ground, I walked over to Damon, gripping him by the arm. I looked straight into my father’s eyes, right into the dark orbs that had promised me nothing but death and pain all my life.
“Looks like the worms and bugs are going to be crawling through you soon.” Then I shot him again, right in the stomach. If the shot to the chest didn’t kill him, then he’d most likely bleed out. His mouth popped open and a vacant look appeared in his eyes.
You could say that was the day I became fully invested in the man I was—the dark monster he had crafted and molded me to be.
The day I took over the Rossi Empire.
Chapter One
Ella
A million scenarios are running rampant in my mind as I try and sit up and stare into vacant space. Each one has the same ending, with me dead.
Tied up in an empty room, I gaze down at my body. Fear trickles down my spine when I take in the revealing lingerie that covers little pieces of my creamy white skin.
Who dressed me up in these?
I’d never wear anything like this… never.
There’s a pounding directly behind my eyes like I got hit by a bus or something. I might have. I don’t remember much of how I got here or even where I am.
I was looking for my sister, my sole purpose in life since she’d gone missing a month ago. She is the only family I have left, and I have a compelling need to find her.
For so long, that was all I could think about… finding her, making sure she was okay, but now I’ve gotten myself into something dangerous, something scary.
My surroundings are eerily quiet, like there is no one else in the bedroom, or maybe even the whole house? I don’t know if that makes me feel better or worse, to be left alone in silence.
It’s merely a waiting game now… and I wait… with bated breath, for whoever did this to show themselves.
My thoughts are foggy as I tug on the restraints again, praying just this once that I can break free. I cry out in pain when all they do is dig deeper into my already raw skin. My body aches, even as I try and stretch my muscles.
I’m never going to get out of here.
I’m never going to find my sister.
The tears slip from my eyes with ease, sliding down my cheeks. Each drop lands coldly on my skin. For a long time, I just lie there on the cold floor, with no sound other than my breathing and soft sniffles.
That is until another sound breaks the silence. Approaching footsteps from outside the door have me on high alert. My gaze lifts to the wooden door. Waiting. Watching. The footsteps are faint at first but are definitely coming closer… heading straight for me.
They stop right in front of the door. My ears perk up, and my body trembles slightly. I wonder who is going to be on the other side of that door? Part of me wishes it’s someone who’s here to save me, but I know it isn’t.
The door handle turns, and the door opens with a loud creak. The sound startles me even though I knew it was coming.
A large man appears in the doorway. Tall, with broad shoulders. My gaze lifts from the floor and to him, and my blood runs cold. Even though I’ve never seen this man before, nor met him, I know he is here to hurt me, maybe even kill me.
His eyes are dark, darker than black, and there is no sympathy in them at all, only darkness. An evil grin tugs on his thin lips… This man is the devil in human form, and his sinister s
mile tells me he is going to enjoy every single thing he does.
A tear runs down my cheek without my permission. I don’t want to show him how afraid I am. I don’t want to be weak, not for this monster.
“Oh, sweet Ella, don't cry yet, it’s far too early for that. We haven't even started.” He takes a step toward me, and I recoil, wanting so badly to escape him. His smile widens when he sees me try to scurry backward.
“I will enjoy those tears more as I’m licking them off your face when I’m balls deep inside of you and you are begging me to stop.”
I was prepared to beg for my life, even if it made me weak. I was going to do it, but now that I’ve seen and heard this monster, I know for certain that he would only enjoy it more if I did. Looking into his eyes, I know there is no hope for me. No one can save me from this evil man.
I will not give him the satisfaction he wants. I will not beg. I will not plead. I came here looking for my sister, and I intend to find her when all of this is over.
“Fuck you,” I manage to get out through my clenched teeth.
His eyes gleam at my words. “Oh, a feisty one. I will have so much fun breaking you. Inside and out. I’ll take every hole in your body, my cock claiming you. When I’m done, I’ll give you to my men to use.”
He steps closer to me, and I instinctively try to get away again. I try to crawl away as much as I can being tied up but it’s no use. With my ankles and hands bound together, there is no escaping him.
“In the end, you’ll wish for death… since it’s the only way you’ll receive mercy from me.”
He grabs a fist full of my hair, his fingers digging painfully into the strands as he pulls me up, forcing me onto my feet, but they won’t work. Every muscle in my body is tight, cramped. A loud cry escapes my lips even though I try to swallow it, as the pain of his grip tingles through my scalp.
Without another word, he drags me to the bed and throws me down onto it, making me bounce against the mattress. My body is shaking as I try to roll away to the other side, but it’s pointless. He already has a tight grip on my arms, and he’s yanking them upward before I even get the chance to move.
I hear something lock into place and before I realize what's happening, my bound hands are attached to the headboard and my bound ankles to the footboard. I’m immobilized. At the mercy of this evil, evil man.
“Mm, look at you…” He runs a finger up my leg, starting at my ankle. He drags it slowly, so slowly it terrifies me. I can’t anticipate his next move.
When he reaches my upper thigh, he moves his hand closer to the inside of my leg. Bile rises in my throat when he gets to my barely covered pussy. I clench my jaw and turn my face away from him. I sink deep inside my head, trying to think about anything but the monster touching me.
Still, I feel his touch. Using two fingers, he circles over the most sensitive part of me. Tears spring from my eyes once more. I’ve never been with a man before. The thought of knowing my first time will be taken from me by this vile bastard sinks deep into my soul. I’ll be forever tainted, forever broken.
“Your skin is soft… softer than I expected.”
A sob escapes my lips, and I squeeze my eyelids shut. His breath fans against my face. He smells of smoke and whiskey, and I just want to escape this… escape him.
Air fills my lungs, but I refuse to release it. I don’t want to smell him. I don’t want to feel his fingers on my skin, and yet I know for the rest of my life, I’ll never forget this nightmarish moment.
“Open your eyes,” he orders. “I want to see the fear in them.”
I shake my head. He can take whatever he wants from me. He can use my body however he pleases, but he cannot make me do anything. Nothing.
“Open your fucking eyes, you little bitch.” I can feel spit clinging to my face, but I keep my eyes closed anyway. Pain explodes across my cheek, radiating from my jaw and upward. This is my punishment, all for searching for my sister… for wanting to find my only family.
“I’m going to fuck you till you bleed,” he growls. His fingers move from my clit, and I hear the sound of him undoing his belt. “I’m going to enjoy your cries, and begging…” I can see the smile on his lips, even with my eyes closed.
“Where is my sister?” If he’s going to do this, if he’s going to hurt me, then the least he can do is tell me what I came here for. He can give me the answers I desperately seek.
“If she’s lucky, she’s dead, right where you’ll be when I get done with you.”
“Please... if you’re going to do this…” My heart cracks down the middle, part of my spirit leaking out into this horrible room. “Can you tell me where she is? What will happen to her?”
“You know what… you are right. You should know. She’ll be auctioned off to the highest bidder at one of the most prestigious auctions. A place you’d have went had I not wanted a taste of you myself.”
Tears sting my eyes. My baby sister will be sold, raped, and passed around by men. She’ll be broken, and I’ll never get the chance to save her.
“Does that make you sad, Ella?”
I can’t stop the tears from escaping my eyes.
“Save your tears for when I’m fucking you. You’ll need them if you have any hope of surviving this. In fact, maybe you’ll get lucky and I’ll like you. I guess it depends on how much you can handle?”
I shake my head, wanting to escape this nightmare so badly, hoping maybe he'll actually shoot me. Certainly, death is better than this. His smile of terror burns into my mind as he reaches for me, spreading my legs wider.
The sound of a door opening fills the room, and I crane my neck in the direction of the noise. Is someone here to save me? To stop this madman from hurting me?
“Boss, I’m sorry to interrupt you, but we’re being attacked. If we want to get out of here before they make it inside, we need to leave now,” says an unknown man.
I blink my eyes open, seeing my kidnapper snarl with distaste.
“Fucking Christ,” the evil bastard mutters, pulling away. “We will just let whoever is coming here for me have fun with you then.” He chuckles, and his laughter rains down on me like acid. I twist and turn against the restraints, desperately wanting to break free.
“Bye-bye, Ella.” He chuckles and then grips my jaw tightly and kisses me on the mouth harshly. All I want to do is throw up.
His footsteps retreat, each one getting farther and farther away. He is leaving me here, tied up and helpless. If I didn't know any better, I would scream for help, but at this point, I think staying quiet is the best action.
My body shakes like a leaf blowing in the wind as I await my fate. Who could be coming that would scare that man into running?
Someone worse? An even darker monster? The thought sends me into a frenzy. I need to get away, out of this room. I pull on my restraints again, ignoring the sharp pain and the blood that starts trickling down my wrists.
I need to get free. I have to.
Every breath I take is labored. I pull as hard as I can, but the ropes don’t budge. My body remains suspended, helpless and ready for the taking. I try and squeeze my legs shut, but it’s no use, my muscles are weak, my body exhausted.
Whoever is coming won’t have to fight me long to get what they want. The sound of gunshots being fired in the distance and the pounding of heavy footfalls throughout the hallways meet my ears. There are people yelling at each other. I can hear voices, but the door to the room remains closed.
Maybe they won’t find me. Maybe I’ll be able to escape. If I can’t actually break free, maybe I can pretend that I did inside my mind.
The shouting and gunfire ceases and an eerie silence blankets me. I strain to hear anything, a voice, a step… anything at all. Long moments pass, and I pray no one comes.
And then, just like earlier, footsteps break the silence. They’re heavy and hold purpose.
No, he came back for me.
I sob uncontrollably, even though I try my hardest to keep t
he tears in. Part of me wants to plead with him to kill me. I am weak, this I know, but even if I survive this, there is no life worth living after these events.
Between sobs, I notice that the approaching footsteps are accompanied by voices. There are two people coming. Even though I can’t make out what they are saying, I know it’s not him. A tiny sigh of relief escapes me, but when the door opens once more and I see two large men start to approach me, all that is left inside is panic. It grips my soul and holds onto me for dear life.
My entire body tightens when the first man walks right up to me with a wicked smile on his lips.
“Well, well, what do we have here?”
I stare into his dark eyes, trying to find a speck of goodness. He looks just like the other man, but much younger, much more handsome, but in the darkest way possible. He terrifies me, but his presence is nothing compared to the other man’s. I can't explain the comparison, and I don't care to.
“Help me. Please, help me,” I croak. My voice cracks, and my throat throbs as I speak the words. My plea only widens his smile though, and that terrifies me more. He's not going to let me go. He's going to use me just like the other man. I thrash against the restraints once more, uncaring of the pain that radiates down my arms. Maybe if I’m lucky, the rope will cut into my skin deep enough to slice my wrists.
Maybe I'll die before anything bad can happen. The unknown man reaches for me, and for a split second, I think he is going to untie me, save me. Instead, he just wipes a treacherous tear from my cheek with his finger and brings it to his lips. My lips tremble, and I so badly want to close my eyes again.
His eyes drift closed momentarily, and he looks as if he’s lost in some blissful dream. “You do taste rather divine.”
No! No! He’s going to do the same thing the other man did. He’s going to hurt me. My entire body shakes when he takes that same hand and brings it to my chest, his huge hand splaying right between my breasts. I look down to see what he is doing, watching his fingers move.