by Ella Miles
Suddenly, we stop in the middle of the field. Lennox and Gage are holding onto either of my arms, Hayes is standing to the side, and Caius and Beckett are facing us.
“You know something you aren’t telling us. I’m guessing you know who has Odette and how to get her back, but if not, you have a lot more information you aren’t saying,” Beckett starts.
“Just torture me already if you think I have information.”
“You and I both know why I can’t put a mark on you.”
“Daddy,” Hayes taunts.
Beckett nods. “He’ll punish Odette for anything I do to you whether he has her or not.”
“So how do you plan on getting me to talk then, Hero?”
His eyes turn wicked, his grin devilish.
Then I feel the heat of all the guys on me.
I laugh uncontrollably.
The guys stare blankly, not understanding what’s so funny.
I laugh until tears streak down my cheeks from how ridiculous they are.
“You think threatening to rape me is going to get me to talk?” I laugh manically and then stare them each down. “You have a couple of problems with your plan. One—to rape me, I would have to deny my consent, but I’d gladly fuck any of you or all of you at once. So you can’t rape me.”
Beckett frowns.
Caius smiles softly.
And the others’ jaws drop.
“Second—you’d be doing me a favor by fucking me. I’m promised to be wed to another man. My virginity goes along with it. If one of you took it, it’d save me a lot of trouble and make my marriage alliance less valuable. In essence, it would free me.”
They don’t have to know if everything I’m saying is the truth, but it helps me manipulate them.
Beckett steps forward into my space. The guys’ grips on my biceps tighten. My heart flutters wildly; he looks smug. Did I make a mistake?
“We didn’t bring you here to rape you, but good to know how you feel about that.” He tilts his head. “We brought you here to offer you a choice. Tell us what you know, everything you know, and you go free. There’s an abandoned barn a quarter-mile from here with supplies, a car, a fake passport, everything you could possibly need to keep running.”
“Or?”
“You don’t tell us, and we leave you here while leaving an anonymous tip to your father. You won’t make it a mile before he catches you. And once he does, he won’t find any evidence that we had anything to do with your disappearance. I’m guessing spending a week back with Daddy will have you begging us to save you.”
I shake my head. “I don’t need you or anyone to save me.”
“You sure about that, Princess? Your father taught you nothing. He kept you weak, didn’t teach you how to defend yourself. You won’t survive in this world without a protector.”
The men are silent, waiting for me to answer.
“Tell us what you know, Ri, and you’ll be free,” Caius says. He’s trying to be the good cop to Beckett’s bad, but it won’t work either.
I close my eyes, considering my options. I need to be free. I need to run. I can’t go back to my father.
My head spins as I try to remember the details of the night Odette was taken. Of why I was running and what happened in the hotel, but my mind is foggy.
“Talk,” Beckett orders.
I open my eyes, glaring at him. “Maybe if you hadn’t drugged me, I’d have a clear head to remember.”
His eyes soften just a little. He doesn’t care about anything but getting Odette back.
I want to tell him. I want to tell him everything, but something in my head is preventing me from even remembering all the details.
I frown, confused. “What did you guys give me?” I yawn, growing tired again. “I need—”
Beckett grabs my face, looking at me with worry.
My legs wobble. The only things keeping me upright are Gage and Lennox.
Beckett runs his hand over my face and neck. His hand stops suddenly, and he yanks on something at the back of my neck. He releases me, and I see what’s in his hand now. The dart someone shot into me knocks me out just as gunfire breaks out around us.
11
Beckett
Ri’s eyes roll back in her head, and she sways on her feet just as the first fire of a gun rings out around us.
I catch her, and we all hit the ground. Gage and Lennox reach for their guns and start firing back. I can’t see what Caius or Hayes are doing behind me, but I do know that these guys are friends who have worked together for years. Even though they want me to be their leader, they can communicate in this moment a lot better without me barking orders at them.
My task is getting the girl to safety. She was going to talk, and then they hit her with that damn dart. I was so close to getting information that could help me find Odette.
Gage meets my gaze.
“You guys get rid of the threat. I’m going to get Princess to safety,” I say.
He nods. “Take the car. We’ll find you when we’re finished.” He whistles at Caius, who tosses me the keys. Gage meets Lennox’s eyes. “Go on my count.”
I kneel over Ri, ready to toss her over my back when the men cover us. I just hope they’re as good as I’ve been told, because I’ll have no way to defend us. With only one arm, I’ll have no way to hold a gun while carrying Ri.
Gage and Lennox pop up at the same time. “Go!”
I toss Ri over my shoulder in one swoop and start running toward the car as fast as I can. The ground is uneven under my feet, but I don’t stop running. Every shot sparks fear into my heart—did they hit Ri and destroy my best chance at finding Odette? But the guys must be doing a good job at diverting their fire because I can feel Ri’s heavy breathing against my back as I run.
I don’t know who’s attacking us, but I assume it’s Ri’s father. The Phantom Brotherhood wouldn’t attack until my week is up. Nevertheless, I need to get all the information I can get from Princess before I give her back.
I reach the driver’s door and throw it open before diving us both into the front seat. Ri rolls off my shoulder, and I shove her hard into the passenger seat. Her head hits the passenger window with a thud.
I start the car, and I pull out my gun, holding it against the wheel. I look in the rearview mirror and see men attacking from behind us as well.
“Shit.”
I consider my options and decide our best escape route is forward. It also gives me a chance to pick up the rest of the guys.
I slam on the gas, and we jerk forward. Ri moans in her seat next to me.
Shots ring out, and I swerve the car before pushing Ri’s head down in her seat to keep her safe. She groans louder.
I reach Hayes first, who turns as he hears me approach. When he sees that it’s me, I stop the car for half a second, and he swings open the passenger door and climbs in. He uses his body to shield Ri as he hangs out the window to continue firing.
I glare at him out of the corner of my eye.
When the shooting dies down, and we continue driving, he notices. “Don’t worry, I won’t kiss her again. Don’t get your panties all in a bunch.” He fires a couple of shots. “I’m not sure why you care about her, though, not when you have Odette. But Ri was into a six-way if you want to try that out with us.”
I swerve, and his head slams into the roof of the car.
“Jesus Christ, it was a joke.”
I roll my eyes. I doubt Princess would be up for a six-way if it came down to it, especially if she is a virgin like she claims. She just has a big mouth that gets her into trouble.
We pick up Gage next, who hops into the back seat behind me. “They’re falling back.”
“Do you think it’s Corsi?” I ask as I continue to drive, noticing less gunfire than before.
“No, if this was Corsi, we’d all be dead.”
I frown.
“How’s Princess?” I ask Hayes.
He pulls himself back in through the window and c
hecks on her. “Still breathing, still unconscious. That dart wasn’t in her long, though. I doubt she got a full dose of whatever it was. She’ll come to soon.”
“Just make sure she stays alive.” I drive faster until I see Lennox crouched down and shooting from behind a large tree stump.
“Knox!” Gage shouts as he opens the rear passenger door. Lennox runs and dives into the back of the car as I roll through his area slowly and punch the gas.
“Where’s Caius?” I ask. Now that I’ve collected three of them, Caius doesn’t stand a chance unless we get him.
“He took off running as a distraction while you ran with Ri,” Lennox answers out of breath.
“Shit.”
I keep driving, but the gunfire has mostly stopped at this point. I can’t believe that whoever attacked us was thwarted by the four of them. By the amount of gunfire I heard, I know they had us outnumbered. I look in my rearview mirror but don’t see any cars following us anymore.
The tension in the car pulses like a war drum. Everyone is holding their gun while barely breathing. We all feel the strange silence, a looming threat warning that we’re driving into a trap.
“Holy fuck,” Hayes says.
All of our eyes travel forward until we spot it. A dozen cars. Thirty-plus men. And Caius bloodied with a gun pointed at his head.
“We should turn back,” Gage says, his eyes traveling from me to Ri.
I know that’s the best way to save Ri, but if we did that, we’d be leaving Caius for dead. I may not have known these guys long, and I may not want to be their leader, but I do know that I have a responsibility to everyone in this car. But making decisions like this when there is no right answer is one of the many reasons I never wanted to lead.
“Keep Ri down so they don’t see her.” I roll the car to a stop a few yards away from the line of men. I pop my car door open and start walking slowly toward the men who are holding Caius hostage. The rest of the men don’t need orders to know that they should follow me. I hear their doors slam shut and the heavy crunch of their footsteps as we walk forward as a group. We hold our guns at our sides, knowing that if we open fire, we are all sitting ducks.
A man near Caius asks, “You in charge?”
I nod solemnly.
“Give us the girl, and we’ll give you back your guy in one piece.”
“Who is us?” I ask, wanting to know their affiliation.
The guys are staring him down, snarling, and growling. I’m pretty sure at this point, I’m the only one who doesn’t know who these men are.
“Ask one of your guard dogs,” he snaps back, proving me right. The guys now recognize our attackers.
Caius’s face is covered in blood, and his head is drooped against his chest. He tries to lift his head but doesn’t have the strength. I have no doubt that if I leave him with them, he’ll be dead shortly.
“What will it be? Trade or do we have to kill you all in order to get her?”
I scan them all, looking for a way out.
“Don’t do it, don’t trade,” Caius says, still not lifting his head.
The guys tense next to me, but none of them speak. They’re waiting for me to decide.
Do I let Caius die and keep Ri? Or do I give them Ri and get us all out of here safely?
“Trade me,” Ri says, stomping toward us.
We all turn in her direction. “What the hell are you doing?”
“Saving your asses.” She shakes her head as she walks to me. “I’ll tell you everything I know if you are up for playing hero later.” She winks at me.
I frown.
She starts walking forward, but I grab her arm, yanking her ear against my lips. “Don’t die, Princess. We aren’t finished with you yet.” Then I push her toward the men.
“Let’s trade.”
The second I release Ri, the man holding a gun to Caius’s head pushes him toward us. We all want to get out of here without any more bloodshed.
Hayes is closest to Caius and grabs onto his friend.
“No, don’t…” Caius mumbles, but his words are barely coherent.
We all start walking back to our car while a man grabs Ri and points a gun at her head. Her arms are still tied behind her back. She turns her eyes toward mine just before she’s shoved into the back of an SUV. Her eyes are full of threat about what will happen if I don’t come save her. She doesn’t have to threaten me. She’s the only one who has a clue where and how to get Odette back. She’s shoved into the car, and we hop back into ours.
I throw the car in reverse and get the hell out of here.
“Who the hell are they?”
“Mayhem,” Lennox answers.
“What the hell does Mayhem want with Ri?”
“The same thing the Phantom Brotherhood wants, I’m guessing. She’s a mafia princess, and the key to controlling Corsi is controlling her.”
“Now what? Are we going to save Princess or are we going to find another way to find Odette?” Hayes asks.
That’s the question.
All the men stare at me with such longing in their eyes. They want to go save Ri. If it wasn’t for Caius bleeding all over the backseat of the car, I’d guess they would want me to chase after them right now.
I have an urge to go after them—it’s deep and feral. And it’s taking everything inside of me to keep driving away from Ri. I keep glancing into my rearview mirror, hoping she somehow escaped and is running after us.
But of course she didn’t escape. She’s just a feisty princess with a smart mouth. I’m sure her father paid for the finest dresses and lessons on which fork to use at the dinner table—nothing that could help her defend herself.
It doesn’t explain why I have this intense urge to turn the car around, though. I don’t care what happens to that girl. The only reason I care is because she’s our best lead at finding Odette.
My phone buzzes in my pocket. I yank it out and read the message.
Langston: We found a video of Odette.
My heart stops.
I hold the phone against the steering wheel and quickly type back.
Me: Is she alive?
Langston: Yes.
“How are you feeling, Caius? Should we find a hospital?” Gage asks.
“No, I’m sure I have a concussion. Just put some gauze or stitches or whatever we have on my head, and let’s go get Ri.” His eyes meet mine in the rearview mirror.
I try not to react, but I’m not a very good actor.
“We have to go get Ri! We can’t save my sister, but we can save her. No other innocent person deserves to die. We can stop them from hurting her!” he yells at me.
“Actually, Odette’s alive.”
Caius’s mouth falls open. “Odette’s…alive?”
I nod.
“They’re taking Ri to a cabin near the lake. If you want to follow them, turn left. Where is Odette?” Gage asks, typing on his phone. He must have put a tracker on Ri when she was unconscious.
“The last video we have of her is in the city,” I say.
I pause at the fork in the road. Do I turn right or left? Do I go after Ri or Odette?
Odette is my choice, but I’m not sure I can get her back without Ri. And yet, I can’t stand to leave Odette alone for another second. If I have a chance to get her back now, I have to try.
“Left or right? Who are we going after, boss?” Gage asks.
I look in each of the men’s eyes in the car, looking for guidance. For once, I don’t want to be the one making the decision. Caius opens his mouth. He’s their former leader, and he’s emotionally invested in this.
But Hayes grabs the first aid kit and starts working on the gash on Caius’s head. Hayes shakes his head at Caius, and he doesn’t speak up.
They are letting me decide. And I have no doubt that if I fuck this up, I won’t just lose Odette; I’ll lose them all.
It was my plan to bring Ri here, to persuade her to talk. I fucked it up. If I fuck up again, I doubt they will co
ntinue to follow me whether I married Odette or not.
I don’t have time to think about which is the best option. I have to decide. I turn the wheel, and I drive in the direction my gut is telling me to go.
12
Ri
I feel like a criminal being arrested as I’m pushed into the backseat of the blacked-out SUV. My eyes cling to Beckett’s until the very last second. I should look into all of the men’s eyes—Hayes, Gage, Lennox, and Caius, not just Beckett’s. Beckett hates me and blames me for Odette being taken.
The other guys are who I should be focused on. I’ve kissed two of them, and Gage seems interested, but Lennox is too angry to care about me. I should have spent more time convincing them to save me, because I’m not sure if Beckett will. My only value to him is if I can convince him that I can help him get Odette back.
Two men climb into the front seat and start driving. My head is spinning as we drive, but I’m shocked that no one is in the backseat next to me, ensuring that I don’t escape. They must really think I’m not a threat—which I guess is true. My arms are still tied behind my back, my head is throbbing, I can barely keep my eyes open, and my stomach feels like I’ll vomit at any second. Even if I was perfectly clear-headed, my arms were untied, and I had a gun, I still wouldn’t have a clue how to escape. I don’t have any training or any experience using a gun. My father preferred I was weak and dependent on men. Just another reason I hate him.
“Who are you guys?”
The guy in the passenger seat flips on the radio.
“Did my father send you?”
He turns the volume up. Clearly, I’m not going to get any answers.
I focus on the roads, trying to figure out where we are going while I work on the rope tying my hands together. After struggling for twenty minutes, I think I’ve only managed to get the rope twisted tighter around my wrists and given myself rope burn.
I sigh and relax my head back, closing my eyes. My only option now is to try to regain my strength and hope that Beckett and the guys are close behind us. I don’t want a hero; I want to save my damn self, but I’m not strong enough.