Reign now steps forward, catching my attention as his dark eyes blaze into mine, speaking seriously.
“Your father killed his dad, and he is an evil motherfucker. He will marry you just to gain your power, your children, but he will destroy you in the process for what your father did.”
“And it won’t be like what we fucking did. It will be… Physical.”
A shudder runs up my spine when Chaos says that, but I attempt to shrug it off and straighten my shoulders.
“Maybe being with him will be a lot better than being here with you two fake fucks.”
Reign's eyes stay set on mine when I speak the bitter words and Chaos sighs as he faces away.
“You have no idea what you are up against with this guy. You think I am a cold bastard? This fucker has no soul towards women. Not a fucking spec.”
I just stare at Reign, feeling like what he is saying could be truthful and then Chaos lifts his head before looking my way.
“This is just an example.”
As he takes a step forward, I analyze him.
“His family runs the sex trafficking system here in New York. Women and children. If that doesn’t tell you enough about how he has raised and how fucked in the head he is, then I don’t know what will.”
My eyes grow heavy, and tears drop from my lashes, realizing just how fucked this situation really is and what they are telling me. How the hell is this happening? Why didn’t my Nana tell me all of this so I could be prepared for what I have to face?
“We will kill him and protect you, Charley.”
I lift my soaked eyes to Reign, and I slowly shake my head, feeling paralyzed from the mental state I am now in.
“I just want to leave this damn city. I don’t want anything to do with you two or him. You are all as bad as one another.”
They share glances before Reign lowers his eyes, pondering and when he has thought about what to say next, his dark orbs meet mine once more.
“I am sorry, Charley, but you are not fucking leaving, at least not until we have killed him and then you can leave if that’s what you want. We owe you that much. He will now find you wherever you go, and he will not stop until he has you. The only way this ends is if he dies.”
“And your father’s?”
I gaze between them both as I snap out the words and they exchange looks, pausing before Chaos responds.
“We will deal with that after this is dealt with. Our fathers are focusing on Maddox getting his hands on you right now.”
I don’t want to stay with them. I am too hurt. I want to get away from them, but I need to act like I am going to be a good girl, stay put and then, when I get my chance, leave, and never look back. Yeah, I know I can’t just switch my feelings off for these guys; regardless of what they have done, I still have strong feelings, maybe even love for them, but I would be a fool to forgive them for this. Some things just aren’t forgivable.
I sniffle and then face aside, losing eye contact with them both.
“Fine.”
I toss the scissors on the bed as a sign of surrender and then turn around to jump off it before taking a seat on the edge with my back to them. As I keep my watery eyes low, I hear Chaos speak behind me.
“Char, I just want you to know that when you gave me your innocence, it was never my goal in any of this. I don’t want that tainted between us because that moment was fucking genuine for me, and it was always an honor that you gave me that part of you.”
I stare down at my shaking hands through tearful lenses, remaining completely silent before finally hearing them leave. As soon as the door closes, I place my hands over my face and sob quietly. My heart feels like it has been torn out of my chest—my first taste of happiness in my messed-up life—and it has been ripped away from me in a matter of minutes. Just a few days ago,I was feeling like I could be in love with these two, and now, I feel my soul shatter because of their betrayal. It's utterly devastating.
It has been a couple of days since Chaos and Reign laid everything bare, and despite their attempts to talk to me separately, I am still too hurt to engage with either of them. I don't want to hear their explanations; I just want to get away from here. I want to leave this city, start fresh, and try to forget about this heartbreak. I have the means to do it; all I need to do is reach Nana's abandoned house and retrieve the huge check she left me in her safe. When she passed away, she left me everything, but I couldn't bring myself to take more than the funds she set aside for my education because I knew how much that meant to her. The house and the extra money—I haven't mustered the courage to accept them yet.
The house has remained untouched since I moved into the dorm. I couldn't bring myself to sell it and profit from it, but now it seems I have no choice. But how do I get out of here? The boys haven't locked me in, but they're also keeping a close eye on me. Neither of them has left the house, as far as I can tell, and I am waiting for the smallest opportunity to slip away. I need to gather the courage to just do it—to sneak past them and leave.
As I sit on Chaos' bed, my eyes keep darting towards the wardrobe where my backpack is stashed, ready for my escape. I chew on my nails nervously, torn between my desire to stay and my need to flee. My heart aches with conflicting emotions—I do not want to leave them, but I also don't trust anyone anymore. The threat against me is real, people are out to hurt or worse kill me, and all I can think about is running away and never looking back. I will change my name, even my damn hair color if I have to—anything to stay safe.
After a moment of hesitation, I spring into action. I rush to the wardrobe, fling it open, and grab my bag. As I slip on my sneakers and sling the backpack over my shoulder, my hands tremble with nerves. When I take a steady stride toward the door, I draw a deep breath and gather myself before reaching for the handle. I slowly turn it, each click echoing loudly in my ears and when it’s open, I peek around the threshold, scanning the hallway for any signs of movement, but I am relieved to find it empty.
