AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Aaron stepped closer, holding out his hand to Brynn. “Brynn? Honey? It’s me. You’re safe. You can put the gun down.”
She blinked and turned to face him. The swollen bruise below her eye and the cuts on her fair skin made him clench his teeth. But it was the blood on her shoulder that had him seething.
“Aaron?” Her eyes searched his face, confusion shining in them.
He offered her what he hoped was a comforting smile. “Yeah, sunshine, it’s me. Give me the gun, baby.” Aaron held out his palm.
Brynn looked down at her hand, as if she was surprised she still had it, then she handed it over to him. Aaron slipped it to one of Blade’s men by his side.
“Do you know what we do to men who hurt women?” Blade asked.
“I-I . . .” Paul’s voice trembled. “You don’t understand. She’s mine. My wife—I can do whatever the hell I want to her. And there isn’t anything you can do to stop me.”
Aaron dove towards Paul, grabbing him by the throat and sending a punch to the patch of blood on his rib cage. Paul howled in pain.
“You fucking piece of shit. You think it makes you a man to hurt someone smaller than you? To take what doesn’t belong to you?”
Paul struggled against him, his face turning red as he struggled for a breath.
“Aaron.” Brynn’s sweet voice brought his attention back to her.
He dropped Paul like a sack of potatoes, the man yelping as he hit the hard asphalt. Aaron reached out to Brynn and wrapped her in his arms, taking care to be mindful of her injury. She wobbled, unbalanced, but he was there to support her.
“I’m so sorry,” he said. Sorry I wasn’t here to protect you. Sorry I lied. Sorry to have caused you pain for even one second.
Brynn relaxed into his embrace, leaning her head against his chest. She turned away from him, lifting her chin to face the man who’d abused her and stolen so much from her, and then she took her power back like the fucking queen she was.
“You will pay for everything you’ve done to me and so many others. I won’t stop until the truth of what happens at the compound and in that town are shown to the world. You should have left me alone. Should have forgotten I existed, just like I’ll forget you.”
“You’ll never forget me. You were mine first!” Paul sneered, scrambling to his feet.
Blade walked around, shoving him to his knees once again and pushing the barrel of his gun into Paul’s temple. Paul flinched.
Brynn shook her head. “I was never yours. I belong to no one.” She took a deep breath. “Did you know the body regenerates itself every seven years? That means, seven years from today, you will have never touched a single hair on my head. I will erase every trace of you . . . You have no power over me anymore.”
Aaron’s chest expanded with warmth. This woman who’d showed up in Shattered Cove as timid as a little mouse was standing up to the man who abused her. He’d tried to drag her back into hell and still she’d fought back.
“You two better get out of here. It’s only a matter of time before another car comes along. We have a tow on the way for the wreck, so no one will know what happened,” Blade said.
Aaron met the man’s eyes—they promised retribution. As much as Aaron wished he could be the one to dish it out, Brynn needed him more. He nodded.
“Are you taking him to the sheriff?” Brynn asked.
Blade shook his head. “You said yourself there’s a lot to expose at this compound place. I think in a few hours, probably less, he’ll be mighty talkative, don’t you, Ares?”
The man next to Blade smiled. “Definitely. And then Casanova here can use his special skills to take down the whole lot of them.”
“You can’t take us down. We own the town. The police station. The bank. We have people in government. You can take me in, but I won’t tell you a thing. And you’ll get a call to let me go. I want my lawyer!” Paul demanded.
The men around them laughed, as if he’d just said the funniest thing in the world.
Ares stepped forward, shoving his gun in Paul’s mouth. “You are going to pay for everything you’ve done to her tenfold. And you’re gonna sing like a canary. I suppose there will definitely be some lawyers where you’re going. Probably a lot of cops as well, now that I think of it.” Ares withdrew his gun and tucked it into his pocket.
Paul’s eyes widened as he looked around wildly. “Where are you taking me?”
“To hell,” Blade said, stepping forward. He pulled out a knife from his pocket and lowered it to Brynn’s wrists, freeing her from the restraints. Blade cast a serious gaze towards Aaron and then to Brynn. “We were never here. You never saw this scumbag. And when you go to the hospital to get checked out, ask for Dr. Burton. He’ll treat you without question. Just tell him Blade sent you.”
“But I should report this. I didn’t last time,” Brynn argued.
