AllFreeNovel
Share Us
The thud of locks sounded in my head.
And the slow, careful steps of the guards followed.
You going to be quiet for us this time? Or are you going to kick and scream?
“Not in that place, London, not in that hell.”
Only then did London look at me, pushing off the desk to step close. “It’s the only place that makes sense, pet. The only place someone like Hale would take him, knowing full well we couldn’t get to him.”
His face blurred under my tears. “They’ll be safe, and in and out before anyone even suspects,” he assured me.
“You don’t…” I forced the words around the lump in my throat. “You don’t understand the things they do there.”
London’s eyes darkened. “I think I have a fair idea.”
“No.” I shook my head. “You don’t. You see what they wanted you to see. You only see the things they do in the light. But at nighttime…when they take you down to the secret rooms, they do things to you that torment you for the rest of your life.”
“Secret rooms?” The man who’d followed Guild into the room repeated. “What secret rooms?”
“The kind only the guards know about…and some of the Daughters.”
London’s scowl deepened. “And are you one of those Daughters, pet?”
For a second, I couldn’t answer. But he knew even before I nodded. “For a while, yes.”
Shh…my own words echoed back to me as I pressed my hand over Ryth’s mouth. You can get out of here, can’t you? I mean, not right now…but soon. Soon they’ll come.
I’d been so desperate to get out that night. Desperate enough to find Ryth the moment she was dragged into that place. Desperate enough to do anything but to be a plaything for the guards for one more night. But as that memory came back to me, I saw, from the corner of my eye, the looks of concern from the men in London’s study. I knew exactly what I had to do.
“You won’t be going in, London. You can’t. One wrong move, one wrong hallway and you’ll kill Colt if they have him. You won’t be able to go in there…without me.”
“No,” Carven growled. “Fuck no.”
It was London who understood what was at stake here. And London I fixed on. “If you know anything about that place, you know I’m not lying. You won’t find him, not alive anyway. Not without me.”
“I swore you’d never go back there.”
“And you’ve held onto that oath.” Revulsion burned in my belly. “But the game has changed now. This is far beyond contracts and loyalties now. This is—”
“War,” London answered.
“Yes,” I whispered. “This is war.”
“If we do this.” London raised his hand as Carven unleashed a snarl. “We do this our way. If you go in…you go in with Carven.”
I swallowed hard, knowing the bloodshed that waited to be unleashed. “Fine.”
“Fine,” Carven growled, coming closer.
The dangerous Son grabbed my chin and turned my gaze to his. There was panic, pure, bloodcurdling panic. “You will not move from my side. Do you understand that? Because…I cannot lose you too.”
That lump in the back of my throat only grew in size until it was all I could feel. “You don’t have to worry about that. You’ll be so close you’ll be my second skin.”
“Good.” His hold eased before he released a hard, slow exhale. “Good.”
“So that’s settled then.” I glanced at London. “I’m going back in…”
SEVEN
