by Ruby Wolff
Laughing at the fear in her eyes, he throws her to the floor. Harvey glances at someone off-screen and nods, and the sound cuts out again. Harvey’s mouth continues to move, but we can’t hear anything. He’s deciding what we can and can’t hear, but Alice looks up at the camera.
“Is this recording? Is it?” Vinny asks. He takes a step forward. He’s watching her intently, searching for something. What does he see?
I look closer, not seeing anything. “Vinny?” I shout.
“I taught her Morse code,” he says absently, still watching the screen. “And she got good and fast. I need to rewatch the video to catch it all, but she’s repeating what Harvey’s saying, that the sound only comes on when someone’s in there with her, or when Harvey wants to do something.” He stops as he focuses in on her.
“Vinny, watch the replay on the computer, I’ve got it recorded,” Pike tells him.
Vinny gives him a nod but continues to watch Alice’s fingers tapping her leg. “They didn’t drive long, but she was sedated, so not sure.” He quickly moves to my desk as the sound comes back on.
“Go ahead. Have a look, Angel. Savour your precious queen’s beautiful face. In an hour, she won’t look like this,” Harvey says, walking to the side of the room.
I watch as Joe Taoke walks into the room.
I look over at Warren, fury and a demand for something to be done sears him, making him jump to fulfil my silent commands.
“I’m on it,” he says and runs out the room. He knows what needs to be done without me telling him.
The Taoke family, the family I stopped from selling drugs in London. Then they tried to start a human trafficking ring in London, selling women to the highest bidder. We put a stop to that within a week. I know without asking that Warren’s left to get one of Joe’s sons. I don’t care which one he brings back, but that one will be sent back in a body bag.
I take a quick look over at Vinny who’s still watching the screen to see what else Alice can tell him. As I look back over at the screen, I see Harvey stalk over to the desk. Before he sits down, he looks up at the camera with that same fucking smug look on his face that he always wears. Heat races through my veins. I’m going to fucking burn that looks off his face.
I tear my eyes away from him and back to Alice as Joe starts taking his jacket off. I see her standing her ground, showing him no fear and, at that moment, I don’t know if I’m more proud of her or more worried.
“I want you to beg,” Joe tells Alice, and she starts laughing.
“You can hurt me, but I won’t beg, and I won’t scream,” Alice takes a step closer to him, “but one thing I do promise, Angel will hurt you in ways that'll make your nightmares look like fucking heaven,” Alice says then punches him in the face, not once, but twice.
Joe wipes the blood from his lip and glares at Alice. His hand snaps outs and grabs a handful of her hair, pulling it hard before letting loose the first blow. The punch to the face slams into her jaw, making Alice stumble a step back. She struggles to regain her balance as quickly as possible, then glares at him.
My body becomes steel as I watch, my heart pounding so hard I can hear the thudding in my ears. The thought of Alice getting beat up ignites every fibre in my body, the contractions so tight they're fucking burning white-hot with the tension.
Vinny and Pike’s voices somehow reach my ears over the thudding, and I snap my gaze over to them. Vinny's on the phone, probably with Ben, hopefully telling him something that'll tell us where Alice is. She told him something through Morse code. Will it be enough? Can Ben possibly find something? Anything?
Shaking my head at how little progress we’re making when Alice is in such danger, I turn back to the screen when I hear Alice coughing, taking a punch to the stomach this time. She falls to the floor, and I feel the pain along with her, but she slowly gets back up.
"Come on, princess, beg me to stop," Joe says, trying to provoke her.
Alice looks up at the camera for a moment then back to Joe. In the short time I've known Alice, I've learned that she’s a fighter and isn’t about to take things lying down. Pride swells in me, right alongside the fear that it won’t be enough.
My body flinches as Joe strikes Alice in the face, hard enough to knock her back to the floor. She doesn't get back up, letting me know he truly hurt her this time, and stirring my fury at this man even more. Light glints off something and I take a step closer to the screen, realising I missed something. I catch sight of the gold around the bastard’s knuckles, and I’m filled with disgust. He can't even beat up my queen without help.
Alice tries to get back up but stops when Joe kicks her in the stomach. She groans in pain, and I know that hit did real damage. I take a deep breath and turn to face my dad as he storms up to me.
"Found him,” he says in a rush. “Craig's on his way with a team to get him."
Not saying a word to anyone, I watch Joe kicking Alice over and over again and feel my knuckles grind together as rage fills me. I can see her getting weaker by the second. She's barely moving now; he won’t stop even for a moment to let her catch her breath back. I jolt forward as Joe kicks her in the face. Taking a step back from her, he looks over his shoulder at Harvey who's laughing his fucking head off.
I punch the wall, my blood boiling to the point that I don't know what to do. The moment Joe’s son's brought to me, I’ll make sure he never breaths again.
Only a few steps away from the screen, my beautiful Alice just lies there. She hasn't moved, and fear strangles me. Alice has taken a horrible beating from Joe. I don't think there’s a part of her body he didn’t hit. My stomach turns, desperately wishing I could take away her pain—protect her as I should have.
Joe stands above her and stares down at Alice. "Angel Frost thought he was untouchable, and maybe he used to be, but not anymore. When the king finds a queen, it only makes him weaker." Joe stops glaring at her and starts laughing. "You kill a king by hurting his queen," he shouts before moving to sit on top of her. His hands curl around her neck.
My hands ball up to the point my nails are digging into my palms. As I’m forced to watch Alice attempt to fight him off, her hands slapping his arms, I come to the sickening realisation that he's too strong for her.
I’m ripping apart as I can do nothing but stand here and watch my queen take the pain that’s meant for me. I swear I'll find out every name who has put a bid in to hurt Alice, and I'm going to kill every single one of them with my bare hands as soon as I get her back.
My heart falls the second Alice's hands drop to the floor.
Come on, Alice, don't lose now.
My world’s lying lifeless on the floor, and my body feels as if I'm being stabbed with needle after needle as I stare at her, begging her to move. This isn’t how it's meant to happen. This can’t be how I lose the love of my life.
"Get the fuck off her!" Harvey shouts as he kicks Joe off her. "The rules were hurt her, not fucking kill her!” He snaps his fingers, and the guy at the table walks over to Alice to see if she’s okay. He looks up and gives a nod that she’s at least still alive then walks away back to the screen, and the sound is off again.
No longer able to bear watching, I walk away from the screen and look out the window to the empty bar. Taking the lit cigarette off Pike, I wait for the sound to come back on and plan all the ways I'll make them pay for hurting her. It’s destroying me to only be able to stand here and watch Alice lying on the floor, knowing there’s nothing I can do to protect her. Everyone in the office stays quiet, but I’m not sure if it's because they don't know what to say, or are too scared to say anything.
Inhaling one long drag of smoke, I let it settle in my lungs, closing my eyes as the smoke escapes through my nose. "I should’ve stayed away, I should’ve killed my enemies before I got Alice into all this.” I turn to Pike. "Before the Midlands wanted her, they would’ve done what they wanted to her, but being with me has put her on a dozen hit lists. Too many for me—"
"
Angel, maybe you’re right that you should’ve stayed away from her, but you didn't. You tried and you couldn't, but right now, no one here wants to listen to your self-pity."
I shake my head and try to bury the anger his words inspired. If anyone's going to tell me as it is, it'll be Pike.
"Alice is about to get more of what has just happened to her, so how about you grow some fucking balls and watch what’s happening so you can make sure every single person who touches her gets one hundred per cent more. You go out and kill families, make sure they all know why no one messes with the Frost family." Pike starts to get louder, making sure I can hear what he’s saying.
As much as I want to be that man, be the man they all fear, I can't bring myself to do it when I know Alice is hurting. Turning around, I see all my family staring at me, waiting for me to say something to them. My shoulders fall. I don't have anything to say. I feel utterly broken by my failure to protect Alice.
I walk back over to the screen and see Harvey talking to the guy at the laptop.
"Angel, I thought you’d like to hear the good news. Your girl's a big hit, and the bidding's getting out of control." Harvey looks up at the camera as I take a quick glance at the names appearing on the side of the screen. “But, I think she’s had enough for today. Or…” He starts walking over to the camera, slowly taking his jacket off, "I really want to taste what Angel loves so much."
My eyes lock with his as a volcano of rage explodes within me. "Everyone, get the fuck out of my office," I say through gritted teeth. As I watch Harvey walk back to the desk, place his jacket on the table, and unbuckle his belt, all I want to do is put a bullet in the screen. It's the closest I can get to him, and that thought only infuriates me even more.
The moment he stands over her, my head drops as my hands ball into fists. There's nothing I can do to help her, nothing to stop what's about to happen. Helpless. I feel fucking helpless.
I hear Harvey grunt, and my heart hits my ribcage so hard I fear it might burst. The fury running through me is nearly unbearable.
“I can see why Angel kept you,” I hear Harvey say, forcing me to look up at the screen to see him on top of her. I turn around as my teeth grind together. As I hear him moaning, saying things to her, how beautiful she is, how he won’t let anyone else touch her… I want to fucking hit something, anything! I feel sick as he says her name.
I swallow the fiery anger. I can feel the fire growing in my stomach, desperate to escape like a dragon. I want to burn the bastard for touching my queen.
“Oh, I’m going to enjoy taking you every day,” he says.
I turn around to see Harvey pulling his trousers back up. He looks over at the camera and sneers. “Don’t worry, Angel, I won’t let you miss anything.” He laughs as I watch Alice lying on the floor, unable to move or fight any longer.
My eyes move as Harvey walks over to the desk and takes something out of his pocket. I know what he’s about to do, something that'll make Alice remember him every time she looks in the mirror, and my vision goes red.
“I know they’ve told you how I like to mark my girls.” He pulls Alice’s top-up, dips his finger in the oil, and marks the side of her stomach with an H. Then he flicks on his lighter. Alice screams as he puts the flame to her skin. Harvey pulls away and pats the flame as Alice cries again. I have to balance myself against the table. That sound will never escape me. The sound of her screaming will echo in my ears until I die. “She’s mine now,” Harvey says as he looks up at the camera on his way out of the room.
I stare at the screen as Alice lies on the floor, digging my phone out of my pocket. I call one person I know will do something that I never could or would do. "I need your help." Four words I never thought I’d say to this person. Everything they do is everything the Frost family will never do.
"Give me a few days." With that said, the line goes dead.
Harvey’s words echo in my mind and fire ignites in my core. If he thinks marking her and letting his men defile her makes a goddamn difference to how much I love her, he’s so fucking wrong. Alice will never be his, no matter what he does to her or allows someone else to do to her. Nothing will change that fact that she's mine, and always will be.
I’m the one who loves her, who holds her love. He may see that as my biggest weakness, but he has no fucking clue. Alice is strong. She’ll survive until I get to her, and then I’ll make everyone involved pay for what they’ve done to her. Harvey thinks I’m weak because I love Alice? He won’t think that when I’m fucking done with him.
Leaning back in my chair for a moment, I pull in a deep breath, steadying myself before I leave to meet everyone who I know won’t leave the bar until we have Alice. It does little to calm me, but it clears my head. Pushing up from the chair, I stalk to the door and open it, letting everyone know they can come back in.
"He's marked her," I tell them as I fill my glass with whiskey. The anger inside me is at a tipping point, and I just need to kill someone, fucking anyone at the moment.
I hear them all chatting behind me, but the only thing I can hear in my ears is the sound of Harvey touching Alice. She meant what she said and didn't scream, didn't beg, but I could feel everything right along with her.
"Where is he?" my dad asks.
"He left. Said the next round of bidding will end soon. Do we have any idea where she is?" I ask, not looking at any of them as I refill my glass.
"I told Ben how far they drove, so he's looking at the Midlands properties around that distance from here,” Pike tells me. “The Midlands are fighting. Still don't know where John is, but we have the list already that helped Harvey chase Alice, and I'm noting every name that appears on the screen.”
I give him a small nod, not trusting myself enough to speak.
"I'm going to talk to Ronnie,” my dad says as he walks towards the door. “I'm taking Warren with me so he can report back while I go see Gwen and Ellie and let them know what’s happening." He stops when I turn my head to face him. "I’ll make sure none of the guards are around.”
I don't say anything and just sit at the desk. My eyes lock back onto the screen, on Alice lying on the floor. There’s nothing more I can do, nothing but watch her in pain, watch her be bid on.
Chapter 9
Alice
Two days. Two days of people eager to hurt Angel through me. Two days of Harvey taking me, violently, and with no regrets. He always comes for me after the beating, when I have nothing left in me to fight with. I wish my body were as numb as my mind. I can barely think rationally anymore. The pain never leaves me. The fact that I've barely eaten in the past two days has only made it harder to fight back.
Angel must be turning every stone in the whole of England looking for me. I have no doubt that he won't stop until he finds me. I also know that every man who touches me will die at his hand, and that knowledge gives me strength. It's the only source of comfort I have left in this horrid place. Once Angel saves me, he won't let these people ever hurt me again. I can only plead for him to find me before there's nothing left of me to rescue.
I stare at the cracked white ceiling as my head throbs so badly my vision blurs. I can't sleep. As soon as I close my eyes, all I hear and see is Harvey. His vicious hands around my neck, holding strong until he knows I'm at the last of my breath. He only stops short of killing me so he can torture me again the next time, so he can take his revenge on Angel. Knowing that everything he does to me is killing Angel just as surely as it is me, is worse than the abuse.
Tears pool in my eyes as I try not to think of how our love has given these vile men a way to tear Angel apart.
Chapter 10
Angel
I've sat here and watched families hurt Alice, watched Harvey take her, and I’m still nowhere closer to finding her.
I’ve never felt so hopeless in my life. I've always been able to fight for what I want, always been able to put enough fear in people for them to never cross me, but for the first time in my life, the famil
ies don't care who I am. They don't care what I'll do to them. They have the only thing I care about. My queen.
Alice saw a part of my soul I hid from others; she sees the other side of me; she’s been the only one who has ever made me feel alive; she’s the beating of my heart. All I want to do is hold her, tell her she's not alone, that I'm there with her. I'm there hurting, just like her.
These past few days, the darkness around me without her is haunting. The loneliness is crippling my thoughts. Every time I watch her breathe, my lungs struggle with her.
Alice made me strong; she made me vibrant. Now, I'm broken.
We have an idea where John's hiding. Ronnie's asking anyone he thinks will help me, but still no luck. Ben's going back and forth with the Midlands, but Vinny and Stuart have told him to calm down before they start thinking something's happening.
Vinny hasn't left the bar—that man needs to sleep. Even Drew has come to talk to him, but it's not getting anywhere.
I stare at Alice lying in the middle of the floor. I have no idea how my girl's fighting and still breathing with everything she’s had to take in the last few days. She's a fighter.
"Vinny," she says, her voice low. I look over at him as he takes a step closer to the screen. "I don't know if you can hear this, but if you can, this isn't your fault. Please don't blame yourself. You protected me. You did the best you could.” Alice stops for a moment. I can tell that it's taking a lot for her to talk at the moment. "I just wanted to say thank you. Thank you for putting your life on hold to protect me. Thank you for being there when I needed you. Now, I want you to do me a favour."
