by Emily Rose
“Great. You can come help me then,” She said.
Glancing sideways at Lucas, I could see that he was watching me and the road. I looked away and tried to settle my heart as I spoke. “Help you with what?” I asked.
“Um, paint. I need you to help me paint,” she said quickly, like it was the first thing that popped into her head, which instantly gave me the wrong vibes.
“I don’t think that’s a good idea,” I said.
“Why? Because of the other night?” She asked.
Surprised, I couldn’t respond. So she did know it happened, but still, she didn’t seem all that surprised or scared over the idea that someone had literally died and tried to kidnap me. At this thought, I couldn’t decide if I should panic even more or be more chill like she was.
“Lesley?” Lila questioned.
“I’m still here. I just… I didn’t know you knew about the other night,” I said honestly.
She laughed once, “Of course I did, but does that mean I’m going to stop living my life just because I have a crazy ass brother out there that’s trying to destroy it? No. I won’t. Kevin can seriously fuck off. I know he’s my brother, but he’s been crazy since he was a little boy. I tried to keep you out of all of this, but clearly, that didn’t work. So it’s whatever. Can you help me or not?” she asked.
I couldn’t keep up with her emotions right now. They were all over the place, but as I closed my eyes, I spoke. “Sure, ok,” I said.
“Great. Just come over to the house,” she said and then hung up without even saying bye first.
Pulling the phone away, I looked down at it for the longest moment before I spoke to Lucas, “Lila asked me to help her paint. Something’s wrong. I can feel it,” I said as the panic started to sit in.
“What do you want to do?” Lucas said with a bit of frustration lacing his tone.
I met his gaze. “This is Lila. If she’s in trouble, I need to help her.”
Lucas didn’t respond and shifted the Mustang into a higher gear, taking us towards Lila’s house without another word.
I should have felt guilty for putting him in this position, but it was washed away by the utter worry that I felt. Something was completely off about all of this. Lila didn’t sound like her normal self and that concerned me more than anything right now.
At that moment, my heart started racing faster and adrenaline pumped through my veins.
But I forced my mouth to stay closed.
When we finally pulled down her alleyway, the first thing I noticed was that Miles’ car and Dare’s Jeep wasn’t there, but Lila’s car and one I hadn’t seen before was. The new one was a slick black SUV of some kind and the windows were so dark that you couldn’t even see inside the damn thing.
“Who’s that?” Lucas asked as he eased to a stop beside the SUV.
With my heart in my throat and my hands trembling with worry, I spoke. “I... I don’t know,” I said before I grabbed the door handle and stepped out.
Lucas cut the engine and stepped out, following me toward the front door. Lifting my hand, I decided to knock this time instead of just walking inside and that was when I heard Lila’s voice from the other side.
“Come in,” she called.
I met Lucas’ gaze and the look in his eyes expressed what I felt, but I forced it aside and grabbed the doorknob. Taking a deep breath, I turned it until it creaked open and then stepped inside the house with Lucas behind me. We had literally made it two feet into the house before I heard a click and then his voice echoed through my head.
“Close the door and don’t move another fucking muscle,” Kevin said.
Fear shot through me as I took in the scene in front of me. The first person I noticed was my very own stepmother. She sat next to Lila on the couch with her hands clasped tight in her lap and tears glistened in her eyes, while Lucas stood behind me with what I saw was a gun pointed directly at his head by Kevin, who wore a black mask. Only this mask wasn’t like the one I had seen the other guys wearing.
Instead, it was a skull. It covered his entire face, so that I couldn’t discern any of his features, even the eyes were blacked out by a thin material. The mask was white with black cracks all over it like you’d imagine an actual skull to look like. On the mouth, I could see the regular skull teeth on one side, but the other side looked as if someone had clawed it, leaving thick scars down the face and revealing more of the mouth.
Lucas stood frozen with his hands in the air and Lila looked as if she was fearing for more than her life. My eyes darted away from Kevin to another person who leaned against the doorframe directly in front of me with his arms crossed.
He was dressed in a fancy black suit and tie with shiny black shoes. He had the sleeves of the shirt pushed up to his elbows, so that I could see the several tattoos he had on his arms and his jet-black hair was smoothed back.
He was also tall and muscular, but he was older than me by several years. It wasn’t any of these features that frightened me the most though. It was the man’s eyes.
Framed with dark, thick lashes, he had one blue and one green eye. They blazed into me with so much rage that I felt it straight into my core.
And then he spoke.
“Hi Lesley. My name is Marcus Cross. Lila, Kevin, and Dare are my kids and you, well, you are just a real fucking pain in my ass,” he said in a deep, deadly calm voice that reminded me so much of Miles.
I had never truly felt fear until this moment. It coursed through my blood like a poison, blackening my organs as they screamed for a cure.
“Please, don’t hurt her. You promised me that if I gave you what you wanted, you wouldn’t hurt her,” Kelly cried from where she sat completely still on the couch.
My heart was racing, and I couldn’t speak. All I could do was stare into the eyes of this deadly man in front of me who had the exact same eyes as someone else, someone that could ignite my body in an entirely different way.
Marcus pushed off the wall and took one step toward me before Lucas spoke from where he stood behind me.
“I swear if you touch her…” he began, but that was as far as he got before Kevin slammed the butt of his gun into Lucas’ head, knocking him straight to the ground.
“Shut the fuck up,” Kevin said.
Lucas grabbed his head in pain, but I couldn’t even look away from Marcus long enough to check on him.
When Marcus got within a foot of me, I was forced to lift my gaze to keep it on him. My body started trembling as I stared into his burning gaze. It wasn’t until he stood this close to me that I smelled him. Like a mix of ashes, death, and mint. Without taking his gaze off of me, he slowly reached down with one hand and dug into my pocket.
My body screamed at me to move, to push him away, to keep him from touching me, but I was frozen solid. I wasn’t even sure if my heart was still beating.
After a second or two, Marcus pulled my phone free and then brought it up until it was the only thing between our bodies. I half expected him to say something right then, but instead, he leaned forward until his mouth was right next to my ear, so that I could feel his warm breath hit me, sending an unwanted shiver down my spine.
“Kelly is right. I gave her my word that I wouldn’t hurt you,” he whispered before I felt his free hand reach up to gently push my hair behind my ear.
My stomach twisted and I wanted to jerk away from him, but I couldn’t. All I could do was stand there and listen to him continue speaking in my ear.
“I just need you here for the moment and as long as you behave, you and your boyfriend will survive this just fine,” he finished.
Tears picked at the corner of my eyes and I swallowed the thick fear that had formed in my throat, because suddenly, all of this made sense. Kelly, Lila, and I were bait. This was a trap.
Marcus didn’t really want any of us. He wanted Miles and I had walked right into his trap, making this so easy for him. I tried not to think about what Marcus would do to Miles once he had him, but I co
uldn’t stop myself.
I pictured the worst things any human could possibly picture and the urge to protect Miles hit me stronger than it ever had before.
That was when my voice broke free.
“You are sick,” I said firmly, even as the tears slowly slid down my cheeks and my body trembled from the tumultuous emotions I was experiencing.
I had barely spoken the words when Marcus suddenly moved. He was like a damn ghost, so quick that I didn’t even have time to register it. His hand grabbed a handful of my hair and he yanked my head back so hard that I felt my neck pop. Pain erupted through me and I cried out as he backed us up until my back slammed into the door behind me.
“Lesley,” Lucas called, but Kevin silenced him again.
“Marcus!” Lila cried, but she was also ignored.
Marcus pressed his body so close to mine that I couldn’t break free, even if I tried and then spoke directly into my ear. “I would be very careful with what you say next,” he said.
My breathing came quick and my heart raced. Tears fell down my face and I tried to sound brave when I spoke again. “You won’t get away with this,” I said.
“Lesley, please just stop. Do what he says and this will be over,” Kelly begged, and I didn’t have to see her face to know that she was also crying.
Marcus groaned in annoyance and then released me before he turned quickly on Lucas.
Kevin seemed to get the cue, because he grabbed Lucas, locking his arms behind him and forcing him to the ground where he struggled to break free.
With my heart in my throat, I watched Marcus kneel beside Luke and take the knife the masked man held out to him before placing it directly onto Luke’s chest, right over his heart.
And then he pushed down slowly. The knife cut through Luke’s shirt and then I heard his scream as pain erupted throughout his body. Blood poured from the fresh wound and Lila cried in desperation for Marcus to stop.
Tears filled my eyes and I shot forward, but then stopped as I numbly spoke the next words, “Stop! Please, stop hurting him! I will listen. Just please stop,” I begged.
Marcus stopped pushing on the knife and met my gaze as Lucas sucked in a deep breath, trying to fight through the pain.
“That’s much better,” he said with a wicked grin on his face and then he stood up, spinning the knife around his finger as he leaned causally against the wall, “Now if we can all just get along for a few more minutes, I’ll be on my way,” he said.
As I stood there with my heart pounding in my chest, I realized that there was a reason Dare wasn’t here at this very moment.
And it had everything to do with Miles.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
Lesley
This was wrong.
It felt like betrayal, but at the same time, I could see Luke as he laid on the ground with blood staining his shirt from the wound Marcus had inflicted and the betrayal faded into pure confusion.
I was stuck between a rock and a hard place, unable to move in either direction without causing harm to someone.
And I hated it.
I hated Marcus.
I hadn’t been around this man for more than an hour and I already despised the cold, empty heart that beat within his chest.
Marcus sighed heavily and then checked the time on his wristwatch. “It should be any minute now,” he said before glancing around the room as if he were thoroughly enjoying the fear he had put in everyone’s gazes.
Before I could even think about what to do next, I heard the door open and looked over quickly to first see Dare.
He walked inside and met my gaze. I could see the anger, but behind it, I saw guilt. He pulled his eyes away from me and then stepped aside, like he was waiting on something.
And then I saw him.
My heart fluttered as I took Miles in. He was dressed in his usual black hoodie and dark jeans with boots. The hood wasn’t pulled over his head this time, so I could see the way his jet-black hair looked a bit messy, curling over his forehead in silky strands. He also had his hands up in a defensive gesture.
My gaze shifted between him and Dare before I spoke, “Dare, what did you do?” I asked with my voice trembling.
He looked up, and nodded morosely. “I’m sorry, Lesley. I didn’t have a choice.”
I looked away from him as my fear turned into anger and spoke, “Miles, don’t do this.”
He glanced over his shoulder for a split second and our eyes locked. Like any other time I tried to figure out what was running through his head, his emotions were locked away. I didn’t even have time to register that fact before Kevin walked toward him.
With his boot, he kicked the back of Miles’ legs, so that he was forced to his knees and then Kevin yanked his arms behind his back, using a rope he pulled out of his back pocket to tie Miles’ wrists together.
I couldn’t take this. I stepped forward. “What are you going to do to him?” I asked as the panic started flowing through me quicker than I was able to process it.
Miles didn’t even flinch or look in my direction as Kevin tightened the rope until I literally saw it cut into Miles’ skin before he looked at me.
“We will take good care of him,” Kevin said, and even though I couldn’t see his face, I knew he wore a wicked smile just by the sound of his voice.
Fear coursed through me and I glanced between Miles and everyone else, but no one said a word or acted as if they were going to try to stop this madness. My eyes landed on Luke, but he was in pain and had rolled onto his side, holding his chest with his hand, unable to do much of anything.
And then I looked toward Marcus. He wasn’t watching me, but instead, he was looking directly at Miles.
Slowly, he filled the distance between them and kneeled until his gaze was level with Miles’, who finally lifted his gaze enough to meet Marcus’.
“Do you know who I am?” he asked.
Miles didn’t respond or look away.
“I have been looking for you for a very long time. I thought I had you back at the warehouse, but you somehow managed to get away,” Marcus went on, ignoring whatever look Miles was giving him.
I stood frozen in fear as I watched Marcus lift his hand and place it on Miles’ shoulder before he spoke once more.
“You killed two of my men back at Owen’s place and then you killed two more just the other night,” he said and then took a deep breath before he continued, “From the moment I found out Kelly slept with my brother and had a son, I knew you would be trouble for me and I just couldn’t let that happen. Luckily for Kelly, Dare agreed to work for me and help track you down, in return I agreed to let her live her life. I also agreed to leave Lesley and Lila out of this mess just as an added bonus. Dare almost fucked up when he betrayed me by going to that idiot Jared, but I decided to let that one slide since Dare has been a very useful worker, but then I found out he tried to keep your whereabouts a secret from me and well, if it weren’t for the fact that I really wanted to get to you, Dare would be dead right now. So once again, he turned out useful and lucky for him, you are much more valuable to me and now that I have you, he will be granted clemency,” Marcus paused and then smirked as if his next thought were amusing to him, “Well actually, everyone in this room will be free now that I have you,” he finished.
My eyes jerked between them, but again, Miles didn’t say a single word. A shiver ran down my spine at the thought of seeing the look he had in his eyes right now. There was no telling what all it would say at this very moment.
“Nothing to say now I assume?” Marcus asked.
Miles’ shoulders lifted in a deep inhale, but again, he didn’t say anything.
Marcus grinned wickedly. “I didn’t think so.”
I couldn’t believe what I was witnessing. This family was so fucked up that it was like being in a nightmare and I was directly in the middle of it all.
And so was Luke.
I silently thanked all the gods above that Noah had decided to take his ow
n car today, so that he wasn’t in this mess with us. I couldn’t bare the thought of what they would do to him. It made me sick to my stomach.
This whole thing made me sick.
Standing up, Marcus looked down at Luke who was still groaning in pain on the ground, completely unaware of what was happening around him. “Did I say everyone in this room will be granted freedom?” Marcus took a deep breath like he was frustrated over the fact that Luke was even here right now, “I meant everyone except this idiot. I haven’t really decided yet. I can’t let him go considering he’s heard everything, and he’s seen my face, but I don’t know if I want to kill him or not,” he said.
My voice broke out before I had a chance to stop it, “Don’t touch him. You got what you wanted. Leave him alone,” I said with as much braveness as I could pull out of my trembling frame.
Marcus turned his gaze on me and studied me for a moment before he spoke. “It’s funny that you say that, because I could have sworn I saw a spark in your eyes when you saw Miles. If I’m not mistaken, I think you have caught feelings for your stepbrother, Lesley,” he said.
I swallowed hard at his words and glanced at Miles, but he wouldn’t return my gaze and he didn’t say anything. I could still see the side of his face and that was enough for me to see the way his jaw started ticking, like he was forcing himself to stay quiet.
“And there it is again,” Marcus said with a laugh as he glanced between me and Miles.
My voice froze, because there was nothing I could say at this point. I had no idea what to even say. I was stuck between fear, panic, truth, and lie.
“If I was you though, I would run. Run as fast and as hard as your tiny little heart can go, because you don’t want to catch feelings for a Cross man. Trust me. Isn’t that right, Kelly?” Marcus said and looked at my stepmother, who hadn’t lifted her gaze from the floor long enough to even look at the son she had abandoned and was now handing over to Marcus without so much as a moment of hesitation.
Before I could comment on that, Miles spoke. “You have me. There is no reason to torture anyone else,” he said his voice containing so much barely restrained rage.
