Lily: Captive to the Dark

by Alaska Angelini

  Chapter 16

  Zain

  Seeing the inside of Lily’s penthouse from her point of view left me anxious with impatience. Here I was, in a room I’d seen her walk through a million times, and she wasn’t here. And she wouldn’t be again until I did something to get her back.

  The black leather sofa I rested on did nothing to put me at ease. I needed to get to my father. Put a stop to him before the next shipment of girls went out. If he lied about not having Lily, she’d be there. Another slave ready to ship out. I couldn’t let that happen. I wouldn’t have even brought up Lily’s name to my father if I didn’t have to rule him out and learn more about the deal. I had to see his reaction to her name. His expression. Like usual, nothing. Was it him? Someone else?

  “God dammit. Who could it be?”

  Slade continued to pace the living room with his phone gripped tightly in his fist. He’d had to have gone back and forth at least a hundred times. It left me even more determined to get my strength back. I felt weak next to him and I hated it.

  “I don’t know, but I’m almost positive it isn’t my family.”

  My words did little to comfort him. They did absolutely nothing to comfort me.

  A sniffle was followed by the bedroom door closing. My head lifted just in time to see a blonde woman stop in her tracks. Her eyes were red rimmed and she looked a bit on the pale side.

  “Oh great, you’re back. Did you get the crackers?”

  Slade froze and his mouth parted the slightest amount. “I, ah…” His phone was to his ear before he finished. “Brace. Get the crackers out of the car. Fast.” He smiled apologetically and she groaned.

  “Oh, Slade. You forgot, didn’t you?”

  “Of course not. Come here.” His mouth twisted as he looked at me. I knew he was lying. We’d come straight here after driving around for a good half hour to make sure we weren’t being followed.

  The woman came forward, stopping as her eyes connected with mine. “Oh…I didn’t know we had company.”

  Slade’s arm wrapped around her shoulders, pulling her close. “Honey, I want you to meet Zain. Zain, this is my wife, Mary.”

  I pushed myself forward, starting to rise when she rushed forward.

  “Oh, no, please, stay lying down.” Her hand connected with mine. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Zain.”

  “Pleasure’s mine.” I looked back to Slade, only to return to Mary. “Are you feeling alright?”

  She grinned, but I could see her fatigue. “I’m okay. Just a little under the weather. Morning sickness will do that to you.”

  Pain settled in my chest, but it had nothing to do with the wound from the gunshot. I knew the effects of morning sickness all too well. Lily had been sick pretty badly. Not for long, though. She hadn’t been granted that opportunity. It tore me to pieces. I knew the hardships she would have had to face being young and pregnant, living at my father’s, but the pregnancy had happened and we were a little excited at the thought. Until my uncle. Saul was going to pay for causing Lily to miscarry. I had yet to be able to get my hands on him. He disappeared while I was off on one of my missions. But the time was coming, and he was going wish he’d never put his hands on what was mine.

  “Congratulations,” I said, forcing myself to look at them and seem genuine. It really was great that they were having a child. I knew Slade was the type of man to take care of what was his. He’d made that clear concerning his sister. It still made my loss all too real.

  “Thank you,” she said, smiling even bigger. “Say, are you hungry? Thirsty? If I know my husband, he probably overlooked asking. Slade expects people he’s close to to help themselves.”

  I tried not to smile at the jab. She was joking, I could see that not only in her expression, but on Slade’s as he leaned down and kissed her head.

  “My wife is right. Where are my manners? Would you like something to eat or drink?”

  Food. Fuck, I was starving. I couldn’t remember the last meal I’d really eaten. The hospital didn’t count. I barely touched what they gave me, more as a precaution than anything. Poisoning my food was something I didn’t put past my father. He knew I killed my uncles. I could feel it from the cold shoulder I’d been given over the last few days.

  “Actually, there’s a deli on the corner. I think I might try to walk over there and get a sandwich or something. I wouldn’t want the smell of anything to affect your wife.”

  “Sounds like you’ve been through this before,” Slade said, laughing, only to sober almost instantly. His shoulders got wider as he stood taller. Something passed behind his eyes, but he shook his head, as if to dismiss it. “I’ll get one of my men to grab you something. I don’t want you out there just yet. A few more days and you’ll be good on your feet.”

  I pushed to stand. “I’m good now. I should really be moving around. That’ll help more than anything. Been through this before. Not in the chest, but other places.”

  Mary’s eyes widened. “You’ve been shot before?”

  How she knew that’s what had happened was beyond me. My guess was Slade.

  “Three times, not including this one. One in the arm, the shoulder, and leg.”

  “At the same time or on three different occasions?”

  The fear behind her question was real. She was afraid of me and what I’d bring on them. And she had good reason. I shouldn’t be here.

  “Two different occasions.” I hesitated. “The world I lived in isn’t like this. That’s why I left.” My stare went to Slade, as if to drive the point home. “I’m going to go get something to eat. Then I should probably be heading out.”

  “Eat, yes. But I can’t let you leave. My sister would want you here. Think about that.” He stepped back from Mary as I slowly slid on my shoes. Damn, I wasn’t going to bounce back from this like I had the others. My ribs ached and I knew they’d cracked a few with the chest compressions. Not to mention, my arm was still sore from Lily catching the back of my elbow. Pain meds. That’s what I needed. Whatever I was given in the hospital had long since worn off.

  Slade walked me to the door, pushing my wallet into my hand. I didn’t want to know how he’d gotten it. “Don’t do anything stupid, Zain. Food, and then you come back. My sister doesn’t need anything else to worry about. If she’s able to call back, I want you here.”

  All I could do was nod. He was right in that regard. I needed to talk to Lily.

  “I’ll be right back.” I opened the door, meeting Marcio head on. His narrowed expression eased and he reached into his jacket, pulling a gun out. My heart jumped and the memory of the explosion rang out in my ears, leaving my chest cramping.

  “You might want this.” His hand lifted and the anxieties lessoned the moment I gripped the handle.

  “Thank you.”

  “Been there,” he said, under his breath. “So, where are we going?”

  Slade stepped out into the entrance with us, shutting the door behind him. “Deli on the corner and right back,” he said, taking over. “Then, we come up with a plan to settle things with his family once and for all.”

  Our eyes met and the pull I felt toward him grew. Somehow, he understood me more than I could process, and I liked that. Tonight, I’d end things and find out if they had Lily. It was time to wipe my slate clean of everything bad from my past.

  My hand gripped the gun tighter just before I lifted my shirt and placed it against my hip.

  “Holy shit.” Slade reached out, pulling the material up just past my belly button. It took everything I had not to reach out and crush his wrist. “What the fuck are all those scars from?”

  I ripped the shirt down. Even all the tattoos I had covering my stomach, chest, and back, couldn’t hide what my father had had done to me. The scars from the whip had been deep and covered from below my neck, down to my knees.

  “Punishments throughout life, Slade. Most from before I turned fifteen. After that, no one would get near me if they valued their life. It was exactly wh
at my father had intended when he started my training. The killer he created will soon be the executioner he’ll face. And I look forward to it.”

  The room grew silent, only to be disrupted by the ding of the elevator. Brace stepped out, pausing as he looked at us.

  “Great. Thanks, Brace.” Slade strode forward, as if we hadn’t just discussed the pain of my past. The powerful strides had him getting to his guard and taking the crackers in three steps. When he turned and met my eyes, understanding was there. And so was anger. Maybe we did share something I wasn’t aware of. Had he gone through something similar with his father? Had he at least been on bad terms with him?

  I walked forward, relaxing at the weight in my waistband. Marcio stepped in behind me as we nodded to Lily’s brother and got on the elevator. The moment the doors closed, he looked over, shaking his head.

  “I knew you were dangerous the first time I met you. You can’t hide that sort of energy. It follows you around like an invisible mass. Only people similar to you can feel the threat. I felt it when we met as far back as that party.”

  My head nodded as he pressed the lobby button. “Like for like, I suppose. I felt it from you, too.”

  “So, you’re gonna kill your dad? Is that plan?”

  The way my skin crawled had me rotating my neck. I reached my palm up to run over it, easing the tension as my fingers gripped the side of my throat.

  “He doesn’t deserve to live after what he’s done. If I don’t stop him, a lot of girls are going to suffer and probably die. I made a vow to Lily and I have every intention of following through.”

  A deep exhale was followed by him clenching his jaw. “I know Boss is already going to put out the order, but I’m with you, regardless. Nothing would give me more pleasure than putting a stop to operations like the one that took Lily. I…watched her grow. She was such a sweet girl before she was taken. When she came back…” his head shook. “It’s like I didn’t even know her. I’m not sure the horrors she lived through, but it left its mark on who she was. No one should have the power to ruin a person that way. If it hadn’t of been for you, or Lily’s spirit, she’d have been worse. I’m glad you were there to protect her.”

  My stomach turned and flashes of our lives together nearly made me sick. Two people, confined to a room almost all day and night to escape the cruelty behind my door was almost suffocating. But there were times I couldn’t save her and those were usually when I wasn’t there. My Lily’s heart was too big. A girl in need had her facing her fears…and ultimately paying a price she couldn’t handle on the inside…like our child’s life. She was never the same after that.

  “When Lily is returned…” Not if, but when, I made myself say, “I’ll be heading back to my father’s home. I have uncles there who need to pay just as much. I need you to make sure she’s kept safe.”

  The doors opened, but neither of us moved. Our eyes locked and his head gave a quick jerk down. “On my life. I will make sure she never gets hurt again.”

  “Me, too,” I said under my breath. And I would. Lily was never going to have to worry about another thing again. Once I eliminated the immediate threats, no one with ill intentions would ever dare think about coming near her again. I’d be there if they did.

  Chapter 17

  Lily

  “Go on. Hold on to her arm, you know you want to.”

  A tear streamed down my face as I looked between the wooden arm of the chair where I was tied to Alec’s pale face. He’d lost so much blood already. I couldn’t stop my heart from breaking at seeing the torture he was going through before me. I wanted nothing more than to comfort him with words, but with my mouth gagged with cloth, all I could do was plead with my eyes for forgiveness. If he wouldn’t have become involved with me, if he wouldn’t have been nice to me, maybe this wouldn’t have happened.

  “Go ahead, scar her up a bit more. She doesn’t mind, do you Lily?”

  “Uh-uh,” I tried to say. My head shook impatiently as I looked at Alec. Really, I didn’t care. If he could use me to ease his suffering, I’d take whatever damage was caused. It would help the guilt I knew would follow.

  “You have to stop this, Jonathon. You have to—”

  A scream echoed through the room and blood rushed out at the slice across Alec’s upper chest. I jerked against the rope restraining me, screaming. Not from fear, more a silent threat. Alec didn’t deserve this.

  “You’re going to tell me what to do? After you turned your back on your family,” he exploded. “You’re a Brighton, Alec. This cunt ruined everything. She killed our father and brother, and you try to date her? To fuck her!” His eyes widened as he looked down at Alec’s wound. It drove his hand up again, causing Alec’s forearm to shoot off the table he was bound to. Only a few inches gave way before the hemp caught and his body jerked.

  “Let her go. Lily didn’t do anything wrong. She’s paid for what she’s done.”

  “Two months in a mental health facility for murder? That’s a slap in the face and you know it.”

  Jonathon’s eyes lifted to mine. It was like I was staring at Jordan all over again. Only…a younger version. They almost looked like twins. From their same perfect, thin noses, to their full lips. Even Jonathon’s hair was cut short like Jordan’s had been.

  “You took what was rightfully ours. Brighton Corp should have been left to us! We should have been taken care of, but were we? No,” he said between clenched teeth. “Your brother bought out what my father worked his whole life building. All for what? To sell it off piece by fucking piece?”

  Jonathon’s large frame flew around the table and I moved back and forth against the chair, wishing I could run. I’d never been afraid to hold my own, but not being able to protect myself was the worst. Another beating was coming and there was nothing I could do about it.

  “Do you know what you’ve done?” he roared. Pressure tightened around my throat as his fingers grasped onto my neck tightly. “You ruined our lives! You turned my mother into an alcoholic whore who’s looking to marry herself off to anyone who will take care of her. My sister, her reputation is destroyed because of what you exposed. No one wants to date the daughter of a criminal.”

  A gargling sound came from deep within as I fought for air. Darkness edged in while I tried my best to thrash.

  “You’re going to die before this is over with, Lily. Both you, and my traitor brother. And you know what?” he asked, forcing my stare to meet his. “There’s nothing you can do about it. If you think you’ll be saved, you’re wrong. No one will find you here. And they’ll never know it was me. As for Alec, there’s a chance the suspicion might lead back to him due to his disappearance. That’ll depend on my big surprise, of course. I guess we’ll find out soon enough.”

  The grip on my face loosened just in time for him to remove it and follow through with a hard slap to my cheek. The force sent my head spinning to the side. Blinding pain left me trying to curl into myself, no matter how hard I fought it. I’d been here before. Saul used to beat me every chance he got.

  “Oh, how much fun it is watching you suffer. Now, grab her fucking arm,” he yelled at Alec, turning away from me. With a quick movement, he reached toward his brother’s fighting body, only to pull his hand toward mine. “Leave it here or else I’ll cut it off.”

  My wrist tried to rotate and we somehow managed to clasp to each other’s fingers. A sound was muffled through my gag as Jonathan walked around and picked the knife back up. His gaze stayed fixed on my and Alec’s connection. In one swift downward motion, he buried the blade in what looked to be his brother’s shoulder. An agonizing cry had my chest wracking with heavy sobs. Not just from seeing Alec suffer, but because of the crushing grip he had on my fingers. The combination left my walls crumbling.

  “I said to grab her fucking arm, not to hold her hand. God dammit. Does she mean so much that even now, facing death, you’d try to comfort her? Let go.” The last word was barely audible through his anger. The pure malice
from what he was seeing between us was evident on his face. The hate he held left me pushing more into my chair, but for the life of me, I couldn’t rip my hand from Alec’s. He’d have to be the one to let go. I wasn’t turning my back on him as he went through this pain. It was all because of me. I should have never gone on that date with him.

  “I said!” His arms lifted over his head while he clutched the handle of the knife.” Let go!” The blade disappeared in Alec’s chest and I wasn’t sure who screamed louder. Me, or Alec. Nothing registered as I fought against the ropes. The pressure on my hand was so tight, I couldn’t feel my fingers anymore. The throbbing ache that was in tune with my pulse was the only reminder that they even existed anymore.

  “Nnnnnn.” My protest was blocked by the fabric, but it was still loud. Jonathan paused, the side of his mouth pulling up just seconds before he brought the weapon down again, in what looked to be dead center of his brother’s chest. Bile burned my throat and I gagged, lowering my head so I could try to breathe. The pressure from Alec’s grip loosened from mine and a gush of warmth surged to my fingertip where the circulation rushed in. Panicked, my fingers fumbled to hold his hand again. To try to elicit any response I could. Alec was facing away now. I wasn’t sure when he’d turned his head. I’d been so fixated on Jonathan, I hadn’t even noticed.

  The knife remained in Alec’s chest as his brother stepped away and grabbed a cloth, wiping the blood from his hands. Not once did he say anything to me as he continued to stare. Evil radiated between us and I could feel myself shaking almost violently in my chair. The door slamming had both of our heads turning toward the front. All of my fear extinguished as my stare connected with the one person who started it all.

  “What the fuck are you doing here?” Jonathon walked over, grabbing Bethany by the bicep and dragging her to the wall while she fought to break his hold. Blonde hair swayed around her shoulders as she tried to look around him at me.

  “I told you I wanted to watch.”

  “Stupid, stupid, fucking bitch,” he said, slamming her even more into the wooden surface. “When I give you an order, you follow it. How do I know you weren’t followed?”