by J. S. Scott
“Let me come with you, Wren.” Ash’s brow furrowed, and his green eyes darkened as he took me in.
“I appreciate it, but I’m fine. I can deal with this on my own.” Except that I wasn’t sure I could, even if I didn’t have a choice. Ash couldn’t find out about what my father had done.
The drive to see Evan was a blur, my mind plaguing me with one horrible scenario after another, though I was prepared to give him anything he wanted if he’d just go away. And yet…the sinking feeling in my gut had me pulling out my phone and hitting record on the voice recorder app. I might do nothing but incriminate myself, but if it came to nothing, I could easily delete the recording.
I found him waiting for me in the library, pouring himself a whiskey at the bar, and I somehow doubted this was his first glass. “What do you want, Evan?”
“All those years I worked for your father…taking care of everything he needed, running the business, seeing to his every need… And when he got sick…you weren’t the one who drove him to his doctor’s appointments…I did. I was the one who helped him through it all.” He snarled at me, his eyes narrowing with hate as he closed the distance between us.
“I know…the will… It wasn’t fair. But…I’m happy to give you whatever it is you feel like you deserve…whatever you feel my father should have left you.” I didn’t like being blackmailed, but I could see Evan was hurt and angry—and I couldn’t have him telling Ash.
“What I deserved was everything. I worked damn hard to help Turner build his empire, and he should have let me take it over—with you at my side. He should have let me marry you, Wren—not Ash. Especially when he knew how I’ve felt about you all these years.”
His words left me stunned. I’d never realized he had any feelings for me beyond genuine affection, given that he was a good twelve years older than me.
“I swear, I didn’t know how you felt.” Not that it would have mattered. I’d never felt that way about him. But as he backed me up against the bar, framing me in with his strong arms, I couldn’t help but panic. “Just tell me what you want, Evan.”
His lips curled into a smile as he brushed his cheek against mine to whisper in my ear as he grabbed my hips and pulled me to him, even as I tried to fight him off. “I thought that much was obvious—I want it all.”
“Yeah, well, that’s not fucking happening.”
CHAPTER 33
Ash
“Are you okay, love? How did it go? Did you get your father’s things sorted?” She’d been gone just a few hours, but I was worried about her. I ran a hand down her arm—and I swore, she nearly flinched. “Hey… What happened, Wren?”
She shrugged and pulled away from me, her gaze refusing to meet mine. “Nothing. It was just hard to be back at my dad’s home with him now gone.”
What the hell was going on? I could see her being upset—but I didn’t understand why she was suddenly pulling away from me. “I’m sure it was hard, love. But…if you need to talk about it…you know I’m here for you.”
“I think I just want to take a long shower and call it an early night. I’m exhausted.” Her eyes met mine in apology, but only for a split second, before they teared up.
“Wren…”
But she was gone…leaving me standing there, helpless, as I was left wondering if she was upset because of her dad or if something else had happened. I debated whether I should give her some space, and then decided against it. Because I knew Wren, and if I let her pull away, she’d just keep going.
I stripped down naked and stepped into the shower behind her. “Thought I’d join you…help get those hard-to-reach areas.”
I gently caught her hand in mine, but when I turned her to me, it was clear she’d been crying. And now that I was seeing her naked, I couldn’t un-see the bruises on her body. I cursed up a storm, finding it impossible to rein in my anger at the thought of someone hurting her. And yet, I knew I had to keep it together for her.
I pulled her into my arms and held her to me, though I said nothing, knowing she was too upset to talk and not trusting myself to not put a fist through the shower wall. And so she stayed there in my arms, her body sagging against mine as she wept and my heart broke for her, even as my fury threatened to consume me.
Eventually, I reached over and turned off the water before wrapping her in a bath towel, and carrying her to our bed where she curled up against me, though she still wouldn’t look at me even as her tears eventually slowed. I kissed the top of her head, her hair still wet. “You need to talk to me, Wren. Because I’m going to fucking murder the bastard who touched you. Am I making myself clear?”
“It’s nothing. Nothing happened.” Yet her entire body was shaking, and I couldn’t keep my mind from racing from one horrible thought to the next, desperately hoping she hadn’t been raped again.
“Did someone hurt you, Wren?” I tilted her chin up, forcing her to look at me—and fuck, the look in her eyes left me gutted. “Was it Evan?”
I’d fucking murder the bastard if he’d laid a finger on her. And I couldn’t think of who else it might be when she’d made it clear that she’d been heading to her father’s home because Evan wanted help sorting through some of Turner’s things.
“I’m fine. Nothing happened.” But she couldn’t even look at me.
“You’re lying to me, Wren—and I don’t fucking appreciate it.” I shifted her out of my arms and started getting dressed. “If you won’t tell me what happened—then Evan will.”
“No. Please…don’t, Ash. I’m begging you.” A fresh wave of tears fell, and even at her worst, I’d never seen her look so broken and hopeless.
“Then tell me what’s going on, Wren. I want to be here for you—and for fuck’s sake…I’m your husband. I’m supposed to be the one protecting you.” And yet, if someone had hurt her, then I’d failed miserably.
“It’s not that fucking simple, Ash. I wouldn’t even know where to start. Because my life will always be a mess. You should have stayed clear of me and my father from the very start.” She got out of bed and started getting dressed. “I’m going to go. Like you said…I have no reason to be here now.”
“That’s not what I fucking said.” There was no way I was letting her leave. “And if you think I’m just going to let you walk out on us, simply because you don’t want to talk to me about what happened, then you can fucking guess again. You’re going nowhere—and you’re going to sit down and tell me everything, or I’m going to hunt down Evan right now and put a bullet in his fucking head.”
“I’m begging you to let this go, Ash. Because, in the end, you’ll only end up hating me.”
“What the fuck is that supposed to mean? Did you sleep with him? Did you fuck him willingly?” I felt like I might be ill. Suddenly, I couldn’t even fucking look at her, my fury and anger tearing at my broken heart. And yet…she hadn’t confirmed that she hadn’t slept with him either. “Damn it, Wren. Answer me.”
“Does it fucking matter when you’ll still hate me once you know the truth?”
CHAPTER 34
Wren
I never should have come back here. I should have hopped in my car and driven it into the ocean. How stupid and delusional could I be to think this fucking universe would actually allow me any sliver of happiness, when it’d handed me nothing but shit for most of my life? And just when I thought I might finally be able to turn my life around, was it really any surprise that I’d have the rug pulled out from under me yet again?
I kept telling myself I was a fighter…that I wouldn’t let all the assholes in my life bully me into submission…that I wouldn’t let them win. But those were nothing but lies I’d tell myself to keep my soul from crumbling to dust as the assholes stepped on me to rise to the top.
And now was no different—except that I’d be dragging Ash down with me.
“I need to go.” It was the only option
.
I’d rather have Ash hate me because he thought I was a lying, cheating whore, than tell him the truth. Because it turned out my father had lied to me, and he was responsible for a lot more than putting in motion the events that led to Ash’s father’s death. And Evan, as always, had done my father’s bidding.
“You’re not going anywhere, Wren. Not until you sit down and tell me everything.” He paced the floor of our bedroom, and I don’t remember ever seeing him this angry. “No more lies—no more skirting the truth. If you’ve ever loved me, you’ll at least give me that modicum of respect.”
“You know I love you.” Though why I needed him to believe that when he’d soon end up hating me, I didn’t know.
He closed the distance between us, his anger straining his gorgeous face. “Then start talking. Because not knowing what’s going on…not knowing what’s happened—and yet constantly having you try to run out on me—is doing my fucking head in, and I’m not going to take any more of it. I’ve fucking tried to do right by you, Wren—but you don’t make it easy.”
Unsure of where I should even start or how much I should tell him, the words stuck in my throat. Because, at the moment, I was caught between two hells, and I wasn’t sure which one was worse.
Evan had threatened to tell Ash the truth about my father’s role—and he would also make sure Ash knew that I was fully aware of it before I married him. Unless, of course, I gave him what he wanted—which was not only my father’s house and several million in addition, but worse still…he wanted me, whether I wanted him or not.
And he’d made it quite clear that my consent wasn’t necessary.
I’d tried to fight him off…tried to make him see sense… But in the end, he was too strong and his anger was too raw, and since he couldn’t take his rage out on my father, then I’d just have to do.
Ash sat me down on the bed, and then knelt before me, so I’d be forced to face him. “Did Evan force himself on you?”
I choked on my answer, nodding instead, as my eyes burned with tears that quickly escaped and rolled down my cheeks.
“I’m going to fucking kill him.” He stood up and went to his dresser drawer, pulling out a handgun and expertly loading it.
I crossed to his side, each step laced with pain, and grabbed his arm, pleading with him. “Don’t go, Ash… He’ll be waiting for you. I swear, it’s a trap.”
But he shrugged me off, his body like a live wire with his anger. “I don’t fucking care—as long as he ends up dead.”
“Please…I’m begging you not to go.” But it was clear he wasn’t listening, his fury driving him with the single-minded purpose of revenge. Yet I knew there was one thing that would divert his hate and anger—and maybe save his life. “There’s something more you need to know. My father…he…he was the one responsible for your dad’s death.”
The blood drained from his face, leaving him looking pale and stunned—and I swear, I’d never seen him look so lost and confused. “What the fuck do you mean, Wren?”
“I’m so sorry, Ash…it’s why I didn’t want to marry you. But then he threatened to go after you and your family if I didn’t go through with the wedding. It was him all along…trying to manipulate us into getting married.” The hate in his eyes left my heart shattering to pieces, knowing that even if he didn’t blame me for my father’s sins, he still wouldn’t be able to look at me without thinking of the role my dad played in destroying his family.
“Turner murdered my father…”
“At first he told me that he’d only been responsible for the car accident, but that your father’s enemies had taken advantage of him being in the hospital and had murdered him.” Except that Evan told me a completely different story, and though he might be lying, I didn’t think he was. “But Evan…he said my dad sent him to finish the job because you needed more of a push to marry me, once your father was on the mend.”
“And then Evan threatened you…told you he’d tell me the truth if you didn’t do what he wanted?” He spoke the words through a clenched jaw, his eyes refusing to even look at me.
“I told him to go to hell, and that I wouldn’t betray you. That I’d tell you the truth myself now that I knew the whole story. But…he didn’t care. Said I should have been his to begin with. And I swear, I tried to fight him off…but he was too strong. And he was so angry with my father…I think I was just an easy target for his rage.” This time, I was the one who couldn’t look at him.
Because as Evan had forced himself on me, his words had echoed Steven’s…reminding me that I was too fucked up for anyone to want me beyond being an easy lay, and they were just giving me what I deserved…what my body craved. And it was that last part that always tripped me up, because in the end, it was always my body that betrayed me to them, despite my head denying the rest of their words.
Ash tilted my chin up, forcing me to look at him, his anger still fueling the darkness in his eyes. “And then he raped you.”
My eyes slipped shut against my shame, and I nodded.
CHAPTER 35
Ash
I was so fucking angry…so fucking broken, I couldn’t figure out what to do with my rage and hate—couldn’t figure out what the fuck to do with Wren. I wanted to hate her for not telling me while Turner was still alive—so I could fucking kill him myself. But another part of me wanted to gather her up in my arms and comfort her for everything she’d just gone through.
Yet dealing with Wren could wait, because Evan Rhodes was just as guilty as Turner for my father’s death—and was guilty of a whole lot more. I may be angry with Wren, but she was still my wife and the woman I loved, and Evan would pay for hurting her.
“You need to see a doctor…” The thought of that fucking animal forcing himself on her…fucking her…
“He…he used a condom…said I was a whore and didn’t want to catch anything.” Her tears spilled down her cheeks, stoking my anger.
“Stay here. Evan and I are going to have a bit of a talk.” And by talk, I meant that I was going to fucking bash his head in.
Wren grabbed my arm, holding onto me, her eyes pleading with me. “Don’t go, Ash…I know you’ll murder him—and though he deserves it, you’re risking your life…you’re risking real jail time.”
“It’ll be worth it after what he did to you, Wren. And no fucking jury would convict me.” I yanked free of her hold, but she was grasping at me again, and even Sammie started to look worried and panicked.
“There’s another way—especially if you’re trying to leave this sort of life behind.” She pulled out her phone, and offered it to me. “I had a feeling things might not go well, since he had already threatened me over the phone when he called me. So I recorded my meeting with him, just in case things went bad. There’s enough there to put him away for a long time. Just take it to the cops. Please.”
I tipped my head toward her phone. She unlocked the screen and accessed the file, swiping and tapping at the screen. “I just sent it to your cell so you’ll have access to it. I just…I’m sorry…I can’t bear to listen to it.”
And again, as her tears rolled down her cheeks, I was reminded of all the horrors she’d had to endure in her short life. I wanted to stay angry with her for keeping the truth from me, and though my anger was still a volatile rage, my heart broke for her.
Cupping her cheek in my hands, I brushed her tears away. “Will you be here when I get back?”
“I honestly don’t know.”
I sat in the parking lot of the police station and hit the play button on Wren’s recording, wanting to make sure that there’d be enough evidence there to lock Evan away. Because if there wasn’t, then I had a murder to execute, and I’d rather not give the cops any reason to suspect me.
Yet as the scene unfolded before me…as I heard Wren try to hold her ground and fight Evan off…as I heard her cries and struggles…as I h
eard them both cry out as they came…it crushed my soul. She fucking came at Evan’s hand—even as he raped her—and though I knew it wasn’t her fault, it was still so fucked up and it was totally messing with my head. I should have been there to protect her. I should have never let this happen to her.
And then Evan admitted his role behind my father’s death, bragging about how he managed to pull it off under all our noses and that of the hospital staff, even though the order for the hit was given by Turner. I stopped the recording, trying to swallow down my pain and hatred, even as I debated what to do next.
My rage had me wanting to find Evan and put a bullet in his head…tear him to pieces…smash his skull in with a rock… I wanted revenge for my father, for Wren, for my pride.
Yet murder…no matter how just the cause…wasn’t a line I had ever crossed. And the thought of not being there for Wren…for my family…it was just too big a risk, and Evan—that fucker—wasn’t worth it.
And so with thoughts of Wren and what she’d gone through breaking my heart, I walked into the police station and gave them the evidence they’d need to go after Evan. The police took my statement and listened to the recording, looking at me with pity in their eyes, until finally someone showed me a bit of mercy and stopped the recording.
I glared at them, even though they weren’t the source of my anger. “Are we done then?”
“For now, Mr. Blackthorn. If you could bring in your wife so we can take her statement, that would be appreciated. That way we can also collect any evidence off her body, if she’s going to pursue rape charges.”
“I’m not sure she will—and if you have him on murder, then that’s all you need to make sure he goes away for a long time.” I didn’t know if Wren would be up for testifying and reliving her nightmare. It’d be one thing if those were the only charges they could bring him up on, but that wasn’t the case.
