“You have the money, Windsor?” Winter narrowed her eyes as she spoke.
“Yes.” Devlin replied on the other end of the phone--his voice wasn’t masked and it was like music in my soul. “I have it. I want to know Violet is safe--just like we agreed.”
“You’ll get what you want, Windsor.” Winter hit a button on her computer and ended the call. “And so will I…”
Wait… Why does Devlin have the money? I thought I was signing a contract so he didn’t have to sell his company.
“I’ll make the arrangements.” Connor opened a laptop and sat down. “Once we have Devlin’s company, and Violet’s name on a contract, we’ll both get what we want.”
Confusion surged through my veins. Something wasn’t right. Winter told me that I was signing a contract with Connor so that Devlin wouldn’t lose his company. She lied to me. They were still planning to take Devlin’s company and force me to sign Connor’s contract. I had to warn Devlin--escape couldn’t wait a single second longer. I started moving back down the hallway. If I had to fight my way out with the scalpel, I would do so--everyone in Sloane Manor chose to work for Winter. I hated to think of them as collateral damage, but it was the only choice I had.
“What the fuck!?” Connor practically screamed and I paused in my tracks.
“Is there a problem?” Winter sounded agitated.
“Yes!” Connor slammed his hand on the desk, and I moved closer to the door--obviously something was wrong, I needed to know what it was. “Devlin’s bank account has the money, but he didn’t sell off his fucking company! Nothing has been liquidated!”
“That’s not possible! There’s no way my son could raise that kind of money without selling his shares. It’s a mistake. Call the broker…” Winter sounded like she was about to blow a gasket.
“It’s not a mistake, Mistress. Look--the money was transferred in a lump sum. It wasn’t a sale.” Connor’s voice paused--and then I heard what sounded like his laptop hit the wall. “That fucking bastard!”
“Hold on.” Winter’s tone softened. “We can work around this. We’ll just raise the price. If Devlin was willing to pay a hundred then he’ll pay twice that--three times that--he’ll have to sell his company.”
“We’re running out of time, Mistress.” Connor sighed, seemingly calmed by Winter’s shift in demeanor. “If we don’t get Devlin’s company…”
“I know what it means!” Winter snapped back at him. “We’re going to give Devlin more motivation. I’m sorry, sweet boy, but we’re going to have to hurt her before we get a chance to play.”
“I understand, Mistress.” Connor let out another sigh.
“I want Violet’s finger in a box--her left ring finger…” Winter’s voice took on a hint of amusement. “If Devlin wants to play this game, we’ll make sure he knows how serious we are.”
“I’ll cut it off personally, Mistress.” Connor’s footsteps echoed and I realized he was walking towards the door.
Connor was headed to my room. He was going to find out that the maid was tied up in my bed. My chance of escape was dwindling fast. I started running down the hallway and a few seconds later, I nearly ran headfirst into the woman that escorted me to my room. Our eyes met and she lunged for me. I snapped my wrist forward without even thinking and swiped the scalpel across her stomach. It cut so easily that it scared me, but she still screamed. The wound didn’t look deep enough to kill, but she was bleeding and startled. I used that to my advantage and ran past her.
“Oh fuck, oh fuck--I have to get out of here!” My head spun, but I tried to keep myself together.
The alarm was sounded. It didn’t matter if anyone saw me anymore. Connor--Winter--her security. Any one of them would hurt me if they had to, especially if Winter was planning to send my finger to Devlin in a box. I ran so fast I almost stumbled, but the stumble proved to be a twist of good luck. I saw what appeared to be an office--with a telephone on the desk. I ran inside, slammed the door, and started moving everything I could push towards the door.
“I think she’s in here!” A voice echoed on the other side of the door and then he slammed himself into the wood--thankfully, it didn’t give.
I barricaded myself the best that I could and ran to the desk. I picked up the telephone and nearly screamed for joy when I heard a dial tone. I dialed Devlin’s number as fast as I could and every ring felt like an eternity.
“Hello? Who is this?” Devlin’s voice--finally.
“Devlin! It’s me!” I almost started hyperventilating. “I’m at your mother’s house… Devlin, she’s the one--”
The line went dead before I could say anything else. Winter had obviously realized I could make a call and killed the phone. I hoped what I said was enough for him to realize how serious it was. All I could do was pray that my barricade held until he arrived.
Will Devlin choose me over his own mother? I didn’t even stop to consider that before I used my only chance to call him…
The minutes ticked by. Five of them. Ten of them. Every single one so precious because it gave Devlin time to get to me. The door continued to get hit by the guards on the other side. My barricade didn’t hold--it was foolish to think that it would. It flew open and Connor came storming into the room with rage in his eyes that looked like the man who imprisoned me--not the boy that called Winter Sloane his Mommy.
“Back off!” I held the scalpel in front of me.
“How cute.” Connor smirked. “Tie her up.”
The guards came rushing into the room. I swung the scalpel around as menacingly as I could, but there were too many of them. I managed to cut one guy, but the next one grabbed my arm. They pinned it behind my back and squeezed my injured wrist until I dropped the blade. Connor immediately picked it up as Winter walked into the room behind him.
“I can’t leave you alone for a second, Cabot whore.” Winter sighed.
“You fucking--” One of the guards clamped his hand over my mouth before I could protest.
Connor used the scalpel to cut the maid uniform off me until I was completely naked. One of the guards returned with rope and they started to bind me. I kicked, squirmed, and fought with everything I had, but there was no way I could overpower them.
“Her finger…” Winter motioned to Connor. “Cut it off.”
“Yes, Mistress.” Connor walked behind me and squeezed my hand until I yelped.
“Ms. Sloane.” One of Winter’s maids came running into the room. “There’s someone outside--lots of someones.”
“Fuck!” Winter gritted her teeth and grabbed my jaw. “Who the hell did you call? The cops?”
“No.” I smiled against her grip. “I called Devlin.”
“Ah.” Winter smiled. “Well I can handle my son a lot better than you can.” She pushed me into Connor’s arms. “You’re not very smart at all.”
“What are we going to do, Mistress?” Connor didn’t seem to share Winter’s nonchalant approach to her son’s arrival.
“Get some men outside. Everyone else, disappear.” Winter snapped her fingers and leveled her gaze at Connor. “You keep the whore here--she’ll still going to sign that fucking contract once I get rid of Devlin.”
“Yes, Mistress.” Connor’s lips twisted into a sick grin and he pressed his lips to my ear. “Only a matter of time now, sweet Violet…”
Devlin will either save me, or I’ll have no reason to be saved at all...
Thirteen
Devlin
I hung up the phone when the line went dead and turned around to face my father.
"And?" he demanded, anxiously awaiting my answer. "What happened?"
"She... she has Violet," I managed to get out.
"Who does?" My father approached me, grabbing me by the shoulders. "Tell me right now."
"My... mother has Violet."
"W-What?" It was the first time in my life that I heard my father stutter, and probably the last. "Your mother?"
He struggled to get to his feet, and I lent
him a helping hand. My father pressed his back against the wall and exhaled, rubbing his eyes. "Is this true, Devlin?"
"Yes, we have to go--now."
"Then we can't waste a second." His tone was serious, his eyes burning into mine as we locked gazes. "She's the most dangerous person I've ever met."
"My mother?" I chuckled, giving him a doubtful look. "I sincerely doubt that, Dad. Weren't you the one always cheating on her? You could barely keep your dick in your pants at dinner parties we had at home."
"Trust me," Dad muttered as he buttoned his blazer. There were traces of blood on his sleeves, and I cringed inwardly seeing them. I'd put those there. And if I was being honest with myself... I didn't regret it one bit. Dad had some pain due to him after everything he'd put me through. "You don't know much about your heritage, do you, Devlin?"
"What's there to know?" I shrugged. "You married Mom. Cheated on her. Got divorced. The end."
"There's more to it than that." He shot daggers at me with his eyes before going on. "I'll tell you everything on the ride. Come on, we have to go."
We got into my car together, and as the driver pulled away from my father's house, Dad sighed heavily, his eyes trained on the passing landscape.
"Winter... your mother..." He shook his head, a hint of shame in his quiet words. "She found out about my involvement with Brynne. And... I'm going to be honest with you now, Devlin, because I respect you. But please don't lose your head."
"What is it?"
"Well, Brynne and I didn't exactly... stop seeing each other after she married Hugo." He swallowed thickly as I gave him an incredulous look.
"What? You saw Violet's mother behind her father's back? No wonder Cabot hates you. Hates us."
"We saw each other in secret - more than once," he went on, his voice breaking over the words. "I'm not proud of it, but I loved her. I couldn't say no to her. I wanted her in my life, and if it meant her cheating on Cabot, I was willing to go along with it - as long as I didn't lose her."
"But I thought Violet's parents were happy together," I muttered.
"Never." My father's reply was instant, terse. "Cabot was always busy with work. It wasn't the life Brynne had dreamed of, and it sure as hell wasn't the life she deserved."
"Is that why mother hates Violet?"
"There's more to it than that," Dad muttered.
"Then tell me the rest of it. There's no time to lose."
"The Sloanes - your mother's family - and the Davenports, Violet's mother's family, were always bitter rivals. Did you know Violet's father was engaged to your mother's sister?"
I furrowed my brows, shaking my head. All of our family histories were intertwined. There was so much history left to uncover.
"He called off the engagement, for Brynne - Violet's mother. And your mother, Winter, was the one who had to comfort and console her sister. Back then, she swore she'd have revenge on the Cabots for what Hugo did to her sister."
"What about the two of you?" I asked. "Did she find out about your affair with Brynne?"
Dad stared out of the tinted car window, his jaw setting. "It's what ended our marriage, Devlin."
"How come I never knew any of this?" I knitted my brows together. "Nobody ever told me."
"Brynne's death changed everything," my father sighed. "I thought your mother's hatred had faded - that her lust for vengeance had been sated when Brynne died. I thought I was the only one holding a grudge - against Hugo, Violet's father, because he took the love of my life away from me."
"Seems like she made that decision herself," I muttered, my eyes meeting my father's. It was the first time I saw genuine pain in his eyes, realizing this was still a sore topic for him. I shut up pretty quickly after that, waiting for him to go on and tell me the rest of the story.
"Either way, I was wrong," my father muttered after a moment's pause. "Your mother was far from over it. She never let go of her hatred. In fact, it seemed as if it festered, grew bigger over time. And because Violet is Brynne's daughter... Well, unfortunately, your mother's anger extends all the way to the girl you chose to love."
His words rang in my ears and I watched the landscape changing as we kept on driving.
Had I chosen Violet? Or had it always meant to be this way, the two of together - against all odds, and against our families? What never happened for Brynne and my father was happening to me and Violet now. And I owed it to everyone to see the relationship through. To save Violet from my mother's wrath.
We spent the rest of the ride quietly pondering our families' history. I was quiet, thoughtful, my mind circling around the possibility of seeing Violet again, holding her in my arms. I was eager to have her back, to show her how much I'd missed her, to treat her the way she deserved and craved to be treated.
Finally, we arrived at Sloane Estate, where my mother Winter lived. My hopes soared as we neared the impressive mansion. Father and I had agreed I would tell mother I'd arrived for an impromptu visit, while he'd try to sneak some of the men in to track down Violet and save her. If mother suspected my father was with me, she'd never so much as let us cross the threshold of her home.
The limo pulled up in front of the house, on the large round driveway, and I got out of the car, heart hammering in my chest as I approached the entrance. I rang the doorbell while my men waited in the car. I needed to distract my mother, and my mind raced with the possibilities of how I was going to achieve that. Being this close to Violet, I could almost smell her sweet scent in the ear. My hands formed fists at my sides, and steely determination took over.
Family be damned. I'm taking my Violet back, and nobody can fucking stop me.
Finally, the door opened, and I was surprised to find my mother on the other side.
"Not letting the servants open your door?" I smirked at my mother. "That's so very unlike you."
"Devlin." She smiled crisply, pressing a cool peck against my cheek. I allowed it, though my skin was bristling when her lips grazed it. I wanted to yell at her, but I forced myself to hold back. "What a... pleasant, unexpected surprise."
"Not happy to see me?" Was I imagining it or were her toned shoulders even more tense than usual? "I thought you'd be excited to have a little impromptu visit from your favorite son."
"My only son," she corrected me with a cold smile. "Well, come in. Unfortunately, you can't stay for too long. I've got errands to run."
I followed her into the sunroom, trying to not be too obvious about checking out the place. As we sat down, I finally commented on the lack of help, since we hadn't seen a single servant since we walked in together. My mother had always been the kind of woman who didn't even tie her own shoelaces, and it surprised me to see her without at least one maid waiting to do her bidding.
"There's something going around here," she waved her arm nonchalantly. "They’re busy. Don't want them spreading their nasty germs."
"Understandable."
We stared at one another, as if we were playing in a blinking contest. She didn't waver, but neither did I. I was getting to the bottom of this, come hell or high water.
"Where is she, mother?"
"Where's who?" She took a sip of tea from the floral porcelain cup on the coffee table, feigning innocence.
"Violet." I got her name out through gritted teeth, and by then, it was getting impossible to hide my true feelings. "I know you have her, so cut the bullshit and give her back to me. Right the fuck now."
"Violet?" she repeated, then laughed out loud. "Oh, that Cabot girl. You've been fucking her, haven't you?"
I wanted to fucking hurt her. I forced a smile on my lips instead and went on calmly. "It would be best if you gave her up now, before things get ugly."
"I don't know what you're talking about." She waved her hand dismissively. "I thought you were here to visit me, Devlin, not accuse me of ridiculous schemes. I'm going to have to ask you to leave."
"I don't think so." My voice was nothing but a hiss by then, and we got up from our seats at the same t
ime, staring at one another with contempt. "I'm not leaving until I have Violet."
"It's really sad, Devlin," my mother shook her head. "How fast you've managed to forget about your loyalties. You're so much like your father. Always have been. Perhaps that's why I could never love you."
The words hurt, cutting deep like knife wounds against my flesh. But I didn't give a shit about her accusations, and I clicked my fingers. The room filled with my men who'd sneaked into the house while I distracted my mother. She paled as she watched them enter, my father standing center stage.
Her lip curled back in distaste when she saw him, and her words dripped with contempt when she muttered, "You."
"Did you miss me, darling?" My father's voice was sarcastic and he nodded at mother. "What a nice little family reunion we're having here. So good to be back together. Almost feels like old times, doesn't it, Winter?"
"I want you out of my house," she hissed. "Guards!"
"Oh, I think you'll find your guards are a little... indisposed at the moment." Father smirked at her, motioning to our own men. "But we'll write them off as casualties. We only killed four of them."
She paled more at this update, and glared at me, as if I was to blame for the whole situation - not her hidden psychotic tendencies. "How can you do this to me, Devlin? Your own mother?"
"You just told me you never loved me," I spat out. "You really think I'm going to have mercy for the bitch who imprisoned the woman I..."
My sentence was left unfinished, hanging in the charged air between us. Mother kept glancing between me and father, and I'd finally had enough. In two quick steps, grabbing her firmly by the forearm. "You're going to tell us where the girl is. Tell us right now, and you won't get hurt."
She glared at me, and I could see her cold blue eyes calculating how she was going to get out of this mess. "I'll take you to her. I swear. Just let go of me, and I'll show you where she is."
Devil’s Sinner: Fallen Dynasty Book 3 Page 9
