by Lyla Oweds
“Hey”—Ryan grabbed the front of Finn’s shirt, pulling him to his feet—“what are you to this girl?”
“Bianca is my girlfriend,” Finn replied, his voice flat. His attitude completely at odds with the threat looming in his face. “Bryce was keeping her company before I arrived. That’s when I saw you idiots. Of course I followed you.”
My heart beat furiously, and I couldn’t look away from Finn. It wasn’t because of his words either, but rather, my fear and confusion.
And annoyance at his stupidity.
What in the world was he doing, getting caught and being dragged in here with me? Was he trying to be a hero? Why couldn’t he have alerted the others and waited like a normal person?
It was official. Both of the Abernathy brothers lacked common sense. I’d hoped that he had at least sent out our location. He was smart sometimes, so he must have. My faith was hinging on the hope that he had.
We just had to hold on.
“Whatever, Abernathy.” Ryan pushed Finn into the chair he’d abandoned and tied him to it. “We’ll wait and see what Daniel wants to do with you.”
“Is she really your girlfriend?” Dominic was suddenly in front of me, his quick movements causing my heart to jerk. His eyes searched my face, and he reached for me. “Aren’t you under probation?” he asked, directing his question to Finn.
His words meant something, I knew they did. But they slipped through my mind like sand. Instead, a numbness had begun to crawl over me. Starting where his fingers gripped my chin.
“Bianca!” Finn was calling for me, but the sound was lost in the chaos.
“She’s cute,” Dominic continued, turning my face toward his. “I’ve been aiming to get a piece of this since we picked her up. But I like them awake. Knowing she’s yours makes it even better.”
My mind was shutting down, and my vision focused on a blurry point over his shoulder. I was the most pathetic person in the world. I couldn’t react even if I wanted to, because he’d like it more. It wouldn’t be so bad if I couldn’t see.
But I could still feel.
I wanted to scream—my thoughts were screaming. But a breath later, it didn’t matter anyway. Any response blanked as rough lips captured my own. My thoughts fell into darkness, and my physical pain dimmed into a distant annoyance.
I was dead inside.
The pressure against my lips had turned bruisingly painful, and I realized he was trying to hurt me. He wanted my reaction as surely as I wanted to deny him one.
An emotion stirred in my chest, but I couldn’t place it. The sensation was both painful and familiar, but my mind shied from it. Breathing, which had been difficult before, became almost impossible. And my chest began to heave under the pressure.
I didn’t want to feel, especially not whatever this was. I wanted to break down. I wanted to be someplace far from here.
But I also didn’t want to give him the satisfaction of making me cry.
His right hand held the back of my head, keeping me from pulling away. His left hand began to move over my shoulder, gliding down my chest. When he squeezed my breast, I couldn’t pretend anymore. In one instant, my world exploded in a mixture of wind and light.
My attacker was gone.
It happened quickly. One second, he was there, and the next he’d been thrown across the room. His body slammed into the wall, and he went limp as he collapsed—unconscious—into a heap on the floor.
Jeremy and Ryan stared in shock, and Finn took advantage of their distraction. He shouted at me. But none of his words made sense.
But then, a wave of feeling washed away the numbness I’d been trying to embrace. A fire, far worse than the shackles still over my wrists. And a current rushed through me as agony wracked my body. I couldn’t hold back my scream.
Chapter Thirty
Bianca
Target
Finn stopped speaking, alarm crossing his expression. His wide eyes zeroed in on my wrists as he watched me with renewed caution. “What the hell are those?”
“You like them?” Jeremy grinned, regaining his composure. Something about the situation seemed to help him regain confidence. “Ryan picked them up from some new friends of ours. There’s some great new creations hitting the market these days.”
“What are they?” Finn repeated harshly, his focus not wavering. “What are they made from?”
“They’re created from a particular type of iron. Then reinforced with magic specific to the fae. We knew she was fae before we picked her up,” Jeremy replied, stalking toward me. No one seemed concerned about Dominic, who remained unconscious. “I hadn’t tested them before, so it’s reassuring to see they work. I was worried for a moment, considering what she did to poor Dominic.”
The conversation passed over me. I was still quivering from the agony as it continued to trickle away. At least I was no longer screaming or blinded from pain.
It had been unlike anything I’d ever felt before. I’d been sure that I’d die.
However, once Finn had stopped speaking, the weight of power rushing through me stopped. I had no idea what the feeling was, although it felt vaguely familiar. But as of right now, I’d give anything to not go through that again.
“No…” Jeremy continued speaking to Finn, raising his hand toward me. I flinched back, but it didn’t matter. There was no place to retreat.
Jeremy ignored my attempts to avoid him. Instead, in one quick movement, he grabbed the chains above me and jerked them downward. The unexpected motion caused me to stumble to my knees, my body still shaking from what had happened.
“It’s a remarkable invention. You can even adjust the settings—to account for the more powerful nuisances,” Jeremy said, holding my arms up. “Obviously, we’ve set it too low, as evidenced by that stunt. But not low enough to be completely ineffective.”
Ryan frowned, his attention on my wrists. “It’s actually set quite high. I’m not sure…”
“I told you she was worth it,” Jeremy said, running his finger over the edge of the cuff. “Besides, we’ve gone too far to back out now. We’ve already got her.”
The pressure against my chest increased, and the pain changed from a burning around my wrists to something far greater channeling down my arms. My jaw ached as I clenched my teeth, trying not to scream.
“Turn it off, you fucker,” Finn demanded. “You’re hurting her.”
“Well, it’s not supposed to feel pleasant.” Jeremy sounded unconcerned. He released the chain, and I fell to the ground. I squeezed my eyes shut as I curled into a ball, willing myself to stay conscious. I couldn’t escape now, not with Finn stuck here on my behalf. “Or so we’ve been told. Besides, what do I care if she’s in pain? She’s not gonna be around much longer to complain about it.”
Finn’s voice was deadly. “What do you—”
His statement was cut off as the door opened once again. My eyes blinked open, and I peeked out from under the shelter of my arms, trying to clear my vision enough to see the newcomer.
It was another brown-haired man, unhurriedly walking through the doorway. He didn’t seem surprised to see any of us, and his disposition was almost cheery. He had a normal looking face, and seemed far too ordinary to be mixed up in a web of kidnapping, torture, and murder.
Michelle Nolan came into the room after him. She didn’t even glance around, her attention was trapped by the man she followed.
The newcomer glanced at Dominic, who was still on the floor. The smile faded from his face, replaced with a frown as he stalked toward the fallen man. He stood over him a moment, looking at him critically, before he nudged the other’s man side with his foot.
Dominic’s lack of response caused his frown to deepen, and he glanced between Ryan and Jeremy. “Again?”
Ryan responded, crossing his arms. “Daniel, this is a terrible idea. People know who she is. And besides that, she’s too powerful to contain. Once the restraints are gone, we’ll never have time to finish the ritual before she turns on us.”<
br />
Daniel raised his eyebrow. “What are you talking about? What did the two of you do to Dominic this time? You can’t always be fighting amongst yourselves—”
“It wasn’t us,” Jeremy replied, looking at me.
I was barely holding on to consciousness now. It was pure stubbornness keeping me awake. My mind grasped on to the events happening around me, rather than the fear and pain radiating from my own body.
I had done something they hadn’t expected. They were scared I’d do something worse. And for some reason, they were afraid of my abilities. But I was far from a threat. I couldn’t even stand at the moment. I’d never be able to fight them off.
“Her?” Daniel finally turned his attention to me, his eyes glinting with curiosity. “I was wondering why she was awake. I thought you might have given her the antidote.”
“No.” Jeremy crossed his arms. “She woke up on her own. And we’ve turned up the level on the suppressor as well.”
“Really?” Daniel definitely looked interested now. “Which one was this then?”
“Her name is Bianca Brosnan,” Jeremy replied. “There’s not much on her, which is why she was chosen. We weren’t sure if we wanted to take the risk, but an opportunity came up that we couldn’t turn down. She’s far more powerful than the other targets.”
“That’s the medium I was telling you about!” Michelle suddenly cut in, her voice nervous. “That’s the one who was asking about your grandfather’s house.”
“Very nice,” Daniel sounded pleased. “We’ll kill two birds with one stone then. We can finally end this annoying investigation, and reap some benefits while doing so.”
“Hey, fucker,” Finn cut in. “Don’t forget about me.”
Daniel turned to him, grinning. “I was hoping you’d join the conversation. I’m surprised that you’ve held your tongue this long, Abernathy. What on Earth are you doing here?”
“He followed us. He says he’s her boyfriend,” Jeremy replied. “She was with Bryce Dubois and Matheus Fernandez when we picked her up.”
“Norman Peterson knows her too,” Michelle said. “I don’t think it’s a coincidence that Julian Kohler was also there when we met. She also mentioned that she knew Damen Abernathy. Daniel, this worries me.”
Daniel inclined his head, his focus on me. “Even if she knows them, it doesn’t matter. She’s the most powerful target I’ve felt in ages. It won’t take much to shift their priorities elsewhere.”
My attention shifted to Michelle. She was the only one I could focus on through my fear. Mostly because I didn’t understand her role. Mr. Weaver had trusted her. He’d been so certain of her innocence—even when Damen hadn’t. Norman had been stalking her. How could no one have noticed she knew Daniel Cole?
Our eyes met, and she frowned. “What?”
It took every ounce of my courage to respond—silence was how I’d learned to survive. “M-M-Mr. Weaver.”
Her lips pursed and she crossed her arms defensively. “I’ve never had anything against him. It’s your fault,” she stated. “When I overheard him asking questions at the senior center, I knew we’d have to intervene.”
“You’re talking about the old man?” Daniel glanced between us. “It was too easy. Once Michelle went over his routine, all we needed was to wait for him to leave his house to set everything up. Since he was a bitter old fuck, no one would suspect if he grew tired of life and killed himself—”
“D-D-Damen knows.” I blinked at Daniel. “A-a-a-bout the poison.”
“He’ll only suspect for a short time longer.” Daniel frowned, his gaze turning severe. “Until the ritual is finished. Damen Abernathy and Titus Ducharme are going to have greater concerns soon enough. This entire incident will fall from their memories.”
“D-D-Damen won’t f-f-forget,” I stuttered, trying to hold on to my confidence. “I-i-if you let me go, I’ll ask him not to k-k-kill you.”
He watched me silently a moment before turning to Finn. “Are you sure she’s your girlfriend? She seems awfully stuck on your brother.”
“She’s loyal, and she considers him to be family,” Finn replied calmly. “Damen has that way about him. But remember, he can’t date. He’s completely detached. She’s my girlfriend.”
Daniel hummed. “We need someone, but the only thing that’d be better than this, would be if Damen Abernathy has finally gained a weakness. If that were the case, we could pull up a replacement. I wouldn’t even have to waste my energy. The group of them would be eating from my hands. If she’s dating Damen, they’ll have no choice.”
“She’s not dating Damen,” Finn growled in response. He was leaning forward, as far as the ropes allowed, and his steady gaze was fixated on Daniel Cole. “I’ve been in love with Bianca for years. I know everything about her. What more do you need?”
“Come to think of it, are you even supposed to be dating? You’re on probation.” Daniel watched Finn warily. Suddenly, he whipped toward Michelle. “Is she with Damen Abernathy?”
Michelle shot him a panicked look, freezing. But then she closed her eyes, taking a deep breath.
The air stilled as everyone watched her. Meanwhile, I remained curled on the floor. My mind raced, wondering why Finn was insisting that we were in a relationship. Hadn’t Daniel insinuated we’d have more time? It might scare the boys if Daniel called, making demands, but surely that was a better option than me becoming a human sacrifice.
I was missing something.
“I can’t tell,” Michelle opened her eyes, shooting Daniel a distraught look. “I don’t know what the right decision is.”
“It’d be safer than giving her to chance to turn on us,” Ryan chimed in. “We’d keep her restrained.”
“But the plan will only work if she’s his girl,” Jeremy joined in, stroking his mustache again. “If she’s nothing more than a casual acquaintance, they’ll destroy us for daring to go against them. We’d exposed ourselves and lose the one chance we had to throw them off our trail. None of the other targets are powerful enough to combat that fallout.”
Daniel’s frown turned into a scowl as he stalked across the room and kneeled on the ground beside me. “Are you with Damen Abernathy?” he asked, pushing past my hands and grabbing my hair. He forced my face to turn to his. “Or are you with the brother?”
I didn’t know what the right answer was—Finn’s words continued to ring through my head. He had to have a plan, he had to. I should listen to him. There was a lot I wasn’t aware of in this world. And he seemed to have the answers. “I-I-I…”
“If you don’t believe me,” Finn drawled, “then how would I know this? She’s got a scar on the inside of her upper left thigh.”
Daniel glared at Finn. “What?”
I had stopped breathing at his words. He wasn’t wrong. However, the memories of that wound were something I’d kept locked away in the recesses of my mind. How did he even know about it? I had never told him about that part of my life.
“It’s an awfully intimate place,” Finn continued, smirking. “So, of course I know about it. We’ve been dating for a long time. What further proof do you need?”
Daniel’s eyes slid back to me, and his hand moved. Before I could comprehend what was happening, I was pushed onto my back. Jeremy held down my shoulders as Daniel grabbed my left leg when I kicked at him.
“Hold still.” He grunted, trapping my knee against his chest.
I was hyperventilating as Daniel’s fingers trailed down my leg. It didn’t matter that he touched me with clinical detachment. Nor that there was no emotion in the way his finger brushed over the white scar at the inside crease of my upper thigh. All I knew was panic, pain, and terror.
I couldn’t even cry.
Then the two of them released me, and I returned to my safe position. My eyes were tightly closed, no longer did I care about what was happening outside of me. And my chained arms were wrapped tightly over my head.
“Fine,” Daniel said, his voice further aw
ay. “Then we’ll stick to the original plan. It was only a thought. When he finally wakes up, tell Dominic that she’s off limits.”
Jeremy cut in. “You know he’s only playing—”
“I don’t care,” Daniel replied. “We need this ritual to go perfectly. Especially considering whom we need to go against. We need her to be aware. Put her to sleep, we’ve got some hours to go.”
A door slammed shut, and Finn began cursing again. There was a movement around me, and the chain jerked, pulling my arms away from my head. It was Jeremy, holding me still. Ryan approached cautiously, a syringe in his hand.
“She’s not going to get you,” Jeremy said, shooting an annoyed look at the other man. “It’s almost on the highest setting.”
“I don’t want to take any chances,” Jeremy replied. Once he neared me, he moved quickly. The needle was jabbed into my neck in one swift movement.
My eyes grew heavy. Numbness cloaked me, soothing away the pain and the fear. Finally, I was pulled into darkness.
Chapter Thirty-One
Bianca
Mu
I was tossed from a hard shoulder. The breath was knocked from me as I fell, not-so-gently, onto a hard, flat surface. I wasn’t even certain if I was aware. The world was shadowed and shapes blurred around me.
Then, as the remnants of sleep were blinked away, I could make out details. Candles lit the space—a sterile-looking kitchen. But that wasn’t all; there was something else nearby—a fireplace maybe—that threw the room into greater focus.
What the room looked like didn’t matter. Before I could even take in my surroundings, four men moved beside me, each one carrying a belt.
A pathetic sound of alarm escaped my lips as realization raced through me, but it was too late. I hadn’t had time to twitch before I was strapped to the surface. I couldn’t move, nor could I speak as my mind recoiled in horror.
I’d seen this scene before, from another point of view. And that had been terrible enough. Distantly, I wondered what had happened to Finn. Or even how much time had passed. But at the forefront of my mind was deafening fear.
