Hers to Take

by Talia Ellison

  “I liked that plan where we run far away from here much better.”

  “I know, but he would hunt me all over the world until he found me. It’s better if I stay close to him, keep an eye on him, and make him think I’m with him all the way.”

  Aaron’s phone buzzed, cutting through the music, and I groaned as Aaron’s warmth left me while he went to get the phone. His brow creased and I pushed myself up on my elbows.

  “What’s wrong?” I asked.

  “Marco says he needs to tell me something urgently, but that he can’t do it over the phone. Wants to see me immediately.”

  “Shit.” I got off the bed and reached for my clothes. “Do you know what could be so important?”

  Aaron shook his head. “No, but it can’t be anything good.”

  “If your father found out you helped destroy the shipment...” My stomach did a nervous flip. “Maybe someone saw you there and wondered where you were hiding the whole time during the fight. What if they figured it out?”

  “Don’t worry. I have a plan for that, too.” After he hurriedly put on his clothes, he gave me a quick kiss. “I’ll go see what he wants. Be careful when you leave here.”

  I nodded. “You, too.”

  “We’ll have to figure this out somehow.” He tossed me the keys of the apartment and rushed through the door. I sat back on the bed and sighed. Sometimes I really hated my life.

  Chapter 27

  Just as I was about to walk out into the street, I froze on the spot at the sight of a black SUV with tinted windows parked across the street. I quickly calculated whether this building was in the Viteris’ area or my family’s. If I wasn’t wrong, that side of the street still belonged to the Viteris, but this one...

  The window of a nondescript black car parked not far from me lowered and Jason shot me a glare, waving at me to approach. He was wearing a cap and a gray hoodie, probably to fool everyone into thinking he was just a regular guy. Fuck. How had he found me? I’d left my phone at home, but my family must have put a tracker on me somehow or someone had seen me climb down from my room and followed me. Keeping my head down, I hurried toward the car.

  “Get inside! Now!” Jason yelled, and I got in the back seat. Before I could even close the door, Jason stepped on the gas. “You’re out of your fucking mind!” His voice was bursting with rage. “What’s wrong with you? You sneak out of your own home like some...” He shook his head. “Do you even know you crossed into...? Of course you know, don’t you? You went to him! You were with him! What did you tell him?”

  “Keep your eyes on the road, Jason! I’ll explain everything later. Just quit fucking yelling at me!” I crossed my arms, pressing my lips into a tight line.

  “You don’t know how worried everyone was. Do you even understand what you did? What could’ve happened?” He wasn’t yelling anymore, but he was gripping the wheel so tightly his knuckles were white. “You act like some spoiled, stupid brat!”

  “And what was I supposed to do, huh? Tell you where I was going so you can lock me up and throw away the key? This is my life. Mine. If something happened to me, that would’ve been on me.”

  “Explain that to Dad. He’s furious.”

  I stared out the window, wondering how I could ever explain that I was dating the enemy. No one would believe me no matter what I said. I could repeat time and time again that Aaron hadn’t raped me, tortured me, or threatened me. They would say they believed me, but the doubt would always be there. Hell, the only reason I knew which places Aaron frequented was because my brothers were doing everything to track him so they could prove to me that he was a monster who didn’t give a damn about anyone, and that there had to be something I was hiding from them or just blocking from my mind.

  We drove in silence until Jason pulled over in front of my fake house, Cassandra’s house, and I realized the lights were on.

  “What is...?” I asked, blinking in confusion. I supposed that meant Cassandra was back in town. Did that mean my family would let me go out whenever I wanted or would they say I was here just in passing?

  “The whole family’s here. They knew I’d have to drop you off here because I couldn’t risk bringing you straight to our house, and they didn’t want you to run off again.” He shot me a glare over his shoulder.

  “Right,” I muttered. “Are you going to cuff me or hold my hand, too?”

  He didn’t answer, just opened the door. “Get out.”

  All I could do was obey. I wiped my sweaty palms on my pants as the front door opened and Jason and I rushed inside. Everyone, except my mother, who was probably keeping an eye on the mansion, was here, crammed in a small but cozy living room.

  “Princess,” my father said, the lines around his eyes more prominent, his voice dripping with disappointment. “Where have you been?”

  “I had to do something, okay? For myself.” I took a seat in one of the dark brown wooden chairs, lowering my head into my hands. The rest of my brothers watched me with guarded expressions on their faces.

  “You’re not a prisoner. We just want to keep you safe. You should’ve told us. We could’ve protected you,” my father said. “We wouldn’t have disturbed you or stopped you from doing what you needed to.”

  “Don’t speak too early, Father,” Jason said. “Guess where I found her? In the Viteris’ area. She went to see that asshole.”

  “Octavia, is that true?” my father asked, and everyone in the room seemed to be holding their breath for my answer.

  “I don’t know what to tell you, okay? He’s not... He’s not like his father.” I closed my eyes for a moment as a few gasps echoed around the room.

  “See, I told you,” Jason said.

  “You went to see Aaron Viteri?” my father asked. “Why?”

  “I... He and I...” I didn’t even know what to say.

  “You fucked him, didn’t you?” Jason shot me an accusing glare.

  “Jason! That’s enough!” my father barked. “Sit down!” His eyes were back on me. “Are you...?”

  Someone banged on the door and we all jumped at the sound. No one was supposed to come here. My brothers immediately drew their guns.

  “It could be the neighbors or someone from college who wants to welcome me back or check someone isn’t robbing me while I’m gone,” I whispered. “I can go check.”

  “No way. It’s too dangerous,” Michael said.

  “You can’t just open the door and shoot that person in the face because they saw you,” I hissed as the banging continued and got to my feet. “I’ll get my gun and I’ll go see. You all hide and be ready.”

  “Do as she says,” my father ordered, and I pulled out the gun, hiding it behind my back. I inched closer to the door and glanced through the peephole. My heart skipped a beat when I saw Aaron and Marco. Aaron’s eyes were feverish, his face pale.

  “Stand down,” I yelled to my brothers as I cracked the door open. “You can’t be here! My family’s...”

  “Octavia, you’re in danger. My father knows,” Aaron said. “You have to...”

  “What?” I was pushed away from the door as Jason rushed toward Aaron, who backed away, raising his hands up.

  “I’ll shoot you, you son of a bitch!” Jason yelled. I ran after him and got in his way.

  “No! Jason, please!” I said. “You’re ruining everything. If someone sees you...”

  “He knows who you are! He called you by your real name! It doesn’t matter anymore,” Jason said. “Get out of my fucking way and we’ll deal with this once and for all.”

  “Damn it, Jason! You’re not going to shoot him! You’re not!” I grabbed the gun, trying to wrench it out of his hand. As we were fighting for the gun, the screech of tires on the asphalt cut through the air from the street behind me.

  “Octavia! No!” I heard Aaron scream.

  “Get down!” someone yelled, and I thought it was Marco. Something slammed into me, bringing me to the ground. The windows on the house broke into millions of p
ieces, and gunfire echoed in a usually very quiet street. My brothers ran out with their guns, firing at whoever had attacked us. A few moments later, I heard the car speed away and Jason swore, still firing after the attackers.

  “Octavia!” my father yelled, and hands grabbed me, pulling me up. There was something wet at the back of my shirt, and after I touched it, I came away with blood, but I didn’t think it was mine. “Are you okay? Princess?” My father touched my cheek.

  “Aaron,” I whispered, turning around, and nearly screamed. Aaron was lying in the grass, blood soaking his shirt. Marco was crouched next to him with his hands raised as Jason aimed at him.

  “Don’t shoot!” I yelled, and knelt next to Aaron, tears clouding my vision. “Hey, you’re going to be okay.” I caught his hand and squeezed. “Call an ambulance! Now!”

  “You have to... go,” Aaron choked out. “My father... won’t... won’t stop until he... kills you. Take... Marco with...”

  “Let him bleed out,” Jason said.

  “Dad, please!” I looked up at my father, tears streaming down my face. “Please! Help him! I love him, okay? I love him.”

  My father watched me for a moment, then looked at Michael and Tony. “Get him in the car. I know a doctor who might be able to help him.”

  “Father?” Jason stared at him incredulously.

  “Not now, Jason. Everyone move!” my father snapped, and my brothers lifted Aaron, who grimaced in pain. There was so much blood everywhere. Too much.

  “Dylan, you and Jason take your sister home. Make sure she’s safe,” my father said, and then he gave me a warning look. “Don’t go anywhere. Understood?”

  I nodded. “Please don’t let him die.”

  He didn’t say anything, just rushed to the car with the others.

  “What about this one?” Jason jerked his head toward Marco, who just stood there, unmoving.

  “He’s coming with me, and no one’s laying a finger on him, got it?” I said through my teeth. My father just nodded in agreement before he got in the car and they sped off. I lowered my bloody fingers and looked around. Marco and my brother must have thrown themselves to the ground quickly enough to avoid the bullets, but Aaron... Aaron had jumped in front of me to save me. He had known I was the target.

  “We have to go.” Jason grabbed me by the arm and pulled me toward the house. I didn’t even see where we were going, didn’t see the tunnel, didn’t see when we came out.

  When someone touched my hand, I found myself sitting on the sofa in our panic room. My hands were still bloody. I looked up at Marco. His brow was still creased with worry, but the shock must have worn off.

  “Are you okay?” he asked quietly, and glanced at my brothers, who were sitting near the door with their guns out, despite the fact that no one could enter this room unless it was unlocked from the inside. My mom would be coming here to join us soon too.

  “No,” I said.

  “He’s strong. He’s going to be fine,” Marco said, and I didn’t know if he was trying to reassure himself or me. Even if Aaron survived, what would my father do with him? Bring him to me? Send him back to Roberto? Try to get information out of him?

  Aaron might have saved my life, but I was sure Jason would argue that my life would’ve never been in danger in the first place if it hadn’t been for Aaron. I only hoped my father would call soon with good news. I didn’t know what I’d do if Aaron died. Unwilling to think about that, I focused on the only thing that could stop me from falling apart.

  “I’m going to kill him,” I whispered, and Marco frowned.

  “What?”

  “I’m going to kill Roberto Viteri.”

  ###

  Follow Octavia’s story in Hers to Save (Loving Your Enemy, #2).

  More information: http://taliaellison.weebly.com/loving-your-enemy-series.html

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  HOLD ME

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