She stiffens. Head tilting and giving me the stare, the one she always used when she was trying to slip beneath my walls and pillage my secrets. She never could. This gaze is trying to read if I’m bluffing. I’m not. Being locked away would kill this woman a little more each day. It would be the perfect revenge. Wish I would have thought about it in the first place. If I did, Ellie wouldn’t be scared because there is no doubt in my mind after seeing Whitney, she believes I’ve conspired with them to lead Shadow to her.
“You promised you wouldn’t tell him it was me.”
“I haven’t told him yet. Promises don’t mean shit when I was lying in the first place. You know all about lies, though, right?” I did promise her I’d protect her. I fucking lied.
Funny, how I’m staring at the woman who turned her brother in because she trusted me when I told her it was the right thing to do. Upon doing so, Gabe made sure Whitney’s name was left out of it. It didn’t matter, there was enough evidence against him. He was caught red-handed by the FBI.
My scared wife turns her head away, and that move snaps my patience.
I will get her to break and tell me everything Shadow is plotting before I kill her, and I will make her beg like a dog in heat to be fucked one last time. She’ll give me the first; the second will have her wanting to claw her skin off her bones from not being able to relieve the ache.
Moving from my spot against the wall, I squat down and place my hands on Whitney’s knees. Disgust rolls right through my hands. Touching her skin makes me sick.
“Sometimes we get to live before we pay the price for our sins. I’ve let you live long enough. If you thought I’d give you money because you’re pregnant, you thought wrong. You know better than to threaten me, especially when it comes to your brother. He doesn’t scare me, Whitney. His days are winding down the same as yours. You might have found out about the money, but you didn’t know I planned to kill you both all along. Welcome to Hell, you worthless excuse for a human, you’re about to be burnt alive.”
Her entire body starts to shake. Good, that means she’s scared.
I lean in to whisper in her ear, my hands squeezing hard enough to form bruises. “If it weren’t for you and your brother, I would have never met Ellie. You were a means to revenge for what you and Shadow did to her. Nothing more. This entire farce of a marriage was all for her. I’m falling in love with her, Whitney. I think I fell the first time I saw her. Remember that day; I came to town without telling you, and you were pissed because I decided to take a ride with Shadow. Guess where we went? We were watching Ellie. Do you know what that means? She was mine well before we were married, and she will always be mine, especially now that I’ve had her. I gave her all of me. She loves my cock, my tongue, my hands. I haven’t touched anyone since her. She’s all I want. All I need. You never fucking were.” I never told Whitney about the dozen other times I went with Shadow. I might have cared about her back then, but she didn’t need to know what I did when we weren’t together.
Whitney exhales slowly, but when I pull back and take a seat on the couch, there’s no escaping the fear and fury written all over her face.
Outmaneuver and outmatch, bitch.
Whitney might have accomplished the first, thanks to my secretary, who Rocco finished burying deep in the bayou, she kept Whitney updated on my every move. Maggie is the first woman I killed, and I’d have already shot Whitney without a care in the world if I knew for sure she wasn’t pregnant. And, the second, the one that will end this game, I just spat it in her face. She knew about the money, but Whitney had no goddamn clue I kept her around for revenge on Ellie’s behalf. If she did, she wouldn’t have waited this long to come back.
Corruption.
It can be a deadly game.
It isn’t the root of all evil; it’s the root of a tarnished mind. It grows like a weed, spreading those deep-seated fingers until it snags hold of something innocent and wraps them around the living thing until it either gives in or, dies.
Corrupted is a perfect definition for Whitney.
That’s indeed what she did to Sadie, she played her to get to me, and the only way she could was through my family. Sadie went along with Whitney’s plan because she’s grieving over the recent death of her sister, Lexi’s mom. Or, so Sadie claims. I’m sure she is heartbroken. I don’t trust her or anyone in her political family any more than I trust Whitney because the entire world knows that corruption starts at the top and the bullshit rolls downhill from there.
Meaning, I don’t trust Sadie at all. I trust Lane, and if he says she is devastated and upset over Whitney’s betrayal, then I have no choice but to believe.
I find it peculiar though how we had no idea Stephanie died several months ago from a drug overdose. You’d think with everything we have at the tips of our fingers, we’d know.
We didn’t.
Can’t say I care if Stephanie is dead or not. She never once held Lexi. Walked right out the hospital door the first chance she got.
But she gave us that precious little girl, and that makes me sorry for what it might do to Lexi later on. My brothers and I know better than most what it’s like to feel unwanted. It’s the key to us being as fucked up as we are — part of why Seth turned to drinking.
Once Lane sat down and reasoned with Sadie, promising her she could have supervised visits with Lexi, which I don’t agree with for reasons I can’t think about right now, or I’ll lose my fucking shit more, she broke down and told him everything Whitney was plotting. The only thing Sadie was unsure of was whether Whitney is pregnant or not. There wasn’t a mention of what happened to Ellie years ago. Only that Sadie was to make sure Ellie was suspicious of me and get her to drive out here.
Jealousy.
It can scorn a woman stupid.
I know how Whitney’s damaged mind works. A lot like mine. The difference, I don’t prey on the innocent. Except that’s what I did with Ellie when I knew, in the end, I’d hurt the only good thing in my life.
Payback and revenge.
It was always what it amounted to when it came to Whitney and me. The problem now, she has no idea what her lying words to Sadie and Ellie unleashed inside of me. A beast with one thing on his mind, to snuff the life out of her. I don’t think she realizes I was halfway there before I let her leave instead of killing her. A mistake that won’t be happening again.
Whitney brings out the monster in me, and she hasn’t seen anything yet.
There’s no going back for her now.
“Then I guess you better enjoy the love of your life while you can, Logan. If I can’t have you, then neither will anyone else.”
That remark just put a crack in the brittle air.
“Fuck this bullshit spewing out of this nasty woman’s mouth.” I hear the echo of Seth’s backhand across Whitney’s already bruised face before I have the chance to get up and do it myself.
Her head snaps backward, her body locking tight as the chair she’s tied to wobbles. Once she gathers her bearings, Lane is right there in her face, pulls out the pistol tucked in his jeans and aims it at Whitney’s head.
Whitney’s eyes widen with horror as she begins to tremble.
“Jesus, you’re just like your mother. You keep biting and drawing blood. Are you that scorned, that full of hatred because Logan caught onto you that you don’t give a fuck about hurting others? What the fuck is wrong with you? I told you not to fuck with my family once; I’m not repeating it. Before I send you to Hell, I want Logan’s laptop,” Lane goads, giving me a bit of his old self. The one who used to use his fists on men who broke the rules at the club instead of throwing them out. Although he never threatened a woman before tonight. Neither did Seth as far as I know.
But Whitney. I don’t see her as a woman, not anymore. She’s deadly — a predator already locked on her prey.
Ellie and me.
God, I don’t want to think about Ellie when I’m dealing with Whitney. It’s hard not to when the beauty is already in
my blood.
My emotions turn jagged, and my insides crank tight. My breathing becomes deep and heavy, as I try to get rid of the look on Ellie’s face sitting at the forefront of my brain when she saw me with Whitney. The hatred when she looked at me matched the way I feel about my wife.
She was in pain, on the verge of falling into a hole filled with fear about Shadow. Of course, she tried to hide it. I saw right through her.
It shot an arrow through my heart, penetrating through, ripping through my muscles, bones, and guts watching Ellie trying to hold herself up, but I knew hell would break loose if I tried talking to her in front of Whitney and what happens between Ellie and me sure as hell isn’t any of Whitney’s business.
At first, I couldn’t budge, and when I did, I told her to leave. I let her walk out my door without going after her. I can’t even begin to imagine what has to be rolling around in her pretty little head.
I hurt Ellie in a way that might never be able to be undone. But I wasn’t born a quitter. I’ll do everything in my power to make her see how much I care.
While Whitney brings out the bad in me, Ellie brings out the good, and that right there is enough to make me drop to my knees and beg Ellie to forgive my wrongs.
“I have my laptop, Lane. I found it in Whitney’s suitcase. She didn’t hack it.” With that, some of the tension leaves the room.
I went to shut my front door while I was talking to Gabe, and that’s when I noticed half a dozen suitcases on the front porch. I hauled them inside and found it in the second one I opened. She tried figuring out the password. Must have given up when she was locked out.
He nods, knowing it’s the least of our worries. It puts those who don’t need to be in this web clear of being outed for being a member of our illegal sex club Behind Closed Doors.
“I couldn’t care less if you die by your brother’s hand, mine or someone else’s. In the end, you are going to die.” Lane’s lips twitch into a snarl.
“We all die, Lane. Some when they least expect it.” Shrugging, Whitney smirks, sending my mind into a tailspin.
The air seems to darken; cunt wants to play, then we’ll play. Too damn bad the end game is near. For her anyway.
Jesus fucking Christ. My pulse jumps, her words suddenly hit me like a hammer to the head.
Whitney has someone in her back pocket. I know she does. But who? Not one of the women who want me for themselves like Whitney. Hell, they hated her more than they do Ellie. The only friend she had was Sadie, and Lane would have never let her be if he didn’t believe she hadn’t been played.
My heart drops to my stomach. The blood in my veins run cold as the world around me begins to shift.
A film of sweat coats my skin when I rub a hand down my face, I need to think, need to plan once again.
“I can’t wait to stand by Logan’s side and watch him kill you. You helped plot a rape, then you say something like that and expect a rite of passage. Time is up for you, and your brother is close behind. You, Mommy, and Shadow can rot together.” Lane’s voice shakes as he presses the gun into Whitney’s temple.
I can feel Lane’s gaze shift to me, but I’m not looking at him. My focus is on my wife, who is looking at me as if she’s defeated me. I snarl, practically foaming at the mouth.
“Do you want me to go get a pregnancy test? We could have her dead before Seth takes off,” Lane asks, his voice drifting to calm.
“No. I have plans for my darling wife. I’ll see to it she gets the test. I don’t want you worrying either, Seth. You know how Whitney operates, she can’t be trusted. She’s not pregnant. You get out of here and take care of you. Call me if you can. Otherwise, know I’m proud of you. Know I’m here if you need me. Lane, you go on home to Lexi. Also, ask Gabe to get his ass over here. I need him to keep an eye on our prisoner while I go see Ellie.”
The game is changing before my very eyes.
A switch has flipped, and it’s dragged me back into the dark.
Chapter 3
Ellie
Loud pounding yanks me awake. I jet upright, whipping my head back and forth as I shake the sleep from my mind. The sobering thought twists my stomach when I remember last night wasn’t a nightmare. No, it was a bitter piece of cold, hard reality.
A slap across my face. A punch where it hurts the most.
My heart.
I can still feel the burn of Whitney’s provoking words as if she branded them onto my brain.
Wife and baby.
And, Logan. I can’t make heads or tails of his betrayal. The pain of it sinks right into my bones.
“You lied, Logan. Whether her baby is yours or not, you said you’d never hurt me, and you did.”
I’m such a fool.
Never in all my days did I imagine the secret he was keeping was, Whitney.
My breathing turns rapid, and my entire body shakes as I blink and take in the quiet of my bedroom to try and calm my racing heart — the early morning sunlight filters across my toes with a warm sensation that almost makes me smile.
If only I had a reason to.
Climbing out of bed, I pad across the floor, open the door, and make my way toward the front of my apartment in hopes of finding Norah. The thought of being alone makes everything inside of me crumble.
I place my hand over my mouth to hush my yelp as the pounding gets louder. I freeze in place and glance to my left as the voice I never want to hear again pleads and echoes up the long stairwell leading to my apartment.
“Ellie. Don’t do this to us. What you saw isn’t what it looked like. Fuck, give me a chance to explain. I know you’re up there.” Logan sounds tormented, but after what happened, I don’t trust he is.
“Go away; I’m not ready to face you,” I whisper. “You used me, you hurt me, and I will never forgive you for it.”
I count the steps. Twenty-four are all it would take for me to reach the man who I knew from day one would wash me up and bleed me dry.
My feet shuffle forward before I catch hold of my brain to stop. It doesn’t help, because I feel my entire being reaching out for Logan — a connection.
It’s a powerful feeling that only grows stronger as he slams his fists over and over against the door.
“No, you need to go away.” My lips tremble, body getting close to violently shaking now. The man has emotionally wrung me out, heart, body, and soul, and here I am with crazy thoughts of running into his arms. That goes to show I’m losing my ever-loving mind.
I hate him for making me believe. Hate Logan for obliterating me.
The man is like crazy voodoo magic. He bent the bars that caged in my heart and cured my broken soul. Then he turned around and smashed it, left me starving for more just like all those women who I felt dropping me dead with their eyes. Now I wish I would have listened to those warning signs that a man with secrets isn’t a good man, but it’s hard when you’ve been starving for a touch, a kiss, your entire life.
Those early signs I chose to ignore when I first met Logan blast inside my head, cautioning me not to go anywhere near the man again.
To bleach him from my mind.
Logan has already done enough damage to me. My frail bones, my tortured spirit, my entire sanity is on the verge of breaking all because he brought my haunting past back.
Ruined. That’s what he’s done to me, but why? Why would he do this? He promised to protect me when all along it was him I needed protecting from.
I can’t talk to Logan. I’ll liquefy into cries if I do, and I don’t want him to have any reason to touch me, not after he’s touched her. Last night was bad enough when he placed his hands on my face. I hate Whitney as equally as I do her raping, sadistic brother.
Dead. I want her to die so badly I can taste it.
I steady my hand on the wall, bracing to hear his voice calling my name again, every stressed-out, frayed, and angry muscle in my body tenses. He says nothing and the pounding stops, but I know he’s still there. I can feel that draw, and it’s a
s potent as it was before he ripped my heart out of my chest.
Logan Mitchell is the kind of man who can make a woman forget about her rational way of thinking with his charm, his body, his voice, and those smooth words that make you want to drip a steady stream of desire from the inside out.
He’s beautiful on the outside, holds that description in the palm of his hand, in the shape of his face, the color of his dark hair, and in the depth of his green, green eyes, and those well-defined muscles.
He’s an unforgettable man.
Rugged and beautiful and intense, and I hate that my body gave into him without knowing more about who he is.
That’s my fault.
Why he’s here, standing down there torturing me and wasting his time, is beyond me. There wouldn’t be a damn thing he could say to change my mind. I will never forgive or forget what I saw, what Whitney said.
Wife and baby.
I can’t get them out of my aching head. They seem to be stuck in a circle I somehow got into, and now there’s no way out.
Everything about him was a lie. He is nothing more than cruel, ruthless, and unkind.
He’s a liar.
I jump out of my skin when the pounding begins again. “Goddamn it, Ellie. I know you are up there. I’m not above breaking down this door. Please, it’s you I want and need, not Whitney. You have to believe me. It’s not what it seems.”
It is for me. It’s ingrained in my skull, pushing into my bones and it’ll probably live there forever.
“You were on top of her,” I whisper once more. Afraid if I speak louder, he’ll hear me. “You didn’t come after me. Worse, if she knows about me and you, then her brother does too.”
Fear.
It sits like a pillow over my face.
I am suffocating and smothering from it. I can’t let fear take me over again. Always looking over my shoulder waiting for Shadow to catch up to me, but I can’t deny he’s out there plotting inside of his sick mind either. I can’t escape the threatening thoughts that Shadow will find me. They take up every square inch of my mind.
Undone (Unbound Trilogy Book 2) Page 3
