by Nashoda Rose
I LASTED A half hour waiting in the car. I knew what it would do to me, seeing Georgie with another guy. Fuck, I’d watched her with other guys for years and it ruined me. Now, she was mine and I still had to watch it.
“Not a good idea, Boss.” Tyler came up beside me. “Vic and I got this.”
I knew they did, and I trusted them, knew they’d never let anything bad go down. But I was a controlling asshole and had to have a visual. “I’m not leaving.”
Tyler chuckled. “Yeah, well, you should’ve been here sooner. I lost fifty bucks to Vic. I didn’t think you’d last this long. I gave you ten minutes before you had your ass in here.”
Fuck, these guys knew me too well. He passed me a beer and we made our way through the crowd to a booth with a good vantage point to the bar where Georgie sat next to Tristan.
I watched my girl touch his arm, the lightness of her fingertips on his skin. And it wasn’t jealousy I felt because in order to be jealous, you had to be insecure. Georgie was mine. There wasn’t a chance in hell another man could ever take her from me. I was obsessively protective.
I was also aroused. My cock strained at my jeans, threatening to break free from its tight confines. I knew what her fingertips felt like on my skin, on my cock, and I had the urge to go over there and fuck her on the bar.
“You good?” Vic asked.
I nodded. Fuck yeah, I’m good. I was the one taking her home tonight and sinking inside her wet pussy. I held the beer in my hand, although I didn’t drink it. I wanted every single molecule in my fuckin’ body ready to react.
Tristan was high profile, meaning he had a lot of money, was in the news often whether it was about his development company or his bachelor life. He was generous with several charities that involved helping children and on paper was an upstanding citizen, but Vic couldn’t find anything on his family. No past. And no past meant it was hidden
What I really didn’t like was the fact he came to Georgie’s coffee shop when there were two others closer to his office. But there wasn’t anything to indicate he was involved in illegal activity of any kind.
Then why did Vault want Georgie to get close to him? What purpose? And why did Kai receive a message for Georgie to meet up with Tristan tonight?
That didn’t sit well with me. As a team, we went into every situation with as many details as possible. We had a plan for every possible outcome and we knew what to do if things went bad. This was a crap shoot. We had no idea who was involved with Vault, what they wanted or if Kai was on our side or Vault’s.
I watched Georgie … no, Chaos. She was playing a part and yeah, she was hot. Fuck, I hated that Chaos was part of her, but it was something I had to accept, as it was part of who she was now. And any fuckin’ guy would be turned on by his girl bold enough to do what she’s done all these years. I didn’t have to like it—shit, I didn’t like it—but my girl was tough and that was fuckin’ hot as hell.
TRISTAN WAS A hard nut to crack. He didn’t drink from his beer and he didn’t react to my slight touch on his arm. He was stone cold and it reminded me a little of Kai. Well, my job tonight was just to make contact and he was obviously interested because he’d agreed to meet me here.
We chatted about the coffee shop and his company, Mason Development, and got into how I knew the band members of Tear Asunder. Then he hit me with, “He was a liability.” Tristan’s grip on his untouched beer was light, not a flicker of tension in him.
“Who?” A shiver went down my spine. I was uncertain what he was talking about, but I didn’t like where this was going.
Tristan didn’t look over at the booth where Deck, Tyler and Vic sat, but he gestured with his head, tilting it in their direction. “You know exactly who I’m talking about, Chaos. And so do they.”
Fuck. Double-fudge-fuck. It took everything I had to remain relaxed and not react.
“I assume Tanner’s dead?” Tristan said. “Did Kai kill him or Deck?”
Jesus. How did he know? I didn’t have to fake taking a sip of my beer because I needed it. I also knew when to shut the fuck up. There was no hiding from this. Tristan obviously knew about Vault. Shit, was this why I was given orders to get to ‘know’ Tristan? Did they already suspect that he knew about them?
“Kai won’t be far behind him, despite who his mother is.” He shrugged. “They’ll know soon enough who his loyalty is with.”
“And yours?” Because I was wondering why he’d tell me this. He must know I was part of Vault, although it wasn’t willingly.
It was the first time I witnessed a slight grin as if he was impressed I was keeping it together. Well, I was good at pretending because right now I was freaking out big time.
“My loyalty is to myself.” He leaned forward, placing both arms on the bar, beer between his hands. “They find out your boyfriend over there knows about Vault, they’ll kill him … and you … you’ll be taken to them and shown what happens to those who betray them.”
I really didn’t give a shit about me, but I still felt the fear settle.
He was quiet for a second before he looked at me and I met the cold, unfeeling eyes again. “I’m pretty sure they know by now you’re with Deck and for now, they’re allowing it.”
Allowing it? Shit. And fuck. Because they’d wonder why Deck would allow me to date Tristan if I was with him. Deck wasn’t the sharing type.
“They’d know I told Deck the second I called to meet you tonight. Deck would never let me date another guy when I’m with him. That’s ludicrous.”
He grinned and I caught a glimpse of his pearly-white teeth. “Ah, but they don’t know I’m meeting you. The order Kai received to meet me tonight was from me.”
It was that comment which made me lose my composure and my eyes widened as I turned to meet his eyes. “How? Why? And how do you know about them? About Tanner’s death?” I had so many questions flying around in my head I didn’t know which one to start with.
“It was unfortunate what happened to you.”
“To me? You knew Tanner took me?”
He nodded. “It had to happen. Tanner was very loyal to Vault and him kidnapping you gave Kai a reason to take him out. Although, I suspect it was your man over there who killed him. And before he loses his cool and comes over here, it’s better we end this now. What you need to know now, Chaos, is we’re taking them down.” He smirked at my shocked expression then got up and put a fifty on the bar. “Lay low for a while, would you? We need this shit with Tanner and Kai to settle. I’ll be in touch.”
I stood and grabbed his arm before he could leave. From the corner of my eye, I saw Deck get out of the booth and stand, but he didn’t come toward us. “Tristan.” He looked at my hand on his arm, but I refused to back down. “Who the hell are you?”
His brows rose. “I’m exactly who I say I am, Tristan Mason, owner of Mason Development.”
“If you’re telling me the truth, then give me something to make me believe you. For all I know, you’re Vault trying to set me up.”
He was quiet a minute then boldly turned and looked straight at Deck. “He’s good at what he does, and we’ll need that.” Tristan leaned in closer, his chest barely touching mine. “I know someone in Vault. It was my contact who suggested to them to keep an eye on me.”
“What? Why would you do that? They’ll kill you if they find out.”
“I needed to meet you and I needed it to be their idea, not mine.” He glanced back down at my hand still holding his arm and I let go. “I’m high profile. They won’t touch me unless absolutely necessary. I have nothing—at the moment—that would make them come after me.”
“Except your contact.” He trusted someone in Vault? He knew someone in Vault that meant— “My brother? Do you know anything about him?” I held my breath waiting, heart pounding. Please say he’s still alive.
“Connor. He’s in France. Alive.” I closed my eyes and took a deep inhale. “I’m sorry, that’s all I can tell you right now.”
I nodded, looking down at my feet trying to hold back the tears. A conflict of emotions pooled inside me. I wanted so badly for my brother to be alive, but at what cost? What had they put him through? What were they doing to him now? “I want him back,” I whispered more to myself than to Tristan.
“You won’t get him back.” My gaze darted to him, chest tightening. “If he gets out, he will never be the brother you knew.”
“You don’t know that.”
“I do.” Tristan tensed and his jaw twitched. “Because I was never the same.”
“What?”
“The Vault kidnapped me when I was eight. Destroyed any childhood I would’ve had. To this day, my parents and sister don’t know I’m alive. They can never know. I lost that the second I became part of Vault.”
“But you aren’t now.”
“No. I escaped when I was fifteen. Someone from Vault helped me—my contact.” Tristan’s brows lowered further over his darkened eyes. “Now, I have the money and the resources to get my contact out and rip Vault apart.” He nodded toward Deck. “Your man and his men have a reason to go after Vault. You have a reason to go after Vault and now Kai has a reason to go after Vault. It’s time.”
“Do you think we can really do this?”
“No, but I’ll die trying.” Then he walked out.
I HATED COMING here.
It was as if I was stripped down and forced to walk naked into a place where they had magnifying glasses and were looking at every part of me. And no one was even here. The real fucked-up part was that if they didn’t like something, they had every right to do something about it. And that something always sucked.
Immunity didn’t exist even for the son of one of Vault’s board. Shit, Mom killed my father after having him beaten until he vomited blood. She made my sister and me watch—we were five and seven. Then she walked up to him, hanging by his wrists in the middle of the room where the members of the board stood around and watched. And she drove her knife up under his ribcage and killed him.
A few years ago, my sister was brought to France where she was tortured publicly for days. She had attempted to escape Vault. I warned her not to do it.
They found her. Now she sat in some filthy cell in their dungeon of horrors in France. Death was too quick. Too easy. No, they’d make an example of her. She’d rot to death and then they’d show us all what happened if we tried to leave.
Nothing was simple here. Death came with a price. Death was a privilege. I learned early on to block out the faces, the screams, and the smell of blood, piss and vomit.
And I survived because I was good at it.
Until her.
The girl.
London.
It was the first time in my life I felt.
I pressed the security code and strode through the massive house from room to room until I came to the oil painting. I hated it. So ironic, two lovers embraced together, the sun beaming down between them. Fuckin’ sick bastards.
I shifted it to the right then pressed in a code on an alarm pad. I heard a click and the door opened beside the painting. I strode through it and it slid closed behind me. It was like sealing myself in hell.
I rarely came here except once a month for a meeting with Brice or when Mommy dearest was in town and wanted to see me. The woman could read a lie before you even spoke it. I practiced for years as a kid in front of the mirror, being careful of my gestures, of my muscle movement, keeping my eyes dead. Breathing was paramount, steady and even. I’d lied to her about the girl London.
Told her I hadn’t seen her when she ran away. Of course, that was a lie.
Lies were everywhere. The art was whether you could make them into truths.
My dress shoes clicked down the cement floors to the basement. I wore my suit and tie like I always did when I came here. It would be disrespectful to look anything but your best.
I stopped at the grey steel door. “Glen,” I addressed the guard.
“Wasn’t expecting you.”
I smirked. “Better you don’t expect anything. That way you won’t ever be disappointed.” I lowered my voice and lost my grin. “Open the door.”
Glen did and I strode into hell. The dark corridor was one I’d never get used to. No doubt, they designed this place so if any of us had to walk down the corridor, we’d be reminded of what would happen to us if we made a mistake.
The cells of torture. Five of them and each had its purpose. We were lucky if we came here instead of France, though.
I put my finger on the scanner. It beeped then went green and a door clicked open. I walked in and went directly to the computer. They’d know I was here and I had to have a good excuse as to why. I was hoping one would come to me—eventually.
It took only a few minutes to get into the emails. The trick was making certain any trace of it ever being sent was cleaned up, and I spent forty minutes tracing backwards until I was sure Tanner’s message was deleted from all possible links. Well, I was betting some hacker could find it, but unless they were suspicious then they wouldn’t be looking.
I shut off the computer, got up and walked out.
It had been easier than I thought. Explaining Tanner’s death, I’d have to go to France and face my mother, but they wouldn’t be upset at his loss. Besides, telling them I killed him because of his relationship with Georgie would only strengthen their trust in me. That had been a little shaky ever since London.
I shut the door and started walking back.
Then I heard her.
It was faint, but I’d never forget the slight lilt to her voice. Fuck. I closed my eyes and forced myself to keep walking. With each step, my heart thudded louder. My mind expanded into a fit of rage and agony.
I didn’t expect her to be here, but now I knew why she was.
Because I was.
A test.
Loyalty.
They knew I came here once a month to meet asshole Brice. That I had to walk down this corridor. That eventually I’d hear her cries. Notice her.
Jesus. Their cruelty was endless.
I stopped at the door, my hand curled into a fist, raised and ready to knock for Greg to let me out. I could do this. I could leave and not look back. I could forget. I knew how to stop the nightmares.
But not this one.
My head dropped forward as I lowered my arm. I turned. What was I doing? I knew I couldn’t get her out. What was the point in seeing her? They’d want me to do this.
Like I told Deck, there was nowhere to hide from Vault. My sister was proof of that.
My feet continued down the corridor to where I’d heard her voice. I knew what I’d see. I knew how they broke them. I was one of them.
They drove all hope out of you until you became dead—nothing.
I couldn’t enter the cell as they were all fingerprint access. They’d know it was me.
I stepped closer. Then I raised my head and looked through the tiny barred window.
I had to grab the bars to support my weight as my knees weakened when my eyes hit her.
I’d thought I’d been broken once before, but now—
Now it was complete.
As if sensing someone was looking at her, London raised her head, the curtain of hair parting to reveal haunting eyes and dried, caked blood on her forehead and mouth. I couldn’t swallow. I had trouble breathing and the agony in my chest hurt so much I winced. At that moment, I prayed for the dead man I’d grown up to be, because feeling this pain was worse than any torture they had ever done to me.
“London,” I breathed.
Then the haunted look died and I saw dead. She’d given up. Another day and she’d do or be anything they asked of her for the rest of her life. They’d zapped all hope of being saved.
Her head fell forward again as if she was too weak to look at me anymore. “Jesus.” I had to walk away. I had to.
I couldn’t escape with her. I’d be bringing down on her something far worse if I did.
But I knew
how to end the pain. How to help her.
It was the only kind thing to do—for now.
“You’re nothing, London.” She didn’t move and I raised my voice a little. “Look at me.” I saw her fingers twitch and she slowly raised her head again. I felt sick to my stomach as I forced myself to harden and glare at her. I am dead. Don’t feel. Don’t let the monsters in. But the monsters were already in me. I felt them living and breathing. Monsters they trained us to slay—emotions. “You will never escape them. Better to know that now. You belong to them and the faster you accept it, the sooner the pain will end. Give up.”
For a second, I saw a glint of anger hit her eyes and then her head dropped and she hung like a dead carcass.
Fuck. Fuck. Damn it.
But I had to do it. I had to cut her cord to any hope of leaving. Because if she lost hope, then it would stop the torture.
I closed my eyes then turned and strode down the corridor. I’m coming back for you, London.
AFTER TRISTAN WALKED out of Avalanche, Deck, Tyler and Vic came over, and without a word, we left, Deck’s hand at the small of my back as he led me outside.
Then we sat in the car and I told them everything. Word for word.
“You think he’s for real?” Tyler asked.
I shrugged. Deck didn’t say anything as he kept his fingers linked with mine and looked out the windshield.
“Does it matter if he is?” Vic said. “He obviously has someone on the inside that’s loyal to him otherwise Vault would’ve killed him by now. He also is pretty confident they have no idea who he is. He had his insider get Vault to start watching him. That was brave as hell or stupid as hell. I vote we do what he says. Let the storm calm.”
“I agree,” Deck said. “But we dig deeper into Tristan’s past. Vic, you make contact with him. I want to know who his parents are and if they think he’s still missing. Any police reports of when Vault took him as a child. Everything he told Georgie must be checked into. If he cooperates with us then we will start planning our next move.”
“And Kai?” Tyler asked.
“He texted me ten minutes ago. Tanner’s message is deleted.” Deck’s voice was tight and I knew there was more to it. With the way the guys looked at one another, they did too. But no one said anything—except me.
