Page 148 of Slaughter

“What?” Kayn demands.

I stare at the floor, remembering that night that I had him take her and bring her to Vancouver. It hits me like a fucking fist to the face. I never gave it a second thought until now. Now I’m able to understand my mistake.

“What is it?” Tristan demands.

I look at him, and he’s breathing heavy. His eyes narrowed, hands fisted down by his sides. And I understand his anger. Once again, I’m at fault. Everything that has led up to this point is on my shoulders, and I hate to have to admit that. “I know who got Darrell to turn on me.”

PRESLEIGH

I open my heavy eyes and roll over in the darkness. I reach out my hand, finding I’m alone in bed. I sit up and rub my sleepy eyes. I’m not as drunk as I was when I passed out, but I’m definitely not sober just yet.

Getting out of the bed, I use the restroom and then head out of the bedroom in search of Avery. How long have I been out? And why hasn’t he come to bed yet? He has to be tired. I don’t think the guy ever sleeps.

I don’t know where I’m going or where anything is in this unfamiliar place, so I walk around aimlessly, turning on lights here and there but only finding more empty rooms. So much wasted space. Making my way up the stairs, I hear voices coming from behind a closed door. I walk over to it and knock twice. The voices come to a stop, but I don’t dare open it. Instead, I wait for someone to say come in. But no one does. After a few long seconds, the door opens, and I come face to face with a pissed-off Tristan. Without saying a word, he exits the room and storms past me.

I step in to find Kayn leaning up against a wall and Avery leaning against a desk. I clear my throat when they just stand there staring at me. Both have that look of hatred in their eyes. I swallow nervously.

“Give us a minute.” Avery finally speaks to Kayn but doesn’t take his eyes from me.

He too exits without a word. Kayn closes the door and then silence again. I cross my arms over my chest. I’m still dressed in the clothes I put on back in Vancouver, but all of a sudden, I feel like I’m naked. Exposed. Avery has a way of making me feel that way.

“Will you come to bed?” I ask softly.

“Not tired,” he replies flatly.

“Avery, I …”

“Go to bed, Bunny,” he orders, pushing off the desk and walking behind it to sit down.

Instead of getting mad at his bossiness, I walk around the desk and come to a stop between it and him. I jump up to sit on it and reach out to touch his cheek. He pushes it off.

“Not in the mood.”

I don’t give up. “You make it all stop.”

He looks up at me, his blue eyes clouded and brows pulled together.

“The memories, the nightmares. When I’m with you, you make it all fade to black. Sometimes it feels like it never happened. Like we were never apart,” I say honestly.

“It did happen. And we were.”

I sigh at his words. “I don’t know what’s wrong, but I can fix it.” Leaning forward, I start to unbutton his shirt.

He grips my wrists, and I hiss in a breath just like I did in the limo when Alex did earlier. “I’m not in the fucking mood, Presleigh!” he snaps.

“Avery, I …”

He grabs my arm and yanks me off the desk and drags me over to the door. Opening it up, he yanks me down the stairs, and I have flashbacks of when he did the very same thing and took me to his dungeon at his home in Vancouver.

“Kayn?” he barks out once we hit the first floor.

He appears from down the hall with Tristan right beside him. “Sir?” he asks coming up to us.

He shoves me forward into Kayn. “Change of plans. Take her back to Vancouver!”

“What?” I gasp, turning around to face him. “No …”

“Bringing you here was a mistake,” he says, looking down at me with disgust.

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