Page 52 of Desecrated Reign

33

SAOIRSE

Spread across the back seat of Aodhán’s car, I struggle to right myself in this fucking dress. Not only do the several layers of tulle make it difficult, but pair that with how tight Gabriel’s bound my hands together, and I am not exactly mobile. Every bend Gabriel takes tosses me around the back seat, and I know I need to sit up before the bile in my stomach sprays past my lips with vengeance. Right now, I should be riddled with fear, but I’m not. The only emotion coursing through me is rage.

Not only has this prick ruined my wedding, but now he’s trying to kill me. Not today, Satan. Gabriel has another thing coming if he thinks I’m going down without one hell of a fight. “Where the fuck are you taking me?”

When he doesn't respond, I thrash against the seat, trying to reach the gun strapped to my thigh. Unfortunately, I’m a tangle of lace, and with my wrists strapped together I can’t get past the full skirt. Determined not to let Gabriel get the better of me, I wriggle my hands and try to free myself from the binds, but all it does is allow the rope to chafe into my skin, leaving raw red marks that feel like carpet burn. I hiss under my breath, folding my fingers in as I try to ease the small ropes over the widest part, but it’s no use, they’re too tight.

Think, Saoirse. Think.

Using the door as leverage, I hook the tip of my shoe into the door handle and pull myself up like a sit-up, and my shoulder slams against the window in the process. Pain shoots down my arm, but I ignore it, too focused on trying to find an escape route. Reaching for the door handle, using both hands, I attempt to get traction.

“Don’t waste your time. They’re child locked.”

Ignoring him, I peer around Aodhán’s car and wonder how the fuck I got here. I thought Aodhán was my friend. Never mind me, I can’t believe he’d go against Rohan by working with his father. There must be more to it, there has to be. Even though I should probably presume the worst of him, I can’t, because there is a nagging voice in the back of my head that tells me there is an explanation behind his actions. He may seem unredeemable, but I need to hold onto the hope that the friendship we built is not based on lies and deceit. My mind falls back to our encounter in the bedroom, to the struggle that was written all over his face. I’d presumed he was dealing with some personal shit, but in hindsight, I realise it was so much more. He was scared. Guilt-ridden, even.

“Tell me, Gabe.” I channel my most condescending tone as I search the cab for anything I can use as a weapon. “How did you rope Aodhán into doing your dirty work? What is it you have on him?”

He releases a sinister chuckle. “I have enough that he would throw you and his best friend under the bus. People, just like power, are easily manipulated. Everyone has an Achilles heel, Saoirse. And once cut, some fall easier than others.”

Tucking the Aodhán conversation away for later, I change directions. “What’s yours?” I question, even though he won’t give me an answer. “What is it that makes Gabriel King tick?” I continue as I kick against his seat, jamming the soles of my shoes into his back.

Met with more silence, my pounding heart fuels the rage in my chest. This is not how today was supposed to go, and if I have my way, it won’t be how it ends either. “Hey, fuckface,” I antagonise him, “stop ignoring me.”

I kick the seat again, and he cranes his neck, peering at me with hate-filled snarl. Lunging forward, I gather saliva in my mouth, curl my tongue, and spit right in his face. The move momentarily distracts him, just enough that I can slip my hands over the head rest and around his neck. Using every ounce of strength I possess, I leverage my feet off the back of the driver’s seat and pull, applying as much pressure as I can against his Adam’s apple with my wrists and the rope.

“Want to know a secret, Gabe?” I taunt. “I’m not the naive little girl you think I am. I’m stronger now, more fucking resilient.” Struggling against my hold, Gabriel reaches up with one hand and tries to pull my hands away. His fingernails claw and scratch at my skin, but it’s no use. “How does it feel to know that you helped create the monster in me? That when I drain the life from your eyes, it will be of your own doing.”

He stutters past the pressure as the car begins to weave across the centreline. I should care, but I don’t. I’d rather leave this world fighting than let this cunt break me.

Inching forward, I bring myself as close to the middle seat as possible then whisper in his ear. “Don’t make the same mistake Donnacha did. He thought I was weak, too. That was until he met the barrel of my gun.”

He thrashes against his seat, gasping for breath. “That’s right, Gabe. Daddy’s little demon is waiting for you in hell. We made sure he hurt, that he suffered, before I ended him. Tell him I said hi after I send you to meet him.”

34

ROHAN

My hands wrap around the steering wheel in a death grip, and I push down on the accelerator, closing the distance between cars. Never in my life have I experienced fear like this. The ice-cold grip of panic curls around my lungs, stealing my fucking breath as my heart pounds against my ribcage, fighting to escape the confines of my chest. My eyes dart to the small MMA gloves dangling from the rearview mirror, and once again, I find myself talking to a ghost. “I need your help, Devereux. I can’t lose her.”

My stomach churns with every passing kilometre, and even though I’m hot on Gabriel’s tail, I have no idea how to get Saoirse out of that car without putting her in harm’s way—especially, when Gabriel is speeding down a mountain backroad doing at least 180 kilometres per hour.

Keeping my eyes locked on Aodhán’s BMW, sweat pools along my brow as the car sways all over the place, swerving from left to right, crossing back and forth over the centreline.

I can’t make out much from this distance, but there seems to be some sort of a struggle. Needing to get a better view of what is happening inside the car, I push the pedal to the mat and switch lanes, praying to anyone who’ll listen that I don’t meet any oncoming traffic.

Finally, I sneak up alongside them and catch a glimpse of Saoirse from the corner of my eye. Her bound arms are around Gabriel’s neck, trapping him to the driver’s seat. From here, it looks as though she’s using the rope tied around her wrists to choke him out as Gabriel tries to keep control of the vehicle.

That’s my fucking girl. Give him hell, baby.

After briefly checking the road, I hazard another glance at the car next to me. Gabriel has one hand on the wheel, the other curled around the rope, fighting against Saoirse as she uses all her strength to pull back as hard as she can, stealing the air from his lungs.

Knowing my girl as well as I do, I know she’s doing whatever she can to bring that car to a halt, but on a mountain road like this one, there is no place to go, only over the fucking edge or into a goddamn tree. Another wave of panic kicks in, and although I’m proud as fuck that she’s fighting back with her claws out, I need to make sure she doesn’t kill herself in the process.

Overhead, the clouds darken, and within seconds, the first few droplets of rain decorate the windshield. The barely-there spits don’t last long before the heavens open up and rain down hell, greasing the asphalt beneath our squealing tires. A loud horn fills the cab, pulling me from my thoughts and warning me of an oncoming car. Releasing pressure off the throttle, I drop two gears and sweep Liam’s car in behind Aodhán’s, narrowly missing the front bumper of the oncoming Nissan Micra.

Unfortunately, the near collision doesn’t stop Gabriel, and he continues to push forward all while my heart catapults into my stomach. I know these roads like the back of my hand, and in about two seconds, there is a sharp right that curves off into a set of severe S-bends. With a quick flick of my gaze, I check the speedometer, and I know if I continue going this pace, I’m going straight through the treeline that grips the road’s edge.

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