Page 2 of Claiming Charlotte

“I’ll take care of her, Sir. I promise.” I whispered and started to follow the blood trail, until the droplets landed right outside of his office.

I pushed through the door noiselessly and stood in the center of the wide room, glancing around. Everything was so dark. Taking a few steps forward to investigate I heard a crunch under me, and stepped back to pick it up; examining it until a small light cast a shine on Charlotte's bloody necklace. Please don’t be dead.

My eyes landed behind Mr. Bennett’s desk, where a shadowed silhouette caught my attention. Someone was sitting in his chair, only it looked as though the person was sleeping.

I crept closer, and realized the long-matted locks of dark brown hair staring back at me were Lottie’s. Lurching forward, I rounded the desk and knelt by her side.

“Charlotte, wake up!” I shook her, desperately trying to get a response from her. She was tied down to the leather chair by harsh ropes, and she was gagged; a disgusting dirty cloth shoved into her mouth. We didn't have a lot of time, so I got to work quickly.

As I reached up to remove the gag from her mouth, I saw her chest fill with air. Thank you Princess…

Just knowing she was alive was all I needed to feel confident in myself again. With my thumb, I wiped the dark, sticky liquid from the corner of her mouth.

“I’m so sorry, Charlotte…”

I knew she couldn’t hear me, but she needed to know. Anger coursed through me as I felt her body for any wounds and found one on the back of her head, still wet and crusting over. There were tiny pieces of glass embedded into her wound, and I made a mental note to help her clean it up when we got out of there. I focused my intentions on freeing her from the binds that held her to the chair, but they were not budging, and I was getting frustrated, trying to work fast so we could leave before Richard returned.

“Come on,” I grunted pulling at the ropes when I heard heavy footsteps coming toward me. The air of the room changed, sending a shiver down my spine, and I swallowed thickly.

Suddenly, a sharp noise sounded throughout the room, followed by another and another. I froze and closed my eyes before gaining the courage to stand up, facing the man who had a hand in the suffering I endured for years. Someone I never wanted to face again.? Richard Walker had stepped out of the shadows slowly approaching, clapping his hands and harboring an amused expression.

“That was great, son,” he mused. “So dramatic.”

I swallowed hard?as Walker walked around me and strategically placed himself between Charlotte and me. From this angle, he had the upper hand; to get to her, I would have to go through him. My pulse raced as he rested a hand on her shoulder before running it to the back of her neck and through her hair. I winced as he yanked his fingers through a knot that must have formed.

“Isn’t she beautiful, Rowan?” Walker asked, grabbing her roughly by the chin, forcing her head up so I could see her bloodied face. “You're truly a lucky man.”

With a clenched jaw, I looked on helplessly as he assaulted Charlotte, taunting me. There was nothing I could do. I had no idea who else lurked in the shadows, or if he had a weapon on him. I had to be smart, think rationally.

“You’re stupid for coming here, boy,” he continued his tirade. “Why wouldn’t you just skip town?”

Rage coursed through me as he spoke. “That’s none of your business,” I fired at him.

“Oh, but it is,” Richard returned calmly. “You see, when you were branded, you swore an oath to the Walkers. That's a lifetime oath, not an ‘anytime you want’ oath.”

“I was branded against my will,” I growled. “If I’d known what the job entailed, I would never have gone to the house that night, and you know it.”

Walker drank in the sight of Charlotte unconscious on the chair before responding.

“Son, you can say what you like, but I saw the pleasure in your eyes each time you participated. And that’s a good thing because what I have in store for Charlotte? You’re going to want to be there to see it all. It’s only fair you share.”

“You’re not going to lay a hand on her,” I spat, anger flashing in my eyes. If he went any lower, I would rip his throat out with my teeth.

He burst out laughing. “Oh, I see what’s going on here. You love her.”

I didn’t say anything. It was the exact?reason Charlotte and I hadn’t wanted to make our relationship public. Walker confirmed my worst fear with his next sentence.

“That’s just perfect, son. We’re going to have so much fun with this, and when we’re done, I’ll chain her to this very desk to be taken whenever and however I please and you will watch, every time. Her name will be more irrelevant than dog shit on the bottom of someone's shoe. The things we are going to do to her, and knowing there’s nothing you can do about it gives me all the more pleasure,” He chuckled darkly.

My heart palpitated in my chest, and I clenched my fists at my sides. Listening to the way he spoke about her made my skin crawl. I cracked my knuckles, wishing they were around his throat.

“The Bennetts will be a distant memory, and I get all of this.” He groaned. This piece of shit was actually getting turned on by his own words.

“This is between you and me. If you touch her again, you’ll regret it,” I said, stepping closer. I was trying to come across as menacing, mean. But I don’t think it worked, my words were coming out quiet and forced. “Let her go.”

“I’d watch yourself, son. You’re in no position to make demands right now,” he said, shaking his head. “You see, you sealed your fate the day you thought walking away was an option.”

Thoughts raced through my mind, threatening to explode, and I said the one thing I hoped to never have to say again. But I'd do anything to save Charlotte. “If you let her go, I’ll come back. Whatever you need me to do. Total compliance.”

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