Page 5 of Fractured Heart

“I bet your Don would love to know that you aren’t dead like he hoped.” The guy just shrugs but I can see his presence isn’t welcome by the way Karl is scowling at him. His men have all gone on high alert since he entered the room. Who the fuck is this guy?

“Knox knows where I am. I may be banished from returning home but I have a plan and I believe serving him your head will earn me his forgiveness.” Karl’s nostrils flare in outrage as he shoves his chair back and pushes to his feet.

“You will fucking die tonight, you little cunt!” he roars.

“Sit the fuck down now, you insulant little prick, before I make you!” Grandpa's voice booms out around the room. Karl glares at him but keeps his mouth closed. “You’re lucky I haven’t brought the council with me,” he warns.

“The council can’t do shit,” Karl huffs out as he drops into his seat, crossing his arms over his chest. Just the way he sits there with an air of superiority surrounding him makes me ashamed that I share DNA with him.

“They can and they are. We want reports of the past ninety days of royalties and after you deliver that you will also provide us with a breakdown of profits for the businesses.” Karl bristles at his father’s request and looks uncomfortable but he remains silent. “Alexander will remain here with Trevante and keep an eye on things for me.” That has Karl out of his seat and shouting again and before long Andreas and Ian as well as their men are joining in on the argument. When I spy Karl’s second Nolan pull his gun and aim it at my grandfather, I rush into the fray.

“Get down!” I roar as I tackle my grandfather and Alexander to the floor as the first shot rings out. Shit goes from controlled chaos to fucking out of hand in a split second. Alexander and I shove Grandpa out the door and use our bodies as shields as we draw our own guns. “Get my grandfather out of here, now!” I roar as I fire off a few shots at Karl’s men as they try to rush him out of the other side of the room. Andreas and Ian rush past us, dashing to their cars.

“No, come with us.” I shake my head at him.

“Take my grandfather, Alexander?—”

“Call me Xander.”

“Fine, take him and I’ll meet up with you both later. I can’t leave yet.” He searches my gaze for a second before he begrudgingly nods and ushers my grandpa out of the house as I race toward the other end of the building dodging gunfire.

I’m not leaving without that fucking girl!

Doxy

I tremble in the corner of my room as the sound of gunshots ring out through the house, this is my chance. It may be the only one I get to escape this fucking cage. It takes me three attempts to climb to my feet and when I do, I have to lean against the wall because my legs are shaking so hard.

“Pull it fucking together!” I growl to myself, take a deep breath and force all my emotions down into the box I created inside me years ago so I could survive this place, then snag the sheet from the bed, knowing I need to cover up or I risk drawing attention to myself when I escape. I tie it around myself like a toga and once it’s secured, I try not to fidget with it feeling slightly weird to have something covering my body. As I inch toward the bedroom door and crack it open, the screams of pain are like music to my ears. The coast is clear, so I push the door open and close it behind myself, then snag the dog bowl from the ground and creep along the darkened hallway. I just need to make it to the back door, then I can slink out the back and make a run for it through the woods.

Fuck!

I reach up and touch the collar around my neck, I won’t be going anywhere if I can't take this fucking thing off my neck!

“Doxy!” I still at the sound of Jackson’s voice as he comes barging toward me. The rational part of me demands I drop to my knees and weather the punishment but another part, a part of me I always hoped existed but wasn’t sure was still inside me, flares to life. When he is within reach, my mind blanks and my body takes over. I strike out, fast and sure with the bowl and hit him right in the throat. He gasps and chokes, dropping his gun to the floor as he grabs at his neck. Without hesitation I drop the bowl, grab his gun and point it at him. His eyes are wide with fear and fuck it’s euphoric to see that look.

“Come on bitch, open that mouth for me.” I throw his words back at him. The moment he opens his mouth to no doubt curse me out, I shove the gun inside and pull the trigger smiling when splatters of his blood land on me. I moan at the feeling, fuck this feels so good.

I never knew how orgasmic it felt to take a life. I feel fucking powerful and sated. Vengeance like I have never felt before rears inside me as I stare down at this fuckers lifeless eyes and relish in the sight of the giant hole in the back of his head. For years I wished that my dreams of doling out my revenge would come true and finally having the means and power to make them a reality has warmth spreading through me.

“Look who has the better hole now, you’re lucky I don’t have a cock or I would be fucking that beautiful hole in your head,” I snarl, meaning every word. It would have given me great pleasure to fuck that gaping wound, knowing I am defiling his corpse.

“Waverly.” Spinning around with my gun raised I come face to face with Trevante. Unlike Jackson he doesn’t seem worried about me pointing a gun at him. “We need to move.” Before he can get any closer I push my gun into his chest. He frowns but says nothing.

“There is no we, I don’t need to be rescued!” I grit out. The bastard smirks as he reaches into his pocket and pulls a key out, my jaw locks at the sight.

“Well, should I just give the key to your collar back to Len?” My nostrils flare in outrage. “Either turn the fuck around now so I can take it off or I’m leaving you behind. Our window to escape is closing, decide now!” The urgency in his tone is the only reason I obey the bastard and turn. The moment I hear the lock click I gasp. When he removes the collar I feel… bare, naked, wrong but so… free at the same time. “Let’s move!” His words snap me out of my stupor and I follow after him until he attempts to turn right instead of left.

“Wrong way,” I clip out as I go the opposite way and dash through the kitchen toward the back door that is already open. I attempt to take a step outside but he shoves me behind him and takes the lead.

“Stay close,” he barks as he dashes outside. I bristle but say nothing as I follow after him until I spot Lionel trying to make a run for a car near the front of the property. Without thought, I break away from Trevante and go after one of my tormentors. Lionel doesn’t hear me approaching until the last second. He spins around and at the sight of me, his eyes widen like he’s seen a ghost. I raise the gun and push it against his forehead.

“Doxy—”

“Sleep tight, bitch!” I snarl as I pull the trigger, loving that I got to use his words against him like I did with Jackson. My arm’s yanked and I fight to get free until Trevante barks for me to shut up and pushes me into the back seat of the car Lionel was trying to escape in. I remain silent as Trevante climbs behind the wheel and guns the engine. The car skids and slides but I don’t make a sound until we round the front of the house and I see Karl, Nolan, Mike, Len and Ron standing there, shooting at cars in the distance. The moment they see us they open fire. I roll my window down and fire back.

“You crazy bitch, you’re gonna get shot!” I ignore Trevante as I continue to fire until my mag is empty.

“I’m coming for you, motherfuckers!” I scream, then slouch back against the seat once we hit the main road. It’s surreal to see the outside world after so many years. Many things have changed, I feel so exposed and suddenly out of sorts. The adrenaline I was running on slowly flees my body. I don’t dare relax or even allow myself to think I am safe. I have no idea who this man is and the fact he is my tormentor's son, means he isn’t someone I can trust.

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