Page 68 of Vail

“This is our special room,” Gil whispered. “Remember how we liked to play in the bedroom? I had a room outfitted for every one of your desires.” He turned the key and swung the door open, a reinforced door that was thicker than most.

I attempted to swallow, but it got caught in my throat. When Gil flicked the light on, it illuminated a room out of my nightmares. There were various sets of handcuffs and strips of leather. Ropes in various colors were arranged neatly. And a large bed sat in the center of the room with chains on every post. This wasn’t to enjoy a kink. This was so Gil could keep me, beat me, and rape me. Things he’d done before.

“Why don’t we check out the basement?” I asked, needing to get the fuck out of here before I threw up on him. If I did that, he’d certainly beat me.

“You don’t like it?” He wrenched his arm away so fast, I tumbled against him. “After all the time and energy I put into it, and you don’t fucking like it?” he yelled. “I thought you’d be grateful. My soul mate was home and what do I get?” He forced me backward, gripping my cheeks painfully between his fingers. “A thankless asshole who doesn’t appreciate what the fuck I did for him.” He pulled his hand back then slapped me. There was no point in trying to dodge it. One way or another, he’d land a hit. More would follow.

“It’s not that,” I tried to say, ignoring the stinging on my face. “I wanted to take in the whole house, especially after the personal touches you’ve added.”

It didn’t work. He didn’t smile. Instead, he shoved me until the backs of my legs hit the bed and I fell backward onto it. Gil advanced, tearing at the front of his pants.

No, this couldn’t be happening. I left him. I ran. And here I was with him again where he could rape me.

I squeezed my eyes shut and tried to find the place in my mind where I wasn’t aware of what was being done to me, but I couldn’t go there. My thoughts were on my family downstairs. They were on Jordan and Hartley. The men who were with them.

When Gil didn’t tear at my clothes, I dared to open my eyes to find him standing still. That was when I heard it, the commotion downstairs, like bodies were being thrown against walls and the sounds of guns being shot. I was so trapped in this nightmare I didn’t hear the noise at first. Gil strode toward the door as I scrambled to my feet. If I didn’t fight him, he’d lock me in here, in this prison he had made for me.

But Gil didn’t make it to the door. A gun rounded the corner before a person did. Gil had his own gun raised. Not at Jordan as he entered the room, but at me.

“Pull the trigger and Vail dies,” Gil threatened. “I’m a damn good shot. I’ve learned and trained with the best cops in Dremest.”

Jordan’s gaze flicked to mine, no doubt noticing my red cheek. It could have been worse. I’d taken much more over the years. His jaw clenched. “He’s not yours to kill,” Jordan bit out.

“Oh, but he is. Vail is mine to love, cherish, bruise, and fuck. He’s even mine to kill if I choose to. I won’t be leaving this world without him.”

Jordan’s eyes met mine again and he uttered a single word. “Goose.”

30

JORDAN

One night, when I was lying in bed with Hartley and Vail, I told them the story about my son and how we had a code word. I’d never told another soul about it. With Hartley and Vail, I could open myself up. I could tell them without fear they’d repeat it or use it against me. They were two of the kindest men I’d ever met.

They thanked me for trusting them with something so personal. A way I kept and would continue to keep my son safe. A way I’d use with Vail.

As I was combing the interior of the house Gil bought for Vail, as bullets flew past me and my men took care of those inside and out, I had one mission. Find Vail. What I didn’t expect was to locate him in a room that was clearly meant to torture him.

Vail entered the home to save his sister and her children. He put his life on the line for them. Even as blood raced through my veins and my heart felt like it was going to pound out of my chest, I had to trust him. This was how he wanted to handle the situation. I didn’t have to like it. In fact, I fucking hated it. But I did as he wished.

What I loved, what had a smile trying to form on my lips, was that I could kill Gil. Not only that, but he was right in front of me. The slimy piece of shit, no-good asshole who thought he could hurt one of the people I loved.

The issue was his gun and where it was pointed. On Vail. On the person who selflessly entered the home and was now in the line of fire. I trusted my men to get Cat and the kids out. Vail’s safety was in my hands.

Words sat on the tip of my tongue to tell Gil exactly who Vail was and that he wasn’t his. Vail was mine and Hartley’s, no one else’s but that would only incite Gil further. Instead, I fell back on the word I taught Jordan and shared with the men I loved. The word that saved my son and would hopefully save Vail too.

I met Vail’s eyes, saw the stark fear in them, and said, “Goose.”

Vail’s eyes widened and he immediately dropped to the floor. Gil turned at the sound but before he could adjust his aim, I fired. Like the other times I had to kill someone, my bullet hit its mark, right in Gil’s head.

Vail scrambled out of the way as Gil’s body fell to the floor. Fortunately, his gun didn’t go off. When Gil was down, I stepped forward until I was over his body and fired twice more. If Vail hadn’t been here, I probably would have unloaded every bullet in my gun.

When I faced Vail, he was curled into a ball, his hands over his ears and his eyes squeezed closed. There was blood on me from the men I had to go through to get here. That was why I had more than one weapon on me before entering the home. Vail had blood on him as well.

I crouched beside him and put my hand gently on his arm, while saying his name softly. He startled, scrambled back even farther to try to get away. I worried the violence I carried out in front of him was too much. As I was about to stand, Vail lunged for me, wrapping his arms around me. I couldn’t stay upright and fell back to the floor at the force of his body hitting mine.

His tears hit my skin, slid down my neck. I held him as he cried. My arms were steel bands around him, grounding him, assuring him I was here and nothing more would happen to him. Gil wouldn’t touch him ever again.

Nothing but silence greeted me as our surroundings came into focus. My men must have taken out the remainder of Gil’s.

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