Page 49 of Ours to Keep

“So why does Richard owe these men money?” I ask, giving a warning look to River to calm the fuck down.

“Because he never supplied the most recent feed. They paid upfront, and he didn’t deliver.”

I frown. “What do you mean, he didn’t deliver? Deliver what?”

Beads of sweat trickle down George’s temple. “He usually provides live feeds to his step-daughter’s room, only it never came.”

Fuck! I feel physically sick—Richard was not only watching but also selling it.

“When, when was this?” I ask, but I already know the answer—the same night I went to Lily’s room and confronted her.I scrub my hand over my jaw when George confirms this.

I can’t bring myself to look at River or Elliot. Too many emotions are vying for my attention, so instead I turn and punch the wall, busting my knuckles and leaving a red stain and dent in the process.

The wanker beside me flinches and sinks into his chair as though it will help him disappear, not a fucking chance.

The room falls silent as the gravity of the situation hits us.

It’s George who breaks us from our internal thoughts.

“W-what happens now?”

I reach out and grab him by the scruff of his neck, pull him out of the chair, and shove him towards Elliot.

“I want you to point out the names of the men after Richard. Now!”

The weasel doesn’t take long to comply, and we have everything we need.

Now we know what kind of shit George has been involved in. It doesn’t matter that he’s pleaded diminished responsibility, with this type of evidence he’ll be going down, one way or another.

“If Richard contacts you, we’ll know about it. Your laptop and phone have now been tapped. I wouldn’t suggest going far, either. You’ll only make this worse for yourself and your family. If I find out you’ve withheld anything else from us, you’re a dead man, do you understand?”

George’s eyes widen, filled with fear. “I-I understand,” he stammers.

“Good.”

I nod to River, and he smiles, but it is full of malice and ill intent as he rounds on George, punching him in the stomach for good measure.

“We’ll be seeing you,” he says, grabbing the keycard and slamming the door behind us, leaving a bent-over George snivelling on the floor.

None of us says a word, as the weight of what we’ve just uncovered settles over us. Each name adds another threat and is threaded in a darker web of corruption, which is slowly beginning to unravel, revealing its true depth. If these men want retribution and they find Richard before we do, they will not hesitate to take it in the form of using Mia as collateral damage.

Chapter Twenty-Three

LILY

Self-loathing doesn’t begin to cover how I feel when I stare at my reflection. My grey eyes are dull, melancholy hues.

The less severe lacerations and bruising are slowly beginning to heal, but the worst of them, I can still barely bring myself to look at.

A whirlwind of emotions rises to the surface, causing my lips to quiver and nostrils to flare as my eyes begin to fill with tears—ones I’m trying in vain to keep at bay. There are times when I’ve felt numb, my tears all dried out, and other times, I can’t stop crying.

I’m weak and pathetic. Any strength I had is long gone. I hate myself more in this moment as I recollect what happened. It was simply before and now after. I was still so dazed from the aftermath of what happened with Jax, my guard completely down when Richard turned up, locking himself in my room, making me feel like caged prey.

I can still hear the sharp groan of his leather belt as he pulled it free from his belt loops, the ominous clang of the metal clasp. With the first strike, it was the sound of the leather connecting with my flesh that made me flinch, followed by theburning pain that came after, sucking the air from my lungs like a vacuum.

Even now, I can hardly get enough air into my lungs as I grip the sink, trying desperately to hold onto the present.

“Sunshine, take a deep breath for me.”

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