Page 44 of Legacy of Succession

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

VICTORIA

Nicholas carries me out of the house and races toward a car. I’m still shaking. The only task that she could never complete. Her father had asked her to commit murder before, and she’d naturally refused. I dread to think the punishment she must’ve received from him. Whatever it was broke her enough that I just watched her commit suicide. I bury my head into Nicholas’ chest as he shouts instructions to a liveried man.

“Give me the keys.”

“My Lord, this is your father’s car. If you wait a moment, I’ll get one of yours.”

“Just give me the fucking keys.” Nicholas gently places me down against the midnight blue Land Rover. “Wait there,” he orders. I don’t think I could move if I tried. My legs are like jelly, and I use the car to hold me up. Nicholas spins around and stomps over to the guards. He pulls his hand back and floors the surprised man with one punch. He picks the keys out of the livery man’s hand and clicks open the car. “Get in.” I obey. He goes to the driver’s side and gets in. He puts his seatbelt on, and I do the same before he takes off, speeding down the long driveway.

“Nicholas.” I reach out and touch his leg, but he doesn’t respond. He just focuses on the massive gateway in front of us. It starts to open — alerted, no doubt, by a sensor in the car. He’s going to take me away from here. I squeeze his leg a little harder. His breathing’s getting quicker and quicker. “Nicholas,” I reassure again as the gate finishes opening. The path to freedom is laid bare before us, but at the last minute, he slams his foot down on the break. The car skids sideways over a manicured lawn and halts just before a garish statue of a little girl entwined with a snake. He bangs his hands on the steering wheel and gets out of the car and starts to beat the crap out of it. The thumping of the metal makes me shudder. He’s falling apart before me. I undo my seat belt and slide across and out his side. He's going mad — the strength of his fury is so great that dents are appearing on the Land Rover. Without thinking, I step closer to him and wrap my hands around his waist. I’m standing behind him, and he stills. I can hear his heavy gasping breaths. I lay my head against his back and hear the anguished cries wracking his body.

“I killed her,” he laments.

“No,”

“I didn’t listen to you. I killed her. I want to take you away from here, but I can’t. I should be able to drive through that gateway, but I can’t. I’m going to kill you as well.” He turns around, and I can see the tears falling down his face. I step up on the balls of my feet and use my thumb to wipe them away.

“You didn’t kill her. The society did. She never had any hope. She told me that her father had been preparing her for the trials since she was young. He was abusing her and hiding behind what this society is. She was broken. You didn’t kill her. The murder was the one task that she could never complete. She’d rather go to heaven with her conscience clear.”

“I should have seen how broken she was. I knew she wasn’t right, but I thought it was the stress of the situation.”

I shake my head.

“She was a dead woman walking. I don’t think anyone could have saved her, no matter how much we wanted to.” I feel sick. Amelia was only twenty-one and had known nothing but abuse all her life. “Her father is a vile man, and I won’t rest until he’s punished for this.”

“Neither of us will.”

I look over to the gateway. I could push off Nicholas and make a break for my freedom, but I’m pulled closer to him by the situation we’re in. Somewhere, in all of this, I’ve developed feelings for my captor.

“William,” Nicholas speaks.

“I won’t risk him. We’re going to finish this together.” I step back and slide my hand down to his, so he can lead me back to the car.

“Victoria.” He doesn’t move. “Marry me?”

“What?”

“Marry me?”

I can’t find the answer I want to give — my throat goes dry. Most people would think that I’m insane for even considering this, but I am. I’m in love with him and all that he wants to do. He’s been in the worst position just as I have. We’ve both been oppressed and forced against our wills to conduct acts that have left us confused and hurting, but together, we’ve discovered we can beat our devils. Together we’ll win.

“Make me your woman first.”

“What?”

I step up on the balls of my feet again and press a soft kiss to his lips.

“Stop the pain in my chest — stop my heart from breaking at all the death and hate around us. Show me what love is.”

He crushes his lips to mine, apparently not needing to be asked twice, to show me what pleasure feels like. Before long, I’m lifted up into his arms, and we’re moving. Our lips part.

“Where are we going?”

“There’s a summer house a short walk away. I want you privately, not in the middle of the driveway with the rest of the society leaving.”

“Good idea.” I join our lips again, and we stumble, well Nicholas stumbles, through the gardens to the summer house. The smell of roses hits me, and I pull back. Nicholas puts me down on my feet and opens the door. The summer house is filled with highly fragrant blooms. I pick a vibrant red rose and twirl it around in my fingers.

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