Page 51 of Hers To Keep

“Stupid girl, walking out here all alone.” His ominous rasp sends a frightful chill through me. Deep breaths, Scarlett, deep breaths. “Stupid, or incredibly naïve, nonetheless it was a mistake to run away from the safety of my nephew’s arms.”

“He knows I left, it won’t be long before he looks for me,” I mutter, turning rapidly and finding him hovering over me. He reaches a hand toward me, his fingers slightly grazing my cheek before I slap his hand away. I shift back, stunned that I slapped him away, instantly regretting my reckless reaction. But that’s all it was—a reaction, and the wide grin on his face proves I’m going to regret it.

“You’re getting brave, my sweet angel. But bravery is perilous. The brave are reckless, blinded by their own selfish heroism, only to fall into the steel clutches of the villains. It’s the villains who thrive. They understand the power of greatness and the sacrifices that must be made to attain it.”

“You know nothing of sacrifice, other than how to instill fear in others, leaving them defenseless and giving them no other option than to comply.” I step toward him, stupidly taunting him, poking at his chest as he steps back at every step I take forward. The blueish green of his eyes turns almost black with anger as I continue to berate him. “You are nothing but a coward who hides behind this corrupt empire you built, terrified of the threat of someone destroying it. Because you know it’s possible. The fear is clear in your eyes, deep down under the shield of control covering it, but it’s there. I see it every time I’m near you, every time you hear the mention of Ace’s name. You’re afraid because you know he has the power in him to end you.” I step back, crossing my arms over my chest. “If only he were man enough to do it.”

Suddenly he reaches forward, his hand wrapping tightlyaround my neck. My eyes bulge out in panic, or fear, or utter disbelief, tears threatening to make their appearance known. “You are walking on very thin ice, my dear. My patience is growing weak. You think because I haven’t physically harmed you, that it’s not in the cards but you couldn’t be more mistaken. I haven’t harmed you because it isn’t the time for that yet.” He releases me, shoving me back harshly as I fall on my ass against the rocks, my back scraping against the edge of a large boulder. “But you’d be incredibly foolish to believe it isn’t possible.”

“Scarlett!” We’re suddenly interrupted by Ace’s loud yell, echoing against the rocks. We both look up toward the edge of the cliff and find him standing there looking down at us, rage on his face. Fear flows through me at the sight of him up there. Wesley can’t see him stand up for me, can’t see him save me.

As if he senses my worry, Wesley comes up behind me gripping my hair and tugging back slightly as my head falls back exposing my neck to him. “My nephew seems to have forgotten where his loyalties lie,” he whispers against the skin of my nape. “We should do our best to make sure he remembers. After all, danger looms in Hillcrest Hills.”

My heart sinks at his statement, the threat he so shamelessly spews regarding Ace. “Is that another threat? A threat against your family, your own blood?” I ask in disbelief.

“Blood is only so thick, but my love for this town runs deeper in my veins, the power I need a graver loss, and I will do anything to ensure its survival.” He lets go of his hold on me, moving around to face me. “Don’t for a second think anyone is untouchable. Not you, not my nephew, not your sister, not that stupid pack of idiots that hang by your side. No one is safe from the devil’s clutches.” I look back up at Ace who hasn’t moved a muscle since he arrived. The look on his face shows his eagerness to come down to my rescue, but the fear of what consequences might ensue if he does, holds him back.

“Leave him out of this. I will continue to follow your everycommand. The noose you have around me tightens with every threat directed at me or my family. I’m forever in your clutches, at your mercy, but you must leave him out of this. No harm is to ever come to Ace, not from your hand, not from your minions. No harm whatsoever.”

“Negotiating, are we? Who said you were in any position to do so?” Another sinister chuckle erupts from him. “You have no power here, and I will prove that to you. I have one more request, just a small one, but crucial.”

“What is it?” I ask nervously.

“Not here, sweetheart, not in front of eavesdroppers or prying eyes. Tomorrow, in the minutes just before dawn, I need you to meet me somewhere. I will send a car to pick you up from here, as I assume this is where you’ll be spending the night. You two are sleeping together, aren’t you?”

I ignore his crass question, for one it’s none of his business, and second, I know he already knows the answer to it.

“Never mind that, anyway you must come alone. I have a surprise for you, one I know you’ll love.” Without another word, he climbs back up the steep hill toward the edge of the cliff where Ace stands. I stand motionless in my place as I watch him stop before Ace. They exchange shrewd glares as Wesley mutters something I’m too far away to make out. Ace simply nods, not bothering to turn his attention to his uncle, his gaze lingering on me.

“That was fuckingstupid of you, Scarlett, to go all the way out there on your own, in the fucking dark,” he shouts out after me as we walk back into the beach house. Everyone now sits in the living room watching some movie on the television hanging on the wall. Well, they were watching until we barged in shouting.

“Oh fuck off, Ace,” I yell back, rushing up the stairs but not getting far before his arm catches me.

“No, I won’t fuck off! God, every fucking day, Scarlett, I think you can’t possibly do anything else more reckless and stupid than before, but you just fucking continue to surprise me.”

“Well, sorry that I’m so fucking unpredictable! Sorry that I don’t fit into the fucking perfect, little life you have here. Sorry for being such a goddamn inconvenience, but I’m not fucking asking you to be here.” I lift my hands into the air, exasperated by everything that just occurred, not ready to deal with Ace hounding me for being so reckless. “You know what? No, fuck that, I’m not sorry. Don’t forget you’re the desperate one hanging on like you’ve never had a fucking taste of fucking pussy.” His other arm reaches for me, wrapping around my neck, dangerously similar to the way his uncle just had me just moments ago.

“Watch it, Red,” he mutters, calling me by the godforsaken pet name he knows I fucking hate. “Watch that tongue of yours.” He brings his mouth to mine, baring his teeth, and gnawing before me. “Wouldn’t want it to get caught.”

Chapter

Twenty-Nine

SCARLETT

Dark skies wake from their deep slumber above me, thick clouds hovering like a heavy blanket warding off the sunlight as it fiercely fights to be seen in the sky, all the while a thick haze shields everything else in sight making the mood unnervingly ominous. As if the thick fog wasn’t a bad enough omen, a flock of black crows storms out of the tree ahead of me scaring the shit out of me as they caw loudly and aimlessly take flight. Like a frightening nightmare, their squawking heeds a warning of what’s coming.

The brief moment between night and day, haunting me as I head to what could be my impending doom. Grave and unfamiliar sights appear before me as I head toward the back of the property at The Smoak’s Estate, where Wesley Servite has ordered I meet him.

I snuck out of bed this morning before Ace woke up, but I’m sure I have no less than an hour head start on him. Last night we agreed we’d come together, but once again Servite’s threat playsendlessly on a loop in my mind. He’s like a parasite I can’t get rid of, relentlessly imbedding himself into my life, his threats tirelessly reverberating in my subconscious, my consciousness, and every other plausible thought. He’s in my dreams, in my nightmares, and in my reality all the same. He’s sick and perverse, a cruel monster whose maliciousness knows no bounds. It was one thing to threaten my friends and me, but to threaten his own nephew, his own blood. It’s beyond anything I thought him capable of.

Then again, he now has my mother at his side, and she is capable of anything.

The little charade we played out in front of everyone last night was just that, an act. I told Ace that Wesley wanted me to come out to meet him, that he had been watching me and I suspected Alek was the one who was feeding him information about what I was doing, what we were doing. It was Ace’s idea to stage a fight between us in front of Alek in case he was to go with the gossip to Servite.

So that’s what we did. Staged a fallout, but in the end, the fear of his looming threat on Ace brings me here to meet him alone.

The driver Wesley sent for me dropped me off at the back gate of this ominous estate just moments ago. I continue my walk down the cobblestone path leading to the woods behind the Smoak’s Estate. I’ve never set foot here, which is why Ace practically begged to come with me.

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