Page 56 of Hers To Keep

Because contrary to what should be, Ace is my haven. Although, until now he’s been as much of a threat to my demise,amongst these devils in this room with me, he’s the lesser of evils, and I can’t help what I feel.

I can feel his heartbeat against my cheek, moving in rhythm with my violent sobs and heavy breathing. “What have you done to her!?” he shouts, directing his anger at the adults in the room who watch us with contempt.

“Oh, let her go, she’s always so overly dramatic,” my mother says, causing me to glare angrily in her direction. It continues to baffle me how much more hateful and psychotic she is than I ever imagined. “She’s absolutely fine, acting like finding out her father is alive and well is a tragedy.” I feel Ace’s body go rigid against me at the revelation from my mother.

“Father,” Ace whispers, beside me, and in that moment I really wish this is one secret he couldn’t have possibly kept from me.

“Yes, it’s all amazing, we get it,” my mother mocks, moving over to the left side of the room where two chairs sit against the wall.

“Did you know?” I whisper up at Ace, silently praying to whoever answers prayers he didn’t keep this from me. I don’t think I can handle any more lies, take any more betrayals from him without falling apart completely.

He shakes his head, a wave of relief coming over me. “I found it odd that he was back in town, and when I saw him with her, it may have crossed my mind. Knowing your mother has been here before, it didn’t seem unlikely she’d known him. I swear to you I didn’t know for sure,” he places his hand on my chin, lifting my face to meet his. “I would never have kept this from you if I had known, Scarlett. I promise you that.” I nod accepting his answer as I turn back to the demons lingering in front us.

“Why bring him here, why bring me here? What is it you want from me?” I ask, not sure I want an answer, yet hoping once and for all things make sense.

“Maxwell swears he isn’t the one blackmailing me, that he has only come back to town because his niece reached out to him. He insists he’s just here for a family reunion, so I thought I’d give himone of my own, you know I’m a giver,” Wesley sneers, displaying one of his infamous grins. It’s almost comical how this day has gone down. Either that or completely depressing, and I’d rather laugh than fall apart before him again.

I give him a devious grin of my own as I step forward, Ace following my movement with a step of his own. “You’re the devil. You give and give, only to take back so much more.” Now it’s him who moves forward, pulling a pocketknife out of his pocket, and bringing it to rest flatly against my chin as he closes the space between us. Ace’s grip on my arm tightens, but he doesn’t dare pull me back afraid of what his uncle might do if he tries.

His breathing turns jagged beside me as I feel him protectively moving closer to me, his chest now flat against my back. I swear I can feel the muscles in his torso tightening in anger as he watches his uncle. “Don’t you fucking dare hurt her,” Ace whispers coarsely, his body shaking furiously with each syllable he speaks.

Now it’s my heart that starts thumping forcefully in my chest, but not because of fear. It’s anger, an indescribable and profoundly rooted fury.

Instead of screaming, or cursing him at the top of my lungs, I laugh, smiling widely as he slides the cold steel blade across my chin.

“So in typical Servite style you thought you’d threaten me and see if he cared what was to happen to me,” I say, mocking his pathetic and obvious attempt.

Wesley grins, admiring the way I see right through everything he does. I’ve learned to read him and decipher his threats. They’re meant more to show he has control, than physically harm me. He enjoys the thrill of the fear he instills in me, but never once has he laid a hand on me or put my life in danger. Yet I can’t figure out why I constantly give in. I guess it just makes things easier than fighting back.

Slowly, he brings his free hand up to caress my cheek, his stiff fingers tracing along my cheekbones, while his thumb slides acrossmy bottom lip. “You are just full of surprises aren’t you, sweetheart? If only you’d learn to behave, you and I could do so much together. You think just like me, nothing I do shocks you.” He grips my chin bringing my face up to meet his gaze, the knife digging further into my sensitive skin. “You want to know why? Because you see between the lines, you’re observant and clever.”

“And it’s because of that, I can assure you he won’t stop you.” I look toward Maxwell still tied to the chair watching us with impassive eyes. “He doesn’t care I’m his daughter, in fact I’m fairly sure he’s known this entire time and never once has he reached out to me or tried to look for me. But why would he, after what she did?” I chuckle nervously as I turn my attention to my mother who looks terribly bored sitting in her spot by the corner. I spit on her feet. “I’m sure he hates her with such an intense passion. Why would he care what happens to the daughter she forced them to have together?”

Clearly frantic by my words, Wesley pushes the blade further in, the tip nudging me causing me to wince. The son of a bitch cut me.

“Oops,” he mocks, sliding his finger across the cut, looking down at my blood smeared upon them, and then back at me. “She bleeds.” His smile turns dangerously wickedly, and I immediately feel Ace shift at my side. “Don’t you dare, son,” Wesley warns him. “You do anything stupid and it’s your girlfriend’s pretty little face that pays the price.”

“Don’t fucking threaten him.” I spit out at him, bringing his attention back to me.

“You want to test my theory, darling. You think he’d still want you, were you to be disfigured?”

“Wesley, just stop,” my mother calls out from her seat on the sidelines, where she’s been watching attentively, not moving a muscle to stop him.

Wesley answers back, not bothering to turn to her. Clearly things have gotten out of control if my mother is trying to stophim. “Oh, come on, Lil, you’d love it if her face, which rivals yours on so many levels, gets a little makeover now, wouldn’t you?”

“Enough!” Maxwell yells, shocking everyone. He tries to stand, but the restraints on his hands prevent him from doing so. “I’m not the one who’s blackmailing you, Wesley. Although I’m not surprised someone is. You’ve made a lot of enemies. I know a handful of people myself who’d love to see you fall and this empire you so tirelessly built crumble at your feet. Not to mention how your inner circle must have so many ways of discovering your secrets. You mean to tell me none of them know what you two did?” Maxwell laughs, shaking his head in disbelief. His blue eyes darken with fury as he watches Wesley intently, the hatred he feels toward him nearly felt in the air around us. “Please, if I learned anything in this vile world is that there is no such thing as secrets.”

Wesley turns back to me with an uncontrollable fury visible deep within his eyes like nothing I’ve ever seen before. The cold, steel blade is still pressed against my cheek, so I don’t move. “I will find out who it is, my dear, I promise you that. When I do, you’ll regret being so fucking defiant.” His lips move closer to mine as he whispers against my mouth, sending a wave of revulsion through me. “I will end you, punish you beyond anything you’ve ever imagined, and break you to the point of no return. You’ll be begging for mercy, and I will show you none.”

I step forward, allowing the blade to cut me further, forcing it deeper into my cheek. I lick my lips, slightly grazing him with my tongue. His eyes widen at my brazen move.

“You don’t get to break me; I won’t allow it. You, Wesley Servite, don't get that power.”

Chapter

Thirty-One

SCARLETT

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