Page 41 of Tormented Kings

“Foolish girl.” He sighs, shaking his head. “Just like her mother.”

“What does that mean?”

“Doesn’t matter.” He waves his hand. “Get me my money, be at the St. Lawrence’s church on February twenty-fourth, and–” he gives me a dangerous look. “If I find you with that girl in any way that a friend or a teacher wouldn’t be caught in, it won't be pretty. The last thing I need is Connie and her familybreathing down my neck with panic, thinking that you won’t follow through.”

I want to tell him to fuck off. That I’m not doing it. But I believe him when he says he will make our lives hell. Sadie doesn’t deserve it. Not because of me and my crazy-ass sperm donor.

“We’re done here. Get out.” His voice is final.

So many scenarios flash through my mind of how I could kill him right now. But I hold my tongue, grit my teeth, and get out of the car. The moment I shut the door, the car is peeling out of the parking lot.

“Fuck!” I roar, my fist coming down onto the hood of my car so hard that it leaves a dent.

With knuckles split and throbbing, I hastily get in my car and get the fuck out of here.

I’m so enraged that I want to wrap my hands around his fucking neck and strangle the life out of him. I’m not fucking doing it. I’m not marrying that woman.

He needs to go. There’s no other way. I will not fucking have him be a threat to Sadie’s safety. If he hurts her, I will not think twice about putting him down like the dog he is.

Chapter 10

Grayson

I haven’t left this room since Collin called me. Eyes glued to the computer screen, I watch my girl as she sits on the couch and studies. It’s the first time she’s sat still in a while. She’s been—what I’m going to guess is—stress cleaning since I sat down to check in on her.

I’ve missed supper with Erin and my dad, but I don’t care. I’m worried.

With Bradly’s eyes set on Sadie now, I’m not taking any risk. I fucking hate that man. He’s a slimy bastard. Neither Declan’s nor my family would do business with him. They don’t trust him as far as they can throw him. He’s got his hands in too many dirty dealings. And while our families aren't exactly squeaky clean, we don’t dabble in the shit he does.

Movement in one of the frames has me taking my eyes off my girl and to the camera that shows my front door. “Shit,” I mutter as I stand up. Collin is here. If he felt the need to come over rather than call me, it can’t be good.

Taking one last glance at the screen, I check all the cameras I have set up around Sadie’s property to make sure everything is okay before leaving.

Jogging down the stairs, the bell rings, and I yell out, letting the house staff know I’ll get it. Pulling the door open, I find a very pissed off Collin. “Shit.”

“Oh, it’s far fucking worse than that,” Collin growls, stepping into the house.

“Come on,” I tell him and lead him up to my room. “Alright, what did the bastard have to say?” I ask, closing my bedroom door behind me.

Collin starts pacing my room, running his hands through his hair in frustration. “I’m so fucking close to going over there and killing him, Grayson.” He holds up his hand, pinching his pointer finger and thumb together. “This fucking close.”

“What did he say?” I ask, crossing my arms with a frown.

Collin scrubs his face with his hands before turning a deadly look on me. “He told me that I’m going to be married to Connie on February twenty-fourth.”

My brows jump. “And what did you say?”

“Nothing. I said fucking nothing because I couldn’t!” he shouts. “I wanted to tell him to get fucked, but that would risk a bigger target on Sadie’s back, and I’m not going to do that. So, until I find out how to bring him down, I have to play nice. Or at least keep my mouth shut and let him think that I’m going to do as he says.”

“Wouldn’t he know you’re just agreeing to please him? You’ve fought back for so long, why would he think you would just give in now?”

“Because he knows how much Sadie means to me and that I wouldn’t risk her. He’s counting on it. It’s why he’s using her as a threat. Money and power mean shit-all to me. But her? She's my whole fucking universe. He thinks I’ll marry Connie to protect Sadie. But I can’t marry that woman, I can’t. I won’t. I’d kill him and go to jail before I let that happen.”

“It’s not going to happen,” I tell him. “You need to take a breath, or you're going to spiral. And you don’t make the smartest choices when you spiral.” I’ve heard the whispers of the things he’s done while he was in Archduke Academy. He might not be evil like his father, but he doesn’t have clean hands either. There’s things I’m sure his mother doesn’t know about.

But like I said, it’s all hearsay. He’s never confirmed it, and I plan to stay in the shadows on it unless it puts Sadie at risk.

Collin groans, taking a seat on the edge of the bed. “I have to have a conversation with Sadie that I never wanted to have.” He looks at me with his gutted look. “Until my father is dealt with, I can’t be seen with her outside school. He told me if I’m caught with her, there will be consequences. The fact is, I don’t know what my father is completely capable of. I’ve done my best to keep an eye on him for Preston’s sake, but there’s a lot I’m unaware of. And that scares the shit out of me. He’s beyond unhinged, and I wouldn’t put it past him to hurt everyone around Sadie before going for the kill. Maybe literally.”

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