Page 13 of Battling Aries

Rory huffs and twists so I’m no longer in her face.

Grinning, I know I’ve won. Straightening, I head to the door and open it, only for Cordelia to rush through, shoving past me to get to Rory.

Mace moves a bit slower, brow cocked.“You good, brother?”

“Yeah, I’m good. Just wanted to get something straight with your patient first.” I shrug and jerk my chin in her direction. “She’s yours to look after now. I’ll be here to make sure she doesn’t give you a hard time.”

Mace chuckles lowly and shakes his head. He knows me and knows the type of man I am. I’m not playing around anymore. Not where she’s concerned. I’ll find out what the fuck she’s hiding from me, and when I do, that’s when I’ll decide what needs to happen with her.

Regardless, she’s my property, and no matter the internal battle going on in my head where she’s concerned, she’ll always belong to me, no matter if either of us likes it or not.

CHAPTER 8

RORY

The nerve of him.

I want to kick him. No, I want to scratch his eyes out. Who the hell does he think he is? Telling me that he’s going to cuff me to his bed and punish me.

Please, like he can do anything that hasn’t already been done to me. Roger made sure of it. The worst thing he ever did was get his hands on a drug called Heavenly Rose. The horrible drug actually did make me sex-crazed. That is, until it nearly killed me. He’d given me so much at one time, wanting to see what it would do to me, and he learned quickly my body couldn’t take it.

Going through the withdrawal of that vile creation, I think was even worse, and Roger had gotten on the whole thing. He laughed and even played his sick, twisted games while I’d been detoxing from the stuff.

It was horrible. But it’s just all part of the nightmare that’s been my life since just before I turned nineteen.

“Hello, earth to Rory,” Cordelia states, waving a hand in my face.

Hours have passed since Aries brought me back, and still, all I keep thinking about is what he said to me. Mace told him to hold off on his interrogation, and I’m honestly thankful for the reprieve. Though, I would prefer not to have to deal with being interrogated at all.

I don’t need this. None of it.

I screwed up. I know I did when I told Cordy to drive to Aries. I’d only meant for her to get to him so she’d be safe. I’d be on my own. I could handle that. What I couldn’t handle was if something happened to her.

It’s why I need to get away from her. To leave before anything can happen to her or to Aries.

Roger will come at them if he finds out or even guesses that I’m here.

“Rory,” Cordelia snaps me out of my thoughts, “you okay?”

Blinking, I nod. “Yeah, sorry, was zoned out.”

“I can tell,” Cordy says, brows drawn together, the look of concern taking over her solemn features. “Why don’t you talk about it.”

I shake my head at the very suggestion. I can’t talk about it. Not now. If I had it my way, I wouldn’t talk about it at all. Unfortunately, my luck has never been that good, and Aries is going to make me talk.

“I can’t.”

“You can, you just don’t want to,” Cordy corrects me, rolling her eyes. “You need to trust Aries with the truth. Explain to him what happened. Tell him what he needs to know. He does have a right to know what happened and why you did what you did.”

I know he does, but I don’t want to bring up something that should be put in the past, once and for all. Left behind in a dark corner and never thought of again.

“Just leave it be, Cordy. Please. I don’t want to talk about it right now. Nor do I want to think about it.” I was still hurtingand just wanted to go back to sleep. The shut eye I managed to catch at the seedy motel wasn’t enough. I don’t think I’d be able to sleep enough if I wanted to.

“I’m not going to leave it be.” Cordy huffs, getting to her feet. Her body ramrod straight, fists balled at the sides. “I’m sick of keeping this secret, Rory. I promised you I wouldn’t say a word, but I’m betraying my brother for not telling him.”

“Not telling me what?”

Both of us jerk at the sound of Aries’s voice.

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