Page 8 of Battling Aries

However, I did break this promise to go to the bathroom. I didn’t think he could get pissed with me for doing that one simple thing.

I was lucky to have gotten a full thirty minutes without being bothered. That was until she burst into the room like her tail was on fire and jumped in next to me.

“If I hadn’t insisted we go out and see that movie, none of this would have happened,” Cordelia remarks, sitting up and crossing her legs, facing me.

“If you hadn’t, we’d have been in the apartment, and I’m sure they would have shown there. They found me. I mean, think about where we were, Cordy. It happened just outside the apartment.” It wasn’t something I wanted to face, but my time had been running out. Roger, I knew, wouldn’t stop until he had me right back where he wanted me. I just hadn’t expected the men he sent to beat me as severely as they did.

“I know,” Cordy says and draws her bottom lip between her teeth. “I just hate that you were beaten so badly.”

“You hate it?” I mutter and shake my head a bit hastier than I should. “It’s because of me you got hurt.” The cut on her cheek and bruises to go with it are on me. Because of me, she ended up with them and could potentially end up with a scar. “I should have never brought this to your door.”

“You know, you never explained to me how you knew where to find me.” Only Cordy would think to ask me that. Okay, so maybe other people would have as well, but I hoped she hadn’t.

“My mom had mentioned in one of the times I’d seen her how your mom told her you were living in Manhattan doing your photography thing,” I tell her. It’s not exactly a lie, but it’s still a lie of omission. I’m not telling her the whole truth. I can’t. Not really.

Cordy seems to accept my answer and nods. “Just so you know, I didn’t tell them anything,” she whispers. “I swore to you I wouldn’t, and I haven’t. I won’t.”

I let out a heavy sigh, and I slump back against the pillows, utterly exhausted. “Thank you for not telling him.”

“You should tell him, though. He deserves to know what happened.” It’s the same thing she’s told me since the moment I told her about . . . everything.

“I can’t.” There’s no way I can. I’ve done enough to hurt him. I can’t do any more to him. It’s bad enough having seen how good he looks now—the chiseled look about him. So ruggedly beautiful, just the sight of him makes my heart start pumping faster and faster.

Aries had always been well-built in the muscle department, but just with only a glance, I could tell he was bigger. The way his shirt was fitted under his cut, he was ridged. All muscle, not even the slightest bit of fat in sight. Then there was the whole chiseled features of his jawline. God, he has gone from handsome to downright panty-melting hot.

“You can,” Cordy urges, holding a hand up to stop me from protesting as she continues. “I know you aren’t going to listen to me. But you should think about it. You both could benefit from the truth being told. Remember that saying ‘the truth will set you free’?”

I nod and roll my eyes. “I remember it.”

“Think about telling Aries as a way of setting yourself free. You can talk to him. He could be your way out of all of this.”

“I’ll think about it.” There was no way I was thinking about it, but telling Cordy I would was the only way I was going to be able to get her off my back about it.

“That’s all I ask.” Cordy smiles and reaches out to squeeze my hand that wasn’t in a cast. “Now, how about I see about getting you something to eat? I’m sure you’ve got to be starving.”

“Sure,” I agree, but I wasn’t in the least bit hungry. I knew how to go days without eating. It was one of Roger’s punishments. To see how long I could go without food. He also managed my weight in the same way. I wasn’t allowed to be over a certain size, or he’d flip his lid. I don’t see how he was going to have me be pregnant when he couldn’t stand for me to be over a certain size.

Cordy climbs out of the bed and starts for the door. “Just hang tight. I’ll get us something, and we can binge-watch theRockymovies. I saw there was a marathon going on while I was in my room.”

Oh goodie.

The moment Cordelia is out of my room, I lay against the pillows, relieved she isn’t in here any longer, and decide now was a good time to just fall asleep. I didn’t need to eat. I didn’t want to be assessed by anyone else. I didn’t want to be bothered. I just wanted to heal enough to get the hell out of there. As soon as I could, I was leaving and getting as far out of Dodge as I possibly could.

CHAPTER 5

ARIES

“Brother, you read this file, and it’s gonna piss you off further than you already are.” Vulture captures my attention the minute he tosses a file on the table we’re all surrounding.

He sent the text first thing this morning that he finished getting what he could for an initial report. Viper called church, and here we all are. I hadn’t seen Rory since leaving her in Mace’s clinic. I knew he’d moved her and that Cordy spent some time with her. Mace’s parents hadn’t been able to see her because she’d gone back to sleep. They did, however, look over the report Mace put together along with the blood sample he’d taken.

“Wanna elaborate, brother?” I ask, not bothering to touch the folder. I stare at it, unsure if I actually want to know just what’s inside, and I find it might be best if my brother tells me.

“You sure you want me to state what’s in that folder?” he asks calmly.

“Nothing to hide from my brothers, and whatever you found, we all gotta know,” I tell him, doing my best not to think too hard about the whole situation. I had a hard enough time sleepingknowing she was here. So damn close. The sight of her beaten as she’d been was stuck in my head. I couldn’t get it out. Then there’s the fact I actually called her my property. What the fuck was I thinking? She ain’t mine. I don’t want anything to do with her.

“Alright.” Vulture sighs and leans back in his chair. “Rory Tyler is a singer in her stepbrother’s nightclubs. She travels to each one he’s got her scheduled for. Never is she not without bodyguards or near her stepbrother, Roger.”

---