Page 79 of Darkness Falls

"If I come back, you're not going to touch me," I huff as Sebastian steps behind me to grip the back of my neck. It's a comforting pain but also warning me to tread lightly.

He laughs again. "You belong to me."

"I don't belong to anyone, least of all you," I grit, my jaw clenching so tightly I'm afraid I could break a tooth. Seb grips my neck tighter. I can tell it's taking everything in him to not interject. He's trying to give me control like I asked him to.

"Careful, Callie. You seem to forget Avery is currently taking up residence in my home. Get your ass back to the compound, or I will send her back to you piece by piece. I won’t let you come between what I want."

Thoughts race through my mind as I try to find a loophole. It's going to be a bit difficult to convince the men in this room to let me go back there.

"Come back to stand trial, or your friend dies. Make your choice."

"That's it? There are no other options?” I ask. He knows the choice I'm going to make. Everyone in this room knows what my choice will be.

"Don't try and play games with me. You should be thankful I'm willing to let her live until you get here. Maybe I’ll let you say one last goodbye."

“Don’t touch her, Damien,” I warn.

"You have three days to be back here to face the council. If you aren't here by then, I'll slit Avery's throat."

"I'll be there," I say.

"You will not!" Barrett and Kyler both yell out, making Damien laugh on his side of the phone.

"I'll be there," I confirm again before he hangs up.

Iglance around the room and see pretty much the same emotion written all over each one of their faces. Barrett left his place behind his computers to stand in front of me with his arms crossed over his chest and his eyes narrowed. They're not going to like what I have planned, but I don't care. If they can't get on board, I'll find a way to distract them long enough to sneak off and go back to the compound by myself.

"Before you all start flipping your shit, hear me out," I plea. "We planned on taking down Rogue. This is how we do it. I have a plan."

"And what sort of plan is that?" Sebastian says from his position behind me. I can tell he wants to take out his irritation on me, but he's holding back.

"We are going to need some files from the other room and whatever’s on that flash drive," I tell them, already knowing whose files I plan to grab. "If they want a trial, I'll put them all on trial."

A sly smile crosses Barrett's face. He knows exactly what I have up my sleeve, and I can tell he's already calculating how he's going to help me pull it off.

"I found a video you might benefit from, too," he says as I go on to tell them what I have in mind.

Reluctantly, Sebastian agrees to go along with my plan. We just need to grab the few items I have in mind from the cabin and then go back home before we go to the compound. It seems counterproductive to go all the way back to Braxton Falls, but there are things Barrett needs to grab in order to make sure thisall goes off without a hitch. I'm beyond excited. Once this plan's executed, Rogue will no longer be a problem for any of us.

Chapter 37

Callie

Iwince as the hot water sears my skin when I step into the shower. It takes a few minutes for my body to get acclimated to it, but once it does, I lose myself in my thoughts. After the call with Damien, we grabbed what we needed and packed it into the car as quickly as possible. Eventually, we will need to go back and sort through everything at the cabin in-depth, but that's something that can wait until after Rogue is handled.

The ride back to Braxton Falls was long and tense. Seb's been moody since we got back. We won’t be here for long, but it’s nice to be home, even though we immediately started getting everything ready for our drive back to Rogue tomorrow morning. Seb still isn't fully on board with the plan, but he agreed to go along with it.

In order to ensure Avery’s safety, I have to show up to their big fancy trial. Seb will come with me while Kyler finds Avery and Barrett sets up the bombs. Each one of us has a different role to play to guarantee this all goes off smoothly.

At the trial, I’m going to cause the biggest distraction I possibly can, which makes me beyond excited. Finally, a chance to put all these men in their place. You don’t have to tell me twice.

I told the guys that I didn’t want Damien dying there with the rest of Rogue, and they promised to do everything they can to get him off the compound with us. It’s going to be complicated because, obviously, he isn’t going to willingly come, but I believe in karma, so somehow, it’ll all work out.

On the off chance that we can’t get him, at least I can take solace in the fact that he will still die because of me. One way or another, he doesn’t get to make it out of this alive. It’s his destiny after the shit that he's put me through.

I wasn't able to get the revenge I deserved against my father. His death had to be quick, given the circumstances. I need this closure with Damien. I actually want to make him pay. After that, I’ll finally be able to find a sense of peace in my life. Rogue and Damien will both be gone, and I’ll be free to relax and move forward with my men.

I shake the thoughts away and shut off the water before stepping out to dry myself with my towel. Smiling, I dress myself in the black lace bra and panty set Barrett picked out. I can’t wait to see the way his eyes burn with desire when he sees me in them.

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