Page 20 of Revenge

Chapter Twelve

Charlee

I’m not sure how long I sit on the floor with my knees hugged up against my chest, but it’s long enough that the bits of egg have dried on my face and in my hair. I should move and sit on the bed, but the coldness of the floor is the only thing keeping me awake. I hate feeling so dirty, so unclean, and a part of me thinks my captor enjoys watching me suffer like this, taking great joy in the fact that he’s tarnished the great Diego Vega’s daughter.

Little does he know, I’m no spoiled little dove who’s spent her life locked inside a gilded cage left to wither away. My father knew I’d need to survive on my own in the cruel world he runs, and he prepared me for situations such as this.

The moment I hear the latch of the lock being twisted, my body stiffens. My captor steps into the room, leaving the door open behind him. His face is blank, empty of any emotion. Those cold, dead eyes meet mine and I hold his gaze. I know he probably expects me to look away, to cower in fear, but I won’t give him the satisfaction.

After our last encounter I need to tread carefully, so I don’t run off at the mouth just yet. One wrong move and he’ll snap. I need to keep him talking, distract him enough to let his guard down, and the moment his back is turned, run like hell.

“Go shower and put these on.” He tosses a t-shirt that smells an awful lot like him at me, along with a pair of white lace underwear and a matching bra that still have the tags attached. I should be alarmed that they’re both in my size and something I’d pick out for myself, but this man seems like he’s planned everything out, right to the very last detail. Like he’s spent a good amount of time studying me, watching me without my knowledge. The thought sends shivers up my spine.

“Don’t make me repeat myself, Charlee. You’ll regret it.” He crosses his arms in front of him, causing his shirt to stretch over the mountain of muscle that is his chest as he watches me.

When I make no move to do as he demands, he reaches out and grips me by the arm. In one fell swoop, I’m tossed over his shoulder like I weigh next to nothing. He stomps toward the tiny bathroom with my hands slapping his back. He slides me down his body to my feet and points a tattooed finger at me.

“Stay.” He twists to turn the shower on, expecting me to listen to his command like I’m a pet he can order around. He’s sadly mistaken on that. I take advantage and shove him forward directly into the spray of water. His gargled shouts don’t deter me one bit as I spin on the balls of my feet and run in the direction of the open door like I’m on fire.

This time I do make it through the doorway, but that’s as far as I get. A massive body comes from out of nowhere and I slam right into a hard wall of muscle. I glance up to find a similar pair of blue eyes staring down at me, but these ones aren’t as cold. They hold a bit of humor in them as they look down at me. The more I take in his appearance, the more I realize the similarities. Both he and my captor have the same build and tanned skin. There’s no missing the family resemblance. There are minor differences of course. A few tattoos are on display on the side of just one arm. He also has a full beard and a messy man bun on top of his head.

He glances over my shoulder and directs his attention to my captor, cutting off my gawking. “She giving you problems, Asher?” And now I have a name to go with the bastard behind me.

“Nope. I’ve got her, Zane.” A wet hand clamps down on my upper arm, yanking me back against a rock-hard chest. His other arm comes around my front, pinning me in place. Wetness from his shirt soaks my naked back the tighter his hold becomes, but I make no complaint. Not that it would matter if I did. He’d ignore it like he does everything else in regards to me. I swear this man must have a heart of ice.

Zane spares us one last glance before his hard eyes land on mine. “All right then. I’ll leave you to it.” With that, he walks away, leaving me alone with the jerk face behind me.

Asher moves to turn us around, but I don’t cooperate. I’m not going to make anything easy for him. My body wriggles against his grip, squirming and kicking like a wild animal. It’s enough to knock him off balance, causing him to stumble a bit. It doesn’t make him lose his hold on me, which just pisses me off.

“Lesson number two, Princess. Don’t piss me off. You won’t like what I do to you if you do.” His lips brush against the shell of my ear as he whispers against my neck. The short hairs of his stubble scrape against the side of my cheek and I shiver with every word he utters.

He forces us back into the room and toward the bathroom. “We need to clean you up before we callDaddy.”

I don’t have time for his words to fully register before I’m airborne and dumped on my ass inside the shower. Cold water hits my body the second he tosses me inside like I’m a dead weight. I scream and fight against the onslaught of ice that’s penetrating me down to my bones, but he holds me down under the spray. Water burns down my nostrils as I choke on a mouthful of it, gasping for air.

“That’s fucking cold, you bastard,” I spit out as I scratch and claw at any part of him I can reach. It does nothing to stop him, though.

When I open my eyes, he’s much closer than I expected, and I can make out even more detail on his face. He has a few scars hidden underneath a skull tattoo on his neck. My hand reaches up to touch the intricate images, making contact with the warm skin of his neck, and he flinches at the sudden contact. It’s slight, but it’s there.

Water drips down his dark lashes, down his face and onto the collar of his shirt as his blue eyes deepen and we’re locked in a stare. This time I don’t find the hardness I usually do. There’s something else, something that looks an awful lot like warmth brewing behind them, but before I can make head or tale of it, the wall is slammed back into place and I’m left staring at the heartless bastard I’ve come to hate.

“Sorry, we don’t have amenities to your liking, Princess. But this isn’t a fucking hotel. I won’t cater to your spoiled ass. The sooner you learn that, the better.”

“Fuck you!” My hands slap against the wet tile, causing water to splash out onto the floor.

“No way in hell would I ever stoop so low.” He lets out a fake laugh. “Get cleaned up. You have ten minutes and if you’re not ready, then I’m coming in to do it myself.”

“I hope my father chops your balls off and crams them down your throat when he finds you,” I yell to his retreating back. He stops in the doorway, clenching and unclenching his fists. I should probably stop baiting him, but I’ve never been very good at shutting my mouth and being somebody’s doormat. This bastard is sadly mistaken if he thinks for one minute that I’m going to behave like a good little toy and do whatever I’m told. I’m Charlee motherfucking Vega and I will bow to no one.

Chapter Thirteen

Asher

A trail of water follows me across the hall as I leave her to finish up in the shower. I go straight into my room, not stopping until I’m in my bathroom. It’s all white from top to bottom inside. There’s not a trace of color anywhere, but I like it this way. It’s clean of any stains from my past, and it’s all mine. A sharp contrast to the ones I had to use in prison with several others at the same time. Privacy isn’t something I’ll take for granted ever again.

I pull off my shirt and toss it on the floor. I’ll pick it up later. I have more important things to do right now. Grabbing a towel off the rack, I start wiping at the water droplets that cover my neck and chest. My temper’s so far gone that I don’t realize how much pressure I’m using until I feel the burning of my skin. I throw it next to my shirt and grip the sides of the sink. My head hangs as I struggle to keep my breathing even. Every time I deal with her, she throws me for a fucking loop, does the opposite of what I expect her to. Not to mention I fucking flinched at the heat of her touch. It felt like fire branding into my skin. It’s both aggravating and intriguing all at the same time, and that just pisses me off.

Goddamn her!

---