Page 92 of Carnival
“Bold words for someone who is all chained up,’’ she leans in, face an inch away from mine. “Don’t threaten me, James. You cannot uphold it.’’
A snarl slips from my mouth, and without thinking, I wrap my legs around her waist, pulling her down. A scream comes from Vivian, and the man is a little too late to react. I slam my boot against her face, blood splashing around. The sound of her nose breaking fills the room, and all I see is red — the need to see her blood wins. My body is shaking with pure fucking rage, and I don’t stop slamming my foot against her face until the man grabs a knife and stabs my stomach.
Even then, I don’t stop. I see the blood from my stomach, but the pain isn’t there. Adrenaline pumps in my veins, and I’m too far into this to stop. Her little helper shoves my foot away long enough to pull her out of my reach. My arms got numb a long time ago, given that I have not moved from this position since I was brought here, but it’s as though I can finally feel some strength in them.
I’ll break my wrists if it means getting out of these chains and taking Rose away.
The man leans Vivian against the wall, without looking at me. I’ll probably get another round of whipping for this, but I don’t give a fuck. Seeing her face with my footprint on it, her nose broken, lips split, and two teeth missing has to be one of the best feelings I’ve felt since being taken.
Unfortunately, I didn’t kill her. She’s still breathing, and her man is trying to get her to speak. She’s in and out of consciousness but manages to remain awake for a few moments. She groans in pain, the blood dripping from her mouth and nose.The bruise already starts forming, and my lips twitch in slight bliss.
“Mark my words, Vivian,’’ I speak directly to her, without looking at the man who looks ready to murder me. “If you so much as try to do anything to my hellion, I’ll unleash the monster that you created. I’ll take you apart, piece by piece, just like you told me to take apart all those people. You’ll be my final victim, and I won’t hold back. I’ll fucking ruin you, you stupid cunt. Don’t test my patience, because for the likes of you, I have none.’’
My words seem to have an effect, even if momentarily. Vivian is stunned into silence, eyes slightly widened. She definitely didn’t expect me to defy her or that I’d test her authority. This is the moment that she realized that she fucked around, and she is about to find out what it means to threaten the people I care about, and the list is very, very short.
The man picks her up bridal style, then takes her out of the room, the door slamming shut behind them. It’s an automatic door, so it locks immediately as they leave, and there’s no way for me to open it from the inside.
It doesn’t matter, though.
My rage and fury have gotten me through a lot of terrible times. They’ve gotten me through the time in prison, where I was forced to be apart from Rosalie. Now that I finally have her right where I want her again, no one will take her away.
The mere thought of her being with another man is making me go insane. No one will ever touch her. No one will ever love her. No one will ever fucking have her. She belongs to me, andshe fucking knows it. I made my mark on her a long time ago, and no one will ever replace it.
I will not allow it.
From the day we met as children, I’ve staked my claim on her. Now, I’ll ensure that she knows that no one is worthy of her. No one deserves her but me. Mine, and mine alone. And I’ll kill anyone standing in my way of getting to her. I’ll kill anyone who even dares to breathe in her direction.
Rose is my most prized possession, and she belongs by my side. Now, and forever. I’ll make sure everyone knows it. No matter what I have to do. And I’ll escape this hellhole, if nothing, for her. So she can get peace of mind again.
35
Rose
The air around Chase and me thickens, and I don’t know how long we’ve been standing in the middle of the manor, just staring at each other. His eyes don’t move from my face, and the faint smirk lingers on his lips, despite the fact that all I can muster is a harsh glare.
Vivian left a few hours ago, apparently to deal with something and to let us catch up. Judging by her expression, she knew how much this would rattle me, how much it would shock me. And it did, beyond words.
Chase isn’t just someone I grew close to in recent times; he’s someone I truly considered a close friend. Even after he kissed me, I thought it was something that could’ve been resolved with a good, honest conversation.
Looking back, that was such a naive train of thought that I want to smack myself for even entertaining it. He looks so much different now that I see him for who he really is. All affection Ihad toward him seems to vanish in a blink of an eye, replaced by so much resentment.
“You should take a seat,’’ Chase offers, breaking the tense silence. “Your feet will start bleeding again.’’
I glance down at my bandaged feet and the slippers that I have on before looking up at him again. My face is void of any emotions, and no matter how much I’ve started to hate him, it hurts. Knowing that someone I thought of as a friend was never really one hurts. The fact that he works for this lunatic worsens it, too.
“Is it just you?” I ask, carefully approaching him. The height difference is there, but it doesn’t scare me.
“Is it just me, what?”
“Is it just you?” I repeat. “Or should I expect Danica, Ella, and Asher to be working for Vivian, too?”
Chase chuckles, shaking his head. “No, sweetheart. It’s just me. They’re just regular people.’’
The relief is instant. The tightness in my chest starts to disappear, my shoulders releasing the tension slowly. I step back from him, absolutely abhorring the thought of being close to him. It makes me feel ill.
“Someone is relieved,’’ he smirks, the undertone of mockery pissing me off.
“Well, yes,’’ I snap. “It’s not every day that I find out that my close friend is working with my insane grandmother.’’
