Page 48 of His Virgin Angel

Chapter Nine

After dropping Brian off at school, she’d watched Jack escort him to the front gates in clear view of everyone. Piper was so proud of Brian, and she saw the happiness on his face at being dropped off at school. Jack had made her brother’s day, and for that she was grateful. Being in school with the name-calling and bullying was never a good thing.

On the way to college, he got a phone call which demanded his attention. She was okay with that. His work was important to him, and she didn’t want to get in the way. She kissed him goodbye, and wished him a good day at work. He promised to be there with Drake to pick her up that evening. She waved toward them, and turned making her way into the college grounds.

Throughout the day, she was walking on cloud nine. Most of her assignments were completed, and it would be the end of the semester in a couple of weeks. Between work and Jack, it was a miracle that she’d been able to complete them.

At Jack’s advice she’d canceled her classes with Marshall Rivers, and she was relieved by that. She loved English, and had hoped to develop that love someday, but she’d rather visit it another time instead of dealing with him, and his friend.

She was happy that Jack didn’t think her stupid or silly for feeling nervous around the two men. Anyway, there was nothing she could do now.

Piper did everything to avoid Marshall’s class, and when her last class of the day canceled, she made her way outside. Grabbing her cell phone, she switched it on and cursed. It was dead. She kept forgetting to charge the damn thing. It was becoming more of a chore than anything else.

Heading around the side of the campus toward the phone box, she was about to open the door to the booth when someone grabbed her from behind.

Before she had time to scream, a piece of cloth was pressed against her mouth. Darkness swallowed her.

****

Marshall stared down at the address on his cell phone, and then up at the abandoned house. He didn’t get it. This was their old ranch house that his parents had owned years ago. In the middle of the night when he was still a boy, a drug bust had gone sour, and the whole place got blown up with bullets.

His father was caught, and sent down. His mother had died during the drug bust, and from what he knew the house was taken from them, and was in the government’s hands or something like that.

Ronald had sent him that damn message, and his gut was twisting right now.

Entering the old house, memories flooded him, none of them good. This was why he never went hunting for Ronald. His brother had hunted him down for some stupid need to bribe land out of his enemy.

Jack Sosa was not Marshall’s enemy, and he refused to be dragged down into some stupid street war.

He was a teacher, an English professor, dammit, and he wouldn’t be dragged into the pits of hell by his brother hell bent on getting killed.

“Ah, you made it. She should be waking up in a few minutes.” Ronald came out of what was once the sitting room.

Following him, Marshall saw Piper chained to a metal post, unconscious.

“What the fuck did you do?” he asked.

“I took matters into my own hands. I can’t get in touch with Louisa. She’s either dead or betrayed me. With Jack coming to see you yesterday, I knew the latter had happened, so it’s time. This is Piper, the woman that is supposed to be Jack’s weakness. Should we wake her up?”

Marshall grabbed his brother’s arm. “Ronald, what the fuck are you doing?”

“I’m doing what needs to be done.”

“Why are you so determined to have what belongs to Jack.”

“Because it’s mine, and it was Dad’s!”

“Dad was a petty fucking drug dealer. He didn’t have anything to his name because he was useless, Ronald. You need to take her back, and beg forgiveness.” Marshall couldn’t believe this was happening. He wasn’t an idiot, but when it came to his brother, he was out of his depth. He had truly believed that he’d be able to talk Ronald around to his way of thinking. Convince him to give up this need to hurt Piper and this desire to take stuff that didn’t belong to him.

It was all for nothing.

Ronald spat on the ground. “I will never beg that piece of shit for anything. I will have what is rightfully ours, and if Jack won’t give it to me, then I’ll take it.”

Piper moaned, and started to wriggle on the floor where she lay. Marshall wanted her to stay asleep, to give him time to find some good in his brother.

“Ah, the princess is waking up.” Ronald pulled out of his grip.

The moment he was near Piper, she released a whimper, followed by a scream.

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