Page 99 of Torment

Hunter pulled back when they realized James was right there. It would have been a real weird moment for father and daughter if weirder, more twisted shit hadn’t gone down that night.

Scarlet looked at her dad. “So what will you do now?”

He shrugged. “I’ve been contemplating retirement for a while. I guess now is as good a time as any.” He smiled. “And you? You’re a rich young woman now.”

Through everything that happened, Scarlet hadn’t thought about the inheritance once. And frankly, she couldn’t care less about the money, the estate—any of it. It would all just be a painful reminder of what she had to go through, and why she ended up with the inheritance in the first place.

“I don’t want it,” she answered simply.

James lifted a brow.

“Really. I don’t want any of it. I’m sure you will find good use for it…Dad.”

The way James’s eyes lit up when she called him dad was like the Fourth of July. “Thank you,” he replied, his eyes soft as he stared at her.

She knew he wasn’t saying thank you for the money.

James turned to Hunter. “I owe you everything, Hunter. Thank you for saving my daughter.” When they shook hands, James glanced from Hunter to Scarlet. “I’ll wait for you by the car.”

When James walked off, Hunter took her hand in his. “It’s over, baby. It’s finally over.”

Scarlet closed her eyes, trying to imagine what her life would be like now, without Brent’s shadow hanging over her, without running, without constantly fearing getting caught. It felt almost too good to be true. But it was. And the best part of it all—she had finally opened her heart and allowed herself to love, and to be loved.

Hunter squeezed her hand, and she looked up at him.

“Let’s go home, Scar.”

“And where is home exactly, Ace?” She glanced down at their hands when he placed his finger beneath her chin, letting her look up at him, the shadows of the flames dancing across his beautiful face.

He placed a soft kiss at the corner of her mouth and whispered, “Home is us.”

Epilogue

Somewhere in Chicago

Rex walked into his house, the tension of the last few hours slowly easing out of his shoulders. The Cain mansion has been his home ever since he could remember. This place held a lot of memories—some good, some bad…some deadly. But that was the curse he had to carry by having Cain blood running through his veins. No one could save him from the path his father had put him on…no one.

For years he had planned and plotted, worked his ass off to finally be the king of the empire his father had built, to finally have the control he needed. Lies, betrayal, and deceiving those around him were the only ways he would be able to protect what was his.

His father, Victor Cain, deserved his fate. He deserved to look into his son’s eyes, the thought of why his own flesh and blood would have him killed the last thing he pondered, before being sent straight to hell. Rex didn’t regret his father’s demise. The only thing he did regret was not being able to deal the death blow himself. But he couldn’t afford to get his hands dirty with his father’s blood. There was too much at stake, too much to lose, and he needed to act carefully, strategically, for his plan to work.

After today, all the loose ends had been tied up. Brent, the lucky bastard who had the honor of slicing Victor’s throat, was now dead too. Best part, Rex didn’t even have to do the dirty work. All he had to do was keep his hand of cards close to his chest, watching, waiting for everyone else to make their move, and to play the game as everyone expected him to. Every now and then he gave them a little nudge, a little push without them realizing he was, in fact, the devil sitting on their shoulder, whispering all the things he wanted them to do. He was a master manipulator, the joker who swayed the game, guiding it in the direction he wanted it to go. He knew Hunter Keaton hated Brent enough to want to kill him. He already had the motivation to see Brent bleed to death. All Rex had to do was give him the opportunity, and it all worked out perfectly.

The new guy, Colton Riggs, who conveniently replaced JoeWhat’s-His-Face, silently walked into the living room.

Rex turned around and held his arms wide. “Welcome to my castle. Please make yourself at home. You will find there are twelve rooms you can choose from, and an array of entertainment rooms—and women—to keep yourself…entertained.” Rex shot him a sly grin. “The only place off limits to anyone is the top floor. That is my personal quarters, so you will not under any circumstances set foot there, understand?”

Colton nodded. “Yes, sir.”

“Good.”

Rex leaned his head to the side, studying Colton. With brown hair and dark brown eyes, he was probably seen as attractive by some women. But Rex also saw a certain determination in Colton’s eyes which he was sure would bid well for his plans.

He went to the bar and poured two glasses of whiskey. “I have two rules.” Rex held out a glass to Colton, and he took it hesitantly. Colton was nervous, cautious—which was good. People who trusted too easily had the tendency to get killed just as easily.

Rex leaned over the bar. “Rule number one, I will never be questioned. When I tell you to do something, you do it. No hesitation, no questions, or you will lose your fucking head.”

Colton nodded.

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