Page 52 of Marked Dragon

CHAPTERSEVENTEEN

As I approachedthe bedroom to confront Peter, my body coiled tighter. This man had been indifferent to me for the fourteen years I’d lived with him, and after Mom had passed, if I’d stayed in his presence too long, he’d become cruel. To keep my promise to Mom to protect my siblings, I’d had to lie low and not push him so he would allow me back intohishome.

Avoiding him was ingrained in me.

But to keep that promise to Mom, I had to face him. If I let him push me around, Eva’s life would become worse than death, and Elliott would likely die.

I turned left to continue down the hallway, passing the door to Thorn’s room and the second bedroom, which Thorn had originally placed me in when he’d kidnapped me on my way to the chateau.

Outside the door to the bedroom that held Peter, I stood still and tried to gather my wits. My racing heart wasn’t helping matters; instead of slowing to help my calm settle in, it was going faster.

You don’t have to do this,Thorn connected and placed a hand on my shoulder.You can go back to the living room, and I’ll handle him. It would be my pleasure and honor.

His anger thrummed through our connection, and I came close to smiling. Who would’ve thought that having a man who was willing to protect me at all costs would be this damn thrilling? Before Thorn, the thought of anyone taking care of me had sat uneasily with me. I didn’t want to wind up like Mom, whose husband had essentially turned his back on her in the months before her death. I wanted to be independent and self-reliant, but now I realized I could be those things with a strong man beside me, which meant I had to be part of this conversation. “It’s something I have to do.”

Elliott fidgeted and asked, “Uh…who are you talking to? No one said anything.”

I flinched. I’d been so focused on Peter that I’d answered Thorn out loud. My carelessness would make Elliott more uneasy, so the truth had to come out.

I glanced at Eva, who nodded as if she already knew what I was thinking.

Peter banged on the door again, yelling, “Somebody, please help me!”

Let’s just do this,I connected with Thorn. I’d learned a long time ago that dragging out something you didn’t want to do only made the anxiety worse. Elliott’s uneasy glances were already making my skin crawl.

Okay.Thorn removed the key from his pocket and unlocked the door. As soon as it clicked, Peter gasped and stumbled back from the door.

I snorted. I couldn’t help it. He’d begged for help, but when someone came, he clearly regretted it.

The door swung open, and Peter came into view. He rubbed his head where Thorn had punched him, and his irises were dark, like he was in pain.

“Headache?” I asked, strolling into the metal-lined room.

The dark metal reminded me of aluminum foil, and it covered the entire space from floor to ceiling. The room was set up similarly to the other two bedrooms with a bed against the outside wall, a barred window to the left, and a small dresser in the far-right corner. A door on the left led to a tiny bathroom, which was covered in metal, as well.

He scowled. “Yes! Yourhusbandknocked me out and locked me in a room. Wait until I get out of here.”

Thorn entered and stood next to me, and Peter cowered.

“Dad?” Elliott rushed inside the room and stopped a foot away, his worried eyes scanning his father. “Are you okay?”

“No, I’m notokay.” Peter dropped his hands and glared at Thorn and me as Eva, Cassidy, and Vlad tensed. My stepdad continued, “They forced us to leave against our will, and now they’ve dragged Eva into this. Drake will have my head.”

Eva shook her head. “They didn’tdragme into this. They got me out of it. You have no idea what Drake is like.”

“Please.” Peter wrinkled his nose. “If Everly hadn’t run off with this walking steroid-induced muscle freak, she’d be with Drake, taking your spot as she promised, andyouwouldn’t be involved.”

Head tilting back, Elliott looked at me, brows furrowed.

“Donottalk about my son that way,” Cassidy hissed between her teeth, stalking forward, her pupils slitting. “He’s a better man than you by leaps and bounds.”

Vlad caught her wrist and tugged her back into him.

This was what Peter did. He tried to control the situation with harsh words and manipulation. I was so over the entire thing. “Maybe if you hadn’t embezzled money from the Hales, neither I nor Eva would be involved.”

“What?” Eva gasped. “You embezzled money from them?”

Not wanting him to change the subject, I told her, “That’s why you were initially promised…as payment. I found out and took your place, but things went awry. If Peter hadn’t stolen money, this would be a non-issue.” Although, I couldn’t get too upset about it. It had led me to Thorn.

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