The Granite Apostles had taken over our common room now, drinking and waiting for a ‘good fight’. But I had nothing to give them. Nothing to give anybody. I couldn’t stop thinking about all this time being wasted when I had no idea what was happening to Mercy in the meantime.
The things Sophie said took a hold of me, even though I tried my best to let them be forced out of my head.
What was I supposed to do about how I felt about Mercy? And Sophie was right; I could have just treated her as all the other strippers. I didn’t need to offer to help her with her grandmother. These girls were all under our control now. If I needed her to work on Crash’s recovery, she would have done it anyway. She would have no choice but to do it.
But something about her made me offer her a deal. I wanted her to be able to see her grandmother. To move freely outdoors and in my cabin.
Why did I even give her a key to my cabin?
I had to stop pacing, and stared at a calendar on the wall while I pictured Mercy. Her long smooth legs. Her big blue eyes. The lips that were full and soft, the way she engulfed me when my tongue slipped into her mouth. Her hands on my cock. The smell of her hair and the softness of her smooth neck.
I grabbed the back of a chair and lifted it up in the air. I was about to bring it crashing down. I wanted to break something, needed answers to what I was feeling. I needed to destroy.
But the door to Drax’s office flew open. Merit, one of the prospects, was standing there, looking a little horrified when he saw the chair I was holding up in the air.
“What the fuck do you want?” I growled at him.
He had a piece of paper in his hands which he held out at me sheepishly.
“I found a guy at Scenic View, the dive bar Eagle meets him at. He’s his dealer.”
I yanked the paper out of Merit’s hand while he scratched the side of his head.
“These are all the places he’s met up with Eagle for drop-offs. Maybe he’s hiding out at one of them?”
I wanted to grab Merit and hug him. I looked up at him, maybe a little surprised. I wasn’t expecting this to fall into our laps. There were six addresses on the list. We would need to hit each one of them. I made mental notes. The last one on the list was closest to my cabin.
“Gather the guys. Meeting here in five minutes. And Merit, this is good work,” I said as he scurried away.
I was going to get the others to go in groups to the other addresses. The last one on the list was for me. I hoped I’d find Eagle and Mercy there because I wanted to deal with him alone.
14
Mercy
“Please don’t hurt her,” I cried. Eagle was standing over me, his mouth firmly set. I could see the blind rage in his eyes. Not only had he slapped me hard across my face, but now he threatened my grandmother.
“Then tell me what I want to know.”
“I’ve told you everything I know. I am not a part of their inner circle. I’m not in on any of their plans.”
“Liar!” he growled.
The fact was I didn’t know much. Ghost and I were just beginning to get to know each other. But whatever little I did know, I knew I wouldn’t share with Eagle. No way. Not even if he threatened my grandmother’s life. She wouldn’t want me to. She would want me to stand up for what was right, and Eagle was wrong. He was evil. He had already hurt too many people, too many girls—and if he was allowed to come into power, he’d hurt so many more.
“I don’t even know the way to the cabin. I didn’t know it was his. He just left me there. The man outside, the one you killed. He wasn’t there for my protection, he was keeping guard. Making sure I didn’t go anywhere or speak to anyone.” I tried to stay firm as I spoke, holding Eagle’s gaze while he stared at me.
A few moments went by and he straightened up and stepped away from me. Did he buy it? Did he believe me now?
I realized I was holding my breath, waiting for his reaction.
“Fuck! You are a useless bitch!” he shouted, his voice reverberating in the room. He spun around, tugging at his hair. Now that I saw him more closely, I was beginning to see just how broken he was, a shell of a person. He was alone and lonely, hungry for power and recognition.
Did a little part of me feel sorry for him? I wished I didn’t.
There was silence in the room now while he seemed to think. Concocting a different plan.
“Eagle…I…I need to use the toilet, please,” I whispered. I wasn’t expecting him to even acknowledge my request, but slowly, he turned to face me.
“I really need to use the toilet,” I insisted and pressed my legs together tightly. He seemed calmer now. I just hoped he’d forgotten about my grandmother.
“Five minutes,” he said and I nodded. “And don’t even think of trying anything. Every door and window is secure. You’re not leaving this place till I take you out myself.” I nodded again.
He came toward me and I tried not to flinch. He grabbed my arm like his fingers were hooks and then he pulled me toward the door. I waited while he unlocked it and then shoved me into a dark corridor outside.
“The door at the end, and come straight back here. After that, we have some planning to do. Five minutes,” he growled.
He remained at the door while I slowly started walking toward the end of the corridor. I kept
