“I don’t want to be in it. I’ve said too much already. Killian told all of us to keep our mouths shut when it comes to you. And that’s what I plan to do.” She opens a new envelope filled with cash and starts counting, no longer looking at me. “You’re still his only weakness. Heads will roll if anyone crosses you, and it’s not going to be mine.”
“Do you even realize what you’re saying or how confusing any of this is?” I snatch the money out of her hand and set it on the table, forcing her to look up at me. “He hates me, that much is clear. Why does he hate me?”
She squints her eyes like she’s unsure if I’m putting on an act. I see the realization in her eyes right before she says, “I think he has a hard time believing what you did. It gets him crazy in the head. You know how the Pierce boys are.” She shakes her head, taking the money back, busying her hands.
I decide to let it go and not ask her what she thinks I did to him because she’s obviously not going to tell me. Instead, I say, “For whatever reason, he’s decided that I’m his property again.” I shrug a shoulder and her eyes snap up to mine.
“Honey, you’ve always belonged to Killian Pierce. Everyone has always known that. He’s just decided he wants you to know.” She smirks like she finds the whole thing amusing.
“Ava!” Damon, River’s boyfriend exclaims as he thunders down the stairs and into the basement. He’s always sounded like a herd of rhinos whenever he enters the room and it’s good to see nothing has changed.
“Miss me?” I joke and he laughs, but River doesn’t. “I guess you’re allowed to speak to me again?” It’s a low blow, but I take it anyway because it hurt when everyone cut me off. I understand that Kai and Killian are their sources of protection and a cushy lifestyle, but it still hurt to lose everyone while my heart was ripped out of my chest.
He finally smiles. It’s full and wide, and I remember him being the class clown when we were younger. He gestures to his crotch and says, “It was either stay friends with you or have my dick cut off.” He’s joking. Kind of.
“It’s not like that anymore. He just likes to torture me, but that whole overly protective thing he had for me, that’s long gone.” I roll my eyes but manage a smile. As much as I hate the terms of my staying here, and the way things are between me and Killian, I missed this feeling of family that I had with the boys’ close friends. “He doesn’t care what anyone does to me as long as I’m miserable. And I’m done asking why.”
“I’m just saying, just because he wasn’t talking to you, doesn’t mean he wasn’t beating the fuck out of anyone who tried,” Damon says as one of the guys playing cards perks up, looking in our direction.
Before Damon can protest, the guy is up from the table, leaving his hand of cards lying unattended while the other players puff on cigars. I don’t recognize him from school and I’m guessing he’s bought into one of the Pierce poker games.
“Why don’t you come over and sit on my lap like a good little slut?” He grabs my face before I can back up and yanks me toward him. He looks to Damon who has moved to stand between the guy and River. I’m surprised he doesn’t try to stop whatever this guy is about to do, but maybe that’s the point. Maybe that’s why Killian told me to meet him down here. Maybe he changed his mind and he’s going to let this guy have me.
“Get off of me,” I say, shoving at his chest, but his grip on my face tightens. He’s grinning at me like a fucking lunatic when I start hitting his arms and kicking at his legs. I won’t let this happen. He’ll have to kill me first. I’m surprised when he sucks in a sharp breath, and by the way his eyes enlarge as he stares behind me, I already know Killian is there.
The guy lets me go, but instead of being free to move, I feel a large hand on the back of my neck that I instantly recognize as Killian’s.
I grip the edge of the table because I’m not sure what is about to happen. I look to River, but she won’t meet my eyes as she shuffles the money quickly back into the envelope. She doesn’t need to be told to leave. She’s smart enough to know not to mess with Killian when he’s angry and she isn’t going to give him a reason to turn on her.
“I was just…” Damon starts to explain to Killian, but River shoves a stack of money into his hands as if to say shut the fuck up and count the money. The guy who grabbed me shuffles back and rushes over to the table where he was playing cards.
“Let him deal with it,” River tells Damon as she brushes by us unbothered and heads upstairs with her boyfriend trailing behind her.
Killian wraps a hand through my long blonde hair and forces me to walk further into the basement. He yanks my head back against his chest so I’m looking up at him. The way he glares down at me has my stomach flipping. He’s checking my face over and I know my chin must be red from that guy’s grimy fingers digging into my skin as I struggled to get away from him. The guys playing cards drop their hands without having to be told and stand up, never once looking at my face.
“Look man, I was just having a little fun. I didn’t realize she was your bitch…” the
