There it is.The reason he doesn’t want me to risk my life for hers—because he thinks it’s not going to be worth it. “I’ve risked my life for the Lords over and over,” I say, taking a deep breath. “I will do no less for my wife. She deserves that!” This is all because of me. I put her in this life, this situation. I will be the one to save her from it.
After a long second, he holds out my cell, and I take it. Letting out a long breath, I pray Matt hasn’t found the tracker. It’s not common for the Lords to use them. It should be mandatory if you ask me. But then again, I actually love my wife.
Then without another word, he turns away from the bed and picks up his jacket off the couch and exits the room.
“Ryat—”
“Give me a hundred,” I interrupt Gavin. After a long second, he concedes.
“I’ll need an hour.”
“You’ve got twenty minutes!” I snap. I lie back on the bed, and he too turns and storms out of the room, and my father-in-law follows him.
I unlock my phone and go to the app. “Please, please, please,” I chant. When I see the red dot, my eyes start to sting, and I let out a breath I didn’t know I was holding. Laying my head on my pillow, I sniff. “I’ve got you, Blake. I’m coming.” Then I pull up a contact and press call.
BLAKELY
SITTING IN THEmiddle of the bed, I rock back and forth. I’m pretty sure I’m starting to go insane. I’ve cried until I made myself sick to my stomach. Multiple times. Over Ryat jumping in front of me and slamming me into a door to be a human shield. Now—I’m pissed at him. So, fucking angry that he allowed Matt to win and left me behind.
Getting up from the bed, I walk to the adjoining bathroom to use the restroom. This is my life. Loneliness and boredom.
It makes me wonder if this is what Ryat felt like those days he was in jail. But only he knew he’d be released when his job was done.
Me? I’m in for life. And my mother plans on ripping my baby not only from my arms but my actual body. I can’t allow that. I won’t. I have a plan, but I’m not sure how I’m going to execute it. And if I try and fail? What will they do to me then?
Finishing going to the bathroom, I go to the sink and wash my hands. Drying them off, I go back to the bedroom for another long afternoon of staring at the wall. I don’t even have a TV. I’m guessing that’s so I have no idea what is going on with the outside world.
Exiting the bathroom, I yelp when I see Matt standing by the side of the bed, inspecting my breakfast. I had to pretty much shove it down my throat. I’m not hungry, but I won’t starve my child.
He turns to face me, and I take a step back into the bathroom. Chuckling, he walks over to stand in the doorway, his large frame now blocking my only exit.
Great, Blake!Real smart. “What do you want?” I demand.
His blue eyes drop to my bare legs and run up over my thighs until they reach the bottom of my shorts. Then over my shirt. “I think you know exactly what I want.”
I shake my head. “My mother …”
He reaches out, wraps a hand around my neck, and shoves my back into the wall to the right. His body presses into mine, and the fact that I can feel his hard dick inside his jeans makes me want to vomit again. “Your mother isn’t fucking here!” He smiles down at me. “Plus, I can come inside you and not have to worry about knocking you up.”
I whimper, my hands trying to pry his away that’s wrapped around my neck, but it’s not working.
Leaning down, he runs his wet tongue along my face, and I gag as tears sting my eyes.
“You know. I pretended to be repulsed by your fixation of being raped.”
“It’s called forced-sex fantasy …” I grind out through clenched teeth. “Asshole.”
“No.” He shakes his head once. “I’m talking about rape, Blakely. Because I’m going to make you cry.” His eyes narrow on mine. “You’re not going to enjoy it or get off on it. Not like you did when I watched Ryat kidnap you from your apartment and then again in the woods.” He snorts. “I’m going to fucking hurt you, beat you, and humiliate you.”
My stomach sinks at the thought of what he’ll do to me if he gets the chance. And how whatever he has planned could hurt my baby.
“But I will give you a head start.” He lets go of my throat and takes a step back.
I sag against the wall, sucking in a breath while rubbing it.
“Just because I know how much you like the chase.” His eyes drop to my chest.
“I won’t …”
“Ten minutes,” he states, lifting his arm and looking down at his watch.
“Matt!” I snap. “I’m not going to …”
He backhands me across the face, knocking my head to the side. I gasp, my hands coming up to the wall so I don’t run into it.
He grips my hair and yanks me over to the counter, shoving my hips into it, and I scream for help. Even though I know no one will be here.
Holding me in place, his free hand comes up and grips my neck again. “Why, Blakely?” He sighs as if disappointed. “You let Ryat play with you.” I tremble, trying to get away from him. “But I guess …” He yanks my head to the side and starts kissing my cheek. “If you don’t want to play, then I’ll just fuck you here and now.”
“No. No. No.” I rush out through a gasp. “I’ll play.” I try to nod my head, my watery eyes pleading for him to give me another chance in the mirror. “I’ll play.”
“Good.” He steps back and shoves me by my hair into the bedroom. “Go. The clock is ticking.”
I run out of the bedroom and slam the door shut behind me. Having to open it may give me an extra second. I’m going to need it. I have no clue where we are, but I decide to take the stairs to the lower level, hoping I can get out. When I hit the landing, I trip over the edge of a rug, falling onto my face. I quickly jump up and run to the front doors and try to open them.
Fuck! They’re locked. I twist the deadbolt and try again. Nothing. What the fuck? Looking up I see another lock that’s too tall for me to reach.
“Oh, by the way. All the doors have added padlocks. And only I have the key.”
I spin around, my hair slapping me in the face. Looking up, I see him bent over the balcony, a knife in his hand, and he slowly runs the blade down the side of his face pretending to shave. “And all windows are bulletproof.” He gives me a chilling smile. “I’ve had time to prepare your homecoming, baby.”
I shove off the door and run farther into the house. The sound of his wicked laughter bounces off the walls, carrying throughout the house. I see another set of stairs and decide maybe I should go up since he thinks I’m down here. I grip the wooden banister, to stop my momentum and fling myself around to run up when I run right into him.
The blow knocks me down. I cry out when my side hits the unforgiving floor and roll onto my stomach to crawl away from him.
“Isn’t this fun?” He laughs. His hands wrap around my ankles, and he starts dragging me backward across the tile.
I scream, trying to grab onto anything I can find, but all I do is pull a rug with me, and a table down that was up against the wall.
He drops my legs, and I scramble to get up, but his hands grip my hair, and he yanks me to my feet before slamming me face-first into a wall. His large body pins me to it from behind.
“Matt,” I sob, “Please …”
“Shh, Blakely,” he says soothingly in my ear. “It’s okay, babe. It’s just a game. We’re both going to win here.”