The brunette looks me up and down. “You’ll do. Follow me.”
I narrow my eyes and follow her out. We turn down several more white hallways before she stops in front of a door at the end of the hall and holds it open for me. “Mr. Pierce has a surprise for you,” she says, nodding into the open doorway for me to enter.
“What if I don’t want any more gifts from him?” I spit out, gesturing at the dress.
The woman sighs. “I’m afraid you don’t get a choice here, Teagan.” Her following sentence comes out in a low whisper. “None of us gets a choice when it comes to his wants and demands.”
“What’s your name?”
Her dark eyes meet mine, and she flashes me a polite smile that doesn’t quite meet her eyes. “Allison.”
I step through the door, then turn on my feet back towards her. “If anything happens to me in there,Allison,”I say through a condescending smirk. “Just remember, I’ll come find you, and you’ll get exactly what you deserve for playing your part in this.” I glare at her, running my eyes up and down her body, memorizing everything about her in a way that would make Lexi proud.
Her shocked expression gives me the strength to enter the room without a glance back. She shuts the door behind me, leaving me in pure darkness and silence so loud I hear the hairs that raise on the back of my neck.
I stick my hand out, taking small steps into the room. “Hello? Is anyone here?” My fingers brush something cold. I jump back, falling into someone’s arms, letting out an earth-shattering scream before light fills the room from a rectangular window. That must be the cold thing I touched.
“Hello, there, Teagan. You look beautiful. That color suits your skin tone.”
I jump away and turn, finding myself trapped in a small room with Mr. Pierce. He’s blocking the only exit, and the smirk painted on his lips makes me see red.
I lunge at him, but he side steps and evades me much easier than I would have liked.
He purses his lips. “Now, now. There will be no more of that. You try it again, your friends pay.” He points toward the window and winks.
Nausea and disgust roll through my body as I turn and see Capri and Quinn trapped in the same type of room Lexi and I were in.
Pierce presses a button on the wall, and their voices flood the room.
Capri is shouting at Quinn, calling him a monster. I stand as close to the window as I can, listening to their conversation with bated breath.
I’m both confused and shocked when Capri mentions having a daughter—and even more floored when Quinn saysherdaughter ishisniece.
My eyes shift over to Pierce. “Are you—” I struggle to find the right words as the realization hits me.
Pierce rolls his eyes and scoffs. It’s the first thing he’s done that seems remotely human. “Please. I don’t need to attack young women to get them into my bed, Teagan. I’m not like my father, or my brother,” he seethes. “I know Quinn told you about his relation to me, but I assure you I’m not the child’s father. And before you ask, neither is Quinn. His very presence may irritate me to no end, but he’s not a rapist.” He grimaces like he sucked on a sour lemon before he continues. “Alas, we have another brother. He’s the real black sheep of the family, but that’s a story for another time.” He gestures toward the window, and I shift my attention back to Capri.
The rage on her face dissipates before my eyes as she walks over to the glass wall separating the two of them.
Oh, how I wish I had the power to snap my fingers and shatter glass with my mind.
Capri pulls something out of her pocket and shows Quinn. My heart pinches when I see the wistful smile he gives her. Then I notice Paws at Capri’s feet and can’t stop the onslaught of tears that trickle down my face.
I’m shouting their names as I bang on the window.
Pierce steps into the small space next to me, his hands behind his back. His navy blue suit makes my dress feel less ridiculous in this tiny room. “They won’t hear you. It’s soundproof,” he explains in a bored tone before pulling a chair out from the corner. I watch his every move as he sits, folding his leg over his knee in that way men do. “There’s a chair onyour side, as well. Might as well get comfortable. You’re in for a show.” His blue eyes flicker with mirth as his lips twist into a knowing grin.
I pull the chair out and sit as far from him as I can in this small, claustrophobic room, just as Lochlan steps into Quinn’s side of the room.
“Lochlan is working for you? Has he been in on this the entire time?” I gasp in shock. Pierce winks at me before turning his attention back to the window.
I can do nothing but watch and listen as he repeatedly beats Quinn. Lochlan rears back to kick Quinn once more, and something snaps in me. I stand, grab my chair, and slam it into the window.
Capri briefly looks my way, then goes back to watching Quinn and Lochlan. She screams and beats on the glass wall separating them until Lochlan finally stops.
Pierce shakes his head, then snaps his fingers at me. “Pick it up and sit down. I won’t ask again.” As much as I want to fight back, I’m worried for the safety of my friends if I don’t do as I’m instructed. “Now for the fun part,” Pierce says, pulling a small radio from his suit pocket. “You stay quiet, or they all die.”
I don’t need to be told twice. His presence is domineering enough to scare me into submission. I suddenly feel sorry for Allison. If I had to work for a tyrant like Pierce, I’d do anything not to have his ire turn my way. I wonder if Lochlan is being forced to do these horrible things, too.
