When you think about it, we should have expected it.
He is greed personified.
Of course, Rhett Carter would want it all.
Salinger didn’t see it coming because the Pride & Wrath Luminary is too arrogant and full of himself to even think anyone would dare to cross him. He loves causing conflict and inciting wars, but he never considered anyone would dare to bring the war to him. Manford and my father are ambitious but only so far as it pertains to their responsibilities. They have been so focused on their families and familial responsibility they didn’t spot the snake hiding in plain sight.
The other Luminaries have been blind while Carter has been building his own empire in the shadows. Now he is poised to execute his plans, and I fucking hate he is using us to make it happen.
“If you touch one hair on my sister’s head, I will fucking kill you!” Ares yells, snarling and bucking as two of Carter’s men attempt to restrain him. “If I find out you’d anything to do with her kidnapping I will end you, motherfucker!”
Rhett grabs Ares around the neck, digging his fingers into his flesh. “You should be thanking me, you ungrateful little prick.”
Ares continues to thrash around, but he’s losing strength, and his face is turning an unnatural shade of gray.
“You’re killing him!” Ashley yells, almost falling as she scrambles out of her chair. She is weak and unsteady on her legs. It doesn’t seem like mere hours ago she was shot when so much has happened in between.
“Let him go, Rhett!” Pamela screams, fixing her daughter with concerned eyes. “Ashley is going to injure herself, and it will all be your fault.”
Those are probably the only words that could get through to that arrogant crazy fucker. Rhett retracts his hand from Ares’s neck, and the guy sucks in greedy lungsful of air as he glares at Ash’s bio dad like he can’t wait to rip him limb from limb. I will happily side with my rival to make that happen. I want to gut the motherfucker as badly as Ares does.
“You said you’d let us go, so let us go,” Ash says, collapsing onto my lap. I wish I could wrap my arms around her, but they are still tied to the chair.
“I will let you go as long as Blade understands the deal.”
“My name is Ares, fuckface.”
“Ares, please.” Ashley implores Ares to get with the program using her words and those puppy-dog eyes that suck me in every time she uses them on me.
“I’m not marrying Bree,” he huffs out before darting his gaze in my sister’s direction. “No offense intended.”
“None taken. I don’t want to marry you either.” Bree’s gaze drifts toward Ashley, and I fully understand her hesitation. I think, if the circumstances were different, Bree would marry anyone if it meant getting out of a life tied to Toby Salinger.
“Theywillmarry.” Ash rests her head against my chest as her fingers begin unraveling the rope at my wrists. “We will do what you want us to do. I’ll make sure of it.” She casts a glance at Rhett as the rope falls away from my left wrist. Flexing my numb fingers, to bring feeling back into them, I reach out and softly stroke my Temptress’s cheek. Ash is very warm to the touch despite the chill in the air.
“Don’t fucking speak for—”
“Shut your mouth, Ares.” Ash shuts him down, maneuvering on my lap as she releases the rope from my other wrist. I wrap my arms around her, holding her close as she repositions herself so she is facing her bio dad. “Tell him what he needs to know about his sister.”
I expect Rhett to throw another hissy fit, but he must want out of here as badly as we do. “I had nothing to do with her kidnapping, but when you and your mother showed up, I started investigating. I discovered what’d happened to her, and I went to see her.”
All the fight leaves Ares instantly. The tortured look on his face is one I never thought I’d ever see. “She’s alive? Lilianna is really alive?” he croaks, his emotions wafting into the air. Rhett nods, and Ares attempts to compose himself. Not an easy feat when he looks emotionally slaughtered. “I need proof.”
Rhett calmly scrolls through his phone before showing it to Ares.
Ares’s face crumples. A thousand different emotions wash over his features as a strangled sound rips from his throat. His eyes turn glassy, and I watch my love watching him with fresh appreciation.
I inwardly groan. The situation with them is way worse than I thought. He kissed her without reserve at the hospital, and I wonder exactly how close they are now.
I don’t blame Ashley.
Chad and I let her down in the worst ways.
But I don’t trust Ares.
He’s a manipulative dick.
We knew he had an agenda. I still don’t know what it is, but it evidently involves his sister.
