Doesn’t change the fact he has lied to everyone.
Ashley doesn’t deserve this.
She deserves better than all of us.
A group of armed men enters the space from the main stairs, instantly splitting up and aiming for us. They work on freeing us under the astute eye of their colleagues.
“Okay.” Ares looks like a shadow of himself as he stares at Rhett Carter. “I’ll do whatever you want, but nothing happens to my sister, and you get her out of there ASAP.”
“Nothing will happen to her, but her freedom comes at a price. When you have delivered what I expect of you, and I am assured of your loyalty, I will have her released into your care.”
“No deal,” Ares spits out. “You get her out now, and I’ll burn the fucking world down for you if you want.”
“This will go down my way or not at all.” Rhett shoves his phone back under Ares’s nose.
Ares growls, snapping his teeth, looking like he could bite Carter’s head off if his goons weren’t currently restraining him.
“What is it?” Ash asks, wrapping her slim fingers around my arms. I hold her closer as one of Carter’s guys works to remove the rope at my ankles.
“He has my mom.”
Bree and I trade looks. Rhett has this all planned to a T. How the fuck did he get away with this without any of the other Luminaries spotting something? What a bunch of idiots.
“Really?” Ash’s anger bursts to the surface again as she sits up straighter, pointing her finger at Carter. “It’s not enough you’re holding Pamela and Chad over my head. Now, Hera too?”
“I didn’t think you cared.” Rhett flicks a piece of lint off the arm of his jacket. “Hera is necessary. She is Ares’s additional incentive to play the game.” He tips his head to one side. “Besides, I need to have a little talk with her. I want to know who has been helping her.”
“This is such bullshit!” Ash rises slowly to her feet. “You can’t just do this!” Her voice elevates along with her anger. “You can’t claim you care about me and then hurt and use everyone I love against me!”
I stand the second the goon at my feet frees me, only narrowly avoiding the urge to kick him in the face. Pulling Ash back against my body, I press my lips to her ear. “Calm down, Temptress. He will get what’s coming to him. Right now, we need to get out of here.”
She sags against me, gripping my arms, and I know she’s seconds away from collapsing. “Ash has a concussion and possibly a fever now. She needs medical attention.” I glower at Rhett Carter. He claims to care about her, but these are not the actions of a loving father. Only those of an egomaniacal psychopath.
“A medical team is already waiting for you at the townhome.” Rhett approaches Ashley, and she flinches against me, but it’s barely discernible. I know my girl is trying her best to play the game, but it’s hard when faced with such evil. Especially knowing he has already killed the only father she’s ever known, and he’s threatening everyone else she loves. “I’m sorry the truth had to come out like this. But I only have your best interests at heart.”
Bree coughs, mumbling under her breath. It sounds suspiciously like “bullshit.”
“If you hurt anyone else I love, I will murder you myself.” Ash faces off with her sperm donor.
“As long as everyone does as I say, I give you my word no harm will come to any of your loved ones.”
None of us believe it.
Not for a single second.
* * *
The journey back to the house is fraught with tension and silence. We dare not speak a word while we’re in the back of a van with a ton of Carter’s armed goons. The Greed & Gluttony Luminary left us much to think about. We are under strict orders not to mention a word of what went down today. He wants to time the reveal about Julia, so he’s putting plans in place to hide the fact she’s dead. The same with Doug. He is arranging a meeting of the Board of Luminaries for later this week, and we are all to attend. There, he plans to reveal everything in one killer blow. To make the first key move on the chessboard. Ash and I have been told to prepare for a quick wedding. Something I have no issue with because I desire her as my wife, but I’m not sure how Ash feels about it.
She is currently sleeping, stretched out across Ares and me. Ares looks hugely troubled, and he’s deep in thought. My sister has been biting her nails the entire trip as Pamela dozes against her side. Carter took off in a separate vehicle the minute we got outside the crypt. Several of his lackeys are on guard duty, acting as a permanent reminder we are under his control and totally fucked.
It's almost two a.m. when we are finally dropped off in front of Ash’s townhome. Ares cradles Ash against his chest as he carries her up the steps. I wanted to be the one to do it, but there’s a time and place to pick a battle, and this isn’t it. We have bigger things to worry about. Pamela is awake as I carry her into the house. Bree heads to our place to freshen up while the medical team waiting in Ash’s living room tends to Ash and Pamela.
I wander into the kitchen to make coffee, leaving Ares to preside over things in the living room. Bree appears as I’m loading a tray with cups, cookies, and the coffee pot. “I’ll take that,” she says, thrusting a backpack at me. “You should change. I grabbed some of your things.”
I head upstairs to Ash’s room, swallowing painfully as I walk past Chad’s room. I never wanted him to get mixed up in our shit, and now he’s in the thick of it. After grabbing a quick shower, I get changed in the clean white T-shirt and gray sweats Bree brought me. Then I pad downstairs in my bare feet, feeling a little more human, at least on the outside.
Ash is awake when I enter the living room, and I make my way toward her. She is sitting on one end of one of the couches with everyone else sitting apart. Tension is thick in the air as we all mull over today’s revelations. Dropping down beside her, I slide my arm around her shoulders and pull her in tight against my body. She curls into me, and I press a kiss to the top of her head, ignoring the scathing vibes Ares is throwing in my direction.
