“Okay...maybe later?” I lick my lips, anticipating his answer.
“Definitely later. Right now, we really need to go.”
Damon helps me step into the Cadillac, and I buckle up. I’m nervous, and I think it’s more from the unknown than anything else. The low hum of the engine fills the cab as Damon speeds down the road, heading out of town.
Most of the ride is in silence. Damon’s tense, and his grip on the steering wheel has his knuckles white.
The ride is longer than I expected, and the more we drive, the less houses I see. I’m slightly terrified we’ll be out in the middle of nowhere with no escape plan—or maybe that’s the purpose of this entire thing.
“Where is it we’re going? I haven’t seen a house for, like, five miles.” My eyes scan the scenery. There really isn’t anything out here, nothing but road and trees.
“I can’t disclose the exact location, but it’s as far away. Secluded deep in the woods. My father built this place, and Xander moved back when he took over the business. I haven't been here in a few years, so I’m not sure how much it’s changed.”
Eventually, the car slows, and I see a huge metal gate in the distance. As we grow closer, and Damon slows down even more, the nervous knot in my belly starts to unravel. I feel like I might puke and faint at the same time.
Damon doesn’t pay any attention to me as he pulls into the driveway and up to a little panel box. He types in a code, and the gate opens. The path is dark—so dark, I can barely see anything.
We drive through the gate, and I hear it close, making a loud creaking sound as it does. The noise adds to my nervousness. I feel like we’re driving into a prison compound and I’m not sure when my release date will be.
Damon continues down the long driveway as if he’s driving into his own personal hell. I wonder what he’s thinking. What he’s feeling. But I don’t have the courage to ask. After a few minutes, I spot lights in the distance.
The place is huge, and I do mean huge.
“You lived here?” I gasp, realizing Damon wasn’t lying when he called the place a mansion.
“Yes. And it was some of the worst years of my life.”
I swallow around a knot of fear lodged in my throat. Damon pulls the SUV around a huge loop before putting it in park. I shiver, looking up the steps leading to the entrance.
This place is more than intimidating.
“I’m going to warn you now, Keira.” Damon’s voice is cold and almost lifeless. It scares me. “I don’t know what’s going to happen here. I don’t know if my brother is going to try to take you away from me, or if he’s going to try to kill both of us. But I want you to know I will do my damndest to protect you. I will bargain.I will steal. I will use whatever power I still have in this family to make sure we both walk out unscathed.”
I force myself to breathe, knowing he means every single word.
“But I must ask one thing of you.”
I nod my head without thinking twice. “Whatever you want.”
Damon smiles, and it makes me feel warm inside. “Listen to me. If I tell you to do something, just do it. Trust me and my word enough to know whatever I am asking you to do is for a reason. My brother sees women as garbage—as a hole and nothing more—so if I come off as harsh or mean, that’s why.”
I nod again.
Got it. Speak only when spoken too.
That shouldn’t really be a problem—not with how scared of his brother I am.
The bruises on my throat confirm how dangerous he is...and how stupid Damon and I are for walking right into the lion’s den.
Chapter 16
Damon
I push down and swallow every single fucking emotion inside me. I cannot show weakness in front of my brother—or any other member of my family. I blink slowly, exhaling, feeling the invisible mask slip across my features.
As I open my car door, I spot my brother at the top of the steps. He’s dressed similar to me, and I realize some things never change. It may have been years since we’ve last seen each other, but he is the same person he was when I left—and vice versa.
I walk over to the passenger side and open Keira’s door. She eyes me with a hesitant glare before stepping out. Everything about Keira screams innocent—from the softness of her eyes, to the way she sees people as if they could do no wrong. She knows I’m a bad man, yet she thinks I can save her. Taking her hand into mine, I squeeze her fingers and close the door. I can feel my brother’s eyes on us, and I know I need to prove a point.