Jasper lets out a deep sigh but gets to his feet, not arguing or showing any kind of emotion as he walks out of the cell and waits. His eyes meet mine, and he nods. Basically, telling me to go with whatever we are meant to do.
“Let’s go,” the guard says, pulling the door open and waiting for me. I only think about how I could disarm him and kill him right on the spot. Right now, I could end this torment before it really gets started, but the logical side of my brain knows I’m outnumbered.
I stand and exit the cell, standing beside Jasper to wait for further instructions.
“Mr. Lancaster wants you to get a start on the auction room. Everything from the previous one has been brought over and is ready to be put together,” one of the guards says as we exit the room where our cells are located.
This might be perfect. I can try to get some insight for Killian and Archer. There has to be something we come across that’ll be helpful. I already knew that they change locations with each auction, but now I get to see what goes into it—and something has to be useful. If not, maybe Jasper will be able to tell me something.
We walk up a few stairs and down a hallway. I keep my eyes moving, looking everywhere I can. We pass by a few rooms, and what I see inside has my stomach rolling. Not much bothers me, but when it does, it’s easy for me to get over… but there’s something different about this. These poor women didn’t do anything to deserve this.
They take away all their power, whether it’s with drugs or taking them from their lives. Away from their families, like my mom was ripped away from me. It might be a tad different, but she still got taken advantage of. Still ripped away from me when I needed her.
I shake my head, not wanting to get lost in my memories of her right now. There’s no time for distractions. Before we can get much further, Peter strolls in, his stupid fucking grin on his face when he spots us.
“Ahh, just the two men I wanted to see.” He grips us by the shoulder and walks with us down another hallway. “There’s a lot to be done, and I figured you both suffered in those dark cells long enough.” I try to shake off his hand, but his grip only tightens in warning. I can’t wait to kill this motherfucker. The force of my teeth biting down on my tongue is the only thing keeping me from saying something I’ll regret. I can’t risk Brielle paying for anything I say or do when it comes to Peter.
As we get to the end of the hall, a scream erupts, but no one seems concerned. Peter looks over at me to gauge my reaction, but I keep my features cool.
“It’s like music to my ears. Don’t you agree, Jasper?” He grips Jasper by the jaw and directs his eyes until they clash with his own. He’s trying to make sure Jasper knows his place. Jasper stays quiet, but I don’t think Peter expected him to say anything so he releases Jasper with a sigh.
“Let’s go see what all that fuss is about, shall we?” The look on his face fills me with dread, and my stomach drops as I follow behind him and the guards. Whatever is in this room isn’t going to be good.
The second we pass the threshold, my knees almost buckle.
Brielle is strapped down to a cot, her body naked. Her head is facing us, but she isn’t seeing anything. She seems awake, but mentally she isn’t here. Peter knew what I’d see. He fucking wanted me to see.
Not thinking twice, I take off to where she’s lying, but before I can get there, one of the guards grabs me from behind, putting me in a chokehold. I refuse to stop fighting. My elbow makes contact with his ribs, and he grunts but doesn’t let go. I manage to get my leg behind his and pull it forward. He loses his footing, and finally his hold drops.
I don’t waste any time running to Brielle. My chest feels as if it’s seconds away from cracking wide open. This wasn’t supposed to happen.
Not to my sweet girl.
Not to my baby.
Determination fills my chest. All I can think of is getting her out of here. There are bruises all over her face and a split lip. I’m so close when the same guard grabs me. I let out a guttural scream, trying to pull myself free, but it doesn’t work. Fuck! I-I just need to touch her. I need her to see me. To know I’ll get us out of here.
I’m pulled back until I’m where Jasper and Peter are, and if this guard weren’t holding me, I’d beat the fucking shit out of him. Fuck the repercussions. I crave to feel his pain. Iwillfeel it.
“Wow. We do have some big feelings for this one, huh?” Peter mocks. His eyes roaming up and down Brielle’s body, and my limbs tense up. “Uh oh,” he says, still looking at her.
Pulling my eyes from Peter, I look back in time to see some fat fuck drop his knees to the end of the cot Brielle is on. He grips her thighs and pulls them apart, preparing to rape her.
My vision goes black.
I have no idea how I get free from the guard, but I manage to grab a knife from his belt, stalking toward the man beside Brielle.
I don’t hesitate. I rip him away from her before he can get do anything, and he stumbles backward, his tiny dick flopping around.
“Don’t fucking touch her,” I seethe, bringing the knife up and stabbing him in the jugular. Blood sprays everywhere. My face is coated with it, but I relish the feeling. The way he screams as I keep bringing the knife down into any part of his body that I can, over and over.
He wanted to hurt my baby. No one hurts her.
The man falls dead at my feet.
My chest heaves as I stand there, covered in his blood, as I look at Brielle and her frail, dirty body. She looks lost. She looks fucking broken, and that fills me with enough anger to kill every motherfucker in here.
Her eyes shift to mine, a weak smile appears. I drop the knife and then fall to my knees next to her. My fingers brush against her face, blood from that man smears against her skin, but I don’t try to clean it off. She survived him and should be proud. Even if I was the one who killed him for her.
