I wasn’t going anywhere.
My eyes were locked on my father.
Flashbacks of that night in the warehouse tore through my mind.
The knife cuts through my skin.
The sound of Ayda’s screams.
The agonizing ache in my limbs.
The mental torture.
The fact I almost losther. I could have fucking lost her.
“Move,” the giant behind me growled, pushing me harder—so hard I couldn’t help but shuffle forward, my feet moving on auto. Everything else had stopped working, and my head was still ringing from the punch to the jaw only moments before.
If we got closer, though, this wouldn’t end the same way as our last performance with The Emps had. We weren’t going to be gifted with a second miracle.
Digging my heels in, I came to an abrupt stop, holding steady when the Nav behind me smacked into my back and openly cursed me before trying to push me forward again.
“No,” I growled, my teeth grinding together as I stared at Gatlin. “I’m not doing this. I’m not playing this fucking game, Trigger. You want me? Come and get me. You want to mess with my head? It’s yours. You want to fuck me up and leave a mark. Let’s do it, but we do it without your henchmen around.We do it one on one. And we do it without Ayda.”
Trigger’s smirk grew, and he tilted his head to the side to study me.
“You’re such an angry little thing, aren’t you, Drew? Let’s not be angry today. This isn’t The Emps you’re dealing with. I am not Chester Cortez. I don’t need to shout and scream and roar to have fun. I don’t need to see fear in your eyes to know it’s there. Do as I tell you, and maybe, just maybe, some of you will get out of this in one piece.”
“What do you want from me?”
“Your cooperation.”
“I’m here, aren’t I?”
“Now, you simply need to listen.” He grinned.
I searched his face, realizing just how fucked up Travis Gatlin was. I’d come across so many evil fuckers in my life that I’d almost thought I’d become desensitized to them. But there I was, staring at the greatest psychopath I’d ever encountered, knowing my blood wouldn’t be enough for him.
He wanted something more.
Something I couldn’t see.
Something I wouldn’t be able to live without.
“The less you resist, the easier this will be,” he assured me, and for just a moment, there was a sense of calm. “Or, we can do this.” He lashed out his right arm, striking it across Eric’s chest and cutting through his already open shirt. Eric was out cold, the only reaction he made being the swing of his body in the chains, but when Trigger peeled back the edges of my father’s shirt, he showed me the damage he’d just inflicted. There was a small knife with a sharp blade curled in the center of Trigger’s palm, and he’d sliced straight through Eric’s skin like butter, causing more blood to pour out.
My jaw set, my breaths getting heavier and heavier. All I could do was move forward, taking tentative steps closer.
“Much better.” Trigger smiled like he was fucking proud ofme.
When Ayda and I arrived at the end of the rose petal pathway, Trigger held up a hand, bringing us to a halt in front of him. My arms were set free, as were Ayda’s, and I immediately reached out to grab one of hers, holding it down between the two of us and moving closer to her, my eyes never leaving Trigger’s.
He moved closer. The guy had always had confidence. Now, however, he seemed on another level. His arrogance was indestructible. He was the dictator, about to execute those who didn’t fit neatly into his regime. The smug bastard stared into Ayda’s eyes for an uncomfortably long amount of time, trying to intimidate her before he turned his attention to me. With a contented sigh, he held his hands up and turned them over, palms facing the ceiling.
“Dearly beloved. We are gathered here today to witness the union of two lovers. We have a bride. We have a groom. We have a father figure to give his blessing.” Trigger flashed his teeth, his amusement glowing. “The only thing we need now are witnesses. Some guests.”
And right on cue, the sound of several Harleys drawing into the yard outside made the ground beneath our feet shake—the noise I’d once lived for now sending cold shivers of dread down my spine.
“Ask the Lord, and you shall receive,” Trigger whispered.
I closed my eyes, squeezing Ayda’s hand tight, and I did that thing I’d refused to do a lot of in my life.
I fucking prayed.
