Chapter 50

“Deep breath.”

My hand shot to West’s shoulder as he stood from the limo. The need to cry out beckoned, but I suffocated it back inside of me. We’d entered from the parking garage instead of through the front like we usually did. It was dim and empty of people as we approached the elevator. But it wouldn’t have mattered anyway. No one could help me.

I tensed through the pain from his shifting, taking slow, deep breaths as I stared around in a daze. There were no thoughts. No grief or fear as I floated in the security of myself. Silent, I was safe. Silent, I didn’t exist.

A ding echoed in the distance. Or maybe it wasn’t so far away, but I was.

The light brightened inside of the enclosed space and I gazed at the buttons as they lit up. West kept stepping back and forth. He couldn’t stay still. He reached up, pushing my head to rest on his shoulder and I let him. I didn’t fight to lift it or even care that it was him I was lying on.

A jolt fluttered my stomach and he swept through the doors the moment they opened. His pace was fast and heavy and he didn’t slow as he stalked between a few guards standing outside the opened door.

“We’ve checked the residence, Master Harper. Nothing seems out of sorts.”

“Great. Leave us, High Leader.”

“I have something to discuss with you if you can spare a few minutes.”

Lyle’s voice had us turning back to face him.

“Make it fast. What is it?”

He cleared his throat. Although my face was buried in West’s neck, I knew he was approaching by the sound of the boots getting closer.

“Mr. Whitlock left behind instructions he wanted me to go over with you. If you’d like, one of the guards can put her to bed and we can handle business in another room?”

“Not. Can you see she is unwell? I’m not leaving my soon-to-be-wife when she is not well.” Silence.

“I wasn’t aware you were intending to marry Mistress Davenport.

Has she consented to this?”

“Of course she has. Haven’t you, honey? You were just upset earlier.

Tell them.”

His chin brushed against my forehead and I blinked my heavy lids as I lifted to face the high leader. Before I could so much as speak, a light was blinding me.

“She’s in shock,” Lyle said, lowering the flashlight. “I’ll call the doctor.”

“You will do no such thing. It’s grief. She’s devastated, nothing more. I have medication and she’ll be sleeping in no time. You’re all dismissed.”

Lyle seemed to pay no attention to West as he reached toward me.

Before he could touch my burning throat, West stepped back.

“What do you think you’re doing? Did you not hear my order? I said dismissed!”

“I heard you, but I don’t take my orders from you, Master Harper. If you had followed me and listened to Mr. Whitlock’s instructions, you would have known this. I am assigned to Mistress Davenport. Not to you. She is under my care from here on out and abuse of her person is not something

I will tolerate it. If you’ll just hand her over, I’ll assess her myself.”

“We’re all going to die,” I whispered. “The children will bleed.” “Give her to me,” Lyle said forcefully, moving toward us.

Garth.

Warm splattered my face as I stared into the high leader’s bulging eyes. And then he fell. Was I falling? No. I lifted my stare, coming face to face with the bloody blade of a knife. Of Eli’s knife he’d used to slit the high leader’s throat. Guards were rushing over, but no one was doing anything.

“I believe your Main Master gave an order. Out!”

Dark uniforms hesitated while they looked at each other, but they filed out of the door shutting it behind them. Eli turned to us, raising an eyebrow at West. “Now what the fuck is going on? What’s wrong with you?” he asked me.

“Turn on the shower, dammit.”

The order had Eli turning to leave us. We followed behind but at a slower pace. Emotion was gone, singed, and scorched so far within mthathat that t that e, I wondered if I could live in the blissful sense of nothingness forever. West stood me, snapping at his guard to come over.

“Unzip her and then grab her so I can get undressed.”

Cool air brushed against my back as the dress opened and dropped to the ground. The pain had my body seizing up as he spun me around. Stars danced before me and I clawed at his chest through the burning.

“What … the fuck?” He stared at the crimson on his hand, returning his gaze to my body as he scanned over me. “Where’s the blood coming from?” He held me out, moving to the side. Gently, he pulled at my panties, lowering them. I could see the tear on the side seam as he let them drop.

“Son of bitch. You … raped her?”

“Give me a break,” West cut in. “Like you’ve never raped a

woman.”

“I never have raped a woman. Haven’t needed to. I told you that.

Just because I don’t mind killing, doesn’t mean I’m capable of everything.” He reached to my back, unfastening my bra. The action had my shoulders jerking. I lifted my leg to step toward the shower, barely able to stand at the amount of agony that kept zapping through me.

Well, Mr. Holier-than-shit, the bitch deserved it. She fucking stabbed me in the chest with a letter opener. She wanted a rapist so I gave her one. She’ll learn to keep her fucking mouth shut.”

Eli held to me as he let me take one step, and then another. When I stopped, he lifted me, walking the rest of the way to place me in the shower. He eased me to the seat and I automatically moved to rest my weight on one side. I could see West in my peripheral, but I didn’t need to look over. I was beginning to feel again and I didn’t like it. My emotions were all over the place and I didn’t want to experience what I’d gone through. I didn’t want to feel anything at all.

“I don’t think it needs stitches,” West said, more to himself. “Get me some butterfly Band-Aids. Those will work.”

“He’s going to kill the children.” Eli jerked to a stop and I slowly turned to look at him through the glass. “He’s going to make me cut them open all because he wants me to marry him and I don’t want to. Does that sound like a man to you? I’m going to rape him just like he did to me, and then I’m going to kill him.”

Each word was at a leisurely pace, just as my mind was. Control over what I said was gone. Luckily, I was still numb enough not to care.

“You fucking cunt.”

West only got two steps before Eli had him around the waist.

“She’s in shock. She doesn’t know what she’s saying. She’ll probably barely even remember this. Let it go. Come shower in the other restroom. I’ll get you the bandages.”

The color disappeared from the corner of my eye and I stared ahead. Water rushed over me and time passed. When motion pulled me from my thoughts, I only then realized I was crying.

“I’m to get you out and put you to bed. Master Harper is cooling down in the study.”

I grabbed the bar, struggling as I stood and straightened. The glass door opened and Eli’s lips twisted.

“Did you wash yourself? You need to clean yourself with soap. It’s going to hurt, but it has to be done.” He turned to the side, facing away from me as he waited. I reached for the bottle, trying to wash it as fast as I could. The stinging was like nothing I had ever felt before. My hands came up and I noticed the bleeding had stopped.

I finished rinsing myself off. The moment the water stopped, Eli had the robe ready. He helped put it on me and let me take my time as I fought to walk. When I finally reached the bed, he helped me climb in, even covering me. I wanted to hate him as much as West. He’d killed Lyle. But I could barely feel anything. All I knew was that he’d kept West away from me. He cared about the children. That was the only thing keeping me from attacking him, too.

“Get some rest. People will be here soon. Master Harper will return to you after that. I’d suggest you do as he says and not put up a fight.” “The marriage,” I mumbled.

He nodded and stepped back. “Sign the fucking papers. It’s only signatures. A slave has no use for money anyway.”

“I’m not a slave; I’m a mistress.”

“No, you’re a slave. You will always be a slave at Whitlock. Nothing will change that. Not even marriage. Accept and make the best of it. That’s all you can do.”

“And if I refuse?”

His jaw flexed as he sat on the edge of the bed. “Then you’re the stupidest woman I’ve ever met. Think of those children. Do they not need you? Accept your role and I will do what I can to convince him to let you have visitation. Spend your days there, away from him. Do your duty to them. I’ve seen things you can’t imagine in The Cradle. They need you. I need you,” he said dropping his voice. “My little sister is in there. We do what we must. We can do something.”

My lips separated and my eyes jerked to the opened entrance of the room. “Kill him. Kill West right now and we will leave this place and release them.”

“You think it’s that easy? Some guards are loyal to the Master. I couldn’t get through them with Bram leading. I’m hoping I can with West.”

“Bram? Did … you? Did he?”

Whatever my expression said had his hand slapping over my mouth.

“I did what I had to. Just as I will continue to do. That means you, too. Don’t give me a reason to hurt you. I told you about my sister hoping you would help. Don’t make me regret it.”

I knocked his hand away, slapping his face with every ounce of power I had. “Don’t you threaten me? If you want my help, from now on, you answer to me.