Page 159 of Between Passion and Revenge: Part Two

“I’m putting my foot down on this, Storm. We’re getting her, or I’m gonna get her and fake your ID. Whatever needs to happen, she needs to be out of that place. It’s a state hospital with a documented history of patient abuse.”

I lean forward, putting my elbows to my knees and my hands to my mouth.

Sick. I knew Lakeland was a sick motherfucker, but trafficking his own daughter?

I keep my gaze steady on Axel, and I know there’s more that Axel isn’t telling me.

Looking at him, I think maybe he physically can’t, because what my cousin suffered is just that bad. I start to soften to the idea of helping Skai, but I can’t set aside my wariness.

“Why is she in the hospital and not in a home with other runaways?” Riale asks.

“Because she was bleeding out from a suicide attempt in a back alley when she was found,” Axel says.

Fuck.

“Axel, for real. What do you expect me to do? We just killed her father for fuck’s sake!” I say, feeling sick.

“That’s exactly why we need to get her. Bring her here. There’s enough space in this mansion that you never have to interact with her outside of when you want to, but she needsgoodhelp.Gooddoctors. Safety. A place to heal.”

“And you think that’ll be my home with my kids and girl inside?”

Axel groans, rolling his eyes heavenward.

“Out of curiosity, where were you planning for her to stay if we’d followed your plan earlier?” he asks.

I twist my lips to the side for a second.

“I mean…Shae’s condo is sitting empty. I planned on putting some security on her until we needed to drag her out.”

Axel stares at me open-mouthed.

“Are you fuck— You know what? It doesn’t matter. What matters now is getting her out of there,” Axel says.

“I kind of see his point about her care, Storm,” Riale says, and I give him a sharp side eye. “Plus, we can keep security on her, so if anything does get weird, we’ll be on top of it and can put it down.”

I don’t look too closely into what “put it down” would entail.

“Axel, why do you care about this so much?” I ask, throwing my hands up.

“And whydon’tyou care?” he takes an agitated step toward me. “You were completely fine with using her, but now she needs help, and you’re pushing back? Make it make sense. What if it were your daughter?”

My heart rate picks up at the vile thought. Axel doubles down.

“What if it were Tempest who was taken to that fucking island at eight years old? What if it were Tempest who was used as a goddamn bargaining chip for perverted freaks at twelve? What if it were Tempest who was sexually assaulted by the person whom she should have been able to trust most in this world? What if, Storm?”

“Enough,” I rasp, the vision of my daughter being hurt nearly causing me to black out with rage. What if it were my daughter in my cousin’s shoes?

“Fuck,” I grit out, but looking at Riale and Axel, I already know what I’m going to do.

Even if I have a terrible feeling about it.

A few hours later,in my garage, I remember the reason why I wait in the dark for the smallest amount of private time with Shae.

“Jesus, Sweetness,” I growl, one hand on the back of Shae’s neck as she deep-throats me and the other holding on to the oh-shit handle in the backseat of her Benz for dear life. She’s got me all the way in her mouth, her throat muscles working the first few inches and her nose pressed to the base of my dick.

Heaven. I’m in heaven.

And I’m also about to come.