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Scarlett

He didn’t mean it. Those cruel and unfeeling words he spoke to my father were not true.

The same way your father didn’t mean it when he said he was going to sell you off once you stopped being of any use to him?

Sneers a small voice in the back of my mind, but I refuse to believe that last night meant nothing.

The way he touched me, kissed and made love to me. ..all the while calling me his.

And I believed him.

He used me!

My eyes shift to the one other man I foolishly believed cared for me in his own limited way.

Even with all those threats to sell me off, I never once believed that my father would go through with them.

Seeing him pace in his office, red eyes brimming with rage, I believe with every fiber of my being that this man could hurt me.

I flinch when he kicks his desk, turning those murderous eyes to me. “I should never have allowed you as much freedom as I did. Now look at you, embarrassing me by sleeping with a Rebel!” he rages. “What did I expect? You are your mother’s daughter, after all.”

A stab of pain shoots through my chest at the mention of the woman who left me with this monster.

My mother, a term I have never used as I’ve never met the woman, fell in love with my father’s friend and ran off.

A few weeks later, there was news that the two had gotten into a car accident.

I’ve heard the rumors that my father had something to do with that fatal accident, but I refused to believe them.

Growing up, we never talked about her. He only ever brought her up when he was angry, cursing her out for betraying him, or me for reminding him of her. When I was young, I hated her for leaving us—me—but now, I understand why she left. Who would want to be around someone like my father?

For years, I’ve worked faithfully for a club he loves more than his own child. I was loyal to literal vipers, hoping for the affection a child would crave from their father. A kind word, but nothing. Even the apartment was gifted with the threat that it would be taken away if I stepped out of line.

And even when I realized that I would never get that, I never stopped hoping.

I drop my eyes to the hands on my lap, feeling a little sorry for myself. For the girl who will only ever love, but never receive it in return. “I’m sorry,” I whisper, the only thing that I can say.

“You should be sorry. No daughter of mine should be associated with those fucking Rebels.” He stops dead in the center and turns to me. “Don’t tell me you have feelings for that bastard. Is that why you let him...defile you?”

Defile?

I replay the previous night, a magical night. But admitting that out loud will only add more trouble for Gray, so I shake my head. “No, I don’t have feelings for him.”

“Look at me when you speak, girl!”A firm hand grabs my chin and pinches it, forcing my eyes up to his. “Now, did you spread your legs for that rat because you have feelings for him?”

“I don’t,” I manage through the pain in my face. “I swear it!”

“Then why did you do it?”

“I’m sorry.” I sniff, letting fat tears drop down my cheeks. He shoves away in disgust at the sight of my tears. A sign of weakness. He drilled this into me when I was a child. Crying is for the weak. For people without a backbone.

“Listen here, girl. You have a choice to make. You either choose to be loyal to the Vipers or defend those dirty Rebels and go down with them!”

“The Vipers,” I hiccup. “I...I’m sorry. I’ll stay away from Gray. I’ll pretend I never met him. I promise.”

My father studies me for a full minute, reading the fear and regret I force into my eyes before deciding that he believes my words. “I’m going to take care of that dirty rat, but be warned, this is not over. I’ll deal with you when I get back.”

He turns and leaves the room. I wait until I hear the firm click of a lock sliding in place and his fading footsteps before I get up.

I use my sleeves to wipe my wet cheeks before rushing to my father’s computer.

I know now that there’s a camera in the room, but I don’t care as I turn on the computer, chewing my nails as I wait for the old equipment to start.

I put in his password, and with my eyes locked on the door, dig into my pockets for the USB flash drive I grabbed from my room when I excused myself to get dressed before leaving.

Stone keeps his daughter in line. She can’t go to the cops either since she’d be the one to get arrested.Everything in the club is under her name. If we get busted for anything, we can always pin it on the girl. Heck, even this building is under her name.

My eyes are firmly on the door as I copy all the club’s financial details to the flash drive.

I don’t know much about the Den that Gray was talking about; I’m hoping there will be traces of it in these records, and if not, then at least they’ll expose his other crimes.

For good measure, I scroll through other documents I never touched, surprised when I find digital copies of deeds and purchase agreements, and sure enough, they’re all in my name.

Including a gentleman’s club with a business license on file. The Den!

Gray was right. Does this mean that he was right about the trafficking and auctioning too?

I don’t care to think too much about it, I don’t have time.

Later, when the world comes crashing down as I know it will, and these documents have landed in the right hands, then I will allow myself to confront the role I’ve played in all of this.

The door remains closed as everything copies onto the flash drive, and I’m half terrified my father will stomp in and catch me but it never happens.

I grab the drive once it’s done and shut down the computer before moving to the next step.

I open and close the desk drawers, searching for a spare key to open the door.

The frantic pounding of my heart echoes loud in my ears as I scan the drawers, nearly sobbing when I come back empty. He was careful, it seems.

I flop back on the seat, my heart sinking at the thought of being stuck in here until my father gets back when I catch a glimmer of metal on my father’s desk.

Not the key I was searching for, but a letter opener.

It’s a long shot, but it’s all I have. I snatch it up, my fingers trembling as I rush to the door.

I drop to my knees, my breath comes in ragged pants as I fumble with the lock, the letter opener scraping against the metal. I don’t think it’ll work. I’ve only seen it in movies before, and I assume they only add this bit for the plot, but...

“Oh Jesus!” I gasp when the lock gives way, the door creaking open with a groan.

I take a second to marvel at my unexpected success, but only a second before slowly pulling the door open a little more and peeking out.

The hallway is empty, but I pause for a minute to listen in.

All sounds are coming from downstairs, and I imagine it’ll take a while before my father or anyone else thinks to come up here. Either way, I don’t want to chance it.

As quietly as possible, I tiptoe down the hall until I get to the end. I swallow as I take the stairs down, following the noise. They are in the entertainment room, every last one of them, cackling and jeering.

I slip around the corner and peek in, and the scene makes my blood run cold.

My father is leaning against the wall opposite the doorway, his arms crossed over his chest and an angry sneer on his face.

Seated in the center of the room and tied to a chair with his back to my father is Gray.

The rope binding his wrists is thick and rough, digging into his flesh, and I see the bruises already forming on his skin.

His chest is bare, and I spot the red welts on his skin, but it’s the blood tickling down his face that worries me.

This is my fault.

Christ, if he hadn’t run into me, then this would never have happened to him. He’d never have been exposed if he hadn’t come to see me in my father’s office. They would never have caught him if he hadn’t been in my apartment this morning.

I did this.

My eyes shift back to his face, expecting to read pain and fear in his expression, but instead, there is a smirk.

A taunting smile that is sure to drive these men crazy.

I slap a palm on my mouth to stop a cry when one of the guys attempts to punch the smile off his lips.

Gray barely moves, smiling through bloody teeth.

“You hit like a bitch!”

He’s taunting them. He probably thinks he’s going to die and doesn’t want to go down as a coward.

The thought tugs at my heartstrings as I turn away from the scene.

I creep back to the stairs and go up to the second floor where I know the window that opens to the fire escape is broken.

I scramble toward it, my heart pounding in my chest as I pray like I never do that no one fixed the broken latch.

I breathe a sigh of relief when I find it still broken.

Moving carefully as to not make a sound, I squeeze through the narrow window.

My clothes catch the rough edges, and the cold rusty metal bites into my hand as I slowly climb down.

My heart drops to my stomach when it creaks, but when no one comes rushing up, I slowly move down.

I make it out without alerting anyone, scanning around the place for what I need to do to get Gray away from a crowd of angry men when I spot them.

I don’t have time to think as I run to the row of bikes, each parked dangerously close to the other. It’s a chance. A perfect distraction.

Without second thought, I run to the first bike, and with a deep breath, I kick it and send it tumbling over.

It crashes into the second, which crashes into the third, and like dominoes, they all follow.

A loud metallic clang echoes through the air as the bikes fall, each crashing into the next.

I don’t stand around to watch the beautiful scene as I sprint around the building, barely making it to safety before angry bikers come out, cursing and yelling.

“Fucking Rebels. I bet they did this. Find them!”

“What about the guy?”

“He’s tied to the fucking chair; he’s not going anywhere.”

There’s no time to think. Or be scared. My thoughts are on him.

On saving the man I love.

I have a small window to save him before the angry bikers come bellowing back in.

I use code in the keypad to open the back door.

I hiss out a relieved sigh when the door opens, having been afraid my father had already deactivated my code.

As predicted, the entertainment room is empty, save for the man I love tied to a chair.

I hesitate before entering, afraid my father might have stayed behind as his men went to deal with the damaged bikes, but he’s nowhere to be seen.

Gray is completely alone in the room. At the sound of my steps, Gray looks up, and I read surprise in those blue eyes I love.

I want to kiss him. Hug him. Apologize for putting his life in danger.

His life would have been easier if he’d never met me. He’s hurting because of me.

There are tears in my eyes when I kneel in front of him, my hands shaking as I fumble with the ropes.

“I’ll get you out,” I whisper, my voice choked with emotion.

I curse when my trembling hands fail the first time, steadying them before trying again.

The thought of my father and his men coming back and hurting Gray again spurs me into action, and I finally manage to loosen the knots.

When the ropes fall away, I find myself longing to wrap my arms around him and hold tight, but I don’t trust in my ability to let go.

“Scarlett...”

“No time, let’s go,” I whisper, wiping the tears with the back of my hand before taking his. “There’s a door in the back. I bet you’ve seen it. Use it to get away.”

“Scarlett...”

“They’ll be looking for you. My father will kill you if he finds you. Please go.”

“Scarlett,” he says again, lifting his bruised hand to my chin, the same spot my father had touched before, but Gray’s touch is gentle. Kind. “I’m sorry. You know I didn’t mean any of the words I said in your apartment.”

I shake my head, unwilling to waste time on this.

“Gray, please go.” When he hesitates, I let the cold detachment I’d mastered for my father slip into my eyes and voice.

“I did not go to all this trouble for you to get caught again. Take this. It’s what you used me for, isn’t it?

” I shove the flash drive into his palm and step away.

“Leave. Just go. I hope to never see you again.”

As the words leave my lips, I see pain wash over his face like a storm cloud rolling in.

Gray stares at me, his face a mask of shock then slowly, the shock gives way to a deep, raw pain.

Those blue eyes that have looked at me with lust and affection, now watch me with desolate emptiness.

Almost like I’m the one who’s ripped his heart out of his chest and left a gaping wound, not the other way around.

Are you not the one who said that the only thing women are good for is on their backs or working behind a desk? It’s not my fault that your daughter is good for both.

No, he has no right to look utterly broken. I’m the one in love, the one betrayed. The one who was stupid enough to fall for a man she knew was using her.

“Scarlett—”

The sound of people approaching sends my heart racing. “All the evidence you need is there,” I whisper, nodding at the flash drive in his hands. “Go now!”

I leave him staring at me as I run away. I don’t turn around to see if he leaves, hoping he’s able to make his way out of the building. He is a Rebel after all. I ought to worry about my own neck.

I’m practically panting and my side hurts when I finally let myself back into my father’s office. I fumble with the lock and breathe out a sigh of relief when it locks. With everything settled, I allow myself to collapse to the floor as a sob wrenches from my throat.

He’s gone.

I knew we’d never work. Gray and I come from opposite sides of the same world. We were never meant to be.I don’t regret him. Gray gave me life in the time we spent together, and I’ll reward him by betraying my father and the Vipers. Whatever happens to me next, at least I had him.

With my face pressed against the cool floor, I softly curse out all bikers even as my heart aches for the one I was never supposed to fall for.