Page 17

James

P ain radiated through my knuckles and into my arm as I charged frommy room, Willow’s quiet sobs ringing in my ears and haunting me.

I needed air.

I couldn’t breathe.

I couldn’t take the effect she had on me any longer.

Waking up with her wrapped in my arms felt like waking up in heaven,it felt so goddamn right.

And for a few seconds, I didn’t let myself feel anything but the warmthspreading through my body as I pulled her tighter. Didn’t let myself worry about my father’s ultimatum, or my cousin trying to take what was mine.

For a few blissful seconds, I was just a man, holding his wife. I wasn’tthe heir to a secret society, or a contract killer who didn’t just have blood on his hands, but coating his entire body.

For a few seconds, I let myself feel nothing but Willow.

But that was the problem.

She made me feel.

Feelings I had no room for, because when my father took her fromme - and he would take her from me - I didn’t want to deal with the pain I’d be left with.

So like the coward I was, I lashed out, letting hate smother mymoment of happiness, instead of facing the confused emotions the mouse brought out in me.

Hate was easier to hold onto.

Hate wouldn’t break me.

But letting the hate consume me made me lose control. I didn’t knowwhat I was doing until her pleas for me to stop reached my ears. Like a bucket of ice water had just been dumped over me, I froze, seconds before plunging my cock into her ass.

Her terrified cry seeped into my body, wrapping its tendrils around mychest, and squeezing. Even smashing my fist into the mirror didn’t relieve me of the pressure building in me, the tendrils tightening until I couldn’t breathe.

With red mist clearing from my vision, guilt laced with regret when mylast glimpse of Willow was her lying on the bed, her arms wrapped around her body as she whimpered.

I had to get out of there, because if I didn’t, I would have dropped tomy knees, and begged for her forgiveness. Begged her to love me even if I was a cruel man, and not deserving of anyone’s love, let alone hers.

Thankfully, it was barely the crack of dawn, meaning the hallways ofmy childhood home were deserted, which was a good thing. I wasn’t sure I’d be able to hold in the monster residing in me if I ran into Elijah. I was struggling to contain it as it was.

My bare feet padded along the hallway that would take me to thegarden, my lungs still constricted and in need of air. But my movement was suddenly halted by a shrill phone ringing in my father’s office as I passed by. Thinking my father would still be asleep, and the phone would ringuntil whoever was calling got the hint that no one was going to answer, I made to carry on to the garden, but my steps were once again halted when my father answered the phone.

“Welch! Where the fuck have you been? I’ve been trying to get holdof you all night,”he hissed in a hushed voice, but the fury in his tone was evident.

Instantly, my interest piqued.

My father and Welch weren’t exactly friends, they didn’tacknowledge each other at Legion meetings, so why had my father been trying to contact him all night?

Checking the hallway was clear, I stepped to the side of myfather’s office, leaning my ear against the crack between the door and the jamb, and holding my breath so my father wouldn’t know I was there.

“Yeah, she’s here,”my father said, his voice calmer.

She who?

My mom?

“No, you were right. She doesn’t remember anything,”my father said,my brows furrowing together when I realized he was talking about Willow.“But what if she does, Welch?”he spat, the shuffles of his feet pacing against the wooden floor hitting my ears.“If she remembers, it could cause us all sorts of problems.”

Cogs whirred in my head as his words settled in my head. What thefuck was he talking about?

What didn’t he want Willow remembering?

“You better fucking pray that you’re right, Welch,”my father snapped.“I’m not convinced James isn’t falling for the girl, and if he finds out…”

My jaw clenched, although I wasn’t sure if it was in disappointmentthat I’d failed to convince my father that I didn’t have feelings for Willow, or because of his unspoken threat.

A pause followed as I tried to make sense of what the fuck was goingon, but before I could piece the puzzle together my father spoke again, sending a sliver of trepidation down my spine.

“I’ve told you, once she has James’ baby, the girl belongs to you. Dowith her what you will, but for fuck sake, Welch, don’t mess up a second time.”

I spent the day locked in the conference room with my father, dialinginto a number of Legion meetings with him and the other board members, along with the heads of States.

Even though the meetings were as dull as shit, it meant I avoidedWillow. Better than that though, was that my father didn’t have the opportunity to corner Willow and demand she showed him her back, something of which I was certain he would do given half the chance.

Elijah had fucked off in the morning to play a round of golf with hisbanking buddies, so I didn’t have to worry about him going near my wife. I’d commented to my father that it was good to see just how devoted Elijah was in preparing himself to take a seat on the board.

My father simply scowled at me.

For most of the meetings though, I switched off, my thoughts solelyfocused on the phone call I’d heard this morning. I couldn’t stop glaring at my father, wondering what secrets the fucker was hiding, and doing my best to hide my simmering fury.

He knew something about my wife.

I refused to acknowledge the part where he’d promised Willow toWelch.

As the meeting went on throughout the day, and into the evening, mybrain kept coming up with question after question. My growing anger threatened to erupt out of me like a fiery volcano, promising to burn everyone in its wake. The second the meeting was called to an end, I rushed from the roombefore I lost my mind and beat my father black and blue until I got answers.

I would find out what he was hiding, but I needed to tread carefully.My gut was telling me that whatever he and Welch were keeping had far-reaching consequences, and I wasn’t going to give my father any indication that I knew he was up to something.

Barking orders at one of the staff to prepare Willow for us to leave, Iheaded to my mom’s bedroom, not in the least bit surprised to find her lying in bed, her eyes glazed over as she stared vacantly at the ceiling.

Knowing there would be little point in trying to rouse her, I leaned over and kissed her forehead, telling her that I’d come and see her again soon.

It was a lie. I wouldn’t be back until I was summoned again by myfather.

I made my way back downstairs, not bothering to tell my father wewere leaving as I stormed outside, my anger reaching boiling point when I discovered Willow was sitting in the back of the car, instead of up front with me.

Deciding it was for the best, I jumped in the car and flooredit down the driveway, more than ready to get the fuck back to my home and start figuring out what the fuck my father was keeping from Legion.

But the longer I drove through the dark, country roads, the vulnerablethread holding my temper in check frayed a little bit more each time I glanced at Willow in the rear mirror. She refused to look my way, instead, staring out into the night.Her scent of honey and vanilla filled the small space, and every time I inhaled, my cock twitched, and my hands tightened around the steering wheel until the joints were aching.

She was driving me fucking insane.

I couldn’t think straight.

My father was up to something with Welch, something that I was surewould cause shockwaves throughout Legion, yet now she was in my sights, the part of the conversation I’d ignored all day was now playing front and center in my mind.

Willow would belong to Welch after she’d had my child.

He was going to take what was mine, and there wasn’t a single thing Icould do about it.

My gaze snapped to her in the mirror again, my jaw clenching atfinding her still staring out the window, her lip pulled between her teeth.

What the fuck was this power she had over me?

I needed it gone.

I needed her gone.

Maybe handing her to Welch was a good thing, I’d never have to seeher again, and with time and space from her, I’d be able to breathe easier again.

But with that thought, my imagination conjured up an image of Willowon all fours, tears streaking down her cheeks as Welch lashed her with a belt while he buried his cock in her cunt.

The thread broke.

I slammed the brakes on, the car skidding as I pulled off the road,and into a small opening amongst the thicket. Willow’s worried eyes finally darted to meet mine in the mirror, alarm written over her face, but all I could focus on was the need to get her as far away from me as possible.

When the car came to a stop, I got out, slamming my door behindme, and sucking in a huge gulp of the cold night air, trying to remove the image of her and Welch that was now seared into my brain.

With my hands on my head, I stared out at the view overlooking thecity below, the world going about its business, oblivious to my torture.She didn’t fucking belong to Welch. She belonged to me. But I couldn’t keep her, I couldn’t live with the constant threat of my father taking her away from me, it would drive me insane.

It was already driving me insane.

With crazed thoughts running through my head, I made a decision.

There was only one way out of this goddamn mess I’d caused.

I had to let her go.

Even if that meant it could impact my future with Legion.

Stomping to her door before I could change my mind, I yanked itopen.

“Get out,”I hissed, grabbing her arm and tugging her out, her feetfaltering in the heels she had on. Unable to stop myself, I shoved her against the side of the car and gripped her bare arms.“I can’t fucking do this anymore, Willow. I can’t fucking live like this!”I bellowed, my voice reverberating into the night.

She flinched at my harshness, her eyes filling with sadness, and thecold, useless organ in my chest thrummed harder against my ribcage at seeing her pain.

“I can’t fucking breathe because of you!”I pressed my fingers into herarms harder, knowing I was marking her, but I couldn’t stop.“You’ve burrowed into me, Mouse. From the minute I laid eyes on you, you managed to get under my skin. You make it impossible for me to even think straight, and I can’t fucking stand it.”

I released her arms, and reached into my pocket, pulling out a key I’dvowed to never use until she’d had my heir. Her eyes widened as I reached for her collar and slid the key in, twisting it until it unlocked, and the metal necklace fell to the floor.

“Run, Mouse,”I said, my eyes darting between hers.“Run now. If Icatch you again, I’m not sure I’ll be able to let you go a second time.”