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Chapter Twenty-Eight

JOSHUA

My head fucking hurts.

I open my eyes to cement walls surrounding me and shackles around my ankles, chaining me to pieces of metal embedded into the floor a few feet away.

There’s enough slack in the chains to allow me to get up and walk around.

More chains hang about me, and dim light shines through the windows, illuminating the otherwise empty warehouse.

I push to my feet, wobbling a little as the world around me spins. As I squeeze my eyes shut, I try to will the pain in my head away.

What happened? Where am I?

The last thing I remember is leaving the apartment building and going for a walk around the block. I did a couple of laps and was about to go home. I was going to go back upstairs and tell Skyla she was right about everything.

Which would have been difficult enough. It would’ve required swallowing my pride and apologizing to her.

But if she stayed, if she forgave me, it would’ve been worth it.

I take a deep breath, finding my balance as I turn and look around the room.

There are bars over all the windows. Not a single box or pallet is left in the building. Nothing that I could use as a weapon.

God, why did I leave?

Skyla was right. I am a coward.

Just thinking about something happening to her had me putting my tail between my legs and submitting to that bastard Grady.

Because of me, Skyla is hurting. And fuck if knowing I did that to her isn’t slicing me open.

I should’ve stayed and talked to her.

None of this would be happening right now if I had just stayed and told her the truth.

Or maybe it would’ve happened, but she would be with me right now and then I would have something else to worry about.

But at least I wouldn’t have been the one to stab her in the back.

All I wanted was to make sure she was safe. Because in the grand scheme of things, my life means nothing. Not if I lost her.

And now I lost her anyway.

A door opens, and light floods the room.

Too much light for it to be early morning.

How long was I out?

Judging by the sounds pouring in, I’m probably somewhere at the harbor, or a marina.

Heels click against the floor, and Zoe Esposito strides in front of me, stopping just out of reach of the chains.

Two men follow her in, each one kneeling in front of me and undoing the shackles around my ankles.

The shackles fall away, and they take several steps back.

Zoe smiles and steps closer to me, her fingers trailing along the side of my face and coming away with dried blood on the tips. “You know, it’s a shame that we had to hurt you to get you in the van.”

“Sure.” I ignore the aching in my head. “You want to tell me what the fuck I’m doing here, Zoe?”

“Oh, you do know who I am. This is going to make this so much more fun.” She takes a step back and crosses her arms. “You know, I’ve been watching you for a long time, Joshua. I’ve been thinking about killing Skyla, but I don’t think that would phase her family enough, do you?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Zoe inspects her nails, picking at invisible dirt beneath them. “Come on, I know she told you. She’s half in love with you, even if the pair of you are too stupid to see it.”

“Fuck off.”

Her hands drop before she snaps forward, punching me in the mouth and splitting my lip. “You’re going to be nice while you’re here.”

“And you’re going to keep my wife’s name out of your mouth.”

“She’s not your wife.” Zoe takes a couple of steps back, the men with her hovering close.

They wouldn’t be able to get to her before I got my hands around her neck, though. I would be able to kill her without a second thought. She’d be lifeless on the ground, and Skyla’s problem would be solved.

And then there would just be Grady to take care of, but Skyla is already foaming at the mouth and trying to get to him.

This could be the solution to everything.

Zoe clasps her hands behind her back. “I didn’t take you for the kind of man to just sit by and let someone punch you. Are you sitting here and waiting for Skyla to save you? It’s cute that you let her take the lead.”

I grind my teeth together, watching her, trying to see what side she’s favoring. I’m only going to get one chance to kill her before the men are on me and hauling me away from her.

“She’s not going to come for me.” I cross my arms, doing my best to look relaxed. “I think you’ve overestimated how much she cares about me.”

“I don’t think I did.” Zoe smiles, her head tilting to the side. “I may not know what she sees in you, but I’m sure that she cares for you. It’s rather pathetic that you don’t know anything.”

“I know that you’re a bitch and she’s going to make you suffer eventually, but you’re a fool if you think she wants anything to do with me.”

“She told you what she was. The Reaper.” Zoe paces closer to me, stopping a few inches away, practically daring me to kill her now.

It’s all a game. Every little look, every word. Each one is a barb that she’s trying to sink deep beneath my skin, waiting until I snap.

I’m not going to give her the satisfaction.

The door opens and another person walks in, shrouded by the shadows at first, and then he steps into the light.

“Grady, you fucking bastard!” I lunge for him the second he’s close enough, getting my hands around his throat and slamming him into the ground.

I scramble to choke him out, hands pressing hard against his throat as he thrashes beneath me.

Before I can feel the live leave his body, the two men haul me back.

I slam my head into one of their noses, swinging and kicking the other before falling to the ground.

I roll, trying to get to my feet, but it still feels like my head is spinning.

And a hard punch to my temple only makes that worse.

The men grab me again, hauling me back.

Shackles clasp around my wrists.

I clench my jaw so hard that I’m sure I’m going to break a tooth as my hands are raised high above my head.

Standing on my toes, I try to prevent my shoulders from being dislocated as my arms are pulled high above my head.

Zoe clicks her tongue. “Now that wasn’t smart, Joshua.

I was giving you more credit than that. I thought you were going to play nice.

Maybe you would cooperate and then you would get to go home.

Sure, you would be going home to a dead fake wife, but that would be for the best. After all, someone like her really shouldn’t be on the streets, should she? ”

Grady laughs and wipes the blood from the corner of his mouth. “This is just business, Joshua.”

“And you’re nothing but a traitor, apparently.”

Grady shrugs, his hands in his pockets as he stands beside Zoe. “Isn’t that all any of this has been about? One person fucks over another, that person rebuilds, then things keep going around.”

“I’m going to kill you for this.” I groan as my arms are raised higher, toes barely touching the ground now. “I should’ve killed you earlier, you fucking traitor.”

He smirks, shaking his head and drawing closer to me. “Like I said, it’s just business.”

Zoe laughs, pulling out a gun from the back of her waistband. “You’re right, it is just business.”

Grady turns to look at her, his eyes wide and his mouth dropping open as if the thought of her turning against him was never even a possibility.

He’s always been an idiot.

Her finger wraps around the trigger as she takes aim at Grady’s head.

The gunshot rings through the warehouse, making my eardrums feel like they’re going to explode.

Grady’s body drops to the ground, his blood splattering on the floor.

With a sigh, Zoe holds out her hand, and one of the men pulls out a silencer, placing it in her palm.

She screws it onto the gun with a smile. “Probably should’ve had that on there before I shot him.”

This bitch is crazy!

I hang my head back, looking up at the ceiling, wishing there was a way to get out of this. Wishing I could see Skyla one last time before the crazy bitch in front of me kills me.

Zoe sighs and looks at the man who control the chains. “Lower him a little bit. I don’t want our fun to be over before it really begins.”

The chains are lowered slightly until I’m standing flat on my feet, arms high above my head.

I scoff. “I’m not going to thank you for that.”

She shrugs, crossing her arms, her gun still in her hand. “I don’t expect you to. You’re smarter than him, though. I can see it in your eyes. I’ve seen it while watching you these last couple of months.”

“I’m going to kill you when I get out of this.”

She shakes her head like she pities me. “Joshua… You and I both know that’s not how this is going to go. You see, I’ve thought of a way you can live.”

“Of course, you have.”

“Your supplier is dead.” The corner of her mouth tips upward. “And I’m in control of his operation. Now, if you would like to keep your little business running as it has been, you’re going to work with me, understood?”

“I’m not going to do that.”

She sighs and tucks the gun away. “Now, I understand that this is a hard decision for you to come to. It’s going to take you cutting ties with the Lyndes. You’re going to have to do what I say as well. I won’t tolerate insubordination the way this pathetic piece of shit did.”

Zoe kicks Grady’s body before looking up at me with a smile.

There’s something about her that doesn’t sit quite right.

She’s dangerous, but not in the same way that I am, or that Skyla is.

There’s something worse lingering about her. Something unhinged.

As she looks up at me, there’s that cruel little smile on her face again.

“I’m going to give you some time to think over how you want to go about this. After all, there’s still a guest that hasn’t joined our little party yet.”

“I already told you that she’s not going to come for me. You can keep dreaming, but she’s smarter than you.”

Zoe laughs and turns, heading for the door. “All of us are fools when it comes to love, even those who think they might be the most rational people around.”

“And you would be a fool to think that she would let anything come in between her and her family.”

“Do you even know her at all?” Zoe turns to look at me, her eyes narrowing.

“I’ve spent a lot of time tracking Skyla’s work.

I’ve collected every article I could find about the people she’s killed.

I’ve seen the crime scene evidence. Every single thing she does has been about begging someone to notice her.

See her the way you do—as a beautiful monster.

Do you think she’s going to let that go? ”

I press my lips together.

As much as it pains me to think about it, I know that she’s right, at least to some degree.

Skyla isn’t going to take this lightly. She’s going to come, even if just to take care of this demented bitch once and for all.

But she won’t come because she might feel anything for me. Because she doesn’t. I made sure of that after how I left her.

God, I’m such an idiot. And I can finally admit that I fucking love that woman. I can’t live without her.

And I was the one who pushed her away.

If I get out of this, I’ll do everything in my power to win her back. To show her she can trust me. And I’ll never let go of her again.

Zoe sighs and shakes her head. “But that’s beside the point. You either do what I say, or there are going to be others willing to take your place.”

“You may as well kill me now. I’m not going to turn against my wife.”

“I thought we’ve been through this. She’s not your wife.”

I’m sick and tired of hearing everyone say Skyla isn’t my wife when, along the way, that’s what she became in my head and in my heart.

So, I have to do something about that sometime, too.

But first, I need to get out of here.

Skyla, if I get through this, I’m coming for you, baby. And it’s forever for us. So, hurry and come take care of this crazy bitch.