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Chapter Twenty-Four

COLETTE

Malcolm makes his way toward me, one step, then another. I’m frozen in fear, but at the same time, my body urges me to move. To run. To flee. I’m ready to jump off the balcony, but at the same time, I stay frozen in terror.

“Time to go,” he demands.

Shaking my head from side to side, I suck in a breath and hold it. I don’t know how to answer, how to respond. Instead, I stay stationary where I am—immobile. I don’t want to go anywhere, not with him. I try to stall, hoping that wherever Theron is, he’ll come to my rescue. I’m not sure if I’ll be able to save myself at this point. I’m too scared. I can’t even move.

“Colette,” Malcolm snaps. “I own you, and you have a duty to fulfill.”

“That wasn’t my promise and not my duty,” I whisper.

It’s the first thing I’ve said since he walked through the door. Maybe the first thing I’ve said to him ever. This relationship is not a relationship at all. This is him thinking that he has ownership over me because of some deal with my dad.

He does not own me.

I refuse to give him any part of me.

Not my body, not my mind, and certainly not my soul.

And this man wants my soul. I can see it behind his eyes. He wants every piece of me. To own me, to consume me, to control me, and use me like some kind of puppet. Maybe a couple of days ago, I felt like I had no choice but to do whatever this monster demanded of me.

I’m not in that position anymore.

I have Merrick and all his men.

It makes me feel braver and stronger, and I wish I could do all of this on my own, but the simple fact is that I need all of the men. I need their strength and bravery because, without them, I would be nothing. I would be Malcolm’s—I would never find an ounce of bravery or strength.

“Are you talking back to me?” he growls.

I almost laugh because it’s obvious that I am doing exactly that, talking back to him. I open my mouth to tell him just that, but I don’t get the chance. There is a loud thud, and then Malcom goes down.

Theron is standing behind him, a gun in his hand. “Did you shoot him?” I ask with a hiss.

“I hit him with the butt,” he grunts. “We need this fucker out of here,” he growls.

I open my mouth, then close it again, then open it again before I snap my lips closed. I don’t know what to say, and I can’t think at all. I can’t move. I don’t know how I’m going to help because there is no way I can physically do anything to Malcolm.

“Who is he, Theron?” I ask.

Theron’s eyes slowly lift to meet mine. His face has been drained of blood, he’s pale, and the fear that’s in his gaze is beyond anything I’ve ever seen before. I imagine I looked the same when I was on that stage, being auctioned off for a night of sex with a stranger.

“Theron,” I whisper. “Please tell me what’s going on.”

He shakes his head, his eyes flicking down to him, then slowly lifts to meet mine again. “It’s him. I couldn’t forget him if I tried, Colette.”

He doesn’t say anything else. He just repeats those words over and over.

It’s him. I couldn’t forget him if I tried, Colette.

It’s him. I couldn’t forget him if I tried, Colette.

It’s him. I couldn’t forget him if I tried, Colette.

It’s him. I couldn’t forget him if I tried, Colette.

I want to scream at him, but I’m just as shaky as he is, and the way he’s totally broken makes me want to run to him. It also scares the absolute shit out of me. If Malcolm scares Theron this much, then I know he’s bad—like, really freaking bad.

Opening my mouth, I start to ask him what we’re going to do when his entire body jerks, and then he starts to move. I feel his arms wrap around me before he picks me up and carries me to the bedroom. My feet hit the floor, and he takes a step backward.

“Lock the door. Do not open it unless it’s me,” he snaps. “I don’t care what the fuck you hear, Colette.”

I start to tell him not to go, but he shakes his head and holds his hand up. “I don’t care what the fuck you hear,” he repeats.

“Okay,” I exhale.

But I know I can’t just sit back and listen, not without doing something. Not if Theron is going to be hurt. I couldn’t let anything happen to him because of me. I refuse. This is all my fault, and I can’t let anything happen to him, not with a wife at home.

My stomach twists at the thought. Then there is a noise. Another thud, then a grunt. I hear some shouting. I begin to pace back and forth and then think about calling someone for help, but I don’t know who I would actually call.

I have nobody.

When I hear another thud, I rush toward the door, flipping the lock before I wrench the door open. I don’t have any kind of plan as I rush out into the living space. But when I see Malcolm on top of Theron, I know that I can’t just sit back and watch.

All the carts are still set up, and I reach for a bottle of sparkling water. Lifting it over my head, I slam it down on the back of his skull. He stops and slumps over. Theron pushes him off his body, and we both watch as Malcolm rolls away.

Theron attempts to catch his breath, standing slowly as he does. He looks down at Malcolm and then slowly lifts his gaze to meet mine.

“This is who you were supposed to marry?”

“Yes,” I exhale. “What are we going to do?” I ask.

He shakes his head but doesn’t speak right away. I watch as Theron stares down at Malcolm, his eyes wide, almost as if he’s in disbelief that he’s here. I wish I could tell Theron to kill him, but my lips won’t form the words. Instead, I stare for a moment as well.

“We need to do something,” I whisper.

“I know,” he says.

I slide my gaze down to him again. The only person I can think to call is Marcello. But I would rather Merrick help. Pinching my eyes closed, I suck in a breath and reach out for Theron. He can’t think straight with Malcolm right here.

Wrapping my fingers around Theron’s wrist, I gently tug him into the bedroom with me so he can get a clear head. I’m not sure if it’s the right choice or not. But as soon as that bedroom door closes, his entire body jerks and it’s as if whatever cloud was swimming around inside of his head is gone in the next moment and his eyes are clear again.

“I need to call Merrick,” he announces.

MERRICK

My phone rings at the absolute most inopportune time. Adriano has decided that he wants us to track this Malcolm person. Flicking my gaze over to Vaughn, I can’t help but wonder if there’s going to be a hit on Malcolm at any given moment.

“I’m going to take care of him myself. My issue is that I cannot do the proper surveillance. He’s surrounded by too many big players, politicians, and law enforcement. Getting in and finding out when he will be alone so I can go in unseen is challenging.”

My phone stops buzzing in my pocket, then begins again immediately. As much as I want to broker another deal with this asshole, I need to answer this call before I go any further with Bellucci.

Holding up one of my hands, I reach into my pocket with the other and slide my thumb across the screen, where Theron’s name is displayed. Standing, I walk away from Adriano a few paces before I hold the phone up to my ear.

“Steele,” I grunt, trying not to give away who is on the phone.

“Ravet is here, in our room.”

There is no doubt in my mind that my face instantly becomes void of all color. Especially since Grayson mobilizes almost instantly to my side. Bellucci’s men also straighten their spines as if on high alert.

“You’re shitting me?” I finally ask.

“I am not. Colette and I are locked in a bedroom. There was a… scuffle. She’s okay.”

I’m glad that he ends with the fact that Colette is okay.

“What the fuck is he doing there?”

I have a million questions running on a loop inside of my head, but one is in the forefront of my head, and I can’t help but verbalize it. There’s no keeping it in, and there is no way I can wait to see her and find out then.

“Is he the one?” I ask.

“That’s who she was supposed to marry, yes.”

Fucking shit.

Ending the call, not wanting to give anything else away, I send him a text telling him that we will be there soon. I’m not sure how I’m going to play this quite yet. But I can’t just announce that Ravet is in my hotel room. I also can’t hang around here a moment longer than I have to.

Turning to face Adriano, I give him a smirk. It’s fake as shit. My entire body is humming with anxious energy. It’s finally here. All the hours of searching, of watching, of waiting, it’s all come to an end, and we’ll be able to take care of this motherfucker once and for all.

“We give you Ravet, and we’re square. You never attempt to contact Securus or any of its members ever again. That includes Colette.”

Adriano takes almost a moment too long to think about the offer. I’m about to just walk away, and then he will get nothing. He’ll also never know if Ravet is alive or dead. Is he watching him, following him, or is he of no threat at all?

That might be the best fucking revenge for what Adriano has done, not just to me but to Colette.

“I agree to that,” Bellucci states. “You deliver him to me. I want him alive, and you will never hear from me or see me or any of my men again.”

The deal is set, and with that, we leave. We walk out of his limestone, and I hope I never have to return. I’m also not sure that I will be able to just hand over Malcolm Ravet alive.

Malcolm Ravet.

I know his first name now. All those years he tortured and abused us, and we never even knew his first name. There is something that humanized him by knowing his first name. As soon as we jump into the car, I start driving back to the hotel, all while telling the others exactly what Theron said to me on the phone call. The entire car is silent. I know how they’re feeling, what they’re thinking.

Ravet must suffer—then he must die.