Page 16

RAE

Apparently, she didn’t learn a single thing from hours of binge-watching true crime dramas.

Not only did she allow Barker to take her to a secondary location, but she’d also gone eagerly into Harmon’s studio.

He’d told her he had Adam tied up in the back and that he’d been crying for his Auntie . So, when Barker had unlocked the door, she’d bolted straight to the back, calling for Adam.

“Adam? Auntie ’s here.”

As she suspected, there was no Adam, but she simply wouldn’t risk that there may have been a chance. When she turned to give him a piece of her mind, he slapped handcuffs on her before she could even react.

“What the fuck?” It didn’t register in her mind what Barker was capable of and how much danger she was in until then.

He shoved her to the ground hard and loomed over her. Smashing the gun to her lips so hard it rammed them into her teeth.

“What the fuck indeed. Now, you can cooperate like a good girl.” He stroked her hair with his free hand. “Or I can make you. I prefer the latter, but I guarantee that you won’t.”

Holy shit. The Barker she’d known was nowhere to be found in the cold eyes that stared down at her with a repulsive mix of lust and violence.

“What will it be, ?”

She couldn’t speak, but she nodded ever so slightly, however it still ground her lips between the barrel of the gun and her teeth.

Disappointment marred his brow before he pulled the gun away and shrugged.

“Up.” He lifted her by her tethered hands, causing the metal to bite into her flesh. “Sit.”

Compliance wasn’t an option; it was forced when he made her sit. When he bent down to zip tie her leg to the chair, she kicked him in the face. As blood dripped from his lip, she bolted toward the front part of the studio, but she didn’t make it far before he tackled her to the floor.

“Do that again, and when I’m done with you, I’ll put a bullet between Darrin’s eyes.” The threat stilled her flailing legs. He obviously couldn’t get his hands on Adam, and after this, they’d protect that precious child with the full force of the Royal Bastards, but Virus? He thought he was invincible, and that made him vulnerable. Not to mention distracted, because she had no doubt he would seek revenge.

“Now.” He levered off her. “Get in the fucking chair,” he screamed.

managed to get to her feet. Instead of sitting, she thrust her chin up in defiance.

“Just go ahead and shoot me, Barker, because there’s no way I’ll willingly let you tie me to that chair.”

If she thought there was insanity in his eyes before, she was wrong. Rage and insanity and a million other menacing emotions flared to life in his eyes.

“Oh sweet, na?ve . There are so many worse things I can do to you than shoot you.” His calm tone scared her worse than his screaming anger did.

“Now, get in the fucking chair right now, or I’ll make sure that as I carve Harmon into pieces, she knows it’s because of you.”

Ice shards sliced her veins to ribbons. “You wouldn’t.” She spoke in disbelief.

“I hadn’t planned on it, no. I like Harmon and wouldn’t want to hurt her, but if you don’t get in the chair, I will do that and worse.”

There was so much honesty in his tone that she woodenly walked to the chair. Barker stayed at a distance this time. “Reach down and hook the zip tie on your legs for me.”

held up her handcuffed hands.

“They’re not useless, now do it.”

Deciding it was better her than him, she complied. First one, then the other, but left them as loose as she dared around her boots without his notice. At least that gave her some wiggle room that might come in handy to free herself.

“Now what, Barker? What’s the big plan here? They’re going to know I’m gone. Come looking for me. Hell, Harmon will call the police and the first place they’ll check is our homes and where we work.”

It was like talking to herself, Barker wasn’t listening to her. He was sitting on a yoga mat watching his phone.

When he hadn’t paid any attention to her for the last thirty minutes or so, she took advantage of his distraction.

Trying to puzzle a way out of her situation, took inventory of her restrictions. There was nothing to do with her handcuffed hands. They were tight and the only way out was with a key.

Wiggling her feet in her boots, she managed to get one heel above the shoe part, but it was pointed and awkward when he looked up at her and she ceased all motion.

“You call out his name every time. Did you know that?”

What the fuck was he talking about? He must’ve read the look on her face.

“When you touch yourself. You call out his name. For seven fucking years. Every damn time you fingered the pussy you wouldn’t let me near; you called his fucking name. I was right there, begging like a damn dog for the scraps of your attention. And the whole time it was still ALL ABOUT DARRIN.”

leaned back because he stood and shouted the last into her face.

“How would you know?”

“How would I know? Because I had a front-row seat to it every fucking time,” he whined in a distraught voice.

That tone morphed into one of fury as he thrust his phone in front of her face with both hands. The gun abandoned on the mat.

“This was the night I took you home after our last date. I offered myself up to you on a platter and you gave me a halfhearted kiss and sent me away. Within the hour, you were fingering yourself and calling his name.”

Gun forgotten, stared down in horror at herself masturbating in her bed back in Vegas. Writhing with one hand at her clit and the other pinching her nipple and Darrin’s name on her lips as she came undone.

The entire meaning of what she saw hit her when he swiped to another video and another and …

“Every fucking time, . Every time you called his name. I watched it all. Even when you were with another man, you mouthed it. Darrin.”

“You … cameras … in my home? How long?”

Barker ignored her.

“How long?” Her voice was meek sounding, and she hated it.

He pushed a lock of hair out of her face. She reached up with her cuffed hands and shoved his hand away. “How fucking long have those been in my house?” At least her voice sounded stronger, if still wavering.

“Since before you moved in.”

She never questioned him installing her security cameras before she moved in. She’d given him the key. She never imagined he would’ve put an extra one in her bedroom.

“Where? Where was it?” Morbid curiosity had to be the only reason to ask. She’d never felt so violated in her life. To think she’d been friends with him for years, tried to date him. “Oh my god,” she whispered. She’d left Adam in his care. Trusted him with Darrin’s son. Bile rose in her throat at the thought.

“This one.” He pointed to the video on the phone. “In the dresser mirror. This one.” He swiped to a page with multiple stills. “Above the bathtub.” He pointed to another. “In the Impala model.” And on and on he went. Five in total. In her tiny apartment. There wasn’t a single place of privacy.

In her own fucking home.

The horror had passed, replaced by pure, unadulterated rage. He hadn’t just violated her once, oh no, he had violated her for years. Every second of every minute of every hour of every day for almost seven fucking years.

had never experienced such fury. Not even when she saw Darrin with her sister or when Celeste confessed conspiring to get Darrin into her bed. None of that felt like what Barker had done.

That fury became a living, breathing thing, and it took over. She balled both her fists and swung up into his face as hard as she could. Standing to put her body weight behind it, forgetting that she was attached to a chair.

Toppling in a heap, Barker, her, and the chair, she punched as best she could. Which wasn’t very well with her hands cuffed together, but she wouldn’t stop. Couldn’t stop. She wanted to beat him to death. She wanted to get the gun and end him.

Barker managed to swap their positions, the chair holding her legs at an awkward angle. He straddled her waist and held her hands still. She was completely at his mercy, but still livid.

“How could you?”

“How could I? How could you? How could you go back to him after everything? He fucked your sister; she had his son, for Christ’s sake. And you still came crawling back here to spread your legs for him. He took everything from me. EVERYTHING.”

“What did he ever take from you?” She’d heard they had a friendly rivalry back in high school, and then they had that blowout, but that was all she knew.

“More girlfriends than I care to count. He got everything I ever wanted. You, Celeste, everything.”

Whoa, whoa, whoa. Pump the brakes.

“Me? Celeste? You never had either of us.” At least not to her knowledge.

He leaned down with their noses almost touching. “I saw you first, but when we walked up to you and he opened his mouth, you didn’t even see me. Then Celeste, she promised we’d be together if I helped break you two up, but that was a lie. She just wanted him for herself. Got herself knocked up on purpose.”

There was so much to unpack in what he’d just said. didn’t have time to process it. Because as soon as the last syllable left his mouth, he pulled his body and his fist back.

If the rage in his eyes was any indication, she wouldn’t come out of the other side of the coming blow the same.

shut her eyes tight and waited …

Waited for a blow that didn’t come.

Barker’s weight was shoved off her with such force it broke the legs of the chair. She was sure her legs would be bruised from it. She heard flesh against flesh, but before she could turn in that direction, a man she didn’t recognize was sliding her away. She was still cuffed and attached to one leg of the broken chair.

“We got you, . I’ll get you loose in a minute.”

With that, he stood at Virus’s back, partially blocking her view of the two men on the floor. She could see enough to know Virus had Barker pinned on the ground.

Virus was landing blow after blow.

“Pull it back, brother, if you want any answers.”

Virus shrugged off the other man’s hand on his shoulder.

“I don’t need no fucking answers. I got all the answers I needed when he took my woman.” He answered the other man casually, but never stopped looking down at Barker, slowly lowering his face to hover above him.

“And when I saw those pictures in your apartment. You’re fucking sick. Pics of my woman when she was alone. My son with an X on his face. I know all I need to know.”

Virus’s voice was cold and calm. He glanced ’s way, and she held her breath.

“Look away, sweetheart.”

His tender tone was a direct contradiction to the rage that simmered in his green eyes.

There wasn’t a doubt in her mind that Barker wouldn’t be walking out of the yoga studio. Oddly, it didn’t disturb her as much as she expected it to. No. Not when he laid out his plan for her. Not when he threatened Adam and Harmon. Coupled with what Virus was saying, Barker was a bigger threat than she ever imagined.

Virus landed a few more punches.

“How dare you put your fucking hands on what’s mine?” he spit out and punctuated his fury with another punch. The tenderness of just a second ago was gone. Barker’s head snapping to the side was sickening, but she didn’t feel the least bit sorry for him. If she could get up, she’d do that and worse.

“You think everything is yours.” Barker’s words were garbled by the blood pouring from his mouth and nose, not to mention the swelling that had already set in.

Virus’s only answer was with his fist.

Barker didn’t know when to stop.

“She was mine in Vegas, you know. I put my hands all?—”

Virus’s action halted his words. He’d extracted a knife from somewhere and was waving it in his face.

was frantically trying to free herself; she didn’t know if it was to run or to join Virus, she just couldn’t lay there helpless attached to a broken chair.

“You touched what’s mine once. I’m going to fix it so it doesn’t happen again.”

Time slowed, or at least her perception of it. Virus lowered the knife to Barker’s wrist. He started screaming before the first drop of blood welled up where the blade met skin.

“Shit, Virus.” The other man cursed as he squatted in front of , and drew her upper body into his chest, smashing her face to him. “She doesn’t need to see that shit.”

Barker’s screams grew louder and louder, but they couldn’t drown out a more sickening sound. One that reminded her of parting a whole chicken. After that, his screams became whimpers.

A few seconds later, they started again, but died rather quickly. The only sound left was panting.

Lots of panting. From her, from behind the man holding her, they came from everywhere.

The next sound was Virus’s voice. Low but audible. “You’ll never touch anyone ever again, you sick fuck.” Then she heard him spit.

“Fuck.” A new voice came from behind her, followed by the sounds of boots striking the floor.

She could only see legs as they rushed past because the stranger held her so tightly against his chest she couldn’t turn her head.

“Fucking, Virus.”

That voice she recognized, Hook. Arms gripped her from behind and the man holding her stood with her. “Come on, , let’s move, sweetheart.” The two of them lifted her up and backed out of the room.

She felt like she was abandoning Virus. “No. Virus. I can’t leave him.” But she was moved against her will. “No,” she shouted louder. “Let me go.”

“Sweetheart, we will. We’re not leaving your man, just moving you away from …” Hook’s voice trailed off before he let go, but the other man still held her aloft, chair and all. Only the toes of one foot grazed the floor. Hook bent down and cut the zip ties and tossed the remains of the chair away. The man holding her head finally set her on her feet and Hook turned her to him.

“Let’s get these off you, hmm?” He produced a handcuff key from God knows where and released her.

After rubbing her wrist, she turned and ran back to where Virus was. She slid to a halt when she spotted a heap that must’ve been Barker under a pile of yoga towels. Blood was everywhere. And one of Barker’s hands was … she gagged.

“Get her out of here,” Virus spat.

Hook dragged her back toward the front as Virus looked at her will such sadness it was a living, breathing thing in the room. He was covered in blood, as was everything. So much blood.

Hook stopped at Virus’s approach. He stood in front of her but didn’t reach for her. “Babe, go with Hook, please. I’ll be along soon, promise. I love you, Sunny.” With that, he nodded, and Hook was on the move again.

“I love you too,” she whispered as he disappeared from her sight.

“Take her to my place.” That was the last Virus said to her before there were other voices taking over.

“You go get cleaned up and meet Prez. I’ll call the crew and get this cleaned up.”

The voices faded as Hook escorted her out of the back door.

The ride to Virus’s place was a blur. Once inside, Hook set her on the couch and disappeared down the hall. A few minutes later, he came back.

“Go get in the tub, it always helps Nova after a rough day. I’ll wait out here until your man gets back. You’re safe.”

“Adam?” Obviously, Barker didn’t have him, but she needed reassurance that he was okay.

“He’s fine. My little Flower was teaching him how to make his own pancakes, well, Nova was, but she let her enjoy the illusion of head chef. They went to bed at nine and have been out ever since. And before you ask, Harmon is fine too. Outlaw hasn’t let her out of his sight.”

She finally took a deep breath for the first time since Virus had kissed her good night.

Standing, she placed a hand on Hook’s cheek and murmured her thanks before disappearing to the bath.

There was a lot to process for the night, but one thing she did know was she was done waiting, taking things slow and waiting to see if they were perfect before dipping a toe. No, waiting was what got her into every predicament she’d been in, so action was called for.

Waiting almost cost her everything … again. She knew in her heart that Barker would’ve killed her, and he wouldn’t have stopped there. He was going after Virus, and what better way to hurt him than Adam?

She wasn’t sad about Barker, but she was sad about the friend she thought he was. Then she remembered the cameras and any feelings other than disgust for him fled.