Page 53 of Owned By the Silver Foxes

My heart lurches, but I keep my expression neutral. I try to channel the hate I feel toward Zeke and Mary Beth and focus on that so it will appear as if it’s directed toward Cole instead. I pray he knows the truth.

Zeke turns to Mary Beth with a slow smile. “So Trish actually pulled it off. We’ve got all four of them now.”

Trish? I remember Trish from my day with the Iron Vultures. So she is—was, Mary Beth’s sister?

I’m still in shock at that news but then my heart sinks as I realize the implications of what he’s saying. They’ve captured Doc and Judge, too. I notice Cole sag at the news, too. Our last hope of rescue is gone.

Mary Beth bristles as Zeke didn’t direct his praise at her. “My sister nearly fucked it all up. I was the one who told her the plan and what to do. She was a liability, so I got rid of her.”

I get the impression she killed her sister because she didn’t want to share the glory, or Zeke, which doesn’t bode well for me. I do not doubt that if Mary Beth gets her way, I’ll be next on the chopping block.

Right now, looking at the bloodied faces of the men I love, I don’t even care for myself. All I feel is an overwhelming sense of failure, because we’ve failed. Zeke’s beaten us. He’s won. I know what comes next. Zeke is going to make me watch as hekills the men I love, and there’s not a single thing I can do to stop him.

“Good work, Mary Beth, now the fun can begin,” Zeke says with a gleam in his eye.

My hands tremble. I know what Zeke means by fun.

Mary Beth smiles, a predatory, triumphant grin. “And Lena can prove to you how little these men mean to her. If I’m mistaken and she wasn’t willingly with them, she will have no problem watching you punish them, will she?”

Zeke nods slowly, whether or not he’d thought of this already, I know for sure it’s what’s going to happen now. “Take them to the others and get to work,” he orders the men. “We’ll join you after dinner.”

This isn’t just about punishment. It’s about breaking us—physically, mentally, spiritually. Zeke wants to make a point. He wants me to prove to him that the lies he’s told himself about them being my kidnappers, not my lovers, are true. I feel sick, but I keep my expression neutral. He’s going to make me watch as he slowly kills them, and he’s going to expect me to pretend to be happy about it.

But Zeke’s made a mistake. He thinks he’s broken us. He believes this is the end. But he doesn’t know who he’s dealing with. As the men drag Rex and Cole away, I catch Cole’s eye—just for a second—and in that single glance, I see it. The same fire that’s burning in me. The same refusal to give up.

No matter what Zeke has planned. We will not break.

As the heavy doors slam shut, Mary Beth turns and looks at me, a small smile on her lips. She’s a warrior who’s just won a battle. Before she has a chance to gloat, attendants appear with plates laden with food—steak, potatoes, and vegetables drownedin a creamy sauce. Zeke tucks in with gusto, unfazed. After a moment, he looks up and notices that Mary Beth and I haven’t touched our food. “Eat, before it gets cold.”

My stomach turns at the thought, but I pick up my fork and eat. I have no appetite. Just the idea of what is happening under the same roof is enough to make me nauseous. How could anyone eat at a time like this? But still, I force myself to act normally and eat, trying not to choke on the rich food as I slowly chew each mouthful and swallow. I push my food around, pretending to eat more than I am.

Mary Beth still hasn’t touched hers. “How can you expect me to eat at the same table as that bitch? Wasn’t that proof enough that she should be down in the dungeons with the others? Didn’t you see the way she looked at them?” she demands, slamming her fists down on the table and gesturing wildly.

Zeke cuts into his steak, blood oozing onto the plate, and takes a bite, chewing slowly. “That whore is going to be my wife. I saw how she looked at them, alright, with cold disdain. You, on the other hand, seem to be unable to control your hysterics.”

Mary Beth sputters in disbelief. “You cannot be serious.” Her nostrils flare. “She’s a liability and a slut. She’s the common factor for every roll of the dice, every misstep we’ve had, every delay. Behind all of the Iron Vultures’ problems, you’ll find her. You need to get rid of her. Kill her. She won’t be a good wife to you like I will.”

She said it like it was a favor for me, as if my death would be a mercy. Her eyes glitter with the merciless delight of someone used to being obeyed.

“You dare to order me around? To tell me who to kill?” he asks softly, putting down his fork and tapping his mouth with hisnapkin. “A good wife knows when to keep her mouth shut and doesn’t try to boss me around.”

She softens her voice, realizing she’s gone too far. She reaches out to place a hand on Zeke’s arm. “Zeke, baby, I’m your old lady, it’s you and me, we’re building this empire together.”

“You’re not my partner, and I won’t marry a whore. Lena is pure, the mother of my child. She will be my wife, and you will continue to work for me.” Zeke emphasizes the wordfor, he does not intend to be equal to Mary Beth. “Don’t worry, I’ll still fuck you while Lena is fat with all the children she will give me.”

Mary Beth’s chin lifts like a dare, her eyes flashing angrily. “You’re stupid and weak when it comes to her, Zeke. You’re blind when she bats those eyes. She’s a cancer that needs to be cut out. I won’t be second place while she takes everything I’ve worked for. If you don’t have the balls to do it, I will,” she declares, rising from her seat, a steak knife wielded in her hand.

Something alters in the space between the words and what would come, and time seems to slow down. Zeke’s mouth presses into a thin line of displeasure as he slowly stands up, his steak knife in hand. Mary Beth pauses her approach to me, thinking she’s won. He steps forward, considers the knife in his hand, and for half a second, she waits for him to obey.

But instead of complying with Mary Beth’s demand, Zeke turns on her.

He smiles — a small, cold thing that doesn’t reach his eyes — and moves with deliberate speed. He raises the knife, and in a motion as sure and brutal as a butcher slaughtering a pig, he drives it into Mary Beth’s throat. Warm liquid splashes my face, and I realize with horror that it’s her blood.

A wet, surprised exhale is the only sound Mary Beth makes. For a second, she reaches for him, as if by begging for hishelp, he can take it back. Zeke steps away, letting her collapse in a twitching heap.

“No one tells me what to do,” he says calmly, wiping his blade clean.

The silence that follows is suffocating. Even the two, ever-present, silent guards look stunned. The men drag Mary Beth’s body away in a heavy, awkward silence. When the door slams, the room’s pressure releases like a held breath.