Page 18

18

AINSLEY

F or the first two days that Mercy and the brothers were gone, I didn’t do anything but lay in bed and read. I would eat whatever Twitch brought me. Charlie tried to hangout and talk on those days but I just couldn’t bring myself to want to interact with anyone. On day three, both Charlie and Twitch came in and pulled me out of bed. They guided me down the hall and into the kitchen where they sat me at the table with Pope and Hermes, who are both actively shoving breakfast into their mouths.

Twitch slides a plate piled high with food in front of me. “Eat.”

“I could have eaten in the room you know?” I snap and cross my arms over my chest.

“Yes. The thing is, Mercy left us in charge of your well-being. You rotting in that bed isn’t good for your well-being. So, eat. Then we’re going to go outside and sit by the pool,” Charlie argues.

I let out a sigh and glare at her. “Look, when they get back, I’ll tell Mercy you did everything right and took care of me. You do not have to act as if you’re my friend or you care, okay? I know you are the one they chose you to be my friend to get the answers they need.”

Charlie jumps to her feet and leans over the table. “Listen to me and listen to me good. No one, and I mean absolutely no-fucking-body, will make me do a motherfucking thing. I might not throw a fit and act like a complete bitch, but I refuse to do anything I do not absolutely want to do. I want to be your friend and get to know you.”

I know my eyes are nearly falling out of my head at her words. This woman has a fire deep inside of her and it’s one that is hard earned and deserved. All I do is nod my head and pick up my fork, taking a large bite of the eggs on my plate.

“Good! Now, when you're done, you get exactly ten minutes to shower and get ready to go outside for some sun.” Charlie nods, taking her seat and dives into her own food.

When we’re all done, Pope stands and takes his plate, grabbing mine too. “Charlie, I’ll clean up. You get ready to enjoy your day. There aren’t many of us here, so you won’t be needed at the bar tonight.”

“Awe, Pope, always the good brother. Thank you.” She smiles wide, kissing him on the check before heading for the door. She stops just shy of leaving and turns, pointing at me. “Ten minutes.”

“Charlie,” I call shyly.

“I will not take no for an answer, Paisley,” she calls out, about to leave the room again.

Standing, I go after her. “Damn it, Charlie, I don’t have any clean clothes. This is Georgia heat and I damn sure am not hanging out outside in jeans. So, you going to share?”

“Fuck, you're right. Okay. You go take a shower and I’ll bring you something appropriate to wear for hanging outside.” Charlie smirks, walking away, then turns down a hall that I’ve only ever seen in passing.

Shaking my head, I go back to Mercy’s room and do exactly as Charlie instructs me. I stay in the shower as long as I possibly can. I finally get out, wrapping myself in a fluffy towel. Entering Mercy’s room, I find a pile of clothes sitting on the bed, just like the first time. Before getting dressed, I look through the clothes to see Charlie left workout shorts, a sports bra, and a tank top for me to wear. I towel dry my hair before braiding it down my back.

I’m not at all surprised to see Twitch standing across from me when I open the door to the hallway. He looks up from his phone and rakes his eyes down my body.

“Charlie is going to get someone killed,” Twitch whispers to himself, shaking his head.

Shrugging because I have not one damn idea what he is going on about, I fall into step beside him, going on the hunt for Charlie. We find her standing at the end of the hallway and she smiles at me.

“Let’s go have some girl time. I got her from here, Twitchy-boy,” Charlie says, linking her arm in mine.

“No can-do, Charlie-girl. I go where she goes,” Twitch tells her, then shoves his hands in his pockets.

“I swear, these men are overbearing assholes,” Charlie murmurs. “They might confuse you with their back and forth, but they mean well in the end.”

“You’re talking to an outsider that is only still around because they want something from me and believe I’m lying about it. I will not be here forever, but how I leave is solely on these men.”

“Oh Paisley, my girl, you have no idea what you’re talking about, but you will see. Until then, let’s not talk about assholes and instead have true girl time.” She laughs as we push through the backdoor and step out onto a covered patio with a large grilling area and tables and chairs dotted around.

We spend the day laughing, eating junk food, drinking, and talking about nothing and everything all at the same time. It is one of the best days I’ve had in a very long time. I relax letting my guard down just enough to truly enjoy the day. At some point, the rain starts falling, bouncing off the metal roof and lulling me to sleep.

I wake with a start and see the sun is low in the sky through the window. I find Charlie snoozing beside me, with Twitch kicked back at one of the picnic tables. He looks up from his phone when I stir.

“Sleeping beauty awakens,” he says.

Stretching, I smile to myself. “Yeah, sorry about that. Guess everything over the last week has taken more of a toll than I thought.”

“It’s all good. I’m being called away by Pres. So, I’m going to take you back to Mercy’s room and then come get you when I’m back for dinner,” he tells me, standing from the picnic table.

“What about Charlie?” I ask him, standing to my feet stretching once again.

“Pope will be out in just a moment to get her. Come on, I really need to get going.” Twitch guides me toward the door.

* * *

Over the next few days, Twitch is scarce, so I spend most of my time in Mercy’s room. Charlie comes and hangs out with me. It’s been nearly seven days since the men have been gone when the other shoe finally drops. I’m making my way to the kitchen for dinner when a hand darts out and grabs ahold of my arm, pulling me down the hall and into an office. When the door closes, I gasp as I slammed against the wall with Relic’s cold calculating eyes taking me in. He runs his hand up and wraps it around my throat, the way Mercy always does.

Relic’s hold is different, though. It’s like a shackle meant to cause harm and even kill. When Mercy provides the five-finger necklace, it’s a show of possession—to command and dominate. I know that his hold can turn deadly, yet it’s not his true intent.

“Aww, Little Lamb looks like she’s been caught by the big bad wolf,” he sneers down at me.

His fingers tighten around my throat, keeping me completely quiet. His grip is so tight that I know I’ll have a brand-new set of bruises.

“You will sit down and you will listen, because I have a lot to tell you about what Hermes and I have found. Do understand me?” The dead look in his eyes causes ice to dump through my veins.

I nod as much as I can, hoping that he’ll let me go because my vision is going hazy at the edges.

Suddenly he releases his hold on my throat. “Glad we can see reason.”

“And here I thought I wouldn’t be covered in bruises provided by asshats,” I sneer under my breath, trying to snatch my arm free of his bruising hold.

“What the fuck did you just say, you stupid bitch?”

“I said I was looking forward to not being covered in bruises.” I glance at his hand, then at him. “But it seems you had other ideas, Pres .”

“In that case,” he growls, just before slapping me across the face.

I slowly turn my head back to look at him and fight the tears that want to escape their prison. When I win the battle, he tosses me down in one of the chairs across from his desk before going around it and taking a seat. He watches me with narrowed eyes, his fingers steepled in front of his lips, looking very much like the man in control.

“Will you just spit it out already?” I snap.

“Paisley, how about we go over your story one more time?” he says.

I grip my hands together so tightly my knuckles turn white and do my best to hide the fear currently coursing through my body. “I’ve told you everything there is to tell you. Why don’t you get to the point of what this attack was really all about?”

He slides a file folder across the desk toward me. Leaning away from the desk as far as the chair will allow, I watch as if it’s a snake about to attack.

“Why don’t you see what we found out?” The tone of Relic's voice sets off all the warning bells in my head.

“What is it, Paisley? Why would you be afraid of what I had to show you unless you had something to hide,” Relic says.

I reach out with shaky hands and pull the file off the desk into my lap. Flipping the folder open, I want to scream at what looks back at me. There in front of me is the evidence that I am exactly where I did not want or need to be.

“Or should I call you Ainsley ?” The look of pure satisfaction on Relic’s face when he drops his bomb makes me want to punch him.

Anger like I’ve never felt before bursts inside my chest. I toss the file back on his desk, letting the contents spill out. “So what exactly is this big show all about?”

“Tell me if I’m wrong. Weren’t you tasked with keeping sweet little Jenny safe while she was at school? What do you think the man who assigned you the failed task would do if he discovered you right under his nose?” Relic wonders.

Huffing out a laugh, I pretend to relax into my chair. “I mean, I didn’t run and change my name for the hell of things. So, tell me exactly what it is you want. Because to be honest, I don’t see how any of this matters to you.”

“Oh sweet, sweet Ainsley. It very much matters to me.” Relic stands coming around his desk to sit on the corner glaring down at me, “It very much fucking matters to me. Keeping this little secret to myself not only keeps you breathing, it also gives me eyes and ears where I wouldn’t typically have any.”

“Why exactly do you need eyes and ears in places you usually don’t?” That’s when it all finally clicks. “It’s you! You’re the one that’s helping the sex trafficking ring.”

“Well fuck, it seems Hermes being impressed by your abilities was warranted.” Relic stands walking back behind his desk, taking a seat. “As smart as you are the brothers would never believe that their Pres would do something like that. I mean, I grieved Jenny’s death just like everyone else.”

Standing abruptly, I fight tears once again. “You son of a bitch. She didn’t deserve what happened to her. How could you?”

Shock flashes across his face before settling on a bored look. “She chose wrong. And … how else was I supposed to keep the brightest of us distracted?”

I want to rage at this man, but I know I must play this smart if I’m going to get out of here alive—and mostly in one piece.

“As great as all this is, what the fuck is stopping me from just telling the brothers what I know?” I question, crossing my arms over my chest.

Relic throws his head back and laughs. “Are you serious? Who are these men going to believe their Pres and brother—or the woman who was supposed to watch out for sweet little Jenny but instead abandoned her and turned her over to those monsters?”

“No, that’s not true. That’s not what happened at all. I would never have done that.” The tears are now falling unchecked down my face.

“I know that, and you know that. When the story gets told, what version is everyone is going to hear and believe?” Relic’s words hit me in the chest like a bullet.

Sitting on the edge of the chair, I rub the pain in my chest, trying to stop the rising panic attack. “What do you want from me? Why didn’t you leave me to bleed out? Why go through all the trouble?”

“When the time comes, you’ll know what I need you to do. Until then, just keep doing what you’ve been doing.” Relic’s grin is pure evil as I stand on shaky legs. “Oh, and Ainsley? This stays between us.”

I look at him over my shoulder. “Like you said before, who would believe me anyway? I’m just the bitch that let Jenny die.”

Relic’s sinister laughter follows me out the door as I nearly run to Mercy’s room. I make sure to lock the door before rushing to the bathroom, making it just in time to fall on my knees over the toilet and lose everything in my stomach. When there is nothing left, I stand on shaky legs, rinse my mouth out, and climb into bed, too emotionally and mentally drained to do anything else.

I’ll figure out how to save myself another day. For now, I’m just going to wallow in misery. And that’s exactly what I do every day after my meeting with Relic until the night Mercy gets back.