Page 41 of Savage Revenge (Savage Sins #1)

Jordyn

UNINVITED

What was that?

I lurch awake, looking around the room, unfocused. My limbs are heavy, and my head pounds like a rock concert that I don’t want to be at. Is it possible to get dehydrated from so much crying?

Something crashes, and then a male voice rings through the apartment.

Is that Jacob?

How did he get in?

Why is he here?

Another shout, but it’s muffled. I roll off the side of the mattress and stand, groaning inwardly. Why does my body feel like I got hit by a train? Is this what sadness does to a person?

Not bothering to put on my sandals since I don’t have a beautiful backyard to walk in anymore, I shuffle out of my room and down the hall to the living room.

As soon as I enter, I freeze and scream.

Jacob is bleeding all over the beige armchair that I hate. Blood seeps through the fabric of his casual gray T-shirt. I eye my half brother, assessing him, but not moving because for some reason, Elliott Carver is pointing a gun at him.

“Welcome home, dollface,” Elliott drawls.

Dollface?

“What’s going on?” My gaze slides from Elliott to Jacob and then back to Elliott.

This is bad.

So, so bad.

“Jordyn,” Jacob stutters breathlessly, coughing several times. His skin glimmers with sweat, but he’s too pale. “Run.”

I shake my head and keep my eyes on Elliott. “What are you doing?”

When I walked in to find Cash, Beckett, Kian, and Xander in my apartment, I wasn’t scared.

It wasn’t because they aren’t terrifying.

They absolutely are, but I knew deep in my heart that they wouldn’t hurt me.

Maybe it’s from years of watching people gamble, but I know how to read people.

Or at least I thought I did, because I got it wrong with Elliott.

And right now, I’m so fucking scared. He has already shot Jacob.

“I’m doing what’s been needed to be done for a long time.

I’m taking the power. All of it. I’m going to be the King of Las Vegas,” Elliott shouts, jabbing his free hand at his puffed-out chest, his eyes wild as he glares at me.

“First, I got Jack. Now those gangster Savage idiots are taking care of your father while I take care of you two.”

Is he drunk? Or on drugs?

“What did you say to those Savage fuckers while you were sleeping in Cash’s bed?

He threw you out, huh?” His lips curl into a smirk as he trails his gaze down my body.

“Doesn’t surprise me. You’re not wife material, but I was looking forward to playing with you for a while.

A little less talking and fewer pastries, and you’d be just about perfect. ”

I swallow tightly, trying to ignore his words, but they cut deeper than they should, and a small gasp escapes my throat.

Elliott laughs and tilts his head to the side. “It doesn’t matter. Your dad is dead, and now you two will join him. And CK Gaming is all mine, which happens to include Kingston Casinos.

The tips of my fingers and toes go ice cold. What? What did he just say?

Jacob coughs, drawing my attention to him as he gasps for breath.

“He’s dying!” I scream as I lunge to put pressure on the wound. Warm, thick liquid seeps through my fingers, and I meet Jacob’s gaze, his eyes sparkling with pain and the knowledge that he’s not going to make it.

Tears drip down my face as I shake my head. “Just hang on. We’ll get help.”

Even as I say it, the life drains from my brother’s eyes right before me. As I fall back on my butt to look up at Elliott pointing his gun at me, I let out a sob.

“Cash is going to slaughter you,” I scream.

Elliott charges for me, and I brace myself.

He’s bigger than I am. With his free hand, he grabs my ponytail and yanks, dragging me across the shiny floor.

My scalp burns, and my neck is screaming in pain, but I fight, kicking and punching as hard as I can.

It does nothing to slow him down as he pulls me toward the hallway to my bedroom.

“Cash is going to find you dead in your bed with my come all over you.” He sounds like a demon, and the evilness of his threat brings tears to my eyes as I thrash wildly, shouting for help the entire time.

He’s halfway to the hall when a deafening gunshot rings through the air, right before Caleb comes thundering in, his gun pointed at Elliott, who collapses with a shrill scream, clutching at his leg.

Caleb tackles Eliott and throws his gun to the side with ease, quickly twisting him into a pretzel and restraining him while he continues to cry out.

“You okay?” Caleb asks as he looks up at me, then over at my lifeless brother. “Jordyn, look at me. Are you okay? Nod or shake your head if you have to.”

I shake my head and fall back onto the cold tile, gasping for air, choking out sob after sob as I rest my head against the side of my couch. “Where’s Daddy? Where is he?”

“He’s coming, Jordyn. He’ll be here soon. Can you find me something to tie him up with? A shoelace, anything.”

Without answering, I climb to my feet and stagger through my apartment. I grab a couple of tennis shoes, unlacing them as I rush back to Caleb. Everything is blurry as I go through the motions, not registering what I’m doing as I hand them over. Then I take slow, unsteady steps toward Jacob.

When I’m only a few feet away, I stop and stare at him for a long moment before my knees give out and I drop to the floor, unable to hold it together anymore.

My body is wracked with sobs while I mourn the brother I didn’t really know.

Jacob was innocent in this. Jack was innocent.

My father was innocent. All of this for power?

Caleb doesn’t interrupt me as I cry uncontrollably, but he walks over and stands by my side, putting one finger on my shoulder. Reminding me he’s here if I need him.

God, I was such a bitch to him.

And he just saved my life.

I don’t know how much time has passed.

Everything around me is fuzzy as my tears fall like a waterfall. I lost my brother. And I love a man whom I shouldn’t have fallen for, but I did.

Caleb talks on the phone the entire time he’s beside me. I don’t hear him, though. Not past the ringing in my ears.

Slowly, a warm hand slides down my back and another one under my knees before I’m lifted. His scent is the only thing I need before I curl into him.

Daddy.

I need his strength because, right now, I have none.

“I’ve got you, kitten.” He moves through my apartment, passing several people who I don’t know before he closes us into the privacy of my bedroom.

Instead of putting me down, Cash sits on the tan armchair, settling me in his lap.

I sniffle and try to hide my face from him.

I’m sure I look hideous. I don’t even want to imagine how blotchy my skin is or how red my nose is.

And what kind of person worries about those things when their brother was just killed by a psycho?

I choke on a sob when he brushes my hands aside and uses his thumbs to wipe away my tears. His steel-gray eyes search mine, an emotion sparkling in them I haven’t seen in him before. Fear.

“Did he hurt you?” Cash finally asks, his jaw clenched.

“No,” I answer quietly. “Not really.”

Tension radiates between us, and when he cups my chin in his hand, I nearly lose it all over again.

“Not really isn’t a no, kitten. Did he touch you?” His eyes roam over me, stopping when they land on a forming bruise on my arm. “What did he do?” he asks, low and deadly.

Parting my lips, I wet them and swallow. “He dragged me by my hair,” I answer with a shaky voice. “He said you were going to find me in bed, dead, and covered in his come. Caleb barged in and shot him right after that.”

Cash’s entire body tenses, his fingers digging into my hips where he’s holding onto me. “He’s a dead man.”

I tremble, but at the same time, my body heats, spreading right down to my core.

“He killed your father,” I murmur softly, my voice cracking. “And he killed Jacob. All for power. If my father hadn’t gotten involved with Elliott, maybe they’d both still be alive. I questioned that transaction. I should have researched it more. I should have double-checked it myself.”

Cash pulls me into his chest, shaking his head. “Shh. No, that’s not happening, kitten. You’re not blaming yourself. You have done nothing wrong. Do you hear me?”

Closing my eyes, I nod, sniffling softly. When did I become such a crybaby?

“Can you be my good girl and stay with Caleb for a while? I need to take care of Carver and your father. This is going to be finished, once and for all.”

“No. I want to go with you. I want to see my father, face-to-face. Take me to see him.”