LOGINRAYMOND.Every breath had my ribs throbbing with the pain. With every time I pulled against them, the chains cut deeper into my wrists. Warm lines of blood from where metal had ripped skin open ran down my arms. The last punch from my father still left my jaw torturing like fire. I forced my mouth closed as blood spattered on the filthy ground, preparing for whatever might come next. Footsteps sounded outside the door. Heavy ones. The kind I knew too well. My stomach twisted tight. Those were more of his men. Coming to finish the job of breaking me in half.The door creaked open slowly. Three men entered, faces lost in the dim light of a lone bulb. One carried a black bag. One clutched a metal object that gleamed in the light. Tools. I fixed my jaw and kicked up a glare at them, waiting for the next hit. None of them said a word. The tallest one stepped back, settled behind me. The cold metal made contact with the chain lock. I jolted forward suddenly, expecting the knife between m
DAMIEN.“What are we going to do?” I was shivering and pale. I had lost it. Raymond's life was at stake. He focused on arranging the desk and I felt he wasn't listening. “Zane.”He didn't respond and kept packing everything. “Zane…” I called again and he still wouldn't answer. “Zane!”“I can hear you.”“I was certain you were close to being deaf.” I walked over, rounding the table to meet his eyes but he had his face down. “Zane. How do we help him?” “There's no we?” He breathed casually. My heart skipped a beat. Startled, I pushed my hand harder onto the table making it creak a little bit and when he wouldn't raise his head, I slammed my fist. He stopped what he was doing, his gaze lifted and his eyes rested, fixed on mine like he was thinking. “What do you even mean by there's no we?” I lashed. “Don't you understand English?” Zane voiced and I felt hollowed out. “Don't patronise me, Zane!” But Zane headed straight for the shelves, arranging some old ledgers with meticulous fi
RAYMOND.I glanced back at the metal wall. It gave no hope of going out. The damn thing looked like it could take a truck without a dent. Charles slipped my phone back into his pocket and kept his voice low. “Do you think he'll get it? I had my phone encrypted.” I gave a slight nod. If my guess was correct, Zane would be notified in any second. My body jagged again. Charles grabbed my arm fast and held me in place. The lock on the door clicked. My healing dragged slowly through my veins. Domino walked in and clapped once. A wicked smile stretched his lips. He did not hold back. “Ready to agree to my terms?” “Eat shit!” I spat. The spit landed right on the tip edge of his polished shoe. Domino’s face twisted. He laughed anyway, that ugly sound bouncing off the walls. He raised his hand to strike. “Dad!” Charles called out. My heart dropped not for myself but Charles. Domino hated being interrupted.Charles shook hard as Domino turned on him fast. “Who said you could speak t
DAMIEN.My heart wouldn't slow down. I got up fast and called his number. It rang once then went to that robotic voice. "The number you're calling is not connected." I tried again. Same thing. I bit down on my fingers and tried one more time even though I knew it would be the same. Nothing. I threw myself back on the bed and looked up at the wall clock. 11:25 pm.I tossed the phone aside and ran my fingers through my hair, whispering to the empty room. "You better be alright."A knock on the door made me jump so hard I nearly fell off the bed. Cole stepped in and gave me that worried look. "Bad night? You look like you've witnessed the worst of all things."I didn't know how to answer at first. Cole stepped closer. "Wanna talk about it?"At the same time I blurted out, "I'm scared."Cole came right over and I wrapped my arms around him tight. "It's okay. I'm right here. What are you scared about?" His hand moved warm and steady over my back and through my hair. I felt myself relax ju
DAMIEN.I stood right in front of Zane in his study, my hand flying up to cover my mouth the second the words left him. The truth about Raymond's father hit like a punch to the gut. I dropped my hand after a second and stared hard at my brother. "That's why you wanted me to stay away from him. Do you think he's going to be okay?"Zane leaned back against the edge of his desk and crossed his arms. "Raymond can handle himself."I shook my head fast. "You know that's not what I am asking. His father is a demon and if he knows Raymond and I…"Zane's eyes stayed steady on mine. "Hey, I trust Raymond enough to know he's not that stupid to blabber. I feel terrible for being hard on him but I don't regret it. You're my brother and I gave him the ultimatum to leave the family business and he'll have my blessings to date you.""We're not dating," I shot back. Zane gave me that brother look, the one that said 'you're not kidding?' I held his stare without blinking."Okay," Zane said, his voice
RAYMOND.If he's insane, then I'm much crazier. Anger burned through me. I gritted my teeth, clenched my fist, and smashed it into the glass. A crack appeared. I hit it again. My hand started bleeding. I kept punching until the glass broke and shattered. Pieces fell outside and inside, crashing on the floor.I looked down. Three stories high. Too far. I would definitely break a leg. Not the best option but better than staying trapped to my father's will. I put one foot on the windowsill and got ready to jump.The door opened behind me. I spun fast and caught the first drugged syringe coming at me. I didn't see the second one until it hit my neck. The effect slammed into me right away. I fell to my knees, yanked the syringe out, and another one hit me just below it. I pulled that one out too. Blood poured from my hand onto the floor. My father, Domino, walked in. "Didn't think you'd get out so easily did you?"Charles woke up and looked at me with sorry eyes."You..." I managed with d
Chapter: 16 ****** ZANE: The woods were quiet, too quiet. No sound of animals or even birds. This was weird. There wasn’t even wind. There were just trees that stretched endlessly into the deep forest, their branches like skeletal hands reaching into the hazy sky. The ground was damp, the smell
Chapter: 14******ZANE:I wasn't even sure what I was about to ask when Sora bolted out the door like his legs were on fire, slamming it so hard, it shook the walls.And I just stood there, gawking awkwardly at the door.For a couple of minutes, I didn't move. I just stood there, staring at the pl
Chapter 12*****ZANE:“So let me get this straight,” Brandon said, laughing and leaning against the bar. “Your father isn’t giving you a choice on who to be with? That sucks, man.”I exhaled, staring at my reflection in the drink. “You have no idea.”Brandon laughed again. “But it’s kind of funny.
Zane.I stood in front of the mirror, staring at the bruises that had just suddenly appeared across my body. I was confused. Was I still dreaming, or was this just my imagination?But the truth was none of these occurrences are random.All the bruises mirrored Beauty’s injuries exactly—every mark,







