Alfonzo grabbed my arm and dragged me to my feet. I could’ve begged Raul, but it was too late. I knew that. I also knew I had nothing to lose because going to the room downstairs or being sold would be the end of who I was.
I stood immobile in front of Raul then slowly raised my head until I met his eyes.
They flickered with surprise for a second at my bold, direct gaze.
“Emily.” Logan’s warning was low and barely audible. “Alfonzo get her out of here.”
Alfonzo tugged, and I whipped around, hitting my two forefingers into Alfonzo’s trachea. He let me go, staggering backward, choking. Before Raul and Logan could stop me, I reeled around and slammed my elbow into Raul’s face so hard I felt his cheekbone crack.
“Emily!” Logan shouted grabbing for me.
I knew I’d have no chance against him if he got a hold of me. He taught me everything I knew. It was Alfonzo who took me to the ground, his fury in every movement. His knee dug into the small of my back, and my arms were yanked behind me so hard I swear they both dislocated.
I felt something cold and hard press against my head. With my cheek shoved into the ground by Alfonzo’s hand, I couldn’t lift my head, but, from the corner of my eye, I saw Raul crouched down beside me, a gun pushed against my temple.
He cocked the hammer.
“Raul,” Logan snapped.
“I knew you were too close to her.” Raul pressed the gun harder into my temple. “I should kill her right now.” I could hear his heavy breathing and smelled the scent of his last cigarette. “It is a good thing you’re beautiful. You’re worth far more to me alive then the satisfaction of blowing your brains out. Perhaps Kai is interested. He did find you attractive.”
“She’s mine, Raul. I won the fight, or did you forget that?”
“And did you forget who you’re talking too? Any of those men here tonight would be willing to buy her right now.”
Silence.
“You know how I operate, and second chances don’t exist in this world. She belongs to me now.” Raul tapped his gun against my head. “Or would you rather I shoot her?”
I couldn’t see what Logan did, but I heard the shuffle of feet, and I knew ... I knew Logan walked away.
Chapter 10
1 hour later
I sat blindfolded in the torture room, tied to the metal bed. Every noise made me jump then my body quivered with fear as I waited for ... what, I didn’t know. Was Raul selling me off right now? Were one of those men going to own me? Kai? Would Raul have Alfonzo “train” me first?
The waiting was driving me senseless.
Never knowing when anyone was coming. Afraid of the creak in the floorboards. Of a distant scream. Of how the air in the room shifted.
The sound of Logan’s footsteps as he walked away echoed over and over in my mind. He’d left me. He gave me to Raul. He didn’t argue. He acted as if I was nothing to him.
He told me he would, but I always had this crazy, far-off idea that he’d defend me. He may have brought me here and kept me in this place, but he’d also protected me against it too.
I was wrong.
He’d walked away.
He didn’t care if I was sold or killed.
Logan walked away from me.
The door burst open, and I emitted a tiny scream, but I didn’t cry. I wouldn’t. No one deserved my tears in this place.
Hands grabbed my wrists, and I recognized them. Logan’s. It wasn’t Alfonzo or Jacob. Was he going to torture me? Was he the one taking me to a new owner? Could he be that cruel?
He took off the ropes on my wrists then tore off my blindfold and helped me stand.
Our eyes locked.
And somehow I knew. Whether I felt it or saw it in his expression, I didn’t know, but the man standing in front of me was the man I used to love.
“One chance at this. One. We aren’t ready, but there’s no choice. He’s selling you and ... Mouse, get changed. Now.” It was then I noticed the clothes on the bed. Logan grabbed the front of the black lace dress and ripped it off me then threw it aside. I stood dumbstruck, staring until his voice cut through my shock. “Clothes. Now.”
He picked up what looked like an oversized black T-shirt and a pair of jeans and tossed them at me, then walked back to the door. I kept looking at him as I changed, uncertain what was happening. There was a stern determination on his face, unrelenting and dangerous as he put his ear to the door.
I was doing up the zipper of the jeans when he strode towards me. “I needed you gone ten minutes ago—move it.” He grabbed my arm just as the door burst open again. Logan shoved me so hard behind him that I fell to my butt.
“What the ... Sculpt?” Alfonzo’s eyes went from me to Logan. “What are you doing here? She’s sold, Sculpt. I’m taking her to her new owner.”
“No.” Logan’s voice was steady and calm. “That is not going to happen.”
I climbed to my feet.
Alfonzo’s eyes kept darting between me and Logan. “Your father will crucify you, then her.”
Father? What? My eyes widened, and I staggered backward until my back hit the damp cement wall. Raul?
Oh God. Logan was Raul’s son? Logan was Raul’s son.
“Maybe. But I get to live with the satisfaction of what I’ve wanted to do for weeks.” Logan took two strides and swung hard and fast, his fist connecting with Alfonzo’s jaw and sending him back into the wall. “You. Are. Scum. A parasite.” Logan hit him again and blood splattered from his nose and upper lip.
Alfonzo grunted and tried swinging back, but he was no match for Logan, and as soon as he went for his gun, Logan kicked it from his hand, and it went sliding across the floor.
“You touched her. That was your mistake.” Logan continued to punch Alfonzo again and again until Alfonzo was lying on the ground unmoving. I was staring, watching, confused and not knowing what the hell was going on except that Alfonzo looked dead and Logan was covered in his blood.
I glanced at the gun then back to Logan who stood over Alfonzo staring down at the motionless form. I didn’t know what was going on, but I wasn’t letting the chance escape me.
I dove for the gun.
My fingers curled around the butt, and I jumped to my feet just as I heard Logan’s voice.
“Emily. Put the gun down.”
I shook my head back and forth as the gun trembled in my hand while I pointed it at him. “No. I’m getting out of here. And you’re not stopping me.”
He took one step forward, and I steadied the gun with my other hand then cocked the hammer.
“You’re right. You are getting out of here, but not on your own, and I think you know that. I’m going to help you.”
I backed up as he came forward. “No. I don’t believe you. Why would you do that? You brought me here. You’ve kept me here. He’s your ... he’s your father. That man is ...” I couldn’t say it again; it made me sick to my stomach to think I’d willingly slept with that bastard’s son.
“Put the gun down.” He held out his hand. “I never lied to you.”
I jerked the gun toward him as I spoke. “Bullshit. You lied to me every single day. Were the nights a lie too? Am I just like all those other girls? Maybe I’d be better off with a new owner, at least I know when he fucks me I will hate him. Not like you. You made me love you then you wrecked me with it. Then ... then you gave me back piece by piece every night only to take it away all over again in the morning.”
“I’ve never lied to you. Ever.” He nodded to the gun. “You shoot that thing in here—we’re both dead. Every man in this place will be down here. I’m trying to help you, and this shit is about to blow up in our faces.”
I didn’t believe him. My trust had been destroyed, just like I was going to do to his heart when I shot him. “Stay back.”
“I can’t do that.” He dove for me.
I tightened my finger on the trigger and closed my eyes.
Then I felt the jarring pain in my back when Logan threw his weight on top of me and we both crashed to the floor. He grabbed the gun out of my hands and slid it in the back of his jeans.
Without a word he pulled me to my feet, slid his cell from his pocket, and snagged my hand.
He pressed a number on his phone and put it to his ear. “Deck.”
Deck? Georgie’s Deck? What? No, it couldn’t be.
“It’s now,” he said abruptly into the phone. “I don’t care if your guys aren’t ready. This happens. You sure your man has her safe? Good.” He nodded then his back stiffened as he listened. “Not happening, Deck. I’m not taking that chance.” Silence, except for the thumping of my heart and the blood rushing through my veins. Logan pulled me up the stairs. “Deck, I don’t care. You hear me? Change in plans. She goes. I’ll deal with Raul and the consequences.” He propelled me down a hallway, then out a side door that led us outside. He stopped, placed his hand over the receiver and said, “Dave.”
Dave appeared from behind the bushes. “We’re taking a risk meeting.” He nodded to the phone. “Taking a risk using that. It’s for the end game.”
“This is the end game. It needs to happen. Alfonzo is down.”
“Shit. Sculpt, that wasn’t—”
“We get her clear, and I’ll look after the rest. You got the signal?”
Dave ran his hand through his hair. “Yeah, but Sculpt. Jesus. Not a good idea. Deck says—”
“Do I look like I care? Do it.”
I was so confused having no idea what was happening except Dave was shocked, Logan was losing control, and Deck was yelling through the speaker. They were speaking to one another as if ... as if this was planned. Could it be true? Was Deck here? Could Logan be talking about getting me out of here? Why now? Why would he suddenly change his mind?
The flicker of hope was trying to emerge from beneath my fear. I was scared of what Logan was doing, of what would happen if he was caught, if we were caught. I was confused as to why Dave was helping and worried that this was some kind of setup.
“What?” Logan said into the phone.
I could hear Deck on the line, “Sculpt, you screw with this, you’re fucked. I told you it will go down, but you need to wait. My men are on mission, I’m waiting on two more. We need them, Sculpt. We don’t have enough men for a complete take down of this place. You fuck this now, he’ll know something’s up, and if he escapes, neither of you will be safe for the rest of your goddamn lives.”
“I’ll deal with Raul. Get her out.” Logan closed his eyes for a half a second then looked at me. The pain I saw there was so raw that my breath hitched, and I wanted to go to him to ease it. How could I feel this way? He didn’t deserve anything from me.
“Raul will torture you until you piss and puke blood. Then he’ll kill you,” Deck shouted over the phone. “Just hold the fuck up. We know what we’re doing.”
“It’s too late for that. Dave’s bringing her out. Be ready.” Logan dropped the phone from his ear. He must have pressed the End button, because Deck’s shouts could no longer be heard. “You know what to do.” He reached in his pocket and pulled out what looked like a passport. “This will get you home.” He passed it to me.
