Forbidden (Blood Ties Book 7)

My breath burned a hole through the center of my chest. All I saw was Riven’s dark eyes as they narrowed on me.

“Wait,” he jerked a dangerous glare at his brother. “You know her?”

Kane stepped closer, brushing a strand of hair from my face, and like all the times when he’d made a move before, I fought the need to flinch. “Know her?” he answered, searching my stare. “You could say that. She’s one of my clients.”

I swallowed hard, aware of Riven’s every move.

“Your fucking client?” he snarled.

Jealousy rippled from him as he curled his lip and clenched his fists. I saw the moment that fragile hold cracked, and Kane felt it too. He turned to meet his brother’s murderous stare.

Goosebumps rose along my arms, making my hair stand on end. In an instant, Riven lunged, grabbing his brother by the shirt to yank him backwards and drive him against the wall. “You better not fucking lie to me,” he barked. “How the fuck do you know her?”

But Kane was just as savage, pushing him away with a punch to the shoulder. “Get the fuck off me.”

They fought, right in front of me, grappling each other with grunts and snarls in attempts to get the upper hand. This was no sibling rivalry, this was cold, barely controlled rage.

“You fucking bastard,” Riven growled, punching Kane’s shoulder. “You motherfucking bastard.”

But he was angry at the wrong person. The moment he realized that he froze, staring into his brother’s eyes, then turned to me as he sucked in hard breaths.

Beep.

His phone chimed. With a clench of his jaw, he snatched it up and scowled at the screen before muttering, “Fuck.”

“What is it?” Kane sucked in a hard breath and tugged down his creased shirt, risking a glance my way before fixing on his brother once more.

“We have a problem.” Riven tore his focus from his cell. “Harmon’s men are taking over the compound…and right now, his goddamn commander is moving into Hale’s office.”

“His men?” Kane snapped. “What fucking men?”

But Riven never answered, just glanced my way. “This…this isn’t over. Not by a fucking long shot. I’ll deal with this…then, Helene Montgomery, I’m coming back to deal with you.”

I swallowed, watching him turn. “Kane, with me,” he commanded as he headed for the door.

But his brother didn’t move, confusion and pain etched in his stare as he jerked his focus my way.

“Now, brother,” Riven insisted.

They left, closing the door behind them…and taking all the oxygen in the room. My knees trembled the moment the lock clicked, and my pulse raced until all I could hear was the thrashing sound in my ears.

What the fuck have I done?

I closed my eyes.

WHAT THE FUCK HAVE I DONE?

The scream resounded. My knees gave way, buckling under me. I wrenched my eyes open as I hit the floor, bruising my shins before I slammed my palms against the cold tiles. But I didn’t get up, I couldn’t move. My hair fell in a curtain, hiding my face as a terrified sound escaped my lips.

One shake of my head and panic took hold.

I’d failed.

I’d failed…

Tears blurred my sight. I’d failed them. In one fucking split second, I’d failed them. Why did I step out into the traffic like that? Not when I knew it was goddamn pouring down? I should’ve stopped it. I should’ve stopped it…

Would it have made a difference?

I sucked in a breath, trying to quell the fire in my lungs, and slowly lifted my gaze to the door, where the only hope I’d had of finding Hale had disappeared, taking his brother with him.

You fucking know her?

I could still feel the rage in those words.

You could say that. She’s one of my clients. I shook my head as all the sessions with Dr. Kane Cruz surfaced.

We’ve made good progress today, Helene. But I think we could make even more if we went through some of those after-hour sessions I talked about…it could help with the dissociation you feel when you cut.

I could still feel the weight of his stare down my body as he told me just how close I was to exploring how deep my abandonment issues were. He’d made it well known what kind of extra sessions he thought he could provide me, and just how that would benefit both of us.

He could help me feel something more than the release.

And I could help him feel…me.

But it wouldn’t help me, would it?

Because he had no idea who I was…

Not then.

But he did now.

I closed my eyes and bowed my head until my forehead touched the cold tiles. Yes, he was beginning to, at least. It wouldn’t take long for them to know the rest, and then…then, what? Then they’d kill me?

I tried to search for the answer, tried to let instinct lead the way. What would they do? They couldn’t very well let me go, not once they’d figured out I was Ryth and Vivienne’s sister. They might kill me, or they might use me.

If they knew my last name was King.

I lifted my head, my breath caught. If they knew I was a King, they might let me go, or use me as bait. That could work…that…could work…right?

I sat there, staring at the door, waiting for some voice inside my head to comfort me. But it never came, and as that silence in my head became too much to bear, I rose. It was the only card I had left to deal. The only one of any use…apart from my body.

I lowered my gaze, hating how even just the idea of that made my skin feel flushed. I hated him. I hated all of them…but still. I swallowed as my brain admitted I wanted him. I wanted his cruel fucking hands on my skin. I wanted his savage, brutal nature.

There was no hiding with him.

No dark rooms to hide in.

No clothing to cover my skin.

He wanted me bare and raw.

So fucking raw, the mere brush of his fingers made me shudder.

So raw I craved his touch.

I shook my head as my belly howled.

These walls were going to be my undoing. I headed for the closed off section where there was a toilet and a sink and tugged my pants down. This place may as well be a prison, but there was no sentence here, was there? No other inmates I could see to pass the time. I wiped and flushed, then rose and made for the sink, washing my hands and cupping water to drink.

A cold trail dribbled down my chin. I swiped it with the back of my hand and stared at the door. That’s all I did, even when I started to pace yet again. I walked and stared, never once taking my eyes from the glass panel and the empty hallway outside.

If I die before I can get to Hale, I’ll have failed them.

The only two people who’d ever mattered.

The only two worth sacrificing for.

The cell blurred, even that fucking doorway ceased to exist.

Survive.

That’s all I needed to do.

Survive…any way I could.

My legs ached and my mind slowed. Time in here stood still. There was no sun or moon to gauge the time. Still, something inside me said it was late. I’d lost an entire day in this cell, Arrived in the dawn, only to stand here under these fucking lights.

My belly howled once more. I winced, pressed a fist into the ache, and glanced at the cot in the center of the room. I couldn’t risk going to sleep, not now, not here. Not when everything hinged on their whims. I made for the far end of the room and slid down the wall until I sat. This was just like Ryth and her stepbrother, Caleb.

They’d sat, just like this, waiting while hell was unleashed in the world outside.

At least she’d had company.

Boom…boom…boom…

The heavy sound of my pulse swallowed the sound. But it was the flash of darkness…followed by the click of the lock that made me flinch.

The door opened.

Riven stepped in.

I slowly pushed to stand as he fixed that terrifying glare on me…then lifted his hand.

A sandwich…

A fucking sandwich.

I lunged, scrambling across the room as my stomach unleashed a tirade of snarls and whimpers. I yanked open the wrapping, my fingers moving too slowly as I tore apart the neatly cut triangles and shoved them into my mouth.

“It was the only non-meat filling I could find.”

I stopped chewing and lifted my gaze to his. He gave me nothing, no comfort, no softness. But it didn’t matter, as long as he gave me food. I chewed and swallowed, biting down on the thick sliced bread once more.

He watched me eat, then glanced around the room. “You should’ve told me you knew my brother, Helene.”

The hard wad of bread refused to go down. I swallowed again and again and again. “You shouldn’t have taken me prisoner.”

He searched my eyes. “Your name isn’t Helene Montgomery, that I know for sure. You lied about your name, probably lied about many things. Tell me, tell me why you were out in the rain. Tell me you were going on a date with the man I killed. Go on…TELL ME!”

I flinched as his roar resounded.

Heavy breaths.

Wild eyes.

He was a man close to the edge.

A man…who reacted.

He moved fast, striding forward. Instinct took over as I stumbled back, still trying to swallow the fucking thick bread at the back of my throat. My boots hit the wall an instant before my head cracked back, impacting with a piercing lash of pain.

His hand was around my throat, his fingers curled as I finally dislodged that wad, feeling it hurt all the way down.

His body pressed against me, his head tilted down until he murmured against my ear. “The only question is…what do we do with you now?”

I knew.

Maybe I’d always known.

Maybe fate was a cruel fucking bitch that wanted to see me fucked.

I closed my eyes.

Maybe fate was me?