Unjustly Destroyed (Incapable Part Two) (9 page)

Chapter Eight

Grayson

"How long will she be out?" I stood watching Dr. Rexton, a doctor willing to make house calls, put in an IV as Emmalin slept peacefully.

"Should only be a few hours. She's also severely dehydrated, so I want her to go through the entire bag. And when she wakes, push the fluids." I nodded, shaking his hand as he left. I could feel the anger boiling inside me, and I was doing a shitty job of trying to contain it. I needed to hurt someone. I needed to see them bleed. I sat in the corner as far away from Emmalin as possible because even though I needed to be near her, I also knew I was going to harm her in the worse way possible. Because I needed it. But it was also my worse fear. Getting to that point of no return with her. I focused on a previous session with Dr. Klein.

"What happens if you break her for good, Grayson?" I stared at the clock on Dr. Klein's desk. I hated that fucking clock. Tick tick tick. It was so loud. How did that clock not annoy the fucking shit out of him? I cleared my throat.

"She'll leave me."

He didn't say anything for a moment. After a minute, he finally raised an eyebrow. "Then there's your answer. It's all up to you, which one you decide, isn't it?"

I loosened my clenched fists. The answer was always simple. The answer was always to choose her.

Emmalin

Heaviness. My head felt so heavy. I reached up to grab my head and was startled to see the needle in my arm, hooked up to a bag.

"It's an IV."

I looked up at the voice that spoke. Grayson was facing the window, staring out into the black night. He was still.

"It's to keep you hydrated. Dr. Rexton said you were severely dehydrated." He spoke low, but I caught the dark undertone. I looked around the room and spotted the clock. It was just after midnight.
Shit
. How long had I been out? I grabbed my head, trying to remember what all transpired that day. Grayson finally turned around. He looked older as his eyes pierced through me.

"Tell me."

I looked down at my hands twisting in my lap.

"Look at me!" His voice boomed through the room, and I jumped. My eyes watered with tears, but I wasn't going to let them fall. I get it. I fucked up. He didn't want me anymore. I took a deep breath.

"Carson didn't live with us all the time. I didn't understand why at first; no one told me. I guess I was too young to understand. Turns out he was in boarding school for troubled boys. When he was home with us, he was violent. He knew about the rape, and taunted me about it because he didn't care and said I deserved it." I let out an awkward laugh. Grayson's face was stone. "I think he knows about Aaron."

"Is that what he's threatening you with?" he spoke quietly.

I shook my head. "I don't care what happens to me, Grayson."

I watched in shock as Grayson's fist went through the drywall. The next thing that went flying was everything on top of the dresser. He was bound to destroy everything in sight. I reached over and pulled the needle out of my arm, and steadily got out of bed. I slowly walked up behind him, knowing it was stupid. He could lash out or even hit me. I took a deep breath and placed my hand on his shoulder.

"Grayson."

He stilled and slowly turned around. I stepped back as he stepped forward. His breathing was heavy, and his eyes both pained and angry. "That's the problem, Emmalin. You don't care if anything happens to you. You don't give a fuck if anything happens to you. But what about me? Did you stop to think about the people who do give a fuck about you? The people who love you?"

My eyes welled up with tears. "Grayson, I only wanted to protect to you."

"Why didn't you come to me? This could've ended a long time ago, Emmalin. I would've had him in the fucking ground. Anything, if it meant keeping you safe. Why didn't you come to me?"

I wiped the millionth tear that had fallen and shrugged. "Because, a part of me was hoping to save him."

He sighed. "Was it to save him, or was it because you still won’t trust me?"

I winced at his statement, because it felt like a slap in the face. "Grayson, I trust you with all of my heart. But I needed to do this." His eyes hardened.

"What else, Emmalin?"

I hesitated because I knew what I had to show him next was going to hurt the most. I walked to the closet and found what I needed. "He's threating to release these to the public." I placed the folder on the bed, then took a few steps back as if they were on fire. Grayson eyed the folder carefully before opening it. I watched as he looked through each of the pictures before finally looking up at me.

He ran his hand through his hair. "Fuck. You saw these?"

I nodded, not meeting his eyes. Even though he and those women happened before us, it still hurt to see them. It cast my doubts all over again about not being good enough. I saw the smiles and lust they had, and the looks in their eyes from the pleasure and pain he brought them. Something I tried to give him, even when I knew I couldn't give him all of it.

"They were nothing."

I nodded, wanting to believe him. Needing to believe him. The tear that escaped, however, told another story. He cupped my face in his hands. "Hey. Look at me. You're my everything. What you saw, that's all in the past. I don't know how he got those, but you weren’t supposed to see those, Emmalin. I'm sorry." He brushed my hair behind my ear. “That’s why you asked those questions the other night?”

I looked down and nodded.

“You walked around for weeks with this? Is that why you’re trying to cash in your trust fund?”

My eyes widened. “How did you know that?”

“Only sometimes you’re good at hiding things from me.” His jaw tightened. He shook his head and turned back to the pictures. “These were all from Tesh. Which means there’s a breach.” He sighed, running his hand through his hair.

"He's doing this because he hates me, Grayson. His vendetta is against me, and he's taking it out on the people I care about. He's sick." Grayson was quiet as he stared at the ground. I slowly stood and exhaled. "I'm not going to let him do this. I think it's best for everyone that I leave now. I'll find a way to stop him. I promise." I turned to walk away and Grayson grabbed my bicep.

"You walked out of my life once already; did you think I would let you do it again? Let me handle this.”

“But Grayson.”

“Emmalin, I said, let me handle this.”

Grayson

“So, several months ago, when I had you run a check on Emmalin and Tyler, you overlooked this one tiny, yet significant, detail of information. Care to explain?”

Jack straightened in his chair. “My investigation was based solely on Emmalin. Because the stepbrother didn’t live with them, his name never came up in my search. In fact, it still doesn’t. It’s almost as if he’s been wiped away. The interesting part is any information on him seems to have been cleaned up recently.”

“Recently?”

Jack nodded. “Recently. So he’s definitely not working alone. I don’t think he’s smart enough to do it himself. Think of the clothes he wore when he was ‘Michael Leaks’. Someone gave them to him.”

I looked down at the manila envelope on my desk and thought how I wanted to wipe him away. “What are our options?”

“Right now, nothing. We could file a report with the police, but it would be futile. They would probably file a restraining order, but I’m not sure how much good that would do you. Right now, he’s technically not doing anything to her, other than sending some threatening text messages.”

I slammed my fist on the desk. “He attacked her. Twice!”

“I understand that, Grayson, but you and I both know there’s no proof. He made sure of that. And the second time…we still don’t have clear answers on that either.”

“So we just sit here and wait? That’s what you’re telling me.” I twirled the ice in my glass.

“It’s your safest bet, for now.”

“You’re giving me all the answers I don’t want to hear, Jack. What about the one where there’s a bullet in his head.”

“Not yet. We need to know what we’re up against first, and if he has alliances. There’s no way he walked into Tesh and got those pictures himself. Someone gave them to him.”

I nodded and leaned back in my chair.

After Jack left, I went looking for Emmalin. She was always in the same place. The library. This time, she was huddled in the window seat, not reading, just staring out the window at the world below.

“How are you feeling?”

She nodded. “Better. Still embarrassed over last night, freaking out at your club.”

I frowned. “That wasn’t your fault, Emmalin. You were in a dangerous situation.”

“How’s Isabella?”

“She’s fine. As far as she knows, she was just dancing with a random guy. We checked the feed and that was it. I had Chace make sure she got home, without revealing much detail, other than that you didn’t feel good.”

“I need to talk to her. I’m not being fair to her. Or Tyler.”

“Did Tyler know? Did he know you had a stepbrother?”

“No. Carson wasn’t around much for Tyler to have known, and I didn’t tell him. They took him away so fast after…” Her voice trailed off. “I bet you didn’t sign up for this, did you?” She let out a small laugh. “You probably didn’t think it would be like this when you signed up to be with me, did you? If you need an out, I totally understand, because I would probably take it if I were you. My life is bat shit fucked up crazy.”

I sat down next to her and gritted my teeth. “You’re right, I didn’t sign up for this.” Her eyes shot up to meet mine, and she nervously swallowed as she gave me a slight nod. “None of this is normal. But you didn’t sign up for it either, Emmalin. You didn’t sign up for your mother to get brain cancer and die, and leave you all alone with a monster that raped you every night. You didn’t sign up for Tyler to take the blame for you, because he didn’t want to see you hurt any more than you already were. You also didn’t sign up for a sadistic fuck like your stepbrother to come waltzing back into your life to turn all of your white roses into shit. But I did sign up for the fact that I fell in love with you on day one, and I said back then that you’re mine, and I’m saying it now. You’re mine. There is no out.”

Her breathing picked up as her eyes pierced mine. I slowly removed the blanket that was covering her and she pulled me closer to her. I captured her mouth with mine. I dragged her hand down to cup me. “You feel that? That’s what you do to me. You make me so fucking hard. No one has ever made me so hard it hurts if I’m not inside you.” She squeezed, and I let out a groan and ripped the fabric of her dress. Her fucking clothes were always in my way. I paused at her lace bra and panty matching set.
Fuck
. She really is trying to make me a feral beast. She reached behind her and unclasped the bra. I guess that was my hint not to rip it. I watched as her breasts spilled out, and I quickly latched on to a nipple. She arched into my mouth, and I needed more of her.

I quickly pulled my shirt over my head and my jeans down. I slid her so she was half sitting, half laying, and spread her wide, with one knee elevated. She bit her bottom lip as she looked up at me, almost in a daring way. She trailed one of her hands down her belly to tease her clit and the other hand to tug at her nipple. I slammed into her hard and she gasped. “Fucking vixen likes to tease?” I leaned down and tugged her other nipple between my teeth.

“I want to watch you make yourself come.”

I swear to fuck she grew wetter just then. My cock was glistening. I watched as she slowly circled her clit. When I pulled out, she reached up and scissored my shaft, and I about fucking lost it. I didn’t know where the fuck she was learning this from, but I didn’t want her to stop. She teased her clit faster and moaned. I felt my balls tightening, and the sight of her fingers circling her wet nub had me close. She arched her back and screamed out, as I watched her pussy clench down on my cock. I spread her legs wider as I slammed into her, before finally exploding and collapsing on top of her. I guided her hand into my mouth and sucked gently.

“Fuck. The things you do to me.” I pulled her closer. “I love you,” I whispered against her. Damn, the fuck was she doing to me. Months ago, I wouldn’t have said that so freely. Now I’m sitting here acting like I can’t go a day without saying it, and making sure she believes me when I say it. I can hear Chace now. ‘You’re pussy-whipped.’ As long as it’s her pussy, then I guess I’m fine with it. Then again, he’s one to talk. Asshole. I let out a low laugh.

“What are you laughing about?”

“Hmm? Oh, just thinking about Chace.”

“Thinking about Chace, after we just had sex? Yep, I always knew there was something going on between the two of you.”

I pinched her and she yelped. “I need to run a few places today. Will you be okay by yourself? Promise me, if you go anywhere, anywhere at all, to let me know, and take either Hawkins or Heather with you?” She gave me a small sigh before nodding. “I mean it, Emmalin. I’m not taking your safety lightly. I’m not having anything happen to you.”

“And I’m not having anything happen to you either,” she countered. She grabbed me and kissed me as if her life depended on that very kiss. I pulled back and studied her expression. I wish she could tell me the things she still couldn’t.

I pulled outside of Tesh an hour later. It’s been awhile since I was here. In fact, the last time I was drunk off my ass and someone other than Emmalin showed up in my room that night. I vowed never to come back. A promise I made to myself. Yet, here I was, staring up at the building that looked like a regular house, but I knew what was underneath it. The blackest of souls entered in this building, but they came out the happiest.

I didn’t need this place, yet I still had a membership. I walked up the stairs. Since it was still daylight, no one was at the front, so a code was needed to enter. I cleared my throat and leaned into the speaker.

“Mandrake423.”

I watched the light blink the approved seven times, which is what I had it programmed for. Once the barrier clicks, I remove my key to unlock the door, letting myself in. I drop money in the tip jar for Juno like I always did if she wasn’t here then made my way down the corridor. Just because it was quiet upstairs, didn’t mean it was quiet downstairs.

“Do my eyes fucking deceive me?”

I stopped in my tracks. I didn’t bother turning around. The undertone from the thick Russian accent said it all, and it brought back memories.

“I figured with the sweet pussy you had at home, there was no reason for you to be here anymore. That leash must be longer than I thought. Unless you’re willing to share? You know, for old times’ sake?”

I slowly turned, hands clenched. “That was a long time ago, different life. I’m a changed man, you would say.” I looked down at his submissive on the ground. He held her leash tight. He stepped closer to me and she remained in place. “Tell me, Mandrake, do you miss it? The thrill that you use to thrive from? Getting off from the screams, and having the most intense orgasms of your life. So intense you were practically sucked dry. Then you got back up, and did it all over again with someone new. Do you miss it, comrade?

I looked back down at his submissive. Her eyes were downcast. Except for her collar, she was completely bare. She was a stunning beauty before me, but she wasn’t Emmalin. No one was. “I’ll let you borrow her.” He held up her leash. “To do as you wish, whatever pleases you.”

She looked up at me for the first time and smiled seductively. I took a step back and shook my head. “She’s beautiful, but I must decline. I’m taken.”

He tskd. “Pity.” Then to her he ordered, “Leave us be and crawl away; I want to watch you.” He laughed as she dutifully did so.

I turned to Ruska. “I was hoping to run into you here.”

He smiled before downing the rest of his drink. “Oh yeah? And why is that?”

I smiled candidly and said the one word that would shake him. “Primrose.”

He faltered, drink still in mid-air. “My office.”

After shutting the doors, he immediately shut the blinds, and made a point to set out not one, not two, but three guns on the desk. He cocked an eyebrow at me, and motioned for me to sit down.

"As you can imagine, when someone walks into my house, and says the word 'Primrose', I don't take it lightly.” He cracked his neck.

"Neither do I. Especially when they put my wife in danger."

He paused. "I wasn't aware you married, since I didn't receive an invite." He sat slowly in his overly huge leather chair that lightly creaked. I imagined from all the proclivities he received in it.

"Not yet. I haven't asked. But it shouldn't be a secret at Tesh that she's mine, and I plan to make her my wife."

Ruska's eyes glittered as he looked me over. "Skipping the collar and going straight for the stone. Never thought I would see the day. My early congrats. And may I add, don't fuck it up." I rolled my eyes.

"Now, onto this Primrose situation."

   I retrieved the envelope from my inner breast pocket. "These pictures were delivered to Emmalin a few weeks ago." I watched as he carefully looked them over.

"And you think these are from Tesh?"

I shook my head. "I don't think. I'm sure of it. They were stolen. There's a traitor in your mix. If someone is watching me, they could surely be watching anyone else. Threatening to expose."

"And who do you think it is?"

I leaned back in my chair, knee crossed. "I have my suspicion. One in particular comes to mind. I don't have proof. Yet. That's where I need your help." I sighed before continuing, "Emmalin was attacked in Florida, and again shortly thereafter." I laid down another picture. "By this man."

Ruska, studied the picture a moment before smirking. "You're allowing him to walk around? What's the first rule as a dominant, Mandrake? Take care of your submissive. Don't tell me you're becoming a failure. Maybe Emmalin would be better suited in other hands. Hands of someone that wouldn't allow such a disgrace, let alone two attacks."             

  "Don't you dare chide me, Ruska. You, of all people, know better than that. You want to make idle threats, then let’s go there. How's your wife? Still fucking sultans?"

  His smile diminished. I always aimed when I brought up his wife leaving him for a fucking sultan. The ultimate blow. I pointed to the picture. "I'm not your enemy. He is. Are you going to help or not?" His eyes narrowed. He opened his drawer and pulled out two Cubans, handing me one. After lighting his, he leaned back in his chair.

“Tell me more about this enemy that’s betrayed us. And then I’ll tell you all the ways that person will suffer before I finally see his brains splattered on my beautiful Persian rug.”

I watched as he blew a perfect ring of smoke. He was small but a deadly motherfucker. “I have a name in mind. Dale Ferguson.”

Two hours later, and slightly inebriated, I walked in the apartment. Russians can fucking drink. I took a deep breath, hoping I could smell Emmalin’s lavender scent and scope out where she was. Nothing. I checked my watch.
Fuck, was it really after two in the morning?
I walked in the bedroom, and Emmalin was laying down, fast asleep, the TV still on with some infomercial about the world’s best nonstick pan. I stripped and got into bed behind her. She mumbled something about needing the pan, and I silently laughed. “I’ll get you a million pans.” I pulled her tighter to me. As long as she was with me, I could keep her safe. Ruska was right. I was doing a shitty job of protecting her. I failed her, not once, but twice. Fuck, now that I think about it, more than that. I’ve done nothing but fail at protecting her. I wasn’t going to let that happen again.