Chapter 3

CHAPTER 3

RORY

The scream seems to be locked in my throat, and I can’t stop. I woke up in a strange place, my body rioting with pain, and a man I’d never seen before was standing close, wearing surgical gloves.

“It’s okay,” he murmurs, stepping back from me, hands up at his sides. “You need to calm down. You’re safe.”

I don’t listen to him. I don’t know him. For that matter, I don’t know where I am. I don’t even think I could even stop screaming. I feel completely paralyzed in the moment and unable to control anything.

I jerk, nearly falling to the ground as the door crashes open.

“Jesus fuckin’ Christ, woman, chill with the screams,” Aries snarls, fury filling his gaze. His expression hard. I hadn’t seen him in so many years. He’d been lost to me, and now, seeing him again, seeing how much he’s changed.

“Aries,” I choke out and fall back against the hospital bed. “Where am I?” Speaking, asking that simple question hurts. In more than one way. The last thing I remember is being out with Cordelia. We’d gone to see a movie and were on the way back to her place when . . .

Oh no.

No. No. No.

“Cordy,” I whisper, shaking my head gently. Movement of any kind hurts.

“She’s fine,” Aries grunts and gives me a dismissive look that shoots pain straight to my chest. Granted, I shouldn’t have expected anything less. “What the fuck happened here, Mace?” he demands, speaking to the guy wearing the surgical gloves.

“Brother, the moment she woke up, she started screaming like a goddamn banshee,” Mace states. “Tried to calm her down, but she wouldn’t stop screaming.”

“I . . . I’m sorry,” I utter instantly. I might never have been this beaten before, but Roger always had his own way of me regretting something and in turn, ending up apologizing.

Five months ago, though, I’d finally managed to escape my life. The first chance I had, I took it. I found the one person I knew who could help me, Cordelia. She was my best friend. No matter the fact I’d been with her brother, the two of us always spent time together. Upon seeing me again, she didn’t want anything to do with me. She said I was a total bitch for how I treated her brother and that I needed to get out of her face.

It took me a bit of time to get her to listen to me. I begged for her to give me a chance to explain. Once I did, I gave her everything I was able to share. I kept the darkest parts of it out. She didn’t need to know all the ugly parts of my life as they’ve been for so long.

Finally, she hugged me and swore to keep it to herself. She promised that she wouldn’t tell anyone she saw me. I stayed with her as the two of us made plans. Evidently, she’d been ready to get out of the city herself.

The night we went out, we’d decided to see a movie in order to relax after having loaded the trunk of Cordelia’s car with all her stuff. She didn’t take any of the furniture. She packed all the clothes she owned into space-saver bags. It’s wonder how much you can pile in those things. The rest of the stuff she decided to bring was all crammed in there. I didn’t have but a few things. I hadn’t been able to gather much of anything, granted there wasn’t much for me to take. What I grabbed all fit into a small purse-style backpack.

“She okay?”

The question draws me out of my thoughts.

“Couple of broken ribs, broken wrists, cheek fracture,” Mace states and continues listing my injuries. “She’s lucky not to have any internal bleeding, but I’ll keep an eye on to make sure I’m right. I don’t have the equipment here to confirm right now. She’d need to be in the hospital. And because of the fact she’d been passed out for over seventeen hours, I know she’s got one hell of a concussion.”

“Seventeen hours,” I breathe.

Mace looks at me and nods before turning back to the others in the room. “I called Ma and Pops, and asked them to come down. They’d be able to do an even better assessment.”

“I don’t need any further assessment.” I didn’t want anyone else touching me. I dealt with enough people touching and controlling me. “Where am I?” The question leaves my lips as I manage to fight back the fear that’s threatening to choke me.

“Mississippi,” Aries answers, taking a step closer. His eyes narrow as he speaks further. “If Mace thinks you need further assessment, then you fuckin’ will listen and get one.”

I find it hard to be able to narrow my eyes, let alone keep them open. The pain I’m feeling grows more intense by the minute. I just want to curl up and sleep, but I can’t, I have to stand my ground. “No, I won’t, Aries, and you can’t make me.”

Aries moves even closer, the tension radiating off him stifling. He leans in and gets nearly nose-to-nose with me. “Don’t push this, Rory. You do as what is necessary. The only reason you’re even here is because of Cordy. Otherwise, you’d be out on your ass. But you seem to have blinded my sister’s judgment of you, and because of her, you’ll do what Mace says. Get better for her. You’ll also tell my brothers what the fuck you’ve now dragged Cordy and us into.”

I swallow back my smart remark about how I don’t have to tell him or anyone jack. Aries is right. His sister was dragged into this because of me. But I never intended for her to be. I just wanted to escape the pain and the misery of my life. I lost enough as it is. I didn’t want to lose more.

“Whatever,” I finally manage to blurt out and fall back against the gurney, turning away from Aries so as not to see his face. I didn’t like seeing the hatred in his gaze, or hearing the furious rage in his voice. I know he hates me now. I hate myself for what I did to him. It was the only way to protect him, though. I didn’t want him to be hurt. I hadn’t wanted to lose him altogether. The only way I was able to do it was knowing that though he would hate me forever, he’d at least still be alive.

There’s no missing his movements when his hand comes to my chin and gently forces me to meet his gaze once again.

“Lose the attitude, Scamp,” he orders. His voice harsh, eyes glaring, but him using that one word kills a part of me inside. Mainly because he’s always called me that. I was his scamp, and he was my heart. It might not have made sense to anyone else, however, they didn’t matter.

“Don’t call me that,” I mutter and jerk my chin from his grasp, looking away from him again. “And don’t tell me what to do.”

Okay, so it might be childish to say something so stupid, but still it had to be said. I’m sick of people telling me what to do. Of treating me like I can’t do something for myself.

“Aries, let her rest,” Mace states, cutting through the tension.

I feel him move away rather than see him. It’s like the air suddenly thins back out.

“Make sure to let me know when your parents get here. I’ll be here to make sure she lets them assess the damage done.”

“No, you won’t,” I snap, twisting again to him. “You’re going to stay away from me, Aries, and I mean it.”

Aries stalks back to me, fingers curling around the side of my neck in the way he used to, and he gets in my face all over again. “You don’t get a say in this matter, Rory. The moment you told Cordy to bring you to me made you mine. My property. Mine to decide what to do with. You’ll do as I say, or I swear to God, woman, I’ll put you over my knee. Fight me on it, I dare you. Trust me when I say it’s a battle you won’t fuckin’ win.”

Releasing my neck, Aries jerks away and stalks out of the room completely. The men who stayed silent the entire time follow him, closing the door behind them. I’m left alone with only Mace.

“Don’t think I’ve ever seen my brother act that way around anyone. He’s usually cool-headed and easygoing,” Mace states.

“Well, I guess I just bring it out in him.” I shrug and close my eyes. “If you’re going to be in here, then can you at least give me something for the pain? None of the heavy meds, please.”

“I can do that,” Mace says, and I hear him moving around the room. “If you need anything stronger, let me know. Someone will let Cordelia know, and she’ll probably come in and sit with you.”

“No,” I nearly shout. “I just want to be alone.” My eyes pop open, and I meet his. “Honestly, I just want to lay in a normal bed without being bothered and rest. All I need is to rest, and my body will be fine. Trust me, I know what I can and can’t handle. Just some regular old Motrin and Tylenol will do me some good.”

Mace stares at me momentarily, not saying anything before nodding. “I’ll get you moved into another room, but I doubt you’ll be able to keep Cordy or even Aries from coming in there.”

“Great.” I huff and roll my eyes to the ceiling.

There’s no way I could be a bitch to Cordy. Not in a million years. She’s my best friend and the reason I’m still alive. If she hadn’t been able to get us both away from Roger’s men, I’d be dead. Or back with Roger and wishing I were dead.

I’ve no doubt that if Roger gets his hands on me again, he’ll make me beg for death and refuse to allow me to die.