Chapter 38

Sadie

B rian gently clasped my forearm, but I pulled back, my feet pressed into the grass of the Blake’s expansive front yard. When we left the house, I was calm, ready to confront my father, but now, the nerves were hitting me hard. Yes, I knew this nightmare of violence had to end, but what if the plan failed? Everything starting now would have to go smoothly, as we discussed.

“I’m going to mess this up,” I said. “What if I mess this up?”

Brian turned to me, brows wrinkled. “I’ve been doing this for a long time, Sadie. I promise you’ll do great. Just breathe. Most of what you’re telling them is the truth. Up until Keelan and I making that deal.”

Sure, trying to get my dad to confess to murder and then walk out alive will be a fucking cakewalk.

Taking a deep breath to settle my pounding heart, I nodded.

“I have the warrant and recorder in my pocket. I’ll turn it on when you ask him about Patrick. ”

I nodded again. “Okay, just to be sure, please go over everything again.”

“Just corroborate my story. As far as my department knows, Finn contacted me to find you, and I did. Unfortunately, a mole within the Bureau leaked that information to Keelan. He escaped prison and got to you while I was out on another case. Now, I’ll get reprimanded for taking a case outside of my jurisdiction, but the evidence in those files I burned last night will be gone forever. I may lose my badge, but I’ll stay out of prison.”

“Logan and Aiden saw me and Keelan together. It’s safe to say they reported it to Arthur and my dad.”

He nodded. “That’s what we’re basing all this on. If you act as if you’re afraid of Keelan, they won’t believe you. Right now, we need Finn to confess to hiring Richard to kill Patrick. My superiors have the files regarding blackmail, extortion, and other financial crimes. This murder-for-hire was the only one missing. If you want to put your father away for life, this is the only way to do it. He won’t be able to use his connections or money to get away with murder.”

“What if he suspects you’re working with Keelan, and this backfires? You’re delivering me to my abuser.” Brian reached out and tucked a strand of hair behind my ear, a gesture of comfort. “Keelan will kill you if he finds out you touched me like that,” I said with a small smile.

He retracted his hand quickly. “Yeah, you’re right. I’d like to keep breathing, and I’m already missing a digit.”

As I allowed myself to laugh under my breath, I pressed my hand against my chest, feeling my heart race. “Okay, I’m ready. ”

We walked up the steps to Arthur’s front door. It had been so long since I’d been inside that house, and nostalgia warmed my heart a little. Despite the awful things I had to deal with, it wasn’t all bad growing up alongside this family.

Keelan and I found each other this way.

We entered the slightly crowded foyer after Brian handed our invitations to the security guard at the door, and immediately, the icy bite of the air conditioning greeted us.

“Come on, we need to go down the hall to the office,” Brian whispered. As we crossed the foyer, I looked over my shoulder at the main living room. Most of the guests had gathered in the main room, where lively music played, and servers carried drinks and hors d’oeuvres on silver trays. I scanned the crowd of California elites for my people. Gavin, Keelan, and Mia were there, waiting for Brian to signal for them on another device Keelan held on to if we ran into trouble. If I played my role correctly, we would get that confession. Then Brian would escort me to the restroom, and Keelan and I could slip out the back door.

Brian approached the office door and rapped three times, a signal that he was there with me.

“Enter.”

Fuck, fuck, fuck. Here we go.

Brian opened the door, took my arm, and we walked inside. Near the back of the room, my father and Arthur sat on two black leather chairs, smoking cigars, with a round glass table between them. Smoke hung heavy in the room, the only ventilation coming from the slightly open window. Both men wore expensive black suits, with their hair styled to arrogant perfection. I had forgotten how much Keelan looked like his father. He had the same facial structure and toned body, but Arthur, though he had a few tattoos on his arms and chest, wasn’t fully covered like Keelan. The one feature that separated these two was the stark difference in their hair color. Keelan inherited those beautiful raven locks from his mother.

“Brian, lock the door behind you,” my father said. My body froze like a deer in headlights. God, it was like I was staring at the Devil himself.

“Sadie,” he chirped. “Thank God you’re alive.”

Yeah, I bet you’re thrilled to have your little punching bag back.

“Hey, Dad,” I said, taking a few steps closer. “I’m sorry I ran away, but I was afraid. If Keelan had found me …” I took a deep, heavy breath, trying to settle my nerves. “It was all I could think to do back then.”

My bastard of a father smiled, taking another long drag of his cigar before blowing the smoke into the air. My nose wrinkled slightly. I always hated the smell of cigars because it reminded me of him. “But you’re not afraid of him now, though. Right?”

I winced at those words. “I can explain—”

“Save it,” he snapped, his eyes growing dark. “I’m surprised, honestly. After everything Keelan did to you, and then kidnapping you from your little haven, you would fuck him again.”

“Finn!” This time, Arthur stepped in, intent on defending his son. “That’s enough.” Arthur’s eyes turned to me. “The last we heard, Keelan was heading to the storage building. Where is he now?”

“After my men shot him, he grabbed Aisling and took off,” Brian explained. “We had already removed Sadie from the location. They’re searching for him now. ”

My father cursed under his breath. “Let’s just hope bringing her here draws him out. Arthur’s men are keeping watch on the grounds while cameras monitor every person entering the house.”

“I’m not sending my son back to prison, Finn. You and I had a deal. If he shows up, you take Sadie, I take my son, and our families are done with this arrangement.”

Arthur turned back to me and looked at my mouth, his eyes narrowing on my lip.

“What happened there?” Arthur asked.

I turned to Brian and gave him a stern look. “Brian took his job very seriously.”

Father took a moment to study me while putting out his cigar in a crystal ashtray. “Well,” he said. “When you’re a whore like your mother, you can’t expect a man to behave.”

My skin burned with fury, but before I could respond, he looked at Brian. “You’re relieved of this assignment.” My father took his phone from inside his jacket and tapped a few buttons on the screen before standing and approaching us. Brian released my arm and reached into his pocket, pulling out a small neon green Post-it.

“Transfer it to that account,” Brian instructed.

My father looked down at me as he transferred the money he had promised Brian. He was so close to me that cigar smoke smelled cloying. My stomach churned with anxiety and disgust. I didn’t like that look in his eye—the look of a wolf savoring the fear of his prey.

“Sadie,” my father said. “I have a surprise for you. Think of it as a welcome home present.”

What the hell does that mean?

Brian cleared his throat before casually sliding his hands into his pants pocket. “Finn, I suggest you keep a low profile for a while now that the deal is done. You know the feds have launched an investigation into your company, and I have to play by the book starting from here on out.”

“By the book, huh?” my father mocked, and I prayed Brian had already pressed the recorder on. We had to get this confession on tape before the feds came swarming in. Otherwise, no one would be able to protect me.

“Dad?” I said, drawing his eyes away from Brian. “I have something to ask you. Something that’s been bothering me for a long time.”

“And what’s that, sweetheart?”

I swallowed. “Patrick’s death.”

He blinked at me. “What about it?”

Anger flared in my gut, but I kept my voice calm and soft. “I know the reports said it was a suicide. They said he used a nine-millimeter handgun with his right hand to shoot himself in the chest.”

“Your point?” he asked, clearly annoyed.

“Patrick was left-handed.”

My father’s mouth parted a little. It figures the asshole forgot Patrick’s dominant hand.

Taking a breath, I took the leap into further danger. “Why did you hire Richard Wertz to kill Patrick? He was your son.”

There was a heartbeat of silence before my father grinned in that way that always made my skin crawl. “Hire Richard to kill my own child? Sadie, that’s quite the accusation. I’d mind that fucking tongue of yours. ”

“Alright, enough,” Brian said. He started to move to get between my dad and me, but he and Arthur drew their guns. Father grabbed my arm and yanked me away from Brian, pressing the barrel into my side.

Oh, shit.

This had escalated far too quickly. He already had me back; Brian was paid….

“Stop!” I cried out. “You’re hurting me.”

Brian’s eyes went wide with shock, darting between the two men before settling on my father’s grip around my arm.

“What the hell is this? This isn’t part of our deal. I delivered your daughter. There’s no excuse for manhandling her. Let her go, or I’ll arrest you.”

“Arrest me?” my father snorted derisively. “I’m the goddamn mayor of Los Angeles and president of a major tech company, Brian. You can’t touch me.” He smiled. “Oh, isn’t this interesting? Did you fall for my daughter during this last year while you were fucking her?”

“Dad! Stop it!” I tried to wrench free from that iron vise of his. Arthur, hearing a tap at the door, walked past us to open it. Another man entered the room. That was when I saw a horrifyingly familiar face step into the light.

Alex Thatcher.

“Gentlemen,” he said, his brown eyes focused on me as he walked toward us. “It seems I’ve arrived on time.”

The last time I saw Alex, he sat beside my parents during the trial when I testified against Keelan. His slick black-and-silver hair was longer now, brushing the bottom of his ears. He shaved off his entire beard, revealing a square jawline and a wicked smile as he came closer.

“What is he doing here?” I asked. Panic started crawling up my spine. Jesus, that man gave me the creeps growing up.

“I see you remember Alex,” my father said, keeping his gun on Brian. “He certainly remembers you.”

“Finn, what the fuck is going on?” Brian said through gritted teeth.

“Where are the files, Brian? You said you found where my son hid them.” He dug his nails deeper into my skin. I winced but didn’t move. I couldn’t risk my dad shooting Brian. Arthur was leaning against the bookshelf, silent as a corpse, and his gun pointed almost lazily in our direction.

The bastard is loving all of this chaos. My eyes drifted to Brian’s other pocket, where the signal was to notify Keelan if anything went wrong.

“I’ll take you to the files as promised, but you should let Sadie go. Killing your daughter is going to get the feds on your ass. I can’t cover that up.”

My father raised the gun higher, pressing the barrel against his forehead. “I just paid you. Tell me where the files are. Now.”

“Dad, stop!”

My father was going to kill Brian, and then I would be completely helpless.

“Alright, fine. I put the box in the trunk of my car. I was going to bring you to them after everyone left the house. Here.” Brian slowly reached into his left pocket and removed his car keys.

Dad kept the gun trained on Brian’s head as he shoved me backward to grab the keys, and I fell right into Alex’s hands. “Miss Sadie Ryan,” Alex whispered in my ear, low and deadly. “You’ve truly grown into such a beautiful woman.”

I felt him lean close and inhale the scent of my hair. My body froze, and a cold sweat collected on my spine. The weight of his body pressed on my back made me want to vomit.

“Get your hands off me,” I snapped, but he only squeezed my arms tighter.

“I’m glad you two are getting reacquainted,” my father said. “I would have sent him to collect you in Vermont, but I couldn’t risk you running off again. So, I sent Brian instead to monitor you and then bring you home once he found the files. Now that you’re back, Alex and I can complete the long-term deal we made. Patrick found out about the transaction when he went snooping around the company files to take me down and tried to stop it once he discovered that I had bigger plans for his little sister.”

Transaction?

“As you know, Alex has been an investor in our family’s operations since you were fourteen. He’s brought us more clients than all our associates combined. With each reference, Alex got quite a generous cut.”

Bitter fear burned my throat.

“Sadie, he’s been vying for a different form of payment since you were fifteen. Of course, we couldn’t risk you falling in love and leaving the family to parts unknown. So, when you turned twenty, we handed you over to Arthur’s son, who you hated. Keelan would have no idea it was all a plan to break you in for a year until it was time to hand you off to Alex. Alex may have a taste for younger women, but he doesn’t fuck virgins. ”

Stunned and speechless, I could only shake my head. This can’t be happening. No fucking way.

“Patrick found out I sold you off, and he couldn’t mind his fucking business. He wanted to play the ‘noble brother’ by bringing down both families to protect you,” my father explained. “When I found out he betrayed me, it was easy to arrange his death. God, he was such a damn fool to believe I’d let that slide.”

Alex’s hand moved from my right arm and gripped my chin, forcing my face to turn to look at him. His brown eyes glittered with dark lust, making my instincts scream to run. “Soon, my dear Sadie, you’re going to know what it’s like to have your tight pussy fucked by a real man. That’ll make you nice and obedient.”

The taste of bile filled my mouth as Alex twisted me around, grabbing my wrists in his hand. He pulled a pair of handcuffs from his pocket with his free hand. A ferocious terror filled my body. I had to fight. I had to fight for my fucking life until Keelan came. Brian was shouting but couldn’t move as he was still being held at gunpoint by my father.

Alex tried to snap the metal bracelets over my wrists, but I stomped on his foot as hard as I could and then kicked him in the kneecap. His grip loosened, and I turned to make a run for it. But Alex recovered quickly, and his arms wrapped around my waist, yanking me back. I forcefully head-butted him, but he showed no reaction to the blow. That’s when I started screaming. I screamed at the top of my lungs, but Alex’s hand covered my mouth, muffling my cries for help.

There was a loud crack as the office door snapped free of its hinges. Arthur swiftly turned, but the broken door forcefully swung open and slammed into his arm. There, in the doorway, was Keelan, and a wave of relief crashed over me. His eyes were like twin blue flames of Death’s promise. Keelan was wearing gloves and rushed into the room, grabbing his father’s suppressor from the floor. Before anyone could react, Keelan raised the gun and pointed it at Alex, firing off a shot. There was no need for me to duck as the perfectly aimed bullet went past my head and struck him dead center in between the eyes. Fortunately, because of the suppressor mixed with the loud music blaring down the hall, it drowned out the sound.

Alex’s arms jerked, and then his lifeless body collapsed onto the expensive rug, blood slowly leaking into the fibers. My father’s eyes widened with shock. Arthur lunged for Keelan, but he drew back his arm and slammed his elbow into Arthur’s nose. The man dropped to the ground, blood pouring between his fingers.

“You fucking bastard!” my father roared, his eyes wholly fixed on Keelan. Brian charged at him, taking advantage of his distraction, and slammed his shoulders into my father’s chest. The two went to the ground, and Dad lost his grip on the gun, which skidded a few feet away. Brian reared back and punched my father three times in the face. Thankfully, he went slack from the force of the blows.

Brian stood and quickly retrieved the gun.

“Control your fucking son, Arthur!” My father spat out a mouthful of blood on the floor. Despite feeling terrified, I laughed, almost hysterically, at seeing my big, violent father reduced to a heap.

Arthur looked at his son, hands raised. “Don’t be stupid, Keelan. You have no idea what you’re doing—”

“Shut the fuck up!” Keelan snarled. “You were about to take my wife away from me. ”

“Keelan, my dad arranged to have me sold to that man you just killed,” I explained. “That’s why he had Patrick murdered. He found out I was being sold like cattle, stole the files, and was going to release them to stop him from doing it.”

Keelan’s eyes widened slightly, and a mixture of sadness and rage flickered across his face. He raised the gun at my father’s head, but his eyes looked at me. “Sadie, what do you want me to do?”

I moved away from Alex’s body and crossed the room to Keelan, my eyes fixed on my father’s face. As he was lying there on the floor, blood on his face and chest heaving. Rage burned within my heart. He should not only be held responsible for the horrific abuse my mother and I endured but also for taking the life of my older brother, Patrick, who had always tried to protect me despite his flaws. Finn Ryan had too much power. He had too much control over the many players who would work to keep him free from prison. If he lived, it would never end.

“Sadie, don’t you fucking dare do this,” my father hissed. “You stupid, worthless child.”

“Stop!” I spat back. “Your ego has ruined you … Finn . The people you were meant to love and protect will be the ones to destroy your empire. Keelan saved my life in more ways than just being engaged to him. Your selfishness delivered my freedom from you. As much as rotting in prison would be nice, I think it’s time you burn in hell. Shoot him.”

Without a word, Keelan shot my father in the head. I gasped as he slumped back to the ground. I stared at him briefly, reassuring myself that my father was dead .

“Fucking hell,” Arthur murmured, his arms slack at his sides. Keelan threw the gun at his father’s feet. Arthur picked it up and looked down at the weapon with confusion.

Keelan gently placed his hand on my waist, turning me away from my dead father. He then cupped my face in his warm hands, running his thumb over my lips. “You’re safe, baby,” he whispered. “They can’t hurt you anymore.”

“Keelan,” Arthur said, holding the gun up toward us. “Are those files really in the agent’s trunk?”

“That gun’s unloaded, Dad,” Keelan said, not even glancing over at him. “I emptied the chamber and ejected the magazine already. The feds that are waiting outside have the files. I submitted them last night. By now, they’ve gotten a warrant and are searching Finn’s house and office as we speak.”

Arthur’s eyes widened, and he looked at my father’s body.

“It’s over,” Keelan said. “Everything you tried to hide in those files will take you all down, including Aiden and Logan. Now that you’ve killed your business partner and your associate, you’re going to prison for life.”

Realization seemed to snap Arthur from his haze as he looked down at the gun—the gun that had his fingerprints on it. A slight smile formed on his lips, as if he was proud of his son’s clever tactic. He’d taught Keelan well.

Arthur placed the gun on his desk and walked back to his leather chair, stepping over the cooling blood puddle before sitting back down. His cigar still lay in the ashtray. Arthur reached into his pocket and pulled out a lighter, reigniting the cigar before taking a long puff .

“I guess it doesn’t surprise me that this is the outcome,” Arthur mused through the smoke. “You were the smartest one out of all of us. But I’m still so disappointed in you.”

Keelan pulled me closer to his body. “What else is new?”

“Take care of Mia. She’s going to be an incredible artist, just like you.”

In the distance, police sirens drifted through the open window.

“You need to get out of here now,” Brian said. “My agents just informed me they apprehended your brothers at the airport. That means the window to escape is closing fast. Go out through the back door.”

I mouthed “thank you” to Brian and took Keelan’s hand before we rushed out of the office and toward the back of the house. Brian would stay behind, recounting what he had witnessed: Arthur shot and killed both Finn Ryan and Alex Thatcher, nearly killing him as well before he could grab his weapon.

We were free … for now.

An hour later, we reached the Burbank airstrip. Brian had done his part by securing us with fake identifications and a flight out of California. This plane would take us to our first stop, and then from there, it was up to us to disappear. He would help build the case to take down Arthur and his two sons while Keelan and I escaped to freedom.

Gavin and Mia had snuck out of the party right before the police arrived. They were going to meet his parents, Byron and Serena, in an undisclosed location. I wasn’t sure where Lily was, but hopefully, she would be reunited with her daughter soon.

My heart ached because I wasn’t sure when I would see my mom again. Maybe once the dust had settled, she could reach me, as she said.

We entered the small plane and sat beside each other. One of Brian’s pilot contacts was flying us. Keelan reached into his pocket and pulled out a small sheet of paper.

“Is that the account number?” I asked, and he nodded. Once Keelan logged in, we looked at the balance my father had transferred to Brian with wide eyes. Brian had gifted it to us. To him, it was blood money. To us, it was a nest to help us escape and stay hidden.

“Holy shit,” I said, looking at the amount and then back up at him. “That’s what my father paid Brian to sleep with me?”

My father had transferred ten million dollars to the offshore account Brian had set up for us under my and Keelan’s new identities. It was all ours.

“Well,” I said. “I guess we can get that beachfront property I’ve always wanted.” I smiled and reached out my hand for him to take. “One with a white picket fence to grow old in.”

Keelan placed his hand on my knee and glided his fingers up my thigh until they reached between my legs. His breath was hot against my neck as he kissed me softly. “You’re safe, Sade. You’ll always be safe with me. Understand?”

I leaned into him and cradled my head into his shoulder. “I do now,” I said gently. “Even though you’re a complete psycho … I’ve never felt more safe in my entire life. ”

Keelan lightly bit the side of his bottom lip. “Even after kidnapping you?” he teased.

I let out a small laugh. “Especially after kidnapping me.”

Keelan pulled me in close with one hand and squeezed my thigh with the other still resting between my legs. “You were never meant to stay hidden from me, princess. We had a contract. And I take that very seriously.”

I barked out a laugh that time. “Fuck that contract.” I reached up and placed my hand on his cheek. “At least I know now that you’re in love with me, so if I did walk out the door or run away from you again someday … you’d let me go. Right?”

Keelan tucked a strand of hair behind my ear, and his gaze darkened. “... Never.”