47. CHAPTER FORTY-SIX

CHAPTER FORTY-SIX

Quinlan

The taxi blends into traffic, and she’s fast. As fast as the cars around her would allow. Is she even going to take me to my parents?

I don’t answer Rex, twisting to the door, pulling the handle. Nothing happens.

It’s locked from the inside.

No, I don’t think she’s taking me to my parents. Rex must have paid her or something.

Fuck.

Even though it’s hopeless, I keep testing the handle. It’s an old car. It could give in.

It could.

“What’s this, Quinlan?” Rex says behind me, his tone derisive. “We haven’t seen each other in a month, and you already try to leave me again?”

Fuck this handle. I turn to face him, frowning at this thing . At this monster.

“Got something to say?” He cocks an eyebrow.

A month ago, I would’ve frozen in place at the underlying threat. A month ago, his evil grin would’ve scared me into being the docile, perfect sister he wanted me to be.

Thing is, I’ve changed.

My need to please and pacify people who don’t deserve my kindness died in the penthouse that I now call home.

New boundaries have been set in place, and they’re erected high. So high, they reach the clouds. I’m stronger than I’ve ever been, physically and emotionally.

My eyes are wide fucking open.

“Where are you taking me?” I growl at both him and the driver.

And—that’s odd. There’s no partition between us. A sign I missed while I was frantic to make it to my parents.

Rex’s laugh pulls me from my thoughts, the sound sickening. My stomach roils, my hands clenching into fists. Whatever his answer is, it doesn’t matter.

Liam, Rome, and Damien are my stalkers. They’ll get to me. They always will.

“You have some nerve, demanding answers.” Rex sneers, wiping the smile off his face. “As if you’re owed something.”

His expression isn’t something new. He curled his lips at me that way before. I convinced myself he’s upset because of work. That he was tormented about our devastating past.

Disdain. That’s what it really is. He can’t stand the sight of me. Hasn’t since the day we lost Blake at the pool.

Since the day we became a burden.

“I’m owed a lot.” A fresh wave of fury pushes me to yell at him. I’ve been wanting to do this for so long. He hurt Damien. He cut him. My man. Mine. “ You owe a lot of people a lot of things, you bastard.”

“Yeah, right.” The woman in the front sniggers, then laugh-snorts. Her eyes in the rare view mirror are almost black.

“Excuse me?”

She shoots me a scornful gaze before returning her attention to the road.

I’m too focused on her that I miss Rex’s movement.

“Worthless sluts aren’t owed shit, little sister.” His hand is on my chin, hurting me as he forces my face to his mad one.

Stupid. Rome would’ve been disappointed.

Always protect your face. That’s a good girl, sweetheart.

Rome would’ve wanted me to stay focused and figure out how to get myself out of this.

I glare at Rex, my hands on his wrist.

“Foster fucking kids, miserable sacks of shit that no one cares about.” His grip on me tightens. He doesn’t flinch when I claw at his skin. Nothing gives. “Their junky parents included? They’re owed even less.”

“What did they ever do to you?”

“They were my meal ticket.” He shakes my face, and I snarl. “A talking, walking, motherfucking raucous meal ticket. Couldn’t stand them.”

We weave through the heavy traffic, inching forward. Getting farther away from my new home. Rex’s fingers hurt me the tighter he squeezes my chin.

He’s furious at me. For enjoying my time in captivity. For leaving him in charge. That I chose the enemy over him.

His enemy.

The na?ve girl with the blinds over her eyes—that girl from a month ago—she’d have clung onto hope. Regardless of the anger oozing from Rex’s, she’d make excuses for him.

She’d do everything to appease him, to calm the tantrum that brims behind his eyes.

That girl would’ve still believed Rex’s letter. She’d know that this taxi will take her to her parents.

Except it won’t. My parents haven’t threatened to kill themselves, have they?

I feel sorry for the girl I used to be for all of a second.

Getting out of here alive is my priority. I’m being kidnapped for real this time.

Damien knew this was coming. My sweet, psychotic, and smart man.

Rex will hurt me to get to him.

His brown eyes look at me like he hates me. Sadistic psychopath. “You chose the wrong team, Quinlan. You fool. They’re worthless.”

“Their friends are fucking worthless too,” the driver pitches in, her voice venomous.

Why? If she’s being paid to kidnap me, why would she care?

Because she isn’t being paid to be here.

My eyes squint, and I glare at her from where Rex holds me in place. I have no idea who she is. I’ve never seen her in Maeve’s. She could be a cop, although that doesn’t make sense, either. To risk it all for Rex? I don’t think so.

She hates them. She said his friends . It means Rome, and…

Motherfucker .

“Aria?” I growl, trying hard not to lose it.

I can’t afford to lose it. I have to keep my head. Have to think. And I do.

A plan forms in my head. Clear steps that’d get me out of this mess, if I put myself into it.

I will. Oh, I will. They’ll never see it coming.

“That was fast. The whiney asshole tattled about me?” Her eyes cut to the rearview mirror. “Yes, I can tell he did. Such a fucking baby. Over twenty years later, and he’s the same loser he’s been when I babysat him.”

Rex chuckles. My nostrils flare, my nails digging into his wrist.

My first instinct is to scream at her. Tell her that these men are mine . That no one talks about what’s mine. Much less the people who hurt them.

But then they’ll go on the defense. They’ll be on high alert, making it that much harder for me to trick them.

Breathe. Breathe, Quinlan.

Fine. Deep inhale through gritted my teeth, and I’m back in the game. I stay still, leading Rex to believe that I’m his captive. That I can’t run away.

“How did you meet her?” I ask him.

“I told you, kid, I owe you shit.”

“His cop buddies,” Aria volunteers the information. She presses the brakes at a red light, slinging her arm over the back of the seat to turn to me. To gloat at me. The dumb bitch. “They made it so easy for him too.”

“Aria, shut up,” Rex barks.

“You’re not in charge here,” she hisses. “I’ve been waiting for this, and you’ll let me have it. You’ll let me rub it in Liam’s little bitch’s face. You’re very protective of the prick, aren’t you? That means he loves you too and so, no, Rex, I won’t shut up. I’ll say whatever the hell I want. I—”

“Shut the hell up,” he barks. “Stop feeding her information.”

“No, you shut up.” A short, black metal rod appears in her hand. She snatched it from the passenger seat, the dumb bitch. I’m over here, unbound, and she basically gives me a weapon to use on her. “Anyway, your brother worked his connections a couple of weeks ago. He’d been searching for Damien’s weak spots. First, it was his foster siblings, but Jagger, the other one, what’s her face?”

“Laurel,” I hiss her name before Rex can. They don’t have the right to repeat it.

“Yeah, that one. They aren’t here. Jagger’s apartment is empty. The chick lives in Europe.” Aria twists her face to us, giving me a better view of her smirk. Of her ugly face. “So your half-brother here did some digging. He found out where Damien lives and about his roommates. After that, finding the accident report was child’s play. Then Rex found me, and I have to say, it was creepy that he came up to me at night, but it made sense. He said it was when he didn’t feel like we’re being watched, and I think he was right.”

Damn him. He might’ve not seen the private investigators, haven’t found out where they were hiding. He has, however, sniffed them out.

“Are you done?” Rex scowls at the black rod. “Or are you planning to tell her everything?”

“I’ll say whatever I goddamn please.” She cackles, pressing the gas when the light turns green. “Look at her, she’s so angry. She deserves it. This is my revenge too.”

Fine with me. The more she talks, the better. They could have more accomplices waiting for them out there. It’s vital that I know everything. I won’t be blindsided when I pull off my plan.

Rex curses at her, his free hand locking on my bicep. My left one.

I have to bite down on my smirk.

I’m right-handed, bitch.

“Rome’s parents have fled the country . Right. I bet they’re dead.” Her words are like knives to the chest. These two people know. They have a good idea, at the very least. “I’m still alive. Still unemployed. Tell me, cunt, is Liam responsible for me getting fired? He must be. Just like he’s probably responsible for moving his parents away from here. Weak. He was always weak.”

Her words don’t hurt. Her words are nothing but a flow of information while I scan my surroundings. After a quick sweep of the street, I learn that we’re driving downtown. The night descends on the city and the alleys keep getting darker and darker.

“So, no one else, huh?” My eyes cut to Rex.

“Three men, Quinlan. Did you let them fuck you?” Rex snorts. “You know what? Don’t want to hear it. You disgust me.”

“Didn’t plan on it.” Unlike Aria, I can and will keep my cards close to my chest.

I’ll be smart about this. I’ll strike at the exact. Right. Moment.

My lips are pressed into a thin line, my eyes giving nothing.

A bump in the road and…

This is my cue. My only shot at getting back at them and breaking free.

The car rattles at the bump. A slight movement I’m quick to use to my advantage. My chin slips out of Rex’s grip and— yes —my jab hits him square in the jaw.

“The fuck?” His eyes are wide. He’s frozen in place. In shock.

Aria shouts, “What’s going on back there?”

I land another blow to Rex’s cheek.

There isn’t enough space for me to draw my arm back like I’m supposed to. Doesn’t matter. Rome taught me what to do in case I’m cornered. I twist my body as much as I can, using the momentum to throw another punch at Rex. This one lands on his eye.

“Bitch!” he shouts, scrambling to put his hands both on his face and on me.

To hurt me.

He’ll fail.

Aria does exactly what I intended her to. She’s driving slower, her eyes scouring the alleys. Searching for an empty one. A place to stop, where she can hit me with her metal rod.

Not if I get to her first.

The days anyone—anyone at all—hurts my men are over.

My plan is only as good as long as we’re moving. I need the momentum for it to succeed.

Rex grunts and reaches for me. He’s about to put his hands on me again, and this time he won’t let go. Not until I’m dead.

I’m way ahead of him. One hand on the headrest of the passenger seat, and the other on the back of the seat behind me. I push myself up, my feet lifting from the floor of the car.

Boom and my left foot hits Rex’s groin, staying punned there.

“I’ll kill you.” His hands are on my ankle as he swears and swears.

No, you won’t. Not when you’re banged up and hopefully concussed .

Any moment now, I’ll fuck up these bastards and escape. My men will find me.

Together, we’ll finish this.

I’m not sure how I know that. Where this absolute certainty is coming from.

I just do.

“Hold on, Rex,” Aria yells. She speeds up at the sound of a police siren, swerving to the left. “I’m pulling over.”

Into an alley.

Thankfully, she takes the turn fast. Too fast. I must be the luckiest person alive.

Adrenaline shoots through my blood. I taste war on my tongue. Victory.

My foot stays on Rex’s crotch as I lean forward. As he shouts obscenities at me, I reach the metal rod. It’s so far, but I—I have it. Yes .

Aria is focused on the alley ahead of her and I—

Boom .

The metal connects to her head. Aria gasps, screams, calls me a cunt.

I’m the cunt that’ll ruin you.

Rex screams louder when I put all my weight forward, between the two front seats. I let go of the rod, and it clinks onto the car’s floor.

Aria doesn’t disappoint, doing more of what I wanted her to.

It’s Blake helping me. I’m sure it’s him. My baby brother.

Thank you.

Her foot remains on the gas when I grab the wheel with one hand and steer us to a brick wall. Slam one hand to the roof of the car for balance.

Brace for impact.

Three.

Two.

One.