Chapter Twenty

Savannah

AFTER ZACH TOLD me what happened when he was installing a security system for a new client, I couldn't remain in the clubhouse with everyone. Court, Killer, and Playboy assured me they would stay with the girls and not let anyone close to them and they'd let Zach know where I was the second he was done in the basement. After letting the girls know I was heading home for a nap, I left the clubhouse with my head full of so many thoughts that I couldn't even begin to process anything swirling through my mind. The only thing I knew was that some sick fuck bought my baby sister and he lives in the same town as us. He was prepared to go to her school in order to take her from us because he paid for her. Those are the worst kind of assholes because they view the fact that they have money as meaning they can do anything they please without the fear of any consequences. This man certainly did. I hope the guys make him scream out in pain before killing him.

Part of me feels horrible that I'm leaving my sisters in the clubhouse and I'm not there with them. They're surrounded by our family and the men won't let anyone get close to them. If they were alone or with only the ol' ladies, I wouldn't be leaving them alone. Not because I don't trust the ol' ladies of the club. I trust them with my life and know they'd be just as protective as the men of the club. My only fear is that all the kids are here and their attention would be diverted between my sisters and the rest of the kids who Conrad isn't after. With the guys there, the ol' ladies can protect the rest of the kids and Annabell while the guys protect my sisters. Conrad would be stupid as fuck to try and walk in the door of the clubhouse though. Most of the guys will kill him on sight and not worry about turning him over to the authorities like they plan on doing now.

Letting myself in the house, I rearm the security system like Zach showed me how to do. He made us all know how to use the security system of our home so we can all use the features to protect ourselves. After making sure it's on again, I kick off my sneakers and make my way to the couch. I'm so exhausted, I don't even have the energy to make it to the bedroom upstairs so I can climb in bed and sink into the best mattress I've ever slept on. The couch is so comfortable and it's calling my name right now. Grabbing the blanket on the back, I cover myself before picking up the remote and turning on the TV. The volume is already down low from the last time I was watching something when everyone else was asleep. Choosing some random show, I sink back into the couch and let my eyes slide closed.

I dream of Zach and the girls as sleep claims me. My dreams soon turn to ones of the baby I carry. A baby I still have to tell Zach about because he has no clue I'm pregnant, but he knows something is going on. I've been acting weird around him and he's not a stupid man. My hope has been that he thinks it's because of the situation with Conrad, but Zach will know it's not that. I have to tell him and I will. There just hasn't been the right time to have that conversation with him. Then we have to sit down with the girls so we can tell them about the baby and figure out how they feel about our family expanding. These thoughts disturb my sleep and make it almost impossible to get into that deep sleep I need. Though, I'd rather dream about those I love instead of the nightmares about Conrad taking the girls and me.

Waking up, I know something jolted me out of the nap I was taking. With my head still cloudy from sleep, I try to figure out what's going on. I don't hear anything in the house as I look around the living room. The only thing I know for sure is that I'm no longer alone in the house. Getting off the couch, something deep in my gut is telling me not to call out for Zach or the girls. I slowly walk through the house, completely awake now as I try to get to the kitchen so I can grab a knife or something to use as a weapon. Before I can make it, my head is yanked back by my hair at an odd angle.

"Did you miss me, sweetheart?" Conrad's voice wraps me in a coat of fear as he turns me to face him.

He looks like shit. Conrad's clothing is wrinkled when I've never seen him in clothes that are anything less than perfection. His hair is longer and a mess as if he's been driving his fingers through the strands repeatedly. Conrad's got a beard growing that's as unkempt as his hair. It hangs in greasy strands as he glares at me with his cold, lifeless eyes. This is who he truly is and there's no way in hell I'm going to let him take me without a fight.

"No, Conrad, I haven't missed you at all. If I've thought about you at all, it was with hopes that you'd die and rot in hell where you belong," I taunt him, knowing this is probably the dumbest thing I could do right now.

"Bitch! I'm the best thing you could hope to have in your pathetic life. Your own mother didn't even want you or those fucking brats. She sold you to me for practically nothing. What the fuck does that say about you?" he returns, his voice cold and hard as he continues to glare at me.

"It says more about her than anything bad about me, Conrad. If you were a decent human, you'd realize that. Instead, you prey on people weaker than you and force yourself into their lives when they don't want you around. I'm sure Daddy is really proud of the bitch you've become," I respond, my voice going hard as I hold my head high and grab his wrist.

I squeeze his wrist as hard as I can before yanking it to the side in my hopes of breaking his hold on me. A pop sounds in the air as he screams and lets go of me. I race toward the kitchen and run my hand across the plates and other breakfast dishes that were left behind this morning. They all crash to the floor as I start to tip the stools at the island over and flinch as they crash to the floor at my feet. Racing around the island, I grab the cast iron pan on the stove along with a sharp knife from the butcher block. Turning to face Conrad again, I watch as he laughs at me.

"You think I'm scared of a pan and knife? You don't have the guts to hurt me in any way, Savannah. You're weak and pathetic," Conrad says, his voice even harder as he starts to make his way over to me.

"I'll do whatever it takes to protect my family, Conrad. Something you know nothing about. You'd run like a pussy before you ever thought about protecting anyone you supposedly love or care about. It's exactly how your father raised you because he's nothing more than a bitch like you," I state, my voice as strong as I can make it and I look straight at Conrad so I can figure out his next move as he stands across from me.

"You have no family. Your sisters are all sold to people already and I'll be collecting them to hand over to their buyers as soon as you get them to me. For now, I'm gonna enjoy breaking you and making sure you have the worst time you can possibly have with me. Then, I'm gonna sell you for the highest bid I can get. You've already cost me more than enough money and I'll make sure to get every fucking penny back. I'll also make sure I get the money I've lost from the sale of your sisters," Conrad threatens me, placing his hands on the island as he steps as close as he can with the stools laying all over the floor.

"I do have a family. See, what you don't know is those girls are legally mine in every way. I've adopted them and have been the only mom they know. Zach is my husband and with him comes an entire club full of men who would give their lives to protect my girls and me. You have no one in your corner. For as selfish as you are, your father is just as bad if not worse than you. I've surrounded myself with those I know will fight for me because I'd do the same in return. You'll never experience that because you're a vile, sick monster who gets off on hurting those around him. No one will ever want you because they can see how fucking black your heart and soul are," I inform him as Conrad's face starts turning a shade of red I've never seen on someone before. He's going to explode and I'll pay the price for this information drop I've just given him.

"You're not fucking married!" he shouts to the empty house as I look around and try to figure out how I can get away from this island and to a different part of the house.

"Yeah, I am. I've been married for a few weeks now," I answer him, making him believe I'm going to rush toward the table past the island where we all eat dinner together every single night.

Conrad goes toward the table as I want him to when I change direction and dart to the opposite side and head for the stairs to get up to the second floor. As I run through the house, I pull everything I can from where it stands or sits in order to make it harder for Conrad to follow me and give me a decent head start away from him. I've got my foot on the bottom step when I'm once again yanked back by my hair. I scream out in pain and let him pull me away from the stairs. The risk is too high for me to fall on the stairs and have something happen to the baby.

"You're completely alone here, Savannah. No one is gonna hear you scream or save you because they're all too busy for you. They've left you here alone and there's no way in hell they'll get here before I remove you from this hellhole. You should be thanking me for taking you away," Conrad states as he looks around my house like it's beneath him.

"They've got more money in savings than you could ever hope to have on your own, Conrad. My husband doesn't use blood money to buy what we need and want and has the means to spoil the girls and me rotten. You will never be anything compared to him because you're too much of a bitch to even think of being a decent person," I state, fighting once again as he tries to pull me even further away from the stairs and my escape.

"Shut up!" he yells, his voice going higher than any woman I've ever heard before. Guess I hit a nerve with that one.

Swinging my arm back, I try to hit him with the pan in my hand. It takes a few tries, but I finally manage to connect to his ribs. Conrad screams once again before tightening his grip on my hair. I close my eyes and clench my teeth so I don't scream like he has. The asshole knocks the pan from my grip but doesn't realize I still have the knife in my other hand. I give him a few minutes to believe he's got me before swinging out with my other hand. The knife cuts him on the first swing and I pull it out of his body as he screams before I swing back once again. This time the knife digs into his thigh and I hope I hit something important.

"You stupid cunt!" he yells, pulling me back by my hair so hard I hit the floor with a solid thud.

My head bounces off the floor twice causing my vision to turn hazy and blackness to start filling the edges. I know it's going to be a matter of time before I pass the fuck out. Before that happens, I need to incapacitate Conrad so he can't take me away from this place. Or at least try to get him so he can't leave the house. I wish I had my phone on me, but I'm pretty sure I left it in my office at the clubhouse. It was a stupid mistake to make and that's on me. The guys taught me better than that when I worked with them on self-defense moves and shit. I know so many ways to break out of holds and shit. The one time I need to use that information, I freeze and can't do anything to help myself.

Conrad is mumbling to himself as he steps up next to my side and I barely recognize him as he glares down at me. There's a sneer on his face as he looks at me from head to toe. The sneer turns into a smirk and I have no doubt the thoughts in his mind are pure evil and everything I need to avoid before he completely destroys me.

"You're mine, Savannah. I will sell you, pimp you out, or do anything else I want to you. The first thing I'm gonna do is make sure you're no longer married to that fucking prick before I touch you. Then, I'll make sure you give me a child before I sell you off to the highest bidder. Once I have an heir there will be no need for you any longer," Conrad states, his voice full of promise as he kicks me in the side and I finally break, screaming out in pain as I know he's gotten me in the ribs and I'll be feeling that for a while.

Leaning down over me, Conrad balls up his fist and punches me in my temple. The blackness filling me is immediate and it sucks me under with no way for me to fight against the pull. Conrad's voice is the last thing I hear before everything fades to nothing.

"You're nothing more than a fucking slut who bends to my will. I'm going to enjoy breaking you and watching as you crumble because I've taken everything you love and hold close," he says, his voice fading to nothing as the fear, strength, and determination fade to nothing.

Images of Zach and the girls fill my mind and I know this could be the very last time I see them because there's no way in hell Conrad will ever let me go once he takes me out of our home. He'll beat, torture, and break me until there's nothing left but an empty shell. Conrad will have more fun breaking me than anything else. That's just the kind of man he is. Zach would never do anything like that to me because he knows how to make me even stronger than I am and will never do anything to hurt me. He loves and protects me more than anything else in the world. Zach has always been my safe place and we lost so much time together that we'll never get back. Now, I'll never see him again.