3

3

STACEY

Tobias pulls back, his eyes searching my face, refusing to let them drop lower even with the blanket covering me. “Are you hurt?”

I shake my head. “You were the one to win my auction?”

“Yes. Barry found out Bernadette’s plan when she sent your insufferable asshole of a stepbrother the invitation and deal. We were halfway to London to find Kade but turned back. Are you sure you’re not hurt?”

My eyes are burning given how hard I’m holding back a waterfall of tears. If I start bawling my eyes out, I don’t think I’ll be able to stop. “Barry’s okay?”

He nods. “As annoying as he is, he’s kept me hidden. His wife and child are in a safe house in Aberdeen.”

A tear slips down my cheek, and he notices, wiping it with his thumb. “I’m going to get you out of here.”

“What about Luci—”

“Sebastian Prince’s uncle won her auction. They’re going to take her to Moscow and keep her under the radar until Bernadette is dealt with. It was the deal I made with the grandfather to get his help – I told him I’d kill his grandson’s abuser in exchange for him protecting my daughter. There are Russians surrounding this building as we speak.”

“They know about Bernadette having Base?”

“The underworld is a ruthless place. A war between the Scottish law enforcement and whoever else she has under her belt against the mafia would be a mess. A lot of lives would be lost. I offered to kill her and her husband.”

I go to speak, but he cuts me off. “We need to get you out of here before they tell me to start the next task. They’ll shoot me on the spot, and someone else will get you.”

He turns, swipes the key card on the sensor pad, and when the door beeps and opens, he leans his head out but pulls back in quickly. He mutters a “fuck” then fishes a mobile from his pocket and puts it to his ear.

Pacing the room, Tobias huffs as it rings and rings and rings, until I hear someone answer.

“When I call, you asshole, you fucking answer right away. I have her. Yes, she’s fine and unscathed. There are four guards outside. Can you see on the footage the safest way for me to get her out of here without risking her life?”

I nibble my bottom lip as Tobias turns and fixes his gaze on me, his eyes burning into me. He goes to the dresser and pulls out white material. It’s a dress. Short. Thin straps on the shoulders. Silky and actually really pretty, if I wasn’t in the middle of a sex ring’s hideout and trying to escape with my boyf— ex-boyfriend’s father who’s just broken out of prison.

“How did you escape?” I ask as I take the dress. “I’m mad at you for that, just so you know.”

He scoffs as he turns round, letting me drop the blanket and pull on the dress. “You didn’t come for visitation, and I got bored.”

“Bored…”

“I’m a little irrational and impulsive. Plus, I had a feeling something was wrong – call it a sixth sense.”

The dress sits mid-thigh, and I hate it. I hate everything about this day.

“Kade and Base were auctioned off too,” I say as I find a hair tie in the dresser and pull my hair into a bun on top of my head. “Are you going to help him?”

He turns around. “As soon as I know you’re safe, yes.”

I stand in the middle of the room, taking a deep breath. I still feel so overwhelmed. Only a matter of minutes ago, I thought I was going to be attacked and forced upon. I thought I’d end up dead, but no.

“Thank you,” I say quietly.

He frowns, leaning against the dresser, crossing his arms and ankles while he waits for Barry to call back and tell him it’s clear to go. “Why are you thanking me?”

I throw my arms out. “I accepted that I was going to die. I thought I was—” I stop, nearly choking. “Just accept my gratitude. I know your children are your priority, but I appreciate that you’re here for me.”

“You are also my priority. I would have always hunted for you to the ends of the fucking earth, little one. I know you didn’t have the best relationship with your father, your brothers are useless pricks, and my son is shackled to a bitch on an insane power trip, but you have me.”

The force of my body catapulting into his knocks him back a step, but he catches me.

My dad never protected me. He loved me, but as soon as Nora came into the picture, I was a second thought to him. As much as I miss him, as much as I love him, Tobias treats me better. And I never thought I’d say this, and forgive me, Aria Miller, but to be safe and sound in Tobias Mitchell’s hold is a dream I never want to wake up from. I don’t want to let go.

What if I pull away and he vanishes? What happens if this is a dream and I’m drugged? What if I’m imagining this entire scenario and I’m shackled to the bed with an old, overweight and sweating man claiming me?

“Don’t hold it in,” Tobias whispers. “If you need to cry, then you fucking cry, little one. Get it all out right here and now.”

This is reality, and I have Kade’s father’s arms around me, reassuring me with slow strokes of my hair and tightening his hold as I tremble and let my emotional state loose.

Although I should be going crazy at him for breaking out of his institution and causing a worldwide fugitive hunt that’s taken over the news and radio, all I can do is hug him, inhaling his scent. Not an old sweaty man. No. Cinnamon. A spiced cologne Kade’s clothes always smelled like.

I used to stick his hoodie under my nose and inhale as I lay in bed, waiting for my stepbrother’s next blow. I’d always take longer to get home, because I knew what was to come.

I was alive when I was around Kade. And now I’m alive because of his father.

And all Tobias is doing is hugging me back, his grip on my nape keeping me firmly to his chest. “I’ve got you,” he assures me in his deep tone.

Those three words have my body shaking against his, tears of both joy and exhaustion making me sob uncontrollably until he’s taking all of my weight.

“Shhh. I’ve got you.”

He grips my shoulders and pushes me back enough to study my face. “Tell me you’re okay, because we need to leave as soon as Barry gives us the go-ahead. Can you keep your emotions in check until we get out of here?”

“You told me to let it all out.”

The slight tilt of his head shows his confusion. “There’s more?”

I huff out a laugh and wipe my eyes. “Sometimes I forget you’re an unfeeling idiot.”

Smirking, he steps away. “You didn’t answer my question.”

I raise an unsteady shoulder. “I’m okay.”

Apparently, I must still have tears running down my numb face, because he raises a brow at me and wipes my cheeks. “Don’t cry any more tears because of them. You’ve got it all out. Dry your eyes and keep your chin up. They don’t deserve your tears.” He gives me a tight smile, which makes his dimple dent in. “No one does.”

I take in a deep breath through my nose and exhale through my mouth. “Right. Okay. I’m okay. Really. I still can’t believe you’re here. You escaped and—”

His phone rings, cutting me off. Tobias silences it as he says, “You can yell at me later. I did what I had to do for my family, and you” – he flicks my nose – “you are part of it.”

Smiling, I hug myself. I’ve not been part of a real family in years.

It feels good.

He leans down and grabs his mask, a gun peeking from inside his suit jacket.

Gone are the images of Tobias playing board games and reading historical literature while baby Eva sits on his chest and grabs at his face.

The door behind him beeps just as he fixes the mask in place, and we both freeze as the same guards who left only fifteen minutes ago enter.

“We have orders to remove the girl. You will have your payment refunded within twenty-four hours, but you are welcome to take your pick of any of the others left over from the auction to keep you company in a different room for the night.”

They both step to the side, giving Tobias a clear path to walk out. “Please follow us.”

It takes Kade’s father all of two seconds to snatch his gun from his jacket and put a bullet in one of their heads. The abruptness of the bang has me wincing and backing away just as the other guard knocks Tobias’s gun from his hand and proceeds to punch him across the face.

With the size of the man’s hand, I would be on the ground and screaming with a broken jaw. Tobias just laughs and headbutts him, then grabs him by the nape with a deadly grip while he’s dizzied from the broken nose. I watch in horror as Tobias drags the man towards the rack of blades and starts smashing his face into them so fast, blood splatters everywhere, cutting himself in the process.

The man squeals like an animal until the blades cut into his throat, then the sound turns to choking, twisted gasping, and then nothing.

Tobias lets go of the guard and watches his body slump on the ground in a pool of blood. He grits his teeth at the small slashes on his hand and fingers, flicking his hand out to get rid of the blood.

“What a waste of life,” he sighs, rolling up each of his white sleeves to the elbow. “We can’t wait any longer. Fuck Barry’s plan.”

I nod and rub my hands up and down my exposed arms; my white dress has little splashes of blood down the front.

“I’d offer you my jacket, but I need to pretend I’m a piece of shit who just paid millions for a pet. Some of them will be flaunting their prizes. Because I was a new bidder with no history in this fucked-up world, I had to agree to the five-day induction trial to get past security. But if we’re out there, I cannot draw attention. We need to blend in. We’re completely outnumbered, even with the people we have surrounding the manor.”

“I understand.” I chew my lip. “Kyle and Chris were outside. Did anyone catch them?”

“No. Why were they here? No. Fuck that. Can we focus on you first?” But yet again, his phone rings and cuts us off.

“Now?” Tobias answers. “Fucking listen to me, Barry, you motherfucker, I have two dead guards here, and it’s only a matter of minutes before more come. Either you find a safe way, or I’ll find one myself. I. Need. To. Get. Her. Out.”

I hug myself, nearly tripping over one of the dead guards as I step back. I slip on a puddle of crimson liquid, shaking the blood from my foot while Tobias discusses the new escape plan quickly – the route we’ll take and how many guards we’ll pass on the way.

He hangs up the phone and takes my hand, pulling me out of the room without another thought. “We need to go. When we see someone, act scared. I need to hold you like I plan to fuck you in every position possible without your consent.”

“Jesus, Tobias.”