Chapter Thirty-Six

Snow

I pace the white tiles of the waiting room of the ER, watching Winter cling to Keanu as she cries silently on his shirt. When I found Lyrical, the paramedics were loading her in the back of the ambulance. If Lyrics dies… I can't live in a world without her. Savannah is going to pay for stabbing my fiancée. She's going to die a slow death. My father must have sent her after Lyrical to prove a point that he's in control of the situation and that I'm going to bow down to him and do what he says, but I'm done being his lap dog.

The doctor walks into the waiting room.

"The family of Miss Haynes?"

I ball my fist, embracing the worst news. "Tell us what's going on, Doctor."

"Lyrical is still sedated, and she needed snitches. She's lucky her stab wound didn't puncture an artery."

"I want her discharged."

"We ha—"

"You've stitched her up fine, now she can come home. Draw up the paperwork and I'll have my family doctor look after her."

"We have to do an investigation because of the stab wound."

"No, you don't. Keep this quiet and I'll make a fat donation to the hospital."

He nods. "Very well. I'll have the nurse draw up the paperwork."

He leads me to Lyrical's room, and the nurse monitoring her removes the IV from her arm as I reach her bed. I scoop her into my arms, and she snuggles into my chest, burrowing her face.

She stirs in her sleep. "You smell like Snow, Doctor."

I chuckle. Once I make it to the lobby, Winter drops a kiss on Lyrical's forehead.

"If you need anything, please send me a text message." Her eyes narrow. "Can you give me a ride home? I rode with Lilac earlier."

"I'll give you a ride home," Keanu says.

"Okay."

Once I make it home, I tuck her into bed, and she's out like a light. I remove Lyrical's bloodied clothes and give her a bed bath, then I put her in one of my T-shirts. The pain meds cause her to not stir.

I get into my car and drive to Savannah's place that's located in North Haven. Instead of knocking on the door, I go around the back, open the window to the living room, and slide it up slowly before climbing inside. I watch her go to her bedroom, then I follow her. She tosses clothes into a suitcase, and I assume she's leaving because she knows Lyrical survived her attack.

"Going somewhere?"

She turns around and pure terror overtakes her face as she backs up, putting her hands up in surrender.

"Snow, what are you doing here?"

She looks like a rabbit caught in the sight of a wolf. I'm ready to kill this bitch so I can send my father a message not to fuck with me. When I grab her by the hair, I toss her to the floor, knocking over a small table. She looks up at me, holding her elbow.

"S-Snow. What the hell?"

I yank her up by the hair and throw her ass against the drawer. Her body hits the mirror, shards of glass raining on her, and she groans.

"You fucking bitch. I told you what was going to happen if you didn't stay away from us."

She has a deep cut in her forearm now, and she removes the chunk of mirrored glass, tossing it to the floor, causing blood to drip onto the wooden floor.

"P-please. P-please."

I don't feel anything but rage.

Pure rage.

I place a ball gag in her mouth and tie the leather strap around her head. The entire time, she shakes her head, then slaps me across the face, but I don't flinch.

Once I grab her by the throat, I squeeze tight while she claws at my flesh, getting my skin under her nails, and I slam her against the wall two times. I let her go, and she falls to the ground.

I grab the zip tie from my pockets and force her arms in front of her, then I tie them around her wrists. Throwing her over my shoulders, I carry her to my car and place her in the trunk before closing it.

On my way home, my mind veers toward the best way to kill this bitch. I can drown her, break her neck, or toss her into a shallow grave and bury her alive, making her death slow.

Once I make it to the farmhouse, I carry her to the basement and wrap a chain around her neck that is attached to the wall.

Tears wet her eyes and fall down her cheeks.

"My fiancée decides your fate."

I kick her in her stomach, then walk upstairs to find Lyrical's eyes open. She tries to sit up.

"Savannah stabbed me," she says. "She really thinks that if I'm out of the picture, she can have you."

I want to tell her about my father and how he wants me to marry her instead.

"I have something to show you. Are you able to walk?"

She nods.

I don't believe her, so I scoop her up in my arms and I carry her down to the basement. When I flip the light switch, she looks around and her eyes land on Savannah.

Grasping, she clings onto me, as I set her on her feet, and lean down and cup her face.

"What do you want me to do with her?"

She looks at Savannah, then back at me, not appearing to be fazed by what I'm about to do to Savannah. I love that she accepts me for who I am.

She goes up to Savannah and slaps her across the face. Savannah screams into the gag, scooting away from Lyrical like a wounded animal.

"Kill her. She tried to kill me." Tears run down her cheeks. "I want to watch you do it."

There isn't any way I'm going to allow Lyrical to see what I'm about to do to Savannah. It can make you go crazy.

"No, I don't want you to watch me kill someone, Blue."

She stands on her tippy-toes and presses a kiss on my cheek.

"P-please. I want to see it. I deserve to see it. I want to see you hurt her."

"Are you sure? Seeing someone die changes you, and I don't want to scare you."

She runs her fingers through my hair. "There isn't anything you do that would scare me. Since we're going to be married soon, I need to be fully involved in your life, and not just what you show me. I accept you, Snow. All of you."

Her words cause my heart to jump.

Nodding, I grab a plastic bag from the top shelf of the cabinet and place it over Savannah's head. Her body thrashes as she kicks her legs, until she goes limp. I hold Lyrical's hand, but she snatches it away from me, and I remove the plastic bag from Savannah's head. Her eyes are bloodshot, popped out of their sockets, and her mouth hangs open.

Lyrical lifts her lifeless arm. I rub my lips against her shoulders. "How does it feel looking at a dead body?"

She shakes her head. "Shocking. I feel worry and fear. But I'm happy that she's gone."

I didn't expect her to say that.

We make it to the bedroom, where she climbs onto our bed, and I remove my clothes. I hop in the shower, then lie naked in bed with her. She lays her head on my chest and she grabs my dick, but I remove her hand.

"I'm turned on by what you did. I must be a sick person."

I lift her chin to gaze into her eyes. "You're not sick, Lyrical. It's okay to like what you like." I pause. "I don't want to hurt you, Blue."

Her gaze pleads with me. "You won't."

"We both know that I don't have a gentle bone in my body. When you heal, I'll fuck you any way you want. I'll gag you, tie you to the bed, and fuck you however I want to fuck you."

"Watching you kill her turns me on. It made me wet. Please fuck me. Fuck me like I'm your favorite toy."

"You have stitches."

"I'm fine, Shadow."

"You haven't called me that in a long time."

"Please."

"I'll give you head, but that's it."

I remove her underwear, and I slide my mouth to her clit, and I lick her until she orgasms on my tongue.

I invite Keanu and Jameson over to the house, while Lyrical is out bridal shopping with her friends and her mother. I need to tell them everything about what's going on.

They all pile into my living room, and Jameson proceeds to eat a bag of chips. I swear he has to be munching on something.

Sunlight through the window brightens up the room, and Keanu kicks up his shoes on the coffee table.

"I like your home, secluded and away from people." Keanu whistles. "I'll have so much fun with Lyrical here. Chasing her through the woods. Have her leaning over the cliff while I ram my dick inside of her."

Keanu doesn't know when to shut up and keep his thoughts to himself.

I ball up my fist. "Mention fucking my fiancée again and I'll toss your ass over said cliff."

He throws his hands up in the air and rolls his eyes. "Chill, bro. I was only joking. What crawled up your ass?"

"Why did you call us over here?" Jameson finishes off the bag of chips and tosses it into the trash can.

"My father sent Savannah to kill Lyrical."

They both narrow their eyes, then look at each other in confusion.

"Why?" Jameson wonders aloud.

"Because he wants me to kill Lyrical by the end of this semester to get revenge for the car accident." I sigh, leaning back against the wall. "Initially, I was getting revenge on her, making her my sex toy, but now, seeking revenge isn't as appealing."

"Because you love her."

I don't reply to Keanu's comment, because it's true. I love Lyrical; I never stopped loving her. I never stopped caring about her either. What I feel for her is more than love—she's part of my being, ever since I first laid eyes on her. I was filled with rage, but now, my father's wrath is getting out of control. He's more bloodthirsty than I was and he won't rest until she's dead.

"I killed Savannah, buried her body in a shallow grave, but I'm worried my father is going to find someone else to go after Lyrical. He hasn't gotten his hands dirty in years. Usually when he wants someone dead, he'll send me to do it."

"So, what do you want us to do?" Jameson asks, smoothing out his tie.

"Protect her at all costs. I'm going to marry her despite my father's wishes. As far as I'm concerned, I'm going through with the arranged marriage."

Keanu stands up from the couch, pacing the cream carpet. "You need to kill your father. He's not going to stop until the job is complete."

There is a knock on the door, and we all look up to see my father strolling in, his hands in his pockets, grinning from ear to ear.

"So, that's your plan to get rid of me? Huh?"

I go up to my father and punch him in the face.

He staggers back, shock coloring his face.

I pin him up and punch him in the gut.

"You sent Savannah to kill Lyrical."

He falls to the ground. I'm tired of holding back because he's my father. I'm tired of trying to protect the image of the family, and I'm tired of him making me feel like I'm not good enough.

"I didn't send Savannah to kill Lyrical. She did that of her own accord."

I go to punch my father in the face again, but Jameson stands in my way, blocking me.

"You're not thinking clearly, Snow. If you kill him, you're asking for a death sentence."

"I already have a death sentence."

I push Jameson out of the way, just as my father yanks out his gun from his holster, cocking it and holding it to my head.

"Time is ticking, son. If you don't have your fiancée's head on a silver platter for me by the end of the semester, I will take action. The only reason why I'm going easy on you is because you're my son, but you do not cross me and get away with it. So she has to pay. You should have stuck to your plan and kept going on with the revenge. Now, you're playing house with the bitch. Falling for the girl you're supposed to marry for money and wealth. You're a fucking dumbass, just like your mother."

"He's egging you on. Don't listen to him. If you kill him now, you will go to prison. He's not worth the risk," Jameson whispers in my ear.

"He's worth the risk as long as Lyrical is alive," I snap.

"No, he isn't. You won't be married to her if you get locked up."

"I know you killed Savannah," my father says, smirking. "I'll have another whore lined up to serve you to be your wife."

He beckons someone into the room and a woman with brunette hair and pale skin, dressed in only a trench coat, staggers in. She looks like one of the workers at the Billionaire Club, shaking like a leaf. I wouldn't be surprised if she's one of his whores.

This bastard has the audacity to bring another woman into my home. Into my fiancée's home. Smirking, I grab my knife from my boot, slice the blade across her throat like butter, and I watch her fall to the ground, gasping for air. She uses her bony fingers to cover the wound. Blood leaks onto my floor. Seconds later, the life leaves her eyes, and her head hits the marble floor, surrounded by a pool of her own blood.

I turn to my father. "Every bitch you bring in here to try to replace Lyrical, I'll kill them. Get the fuck out of my house."

A wicked grin spreads across his face as he tucks his gun back into his holster. "You have until the end of the semester, or I'm putting a hit on both of your heads," he reminds me.

Several moments later, I hear the door shut and slam my fist into the wall, causing my knuckles to ache.

"If I kill him, then they will automatically open up an investigation case on me. My father is protected by the judges in North Haven, because he knows too much," I say, looking out the window.

"They will want to pin it on someone, and you will be the first target," Jameson adds, glancing at the dead body.

"So, what should we do?" Keanu asks.

"Make his death an accident. Those are my favorite things to stage," Jameson answers. "A car accident?"

"That sounds cliché." Keanu leans against the wall, staring at the artwork above the mantelpiece.

"If you can come up with another plan, by all means, because that's all I got." Jameson sighs.

"Get her pregnant," Keanu says, tapping his finger on the wall. "I love feeling like I'm about to knock up a wo—"

"Hell no. Lyrical doesn't want kids yet," I state.

"You need to move the wedding up," Jameson murmurs.

"Why?"

"She'll have your last name and your father can't touch her then. He only cares about his image. If he tries to kill her, then they would have to open up an investigation on her."

"He'll just make it look like an accident, and he can buy off the judges on his payroll." I roll my eyes.

"I overheard my father on the phone with Clemon the other day," Jameson states. "He's burning a lot of bridges with his connections."

"What do you mean?" I question.

"He fucked Judge Clearance's wife and forced him to watch. He's not paying his debts to the mafia in New York City, like he was supposed to. Your father is the reason why the mafia had to disband their human trafficking ring. The only reason why they got busted is because your father didn't like the fact that the underboss wouldn't let him have a woman he wanted."

I know my father dealt with the mafia in the past, but I had no idea to which extent, and I didn't know that he stopped the sex trafficking ring on campus four years ago due to selfish reasons. It doesn't surprise me, though, how he has always done things out of personal gain.

"I'm not worried about him killing you. He won't. I suspect there's more than one reason for your father to want Lyrical dead."

"What do you mean?"

"He told my father right after Bailey's funeral that he's glad she was dead. He wasted too much money on her and didn't see a return. Why would he want you to kill Lyrical out of revenge if he never cared about Bailey? His words aren't lining up with his actions."

My father only cared about the mighty dollar and I already suspect he only saw us as an asset or a liability, but to hear it from someone else hurts like a bitch. I loved my father and often wanted his approval, but not anymore. He's dead to me.

"Fuck," I muster to say.

"Yeah, marry her," Keanu urges. "Marry her and not only will she be protected by law, but she'll be protected by our families as well. Our families will go to great lengths to protect her. If something happens to you t—"

"Nothing is going to happen," I snap.

"I know, but you never know, and she will be protected by us," Keanu says. "Then you kill him, and you will automatically become the CEO of the American Billionaire Club, keeping up with the traditions, and our fathers won't come after you or try to get you fired."

"I'll stalk your father, learn his patterns, and I can stage his car accident." Jameson walks to the minibar, pouring himself a glass of liquor.

"It's a fuck-you to your father if you marry her," Keanu adds. "Flaunt her around, use her as a pawn."

"She's more than a pawn, Keanu. You say that again and I'll cut your tongue out of your mouth," I say, irritated.

"No matter how you spin it, Snow. That's all she will be. Lyrical is the target. Even our loved ones can become pawns in this type of lifestyle, and women have always been pawns to us because we use them to have our kids and keep them at home. They are always second to us."

He's right. I don't like using Lyrical as a pawn in my scheme for revenge, but she's benefiting from it too. I want her to be protected, and I will not rest until I have my father's head on a silver platter.

"I'll set up the arrangement for Lyrical and I to elope, but let's get this dead body off my floor. It's starting to stink."