EPILOGUE

EPILOGUE

COLTON

I STAND SURROUNDED by woods back behind the Cathedral in the cemetery—it’s the Lords’ personal burial ground. Raylee stands about ten feet in front of me, her large sunglasses on her face as the sun starts to rise over the tall trees. It’s not quite that bright yet, but she wears them to cover up the bruises from Nate. They’re not as bad as they were, but still noticeable.

She turns, giving me a profile view, and smiles at something Alex says to her. It’s a real one. Over the past week, I’ve seen her fake it.

Last night, I woke up in bed alone and found her on the couch. The moment she saw me, she wiped her eyes and put a smile on her face. Like she thinks I don’t know the difference.

I’m not going to call her out on it, though. When I asked her what she was doing, she told me she couldn’t sleep and wanted to watch TV but didn’t want to wake me. I carried her back to our room, laid her in bed, and turned on the TV. She fell asleep in my arms before the movie even started while I ended up staying awake the rest of the night.

I catch sight of Finn walking over to me. “How’s the hand?” he asks so only I can hear.

I look down and stretch out my fingers before making a fist. “Getting better.”

“You okay?” he asks.

“Yeah.” I nod. After Raylee told me she loved me, she passed out almost instantly, crying herself to sleep. I waited for a few minutes, grabbed Nate’s phone out of the drawer, and went downstairs to watch the video.

I don’t know what my sick mind thought I’d see, but I was not prepared.

Afterward, I went a little crazy. Broke some shit and punched a wall. Finn found me sitting in the dark and tried to calm me down, but there was nothing he could do. I still hear the words echo in my head.

“Tell Colt that you’re my dirty fucking slut now.”

“Tell him how much you’re going to enjoy me tying you down and letting my friends fuck you.”

“They’re going to use you like the whore you are, baby.”

“Beg him now!”

“Huh, you fucking whore. Beg Colt to fuck you now.”

It made me sick to my stomach. But Finn was right. She fought hard. I watched it, holding my breath. Even though I knew she was in our bed upstairs asleep, I kept waiting for her to close her eyes and not open them again. I didn’t tell her I watched it, but I think she knew something was up the next morning.

“What happened to your hand?” she asks, looking down at it.

It’s swollen to the point I can’t even make a fist, covered in cuts and bruises.

“Jesus, Colt,” she whispers at my silence. “It looks broken. You should see the doctor.”

“I’m fine.” I brush off her concern. How can she even be worried about me? It’s just a hand. It’ll heal.

“What did you do?” she goes on.

“I did it when I hit Mike,” I lie. The way her brows pull down, I know she’s having a hard time believing it. I’m not going to tell her I watched the video and went ballistic in the living room. She hasn’t even mentioned it to me that Nate was recording them. She doesn’t want me to know a video of that exists. I don’t blame her. “Come on. You need to eat breakfast and take your pain pills.”

“I don’t need them.” She drops her eyes to the floor, and I step into her.

“You need to take them.” I know her. If she doesn’t take the pills and relax, she’ll do too much. Hurt herself even more. Thankfully, Gavin said nothing was broken, but that doesn’t mean she’s not in pain right now. Especially after what I did to her last night when we got back from the Cathedral.

She crosses her arms over her chest. “I’ll take them when you see the doctor about your hand.”

“Doesn’t work that way, princess.”

We make our way downstairs to the kitchen, and all the guys are already at the table. Jenks leans under it and kicks the chair out across from him for her to sit on.

“Aren’t you a gentleman?” Finn laughs.

“I have my moments.” He shrugs.

“I’m going to go use the restroom,” Raylee announces and walks down the hall.

I almost ask if she needs me to go with her but decide against it. She doesn’t like to be coddled. After the way she started a fight with me last night, I know she already thinks I’m treating her differently after what happened. And now that I’ve seen the video, I’m not sure that I can treat her any other way. I declared my love for her. She’s my responsibility. I have to protect her.

She returns, sitting down in the seat next to me. I reach over, gripping one of the legs with my good hand and pull her closer to my side. Reaching forward, I grab the cereal and milk that the guys have out and start to pour her a bowl.

“What happened in the living room?” she asks.

“Alex,” Finn answers quickly before anyone else can rat me out. “He got mad at his ex.”

“That’s why she’s an ex.” Alex laughs, playing along. “Always pissing me off.”

Raylee nods once. “Yeah, I was going to call Raven yesterday before …” Nate kidnapped and raped her. “To check in. I’m worried about her.”

Alex sits up straighter, placing his forearms on the table. “Worried how?”

She shrugs. “Could be nothing, but Rick gave me the creeps. Tatum too.”

“Who the fuck is Rick?” Alex snaps.

“Uh…” She nibbles nervously on her busted bottom lip. “He was at Mitch’s party with her…”

“Goddammit,” he growls, snatching his phone off the table and storming out of the kitchen.

“How’s she doing?” Finn asks, getting my attention.

I sigh. How do I respond to that? She’s the same but different. She’s been starting fights with me over the past week. Often. I see them coming a mile away. She starts to shut down before my eyes. Then the next thing I know, she’s yelling at me, wanting a fight. Physically pushing me to the point I have to remind her whose name is carved into her ass.

She wants our sex rough. More than it ever has been, which is hard, considering she’s still healing. Every time, she cries during, sobs afterward, and then she’s better. It’s almost as if the sex is therapeutic for her. Her way of coping. I hate it, but I’d do anything for her. We fucked three times just yesterday alone.

“Good,” I finally say.

“It’ll get better.” He slaps my back as if he doesn’t believe my answer.

I don’t pretend to understand what she went through but watching the video gave me a better idea as to why she wanted me to fuck her. Why she needed me to remind her she belonged to me. Nate took something from her that she’s trying to get back. Raylee is stubborn, and she’s going to do whatever has to be done to prove to herself that she’s still the same Raylee. Even if that means pushing herself past her own limits.

She says something to Jenks, and my eyes fall on her once again. She’s dressed in one of my black hoodies, black skinny jeans, and black boots. Her bleach-blond hair is up in a messy bun, and she’s pushed her sunglasses to sit on top of her head.

We’re having dinner at our parents’ house next weekend. Raylee said by then she should be able to cover up what’s left of the bruising with makeup. I’ve decided I’m going to tell them about us. She doesn’t know it, and she may get mad at me, but I don’t care. I’ve kept her a secret long enough. I want to be the man she deserves, and that’s someone who is proud to love her. And if anyone disagrees with us being together, then fuck them. Her feelings are the only ones that matter to me.

RAYLEE

I TURN, LOOKING over my shoulder to see Colt talking to Finn. They look to be in a deep conversation. Their words are too hushed for me to hear what it’s about.

I’ve been pushing him more and more every day over the past week. More so than I ever have before. I think he really wants to kill me, but I’m not going to let up on him.

I love him, and he loves me.

I never expected my love to match my hatred for him. I thought the game of who can destroy the other was what would do us in. But love? That’s the deadliest kind of drug. I realized that day in his room after we got back from the Cathedral that his love for me can force him to do things against his will.

It gives me more power than I ever had.

Apart, we were our own worst enemy, but together? We’re explosive. An unbeatable team.

I haven’t apologized for setting his car on fire, and I never will. The stupid bastard should have never recorded us, let alone shared it on social media. Plus, I’m sure he’ll piss me off at some point, and I’ll set something else of his on fire.

“Have you spoken to Raven?” I ask Alex, placing my attention back on him.

He shakes his head. “Nope. She won’t answer my phone calls or return my texts.”

I’ll text her tomorrow.I’ve stayed hidden at the house with Colt. I haven’t even seen Tatum. Not until the stitches are out of my face and the bruises are faded more. Not wanting to have to talk about what happened. I want to move on. And it’ll be harder if I have to talk about it every day.

I feel a set of hands on my shoulders, and I jump. “Ready?” Colt whispers in my ear from behind me.

I nod, thankful he doesn’t acknowledge my unease. What Nate took from me isn’t going to return overnight, but I’m determined to move on and not let that fucker control my life. Right now, I feel good. It’s been a long week, but I’m healing. Like Colt said—one day at a time.

Colt kisses my cheek, and I feel him pull away, stepping back. Letting me know I can do this on my own, but all I have to do is say the word, and he’ll take over for me.

A man who I now know by the name of Tyson walks into my line of sight. I sat down with him, Colt, and the guys a couple of nights ago in his office at his club Blackout. Colt told me I could ask whatever I wanted, and they would answer it. I learned that night that I had been living with four men who have very dark secrets. It should have made me run away from him, but instead, it made me love Colt even more. Nothing about our past together has ever not been complicated. Besides, Colt has seen me at my worst, and he still chose me. I’ll always choose him too. No matter what he does.

“Here you go,” Tyson announces, dragging Mike behind him by the rope that is wrapped around his wrists. He’s got duct tape wrapped all the way around his mouth and head, like Nate did to me.

Tyson brings him to a tree and throws the rope over a limb before tying it off, securing Mike to it with his hands above his head. His shoes barely touch the ground.

Finn steps in front of me with a smirk playing on his lips. “Give him hell, Ray.” He holds out a Paslode XP nail gun. The same one I used on Nate. He gave me a crash course on it a few days ago. Turns out, the damn thing has some kind of safety. And it only shoots nails when it’s pressed up against the target. Or you can pull the slide back. But I didn’t have that luxury with my wrists tied together. I didn’t know what I did to make it work last time. I’m just glad I know how to work it now. Winking at me, he adds, “I’ve been charging it for you. It’s loaded with fifty nails. Ready for you to use. And I brought plenty more.” He nods to his backpack on the ground by his feet.

The sound of Mike screaming behind his gag makes me smile. “Thanks, Finn.”

I take it in my hands, and it seems even heavier than that day at Mike’s. My heart is racing but not like it was then. This is a different kind of adrenaline. There’s a calmness when it comes to revenge. I know what I’m doing isn’t any better than him, but I just don’t give a fuck.

I’ve always had that kind of attitude, but now I only care about one thing—Colt. He allows me to pull him into the darkness so I can bathe in the light. And I do the same for him.

But Mike deserves to know what it feels like to be helpless. To have no hope of anyone coming to save him. To be humiliated.

“Hey, Finn?” I turn to face him on my right. He’s the closest to me. Everyone else stands behind us.

“Yeah, gorgeous?” he asks.

“Do you have your pocketknife on you?”

“Always.” He pulls it from his pocket and flips it open. “Want to carve him up first?”

I shake my head. “Will you remove his shirt?”

Mike starts thrashing, twisting his body around and kicking his legs out, forcing me to take a step back so they don’t hit me. Finn punches him in the stomach, making him hunch over the best he can with his hands tied above his head. Then Finn starts cutting the T-shirt off his body. Once done, he closes the knife. “All yours.”

“Hold this for a sec.” I offer him the nail gun and he takes it. I undo Mike’s belt and unfasten his jeans. I rip them down his legs along with his boxers to his ankles and fasten the belt, tying his legs together.

I want to humiliate him. Plus, it keeps him from kicking his legs out at me.

“Thanks.” I reach out, taking the nail gun back.

“My pleasure.” Finn smirks.

Mike is screaming, his chest heaving. He throws his head back, looking up at his tied arms as if he can come up with a way to save himself. It’s not going to happen.

Lifting the nail gun, I hold it against the side of his flaccid dick. He stills, body going stiff. I look up into his wide eyes and pull the trigger. He screams so loud behind the tape that the birds fly out of the surrounding trees. “I know how much you hate blood on your dick,” I say, tilting my head to the side. I make fun of the fact he stopped fucking me after he learned I was a virgin. Even though I know it was because of his fear of Colt.

I hear a gagging noise behind me and turn around to see Alex bent over, his hands on his knees trying not to vomit. Finn is smiling, nodding his head. Jenks is rubbing Alex’s back. “Dude, you kill for a fucking living.”

Alex shakes his head and stands upright, crossing his legs with his hand over his dick like he’s next.

I look at Colt, who is staring at me intently. He’s got his legs wide, and arms crossed over his chest. He arches a brow as if to ask me if I need help, and I give him a smile.

I can do it myself.

Turning back to Mike, I shove the jagged edge into his thigh and pull the trigger. His body jerks while he sobs into the duct tape.

Then I do it again to his other leg. As I smile, a sick and twisted feeling of satisfaction comes over me when I see the blood run down his hairy legs.

I decide to hit both arms. I had to be quick with Nate because my life depended on it. But right now? I’ve got Colt and his friends here. I’m safe and can take my time.

Crying, he shakes his head, and I hit him in the stomach. My breathing picks up at how pathetic he looks. This was me—a sobbing mess on the floor—and it makes my teeth clench. How helpless I was. What would they have done to me if I hadn’t killed Nate by the time Mike returned home?

I pull the trigger again on his hip. And then on his knee.

Finn reloads it for me twice. I pull the trigger over and over. Holding it up against Mike’s body, he hangs there, head falling forward while I pump him full of nails. But he’s not the one who’s screaming, I am. Tears run down my face while my heart pounds in my chest. I don’t let go until I run out again. Letting it drop to my side, Finn reaches out for it, but I step away from him, needing a moment.

“Princess.” I blink tears away to see Colt now standing in front of me, and he reaches out his hand. “Hand me the nail gun.”

I shake my head, too tired to go on but not ready to let go.

“It’s empty again.” He looks down at it dangling by my side, softly tapping my thigh. “He’s dead. It’s over.”

I sniff, and his green eyes search mine. “You did good, princess.” His warm hands cup my face, and I lick my wet lips. “How about we go home now?”

Yeah.That’s what I need. Him and me in our bed. The world falls away when it’s just us. He knows how to make nothing else matter.

I hold out the gun, and he takes it, handing it off to Finn.

Turning back to face me, Colt kisses me. His tongue invades my mouth, and I moan into his. My heavy arms wrap around his neck, and I open up for him, letting him dominate me.

One of his arms wraps around my back while his other hand holds my head in place. He growls deep in his chest when he tastes my tears.

I don’t know what’s going to happen today or tomorrow, but I do know that no matter what, Colton Knox will be by my side, reminding me that he belongs to me. And I will crawl on my hands and knees, begging him to make me his.

The end

Thank you for taking the time to read Sabotage. I hope that you enjoyed it. Want to discuss Sabotage with other readers? Be sure to join the spoiler room on Facebook. Shantel Tessier’s Spoiler Room. Please note that I have one spoiler room for all books, and you may come across spoilers from book(s) you have not had the chance to read yet. You must answer both questions in order to be approved.

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If you want to see where it started for the Lords, please continue to read the prologue and chapter one of The Ritual: A Dark College Romance.