Brutal Kiss

And my father’s going to let it happen.

I scream again as the thought locks into place and I know it’s true.

I already see it. Fergal Halloran will let his daughter be abused for the rest of her life all to stop a war he can’t win. God, I hate him. I hate them all so much it’s like a fire in the pit of my stomach, and I scream again, this time in fury, as Maceo’s grip on my hair tightens and his hand squeezes my right breast.

“Pretty girl,” he coos, grinning now.

The door opens behind him suddenly. A figure stands there. He clears his throat. “Maceo.”

I know that voice. Maceo doesn’t move. He stares down at me with lust and hate, a disgusting mix. He’s not seeing me as a person but as a collection of holes he wants to violate. Tears stream down my face, and I’m inches away from begging for him to stop.

“Let the girl go.” Maceo grunts once and obeys. I sit back, struggling to catch my breath, then scramble to the wall and pull my knees to my chest. Emin is smiling and shaking his head. “You horny old bastard. You couldn’t even wait until she was your wife.”

“I wanted to try her out first.” Maceo grins and shrugs like it’s no big deal he was going to rape me.

“Ah, come on, look at her. She’s half beaten to death and crying, and you were still going to try and get it up for the bitch?”

“What can I say. The crying doesn’t bother me, and I don’t need to see her face.”

I want to vomit.

“We have work to do,” Emin says, laughing again. “Leave the girl alone. For now at least. You’ll have your fun soon.”

Maceo waves a hand at me and turns. “I can wait another day. Absence makes the heart grow fonder, isn’t that right?”

Emin chuckles as Maceo walks out of the room past him. The leader of the Turkish mafia faces me, grinning.

“I’m glad you’re getting to know your future husband. You two will have a lot of time to spend together, starting tomorrow.”

He turns and leaves, the door locking behind him.

Chapter 27

Rian

“How the fuck could you let this happen?” I grab Callum’s shirt and slam him back against the wall of Fergal Halloran’s office. Books and statues rattle on their shelves, and a clock falls over, bouncing off the carpet.

Callum grunts and tries to shove me away. Nolan grabs my arms, attempting to wrench them back, but they’re like children trying to resist me. I punch Callum in the gut and roar as I turn on Nolan, slamming my head into his face, my forehead connecting with his nose viciously.

Nolan grunts as he staggers back, nose bleeding. “You motherfucker,” he says, trying to stop the blood from dripping all over. “You think we wanted this?” His voice is all nasally, and I’m sure I broke his nose.

I don’t care what he wanted. I don’t care that I’m assaulting the two remaining children of the chief. I turn on Callum, and I’m going to kill the motherfucker because they failed to keep Daley safe.

Because I failed, too.

I should’ve been there with her. They didn’t tell me they were taking her somewhere—but they should’ve brought me. If I were there, this never would’ve happened. Aiden might still be alive. Daley wouldn’t be captured.

I would’ve died instead.

I want to break Callum’s neck, and I’m going to do it, but the cold steel of a gun presses up against my throat.

“Stop now,” Callum says, glaring into my eyes. His expression is hard, and I have no doubt that he’d pull the trigger if I don’t obey.

I want him to do it.

Let him kill me here and now. I’ve been through enough already, lost so fucking much, and I don’t think I can survive losing Daley, too. Not after finally getting her back. Not after having one incredible taste of her.

I can’t live if she’s not in my life. Not anymore.

I’m ruined by her, and this will kill me.

“How could you do this? How could you sell her to the Turks?” I spit the questions in his face, snarling, barely restrained.

“It was our best option.” Something twitches in Callum’s jaw. “I didn’t like it, but it’s what our father decided.”

“And you do whatever Daddy says, huh?”

“We both argued against this whole fucking mess if that helps at all.” Nolan dabs at his nose with tissues. “Motherfucking prick. What is the matter with you?”

“She didn’t deserve this,” I say, stepping closer to Callum. The gun barrel presses tighter to the nape of my neck. “None of you fucking deserved to have her in your family.”

“You need to understand something, Rian.” Callum sounds cold and calculating. The son of the chief, the fucking bastard. “You’re a soldier. You’re an enforcer. You obey orders. You don’t get to tell us what we can and cannot do, especially not when it comes to our own sister. So shut your mouth.”