Before I had time to process what he was talking about, his fist barreled into my stomach, and I fell to my knees on the floor, the wind knocked out of me. But it didn’t stop there as the bulky guy looked over his shoulder at Killian’s father and with a nod from him, he grabbed me by the hair then slammed his fist into my face. My lip split as I bit my tongue and blood pooled in my mouth and dribbled down my chin.
I grabbed the duvet, trying to pull myself up, but collapsed on the floor again, my head spinning from the blow.
The shadow of my abuser backed off, and Killian’s father took his place, crouching in front of me. I jerked back when he reached to touch my swollen lip and fell on my ass, my spine hitting the nightstand.
“A rock star who has a violent past and beats his girlfriend.” He tsked. “I wonder what the media will have to say about him now?”
“He’d never hurt me,” I spat. “Killian would die before he laid a hand on me.”
He stood towering over me. “Maybe so. But the media will spin it my way, especially when I tell them about his arrest at the raid. Juvie. And the kids he beat up. I wonder how many of them would talk now?”
“Why? Why do you want to hurt him?”
“Because he ruined everything,” he shouted. “She was my wife. Mine. And she thought she could take Kill and leave me—for him. My own brother. I’d never let that happen. Never.”
Oh, God. Killian was his brother’s child. The uncle whom he lived with after his father left him in juvie. Did Killian know? Did his uncle?
I couldn’t imagine what it was like for Killian to grow up with a man who held such animosity for him. And it wasn’t his fault. Then to lose his brother and his mother and be left with this man.
Tears stained my cheeks. “Don’t hurt him. Please.”
“I don’t plan on hurting him,” he sneered. “He’ll do that all by himself. That façade he plays so well will crumble and Kill will end up exactly where he was meant to be… in jail.”
“At least you’ll be dead. Because he’s going to kill you.”
My words bounced right off him as he quirked a smile. “I see why he’s infatuated with you. You’re exceptionally beautiful when you’re angry.” He turned and headed for the door, pausing to say to his crony, “Don’t be long. Meet me on the roof.”
I scrambled to my feet and managed a half scream before he grabbed me and cut off my air with his arm hooking my neck. I kicked out at the lamp on the nightstand, and it crashed to the floor.
Please, Trevor. Anyone.
“Fuck,” he growled. He abruptly released me, and I staggered back, sucking in air. I didn’t see his fist come toward me until it was too late.
I hit the floor and everything went dark.
I called Savvy in the car on the way back from the airport, but it rang then went to voice mail. It was two in the morning and she may have fallen asleep. I smiled, thinking about my mouth on her pussy.
Fuckin’ two days. It had been hell without her, and the guys had noticed. I’d let Logan deal with the magazine, which was normally my deal. I’d even gone to my hotel room early both nights so I could talk to Savvy. There was nothing sweeter than Savvy saying goodnight to me in her honey voice over the phone.
Logan and Ream both lived out of the city, so Roman was driving them and Crisis left his car at the airport.
I called again. No answer. I pressed End and sent her a text that I was five minutes away. I didn’t have a key to her place, so as much as I’d love to wake her with my mouth between her legs, I couldn’t.
“Okay, what’s the deal with this chick Savvy?” Crisis asked, glancing over at me. “You’ve been with a lot of chicks, man, but this is different. She’s either really fuckin’ good in bed and is into your ropes and shit or she’s permanent.”
I slipped my phone back in my pocket. “Both.”
Crisis slapped the heel of his hand on the steering wheel. “I fuckin’ knew it. Ream owes me a case of beer.”
I shook my head. “You guys made a bet?”
He shrugged. “Yeah. He thought you’d never last.” He glanced at me. “Your track record sucks, so he had the advantage, but you bringing her to my mom and dad’s place, that sealed it. Kite, man, we’ve lived together. I saw you bring chicks home. Never with the same one twice. Never. But this one, you bring to family dinner, to Logan’s, to your vacant warehouse that you don’t call home.” He huffed. “And it’s not. Fuck, man, you need to sell that place. Or at least decorate if you want to keep a girl like Savvy. Or get a cat. Something to say you’re normal living in that place.”