Blackbird (Redemption 1)

All I had wanted was to help the girl get away from her abusive father. All I had wanted was to save someone whose fear and desperation had sparked some protective instinct inside me. But, I’d been taken in her place.

A humorless laugh forced its way out of my chest at that realization.

But despite the countless times I’d wondered why this had happened to me, and begged to be freed, I knew being taken was a blessing in disguise.

No, I hadn’t had a horrible life like the ones I’d heard about from William’s women. I hadn’t been beaten or raped or starved by family members or boyfriends. I hadn’t been saved the way they had described—even if they should have been given the option to leave their previous lives rather than stolen from them.

But my life? It had been predetermined.

Rich parents with a need to flash their money and only child around like a show pony. I was put in classes and given lessons to be the best and be proper. I’d known I would marry into more money; that was non-negotiable. I’d just been lucky that Kyle had fit my parents’ plan for me.

I’d grown up knowing what the next day, month, even year would hold. I’d grown up knowing how my adult life would turn out, and I’d been happy—excited about it even—and eager to begin it. And it had. Life had droned on exactly how I’d thought it would . . . until it didn’t.

Until I came face to face with the devil who showed me a life I would have never known existed.

And a love I never wanted to live without.

Chapter 29

Day 71 with Briar

Lucas

I didn’t have the driver take me home until late that night, and because of the shit I’d put him through that day, I gave him a month’s pay as an unspoken apology.

But as soon as I walked into the house, I almost called him back and asked him to take me anywhere other than that empty house.

Because all of it was too familiar . . . but still so different. Everything I’d sworn I would never go through again, I’d let repeat.

But this?

Briar?

I didn’t know how to survive this.

I went to the upper level and walked slowly to her room. I flipped the lights on and looked over to the made bed, and my heart dropped when I noticed the papers and money were gone. I forced myself from the room, knowing it would only kill me slowly to stay in there longer, and went back downstairs.

It was dark and quiet, as it had been for years before she’d come into my life . . . but now it felt all wrong.

I swallowed past the tightness in my throat and headed for my office, only stopping on the way to grab a bottle of bourbon. I didn’t need a glass. I needed to stop feeling.

My cell phone rang, and as soon as the distinctive ringtone registered in my mind, I stopped abruptly just feet from the office door. I stared straight ahead, not seeing anything in front of me, just listening as my phone rang and rang, dreading this call.

“Yeah?” I answered in a dark tone, and was greeted with silence. “Unless you’re worried about a bottle of bourbon hearing you, you can speak.”

“How are things progressing?”

Progressing. I hated that word. I thought about the girl who was in the air, on her way back to Atlanta at that exact moment, and blew out a harsh breath. “They’re not,” I admitted.

There was a beat of silence before he demanded, “What do you mean, they’re not?”

I waved behind me with the bottle of bourbon, as if to show that my house was now empty, but otherwise didn’t respond. Instead, I flipped the light on in my office and walked to the desk from memory as I focused on opening the bottle and fell into my chair with a huff. The bottle was kissing my lips when I turned toward the computer and saw the piece of paper taped to it.

You IDIOT!

Yeah, Blackbird . . . Yeah. I took a swig, and focused on nothing but the burn as the liquid slid down my throat.

I was stalling. The man on the other end of the call and I both knew it, and I wanted nothing more than to continue, because my next words would change so many things. And as soon as I told him I’d sent my girl back home, I would be putting my name on a bullet, putting him in a difficult position, and creating chaos that shouldn’t be touching our world.