Page 81

“Motherfucker,” Jac says before pounding the handle of the pistol into Aidan’s head, knocking him out. His body flops to the floor with a thud, and we watch as Jac’s back heaves.

He slowly turns toward us, eyes bouncing back and forth between me and Camila.

“Get her somewhere safe.”

“No fucking way. You think I’m letting her out of my sight after all the shit that just happened?”

“Ezra and Daniel are on their way here. You can get them to take her home.”

Camila shifts in my arms, unhooking one of her legs from my waist and lowering herself to stand on her own. Her arms leave my neck, and I watch as she sluggishly wanders over to an empty booth and sinks herself into it.

She sits facing us, but her normally vibrant green eyes have taken on a muted tone, and she stares straight ahead at nothing.

I move to her on instinct, sliding into the seat next to her. I shove the round table out of the way that’s digging into my rib and blocking my access to her. My eyes spring around her, checking over every inch of her face and body. My hands reach out towards her face, forehead, and anywhere else that I can touch. My fingers roam through her tangled hair, which sure as hell didn’t look like that when I left her. She must have put up a fight. And that, more than anything, sends a burst of rage through me. But her eyes don’t move an inch. She doesn’t look at me. She doesn’t even blink.

What the fuck have I done?

Jac watches the full encounter, springing into action when he realises Camila is frozen to the spot. He shoves his gun into his cargo trouser pocket and rushes over to the bar, pulling out a clean glass and filling it with water from the soda gun. He pushes the table back towards us, my hand shoots out to stop him from moving the table any further, and we’re locked in a staredown for a few seconds before he relents and places the glass in front of her.

She doesn’t acknowledge it. She simply stares.

She’s numb. Mentally checked out.

I’m going to fucking find out whatever happened with her and Aidan up there.

But most importantly, my heart slices open at the knowledge that I’ve also caused this. I’ve done this to her. I drop my chin to my chest and berate myself and my brain for not letting me function like a normal fucking human being.

“Fuck,” I curse under my breath and glance over at Camila one more time before facing Jac. “Jac, help me.”

He nods and follows me out of the booth. I glance at Camila again as we walk towards Aidan’s bloodied body. I fold my hands under his shoulders while Jac takes his legs. We heave his body up onto the stage in front of the pole.

“Tie him up,” I order. Jac’s mouth jumps up at the corner, knowing exactly what’s about to happen to this piece of shit.

Concern and rage mix together in a swirl of nausea in my stomach as I take another look at Camila and see her in the same position we left her in, her glass of water still full.

More than that, Jayden is locked down in our basement. Luckily for him, I already had plans to make his death as painful as possible for even looking in Camila’s direction.

Jac returns seconds later with a rope and duct tape, wasting no time in tying Aidan up. His face is a mask of calm, but I know the storm of chaos brewing inside him. I’ve seen him enough times in action to recognise it.

His mind isn’t as perfect as he likes to make it out to be.

Aidan releases a low groan as Jac finishes tying his torso to the pole. I grab an open bottle of expensive vodka from the bartop and pour it on the wound in his leg. He’s not worth the expensive shit, but it’s the cheapest we have.

“Wake the fuck up, you prick,” I sneer.

He lets out a shaky yell as the spirit seeps into his wound, chest rising and falling rapidly. Jacques rounds the pole with duct tape in his hand. The sound of tape ripping fills the room as he tears it from the roll and slaps a strip of it over Aidan’s mouth. His eyes pinch at the corners, and he winces as the back of his head makes contact with the metal.

His eyes peel open, and he lets out a muffled laugh as he takes in his surroundings, eyes landing on me. He twists his head to the side, his gaze catching Camila’s, who’s still in the same position. I lash out, taking two long steps towards him and connecting my fist with his jaw. It makes a resounding crack as his head whips to the other side, and he lets out a strangled cough.

“Do not look at her,” I growl. “You look at me and only me from now on.”

He laughs through the tape again as he lolls his head back to the middle of the pole, his grey eyes locking on mine in mock amusement. Jac bends down behind him, pressing a knife into the apple of his throat and smiling when he feels Aidan’s body stiffen, all amusement gone.

“Good. Now, we’re going to ask questions, and you’re going to answer them,” I state, my voice full of malice. I nod towards Jac, who rips the tape off his mouth, leaving behind a bright red mark. Aidan immediately hunches over, coughing up blood onto his legs.

Once the coughing stops, his laugh returns.

I’m getting really fucking sick of his laughter. I feel like I’m missing a joke here.