“I hate to break up this moment, but I’m not here for this shit. Sit.”

“Fuck you.” I’d be damned if I obeyed and took the commands given to a dog.

“No, I don’t think so, but you will sit.” He gripped Lake tighter than necessary, and she stifled a cry. I picked up on his subtle threat to use her against me. I gritted my teeth and sat after noticing a nearby guard’s attention was focused on our table.

“Let her go.” My hands itched to get his hands off her. He had to be six shades of stupid to touch what’s mine.

“I will as soon as you give me what I want.”

“Which is?”

“I want you to plead guilty to the murder of your father.”

“What do you know about his murder?”

“I killed him, son. Isn’t it obvious?” he scoffed as if he were truly affronted.

“What’s not obvious is why you think I’d plead guilty to his murder?”

He nodded his head at Lake who wisely remained silent the entire time. I knew the shock of my backward slide into darkness was what had her nearly catatonic. “Because I’ll make her suffer to the very last moment. I’ll fuck her, too. I’m curious to know what kind of treasure lies underneath her tight clothing. She might as well be wearing nothing. She’s just as sexy in or out.”

“You’re not going to touch her.”

“I beg to differ. Maybe I’ll touch her anyway as a bargaining chip not to kill her.”

“You touch her, then you might as well kill her. She’ll be useless to me.” I heard her intake of breath and willed myself not to look at her. One look would give everything away.

“That’s funny you say that. She seemed confident in your love for her just hours ago.”

I knew men like Greg. He was going to kill her, and possibly rape her, whether I pled guilty or not. It was in his eyes. As soon as he left here and got her alone, he’d rape and kill her. I hated what I had to do but Lake was alone. I was stuck in here and everyone was preoccupied with Dash’s shooting. No one would be able to save her, including me.

“She a fucking chick. I take good care of my toys, and she’s a decent fuck. Her virginity was a bonus and kept me around. I’m a killer, motherfucker, not a lover.”

I did look at her then and tried to convey the reality of her situation. I just hoped she didn’t wait until the last minute to realize just how alone she was. She was going to have to save herself.

I held Greg’s stare, but my next words were for her. “I’m stuck behind bars. I can’t fight, so you do what you have to do. You’ll win.”

Chapter Twenty-One

LAKE

In the face of fear once more, I battled with the natural instinct to falter and the foreign need to fight. Keiran had sat and watched us go with a grave look in his eyes. When Greg’s back was turned, I pushed aside the hurt and took one last look at him. He smiled a sad smile that didn’t reach his eyes and mouthed, ‘I love you.’

My mouth fell open with the realization that it had all been bullshit.

An act.

I was too wrapped up in the hurtful words he spoke to see the truth. I replayed the conversation between him and Greg and the look he gave me just before Greg snatched me away from the table.

What had he really been trying to say?

Greg ended the visit before he could say more. I knew he was going to kill me, and there was nothing I could do about it.

“I’m stuck behind bars. I can’t fight so you do what you have to do. You’ll win.”

It clicked.

It all fucking clicked.

He wanted me to fight back.

I had to win—for him, me and for what may be our future. I absently slid my hand across my belly, temporarily forgetting the detachment I had forced myself to feel.

“Your boyfriend fucked up bad. Either that was complete bullshit or you are one deluded chick to believe he is in love with you. I almost felt sorry for you.” I was brought back to reality by his gruff voice and rough handling as he pulled us across the street.

This was my cue.

My first stand for survival.

“I—I just don’t understand. I thought he loved me.”

“Chick’s always think it’s love.”

I sniffled to showcase my woe while silently wondering if he knew he was too old to still refer to women as chicks.

“All those years wasted thinking we had something special. I’d never been anything more than his whore.”

“Maybe killing you will be doing you a favor,” he stated as he pushed me against the car and yanked my hands behind me. With them hidden, he secured the zip tie once more and shoved me inside his musty car, but not before pushing his groin against my ass. I revolted at the feel of him harden.