Severance (Entangled Series Book 2) Read online

  My purpose?

  With a blank stare, I remain silent and keep my thoughts to myself. His eyes grow darker and his expression becomes sinister when I don’t take the bait. I may have done some stupid shit in my life, but I’m not an idiot. I know these assholes have kept tabs on me and I know what they’re capable of.

  This time, I’m not giving them what they want… not without a fight.

  Stan leans forward, brushing a stray curl from my face and crouches down until he’s eye level with me. His hands fall onto my knees and he grips them roughly.

  “I must say, I am pretty fucking proud, princess,” he croons as he pulls my legs apart. His hot breath skates across my skin and the pungent smell of stale liquor fills my nose. “I heard it costs a pretty penny for you to work your magic with that golden pussy.”

  Instinctively, my body reacts and attempts to draw my knees together. Stan’s fingertips dig into my flesh as he firmly keeps my legs spread open. Adrenaline floods my senses as his intentions grow clearer and the panic quickly sets in.

  Stan roughly slides his hands up my thighs and underneath my shorts. My skin burns under his ill-intended touch and time stands still as he moves across my bare flesh.

  My body’s frozen and I squeeze my eyes shut tight, searching for any reprieve from his unwarranted hands. My mind quickly takes me away from here, away from Stan, and takes me to him.

  Kai.

  His soft brown eyes are warm, but his voice is demanding and his words are clear.

  Show no weakness.

  Those three words were forever etched in my soul in the melody of his voice.

  Those three words were a mantra that would never fail me.

  Those three words kept Kai from failing me, but in the end, I’m the one who showed weakness.

  I’m the one who failed.

  A calmness settles deep in my bones as Kai’s voice rings in my head. Like a ship lost at sea, he’s the light shining from the shore that leads me home. He’s the anchor that holds me steady amongst the swells of the storm.

  Crashing back to reality, I’m on high alert and hyperaware of what’s unfolding before me. My eyes flash open and collide with Stan’s as he grabs the waistband of my shorts.

  He pauses, fisting the material and smirks. “This one is on the house, princess.” He winks as he gathers the thin string from my thong in his hands. “I don’t pay for pussy, especially when I’m the one who taught that pussy how to take a dick.”

  The words leave his mouth just as his hands start to move, but I’m ready. It’s a blind shot, but it’s my only chance. My foot darts out and hits him directly between his legs.

  “FUCK!” Stan growls loudly and groans in pain. His hands leave my legs as he stumbles backward, grabbing himself.

  My shorts are bunched around the tops of my thighs and the material pulls against my skin as I jump to my feet. Stan quickly recovers and straightens himself as he towers over me.

  One kick should have bought me more time.

  It was a blind shot.

  It was my only shot.

  I took it, and I fucked up.

  Stan’s eyes are dark as he shakes his head. “Oh, princess.” He frowns and taps me lightly on the tip of my nose. “Look at you, all grown up, acting like you’re the fucking queen.”

  He pulls away from me but only for a fraction of a second. Lightning strikes as his fist connects with my face. The bones surrounding my eye crunch from the force of the blow. Falling back, I land on the old dusty bed in a heap. My head spins from the sudden shift as my vision blurs.

  “You’ll never be the fucking queen,” Stan clips. “Not in this fucking kingdom.”

  My blood whooshes through my ears as my heart kicks into overdrive and the adrenaline flows through my veins.

  My fight or flight instinct kicks in and I know what I have to do.

  I have to fight.

  Instantly, my left eye swells shut and I blink rapidly, clearing the fuzziness from my right eye. I can feel Stan’s weight on top of me and his hands on my skin as they roughly tug my shorts and underwear down my thighs. The fog lifts from my mind as he pulls back, undoing his pants. I swallow hard as the bile creeps up from my stomach, burning my throat.

  I can’t let this happen.

  Running off the adrenaline pumping through my veins, I push off the bed and sit up in a rush. Stan glances up at me with a cruel grin and his cock in his hand. In one swift movement, I throw my arms forward and drive my fingertips into his eyes. My black and silver stiletto nails pierce his eyeballs like the blade of a knife. They cut into the dark pools before he even has the chance to think about moving.

  “FUCKING CUNT!!” he screams as he pulls away, covering his eyes. Stan trips over his own feet and falls backward, landing on the wood floor with a loud thud. “You’re going to fucking pay for this, you little bitch,” he barks.

  His words ring throughout the room, but he is rendered defenseless and his threat is empty.

  Glancing around the room, I look for anything I can use against him, but I don’t have the time. My eyes drop to my bare feet. They’re useless. Kicking him could hurt me more than it would hurt him.

  It’s a risk that I’m not willing to take.

  Groaning and clutching his face, Stan manages to climb to his feet. Resting against the wall, he shakes his head, mumbling under his breath. I quickly survey the room once more and sigh in defeat. I only have one option.

  Run.

  Stan pinches the bridge of his nose and rubs his eyes viciously. With his sight compromised, I take my last chance and tiptoe past him, reaching for the door. His head jerks toward me as I pull the door open in a rush and dart out into the hallway.

  “Go ahead and run, princess.” Stan laughs loudly from the room. “You know there’s only one way out of here.”

  Leaving him behind, I sprint down the hall to the stairway. Without breaking stride, I thunder down the stairs and Stan’s laughter chases after me as I run across the first floor of the house. Rushing through the front door, I let my feet carry me to the only place I can go, the only place where I might be safe.

  I take off through the yard and head deep into the dark forest.

  Kai

  Just outside of the city limits, the moon hangs in the dark sky and replaces the fluorescent streetlamps as it casts its light across the dirt roads.

  Turning off the main road, I drive deeper into the woods and the darkness surrounds me. The thick canopy of the trees blocks out the moonlight, creating an even more profound sense of isolation. This road leads to one place and one place only.

  Straight into the blazing fire within the depths of hell.

  This road leads me to where he took Dahlia.

  Back to the farm, where it all began.

  Back to the farm for him to finish what he started… to tie up that last loose end.

  ◆◆◆

  It’s been years since I’ve been to this dreadful place, but I know the drive here by heart. I know every twist and turn on this road like the back of my hand. I swore I’d never come back and I never had a reason to before now.

  I’d travel through the depths of hell as many times as I’d have to, just to get Dahlia back.

  I have to get there before she’s completely consumed by the flames.

  Stepping on the gas, my tires spin on the gravel road, kicking dust and stones as I take off down the path that leads me to her. Following the curves of the road, I quickly come up to the last turn, knowing what lies on the other side.

  Lightly tapping on the brakes, I slow down and creep past the massive iron gate on the side of the road. Just beyond that gate is the hell… the fortress that they had once made our fucked up home, the place that has molded us into the people that we are today.

  Pulling my car off the road, I park far enough away from the gates as to not draw any suspicion. The road is virtually abandoned, with no traffic, but that doesn’t mean there won’t be any other visitors to the farm.
/>   Reaching into my glovebox, I grab my pistol and quickly climb out of my car. I quietly close the door and make my trek through the overgrown grass to the fence buried in the thick hedges surrounding the property. It’s been years, too many years for the fence to be as deadly as it once was.

  Thorns and branches scratch at my skin as I push my way through the overgrown shrubs until I find the fence. This place has been abandoned for a decade, so my chances of the electric fence being turned on are low.

  And I have no choice, if I want to get Dahlia.

  Bracing myself, I reach out and grab onto the wire. My eyes open as I feel nothing but the cold metal in the palm of my hand. Grabbing onto the fence, I climb over it in a rush and jump to the other side, officially entering hell.

  As my feet hit the forest floor, a loud bang echoes through the trees. Freezing in place, my senses are heightened as the distinct sound of a gunshot rings in my ears.

  Dahlia.

  The gunshot was far enough away from me, but it was close enough to know that it came from the other side of these woods.

  My heart rate kicks into overdrive and I take off, running farther into the deep dark forest.

  Dahlia.

  Her name plays in my head like a prayer, knowing that bullet was meant for her, but praying it didn’t touch her.

  She’s out here somewhere… she has to be.

  And I need to find her before it’s too late.

  Dahlia

  The trees hang overhead, blocking the moonlight as I sprint through the woods. Thorns slash at my bare legs as I run blindly through the thick brush scattered along the trees.

  My heart pounds harder with every step that I take. My feet carry me farther away from the farm and deeper into the unknown. My footsteps are loud as the twigs lying on the ground break under my weight. I should be quieter, but it’s pointless. I know Stan won’t be far behind me and at this point, survival doesn’t include stealth.

  Time doesn’t exist in this dark forest. Time doesn’t exist when I can’t breathe from running and my body’s screaming in pain. Time doesn’t exist when I can’t tell if I’ve run past the same tree a dozen times or if I’m simply running in circles.

  I’m caught in a fucked up vortex with no sense of up or down and with no direction of how the hell to get out of here.

  My pace doesn’t slow until I hear his voice. Until it’s no longer just myself and the trees lost in the darkness of the forest.

  “I know you’re out there, princess.” Stan’s voice echoes through the woods. My body freezes as I abruptly halt. Ducking behind a tree, my back hugs it tightly as I struggle to catch my breath.

  I knew he was coming, I knew he would be out here looking for me, but I thought I had more time.

  “This is bringing back some good memories, isn’t it, princess? What a shame that no one else is here with us,” Stan chuckles to himself. My lips are sealed tight as I breathe rapidly through my nose, trying to stay hidden. “I’m sure you remember our little hunting trips out here. I mean, how could you forget?”

  My senses are in overdrive as I take in everything. I can’t see him, but I can hear his voice crystal clear. The sound of his gun cocking rings throughout the forest and the sound bounces off the trees.

  “Come out, come out, wherever you are,” he mocks in a sinister tone. “It’s time to play, princess.”

  A branch from a nearby tree rustles and a loud bang drives into my ears. Covering them with my hands, I duck momentarily as I listen to the gunfire.

  Whatever he’s shooting at, it isn’t me.

  I don’t have time to weigh my options or my consequences. Time doesn’t exist. All I have are choices and whatever the outcome will be from them.

  If I have any chance of getting away, now is the time, when Stan is on a wild goose chase after what he thought was me making noise.

  Without wasting another second, I take off into the trees again. Stan’s laughter rings throughout the woods as I hear him toying with his revolver as he spins the loaded cylinder.

  “We could make a fun game out of this, princess.”

  Ignoring his words, I keep moving. I can’t let him get to me. I can’t let him get me. Rounding another row of bushes, I stumble, falling roughly onto the ground. The rough forest floor tears at the skin on my knees and I bite my tongue to keep quiet. Quickly regaining my balance, I push back up to my feet when I’m suddenly being hauled backward.

  A large hand is cemented over my mouth and I’m pulled flush against a rock-solid body. The urge to scream rushes through me with the adrenaline that’s feeding the panic building within me.

  “Shh,” he breathes in my ear. “It’s me, I got you.”

  Kai.

  He came for me.

  He withdraws his hand from my mouth and quickly spins me around. A flash of silver catches my eyes as he takes my face in his hands, clutching a pistol in one. “You’re alive,” he breathes a sigh of relief. “Thank fuck.”

  I nod lightly against his palms, feeling safer in his hands, but we’re not safe, we need to keep moving.

  “Kai,” I whisper, my eyes rapidly searching his soft brown irises. “He’s coming.”

  “I got you, bambolina,” he reassures me, softly stroking the sides of my face. “You trust me, right?”

  Memories from the past flood my mind. Memories of us, the good and the ugly. The memories of him trying to protect me even when he couldn’t.

  I shouldn’t trust him, but I do.

  “With my life,” I whisper into the silence.

  Without another word, Kai takes my hand in his and begins to lead me through the woods. It’s dark and I stumble to keep up with him as he moves diligently, with purpose.

  We weave in and out of the forest, but he’s only leading me in deeper, further away from where he came from. There’s a break in the trees ahead, where the moon shines brightly across the grass.

  He’s leading me in the opposite direction.

  He’s taking me back to the farm.

  To Stan.

  Kai

  Finding Dahlia here was an expectation but finding her here alive was like being brought back to life.

  I was so sure that I was too late, that they would have gotten to her and did their worst.

  But I was wrong.

  So fucking wrong.

  But life isn’t that simple. I found her here in the woods before he did by sheer luck. Fate, destiny, call it what you want. I got here at the right time. But time was running out and our only way out of here now was to trudge straight through the depths of hell and face him head-on.

  As we approach the edge of the woods, realization hits Dahlia and she balks. She stops abruptly, pulling her hand from mine, but I don’t let her go.

  “You motherfucker!” she whispers harshly. “I trusted you!”

  “Dahlia,” I growl, entering her space. Towering over her, I grab her shoulders and give her a swift shake. “You know how shit is played here. Do you want to die today?”

  I ask her the same question that I asked her years ago… the first time I ever laid eyes on her.

  She stares up at me with those fierce, bright green eyes. After everything she has endured, they still shine brighter than any star in the sky.

  “Do you want to die today, Dahlia?” I ask again, pressing for her approval. Her lips are pursed as she narrows her eyes at me, testing me.

  Always fucking testing me.

  “I’m not dying today and when I do, it won’t be here.”

  There she is.

  “Are you ready to play, bambolina?”

  She knows it’s the only way out.

  “Let’s get the fuck out of here,” she breathes, relaxing under my hands. “What’s your plan?”

  I shrug and grab her hand. “We’re gonna have to wing it and play whatever hand the devil deals us.”

  “I’ll follow your lead,” she whispers as she follows me through the darkness.

  This is going to be a hail fucki
ng Mary, but we’re out of options now.

  Just as we meet the edge of the trees, I hear the loud click from behind us as Stan chuckles.

  “The prince came for his princess, didn’t he?” he calls out mockingly.

  Turning around, I grip Dahlia’s arm as we stand face to face with Stan and his gun. He stares down the barrel at us with a menacing look and a sinister smile playing on his lips.

  Pulling Dahlia in front of me, she gasps as I grab both of her wrists and pull them behind her back.

  “Luca didn’t tell you?” I question him. “He knew you would fuck it up and that she trusts me.”

  “Bullshit,” he barks. “You’re as useless to your father as she is.”

  Nudging her in the back, I push Dahlia forward. Her steps falter and she stumbles slightly. Holding onto her wrist tightly, I jerk her upright and steady her on her feet.

  Just fucking trust me.

  Go with it.

  Don’t believe a word that I say to him.

  Dahlia shakes her head as I shove her to Stan. She stumbles into his arms as I quickly conceal my pistol in my hand.

  “If I was lying, would I willingly give her over to you?” I probe as he roughly grips her. “This is your mess to clean the fuck up.”

  Dahlia’s eyes are wide as she watches me back away.

  Trust me, bambolina.

  “I’m just a puppet here, remember?” I tell him, but my words aren’t for him. Dahlia closes her eyes briefly and relief washes over them. She knows my words were for her.

  “That’s right.” Stan smiles, directing his beady eyes on mine. “You are the puppet, not the puppet master.”

  In one fluid movement, Stan has Dahlia’s back against his chest with one of his arms wrapped around her chest. With his gun in that hand, he has the other pressed firmly against her forehead. Digging his fingertips into her skin, he pulls her head backward and roughly jams his revolver under her chin. Pushing the metal barrel deeper into her skin, he pushes her head back until her neck looks like it might snap.