Chapter One Hundred and Eighty-One
Kelley took another deep breath as he parked his SUV in the circular drive. He'd never felt more ready to do what was necessary than he did in that moment. He'd bled for his family and he'd killed for them and he was ready to do it again. The thought didn't scare him as much as it should have.
The front door opened as Kelley walked up the two wide stone steps and Ernesto's grin had a chill creep down his spine. “Welcome to Meadow Lake, Kelley.”
“Ernesto.”
Kelley followed him to his office and they sat down on the two sofas facing each other. Ernesto poured them each a drink, assuming that Kelley would want one. He didn’t really but he took it and emptied the glass. He was man enough to admit that he needed the liquid courage to do what he had to.
“So what brings you to my little town?” Ernesto looked smug and Kelley fought to keep the sneer from his face.
“I want to know where Milana’s mother is,” Kelley said.
“I see.”
Kelley’s expression remained stoic and he could see Ernesto was thinking about his answer. It wouldn’t be a good answer, Kelley knew that too. Kelley shifted slightly and pulled the pistol from under his jacket.
Ernesto’s eyes followed the movement and his left eye twitched as the pistol came to rest on Kelley’s thigh. “Where is she?”
“She’s dead. She killed herself four years ago,” Ernesto said calmly.
“You didn’t think to share that news with her daughter?”
Ernesto shifted and Kelley’s hand tightened on the gun. “Milana needed to be kept in check.”
“Or you’d send her to The Club? You threatened her with rape if she didn't comply, but the harsh truth is, you did more than threaten her, didn't you?"
"Women need to know their place, Kelley. As a man I'm sure you can understand that." Ernesto's eyes shifted to the gun again and Kelley gritted his teeth.
"You told her that you sold her to me.”
“Didn’t I?” That smug look was back on Ernesto's face and Kelley glared at him for a few seconds.
He shook his head. “Yeah, you did. I bought Milana from you which means she belongs to me and you have no further say over her life.”
Ernesto's face contorted into rage. “The little bitch got rid of her phone and she disobeyed every rule I gave her!”
“The business deals.”
“Yes, Kelley, the business deals. We had a deal as well,” Ernesto said bitterly.
“There will be no business deals. Not ever. The only deal we ever had was the millions I paid you to marry Milana.”
“Your father was a much better businessman than you,” Ernesto spat.
“Hmm, was he? You never did get Marley.”
A glint appeared in Ernesto’s eyes and he chuckled low in his throat. “Ah, there you are wrong. I tasted Marley for the first time when she was thirteen. Charles was the one to spike her drink, a taste before the deal was settled. If I remember correctly it was two days before her birthday and my dick in her virgin pussy was my present to her.”
Before Ernesto could blink, the butt of the gun slammed down on his face. Kelley’s eyes were murderous and he screamed as he kept hitting Ernesto. When the gun slipped from his hand, he used his fists until Ernesto’s skull caved in.
By the time he’d beaten Ernesto to death, he was breathing hard, his knuckles were raw and he sat gasping on the floor. Kelley lowered his head to his knees with his hands on his head, smearing Ernesto's blood over himself. His throat felt raw and he hadn’t even realized that he’d been screaming his rage out.
The door to the study opened and Kelley lifted his head. “Fuck.”
Three faces stared back at him and Kelley lowered his head again. Everything hurt. His hands throbbed, his head pounded. He felt hands on the side of his face and then he was forced to look up again. His blood rushed through his veins and he couldn’t hear them.
“Kelley?”
Kelley shook his head. “Is he dead?”
“This is a fucking mess. Get him home, get him clean. I’ll handle this. Fuck, make sure he’s okay!”
Hands pulled him up, arms coming around his waist and then he was walking. Doors opened and closed and when he blinked again hands were pulling him out of the car. The front door of his house opened and more faces appeared. He had no semblance of time and he knew somewhere in the back of his mind that he'd snapped and lost it completely.
Kelley was led up the stairs and his clothes pulled off. He stood there, seeing his reflection in the bathroom mirror and then water smoothed over his skin. Kelley gasped then as Milana came into focus. Her shirt was plastered against her skin and then he noticed the arm around his waist.
“Lee.”
“Yeah?”
“I’m okay. You can let go of me now.”
They both stood in the shower with him, fully clothed and he looked down as the water ran red with blood that wasn’t his. His hands started to shake and Lee swore under his breath as he shut the water off.
Kelley took the towel from Milana and wrapped it around his waist, only realizing then that he was naked. Lee started drying his back and Kelley started to laugh. The whole situation was absurd and having Lee drying him was just the last straw. His laughter got louder and he leaned forward and breathed deeply.
“Oh shit, I think I really broke him now,” Lee said.
Clothes appeared in front of him and he automatically pulled them on, swatting Lee’s hand away when he tried to pull the sweatpants up. Lee took his wet clothes off the moment Milana disappeared from the bathroom and Kelley just stood there.
“Kelley?”
He turned his head towards Milana’s voice and took her outstretched hand. Why was she here? He’d told her to run, to hide from his darkness before he broke her. His mind was fuzzy as she led him to the bed and he sat down. Nothing seemed to make sense but the throbbing pain in his hands felt right.
