Page 83 of Savage Reign

I cupped my hand over my belly. Not completely alone, yet that fact didn’t bring me any comfort.

I sat back down on the sofa when it didn’t feel like my legs could support me any longer. I didn’t know how long I sat there, just staring off into space. A minute? An hour? An eternity?

I didn’t know, but then I heard some shuffling sounds, followed by a muffled one. I shot out of the couch and moved to the door, looking through the peephole without a thought.

My breath caught when I saw Maverick, Killian, and Silas standing outside, along with Marcus and a man I didn’t know. A man who had a bloody gash on his forehead. A man who was bound and gagged. Marcus flung the man up onto his shoulders as Silas opened the door to the room across the hall, and they all went inside. Silas looked over to the door I was standing behind. I held my breath when it felt like he was looking directly at me.

I thought he might come back to stay with me, but then he shook his head, his expression unreadable, just before he closed the door behind him. Then, I was just staring at an empty hallway, feeling my heart wanting to hollow out my chest.

This was just like how it was back at the mansion when I saw Silas take a whip to that man.

My head told me to stay where I was. They were going to come back to me. I believed that.

What was seen couldn’t be unseen, but this time was different. I wasn’t the same girl they took from a motel in New Orleans. I didn’t have any hope of escaping—I didn’t want to. And I didn’t look at them through rose-colored glasses. I knew exactly the kind of men they were.

I swallowed thickly and moved without thinking. I opened the door and walked out into the empty hallway. The door to theroom closed behind me. It was too late to turn back now, since I didn’t even have the key to get back in the room again. It didn’t matter. I walked over to the door my men had disappeared through, raised my hand up, knocking loudly three times. It took a moment, but then the door opened, revealing Marcus.

His eyes widened in surprise when he saw me. “Ma’am?—”

I shook my head, cutting him off. “Let me through.”

“I can’t do that.”

I eyed him. He was bigger than me, stronger than me. I wouldn't get past himifhe chose to fight.

“You won’t touch me,” I stated. And the way his face blanched told me that was the truth. I pushed forward, and Marcus got out of my way.

Just as I was about to walk to one of the closed doors, Marcus said, “You’ll have to live with it.”

I stopped and turned toward him.

“Whatever you see, you’ll have to accept it and live with it. Because I might not know everything about your relationship with them, but I do know they’ve been going crazy these past weeks trying to get you back. They won’t ever let you go, not even if you see something you don’t like.”

I took a deep breath. “I know.”

Fuck, but I knew it. I turned and continued on my way. Marcus muttered something under his breath but didn’t try to touch me.

I rushed away before he could change his mind or try to get ahead of me.

It wasn’t hard to figure out which room they were in. I could hear the man’s cry along with the low, calm voices of my men. Their voices got louder and clearer the closer I got.

My breathing grew more erratic, and I could feel sweat clinging to my skin. I licked my parched lips, placing my handson the door. The time it took to get from one door to the other wasn’t long, but it felt like it.

I pushed the door open to an unlit room. The curtains were pulled closed, and I could hear voices coming from the connected bathroom.

Maverick spoke. “You’re going to tell me what I want to know. Who else knows about Mila Hayes’ inheritance?”

Inheritance?

I came further inside the room, Marcus close on my heel. He made a small sound, drawing the brothers' attention. They turned, surprise evident in their eyes when they saw me standing there. Silas tried to cover the man from my gaze, but it was too late. I had already seen him.

The man was battered and bruised, much more so than he had been when they brought him to the hotel room. On the sink was an array of knives and pointy-looking weapons that I didn’t know the names of, nor did I want to.

“What the fuck is she doing in here?” Killian asked.

Marcus looked down.

“It’s not his fault. I barged in,” I defended.

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