Page 22 of Craved By Gray

I fucked up the mission. I deserve to bear the consequences of being caught alone. I vowed to protect her, to guard her with my life, but I am helpless to do anything as one of the Vipers presses a gun to the side of my head. “Move!”

I don’t want to leave. A part of me wants to reverse the last twelve hours and take Scarlett to the Rebel clubhouse and to my room. Hide her there. The Vipers wouldn’t dare set foot in our territory, not even for their princess.

And moments later, when I’m shoved into a black van in the underground parking garage, there is regret on my mind. As I watch Scarlett climb into the SUV in front of us right behind her father, I question if it’s the last time I’ll ever see the woman I’ve given my heart to.

Chapter Nine

Scarlett

He didn’t mean it. Those cruel and unfeeling words he spoke to my father were not true.

The same way your father didn’t mean it when he said he was going to sell you off once you stopped being of any use to him?Sneers a small voice in the back of my mind, but I refuse to believe that last night meant nothing. The way he touched me, kissed and made love to me...all the while calling me his.

And I believed him.

He used me!

My eyes shift to the one other man I foolishly believed cared for me in his own limited way. Even with all those threats to sell me off, I never once believed that my father would go through with them. Seeing him pace in his office, red eyes brimming with rage, I believe with every fiber of my being that this man could hurt me.

I flinch when he kicks his desk, turning those murderous eyes to me. “I should never have allowed you as much freedom as I did. Now look at you, embarrassing me by sleeping with a Rebel!” he rages. “What did I expect? You are your mother’s daughter, after all.”

A stab of pain shoots through my chest at the mention of the woman who left me with this monster. My mother, a term I have never used as I’ve never met the woman, fell in love with my father’s friend and ran off. A few weeks later, there was news that the two had gotten into a car accident. I’ve heard the rumors that my father had something to do with that fatal accident, but I refused to believe them.

Growing up, we never talked about her. He only ever brought her up when he was angry, cursing her out for betraying him, or me for reminding him of her. When I was young, I hated her for leaving us—me—but now, I understand why she left. Who would want to be around someone like my father?

For years, I’ve worked faithfully for a club he loves more than his own child. I was loyal to literal vipers, hoping for the affection a child would crave from their father. A kind word, but nothing. Even the apartment was gifted with the threat that it would be taken away if I stepped out of line.

And even when I realized that I would never get that, I never stopped hoping.

I drop my eyes to the hands on my lap, feeling a little sorry for myself. For the girl who will only ever love, but never receive it in return. “I’m sorry,” I whisper, the only thing that I can say.

“You should be sorry. No daughter of mine should be associated with those fucking Rebels.” He stops dead in the center and turns to me. “Don’t tell me you have feelings for that bastard. Is that why you let him...defile you?”

Defile?

I replay the previous night, a magical night. But admitting that out loud will only add more trouble for Gray, so I shake my head. “No, I don’t have feelings for him.”

“Look at me when you speak, girl!”A firm hand grabs my chin and pinches it, forcing my eyes up to his. “Now, did you spread your legs for that rat because you have feelings for him?”

“I don’t,” I manage through the pain in my face. “I swear it!”

“Then why did you do it?”

“I’m sorry.” I sniff, letting fat tears drop down my cheeks. He shoves away in disgust at the sight of my tears. A sign of weakness. He drilled this into me when I was a child. Crying is for the weak. For people without a backbone.

“Listen here, girl. You have a choice to make. You either choose to be loyal to the Vipers or defend those dirty Rebels and go down with them!”

“The Vipers,” I hiccup. “I...I’m sorry. I’ll stay away from Gray. I’ll pretend I never met him. I promise.”

My father studies me for a full minute, reading the fear and regret I force into my eyes before deciding that he believes my words. “I’m going to take care of that dirty rat, but be warned, this is not over. I’ll deal with you when I get back.”

He turns and leaves the room. I wait until I hear the firm click of a lock sliding in place and his fading footsteps before I get up. I use my sleeves to wipe my wet cheeks before rushing to my father’s computer. I know now that there’s a camera in the room, but I don’t care as I turn on the computer, chewing my nails as I wait for the old equipment to start. I put in his password, and with my eyes locked on the door, dig into my pockets for the USB flash drive I grabbed from my room when I excused myself to get dressed before leaving.

Stone keeps his daughter in line. She can’t go to the cops either since she’d be the one to get arrested.Everything in theclub is under her name. If we get busted for anything, we can always pin it on the girl. Heck, even this building is under her name.

My eyes are firmly on the door as I copy all the club’s financial details to the flash drive. I don’t know much about the Den that Gray was talking about; I’m hoping there will be traces of it in these records, and if not, then at least they’ll expose his other crimes. For good measure, I scroll through other documents I never touched, surprised when I find digital copies of deeds and purchase agreements, and sure enough, they’re all in my name.

Including a gentleman’s club with a business license on file.The Den!

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