Page 68 of Vow of Revenge
Was he justifying the bite marks that covered me? They aren’t the kind of marks left between two lovers who kindle pleasure and pain, these are just brutal imprints of cruelty.
I fear he has lost his mind.
My breath jammed in my lungs. I must’ve had held it there when I placed the woman’s notebook on my lap. I kept flicking the pages, hoping to find something that redeemed my father.
Damien left me chained to the bed for what felt like days. The sun and the moon visited my misery, taking turns.
He didn’t want me to leave again. When he returned, I was on damp sheets, covered in my own urine with traces of blood from my sore wrists. The metal teeth of my chains bit into my skin, holding me in place.
I had to change the sheets before he allowed me to eat. My belly ached when the food settled.
We didn’t speak.
He didn’t look at me.
I ate every last crumb, obediently, gratefully.
He said I could earn more money.
He was entertaining important guests from a powerful circle of men. There were twelve men in total.
He told me the men would appreciate certain services provided willingly. I would have to oblige, and if I did, I would be rewarded.
The irony of his madness sickened my soul. He was happy to pay me to have sex with his guests, yet he tortured me and accused me of being a cheating whore.
This man has lost touch with the real world, his money has given him false power. A barrier of protection that guards him from morals and decency.
Paper barriers burn down. I will make him atone for his crimes.
The words jumped off the page and rammed straight into my stingy eyes. Reality hit me like a mallet to the side of my brain. This woman was raped and beaten by my father, repeatedly. She was abused by the Vertus Circulo members. The same secret society of wealthy men that Uncle Sean and my father belonged to. The club was made up of men who had more money than sense, all sworn to serve and protect each other in business and life.
Did Sean know she was kept like a pet?
Swilling the amber liquid in the glass, my eyes fell to its rich golden glow, immediately tugging my thoughts back to Freya. I longed to see her, to smell her sexy scent and feel her silky soft skin. My every heartbeat whispered her name.
The wall clock announced midnight with a chime. The notebook was closed. My thoughts fleeting uncontrollably. My mobile phone lit up with Brett’s stupid face.
“Hey!”
“Kaleb,” his tone was like ice.
“Brett?”
Silence. My heartbeat halted.
“Kaleb…” His voice broke.
“Fucking hell, Brett, what is it?” A chill scattered over my flesh. Champs ears pricked and his head lifted with the harshness in my voice.
“She… she’s dead,” he stuttered.
The room spun; my Adams apple stuck in my throat. “Who is?”
“Syrah.”
Danny was arrested for manslaughter after he shoved my beloved sister, tipping her off the top step in the stairwell at his apartment, where she tumbled to her death. It wasn’t the actual fall that killed her but the blow to the side of her temple when she landed. In a few seconds of ill fate, her bright beautiful smile was erased from the world forever.
My sister and devoted best friend left me to walk this world without her.
