Page 77 of Queen Rose

Nate

Ipull up in my Jeep outside the old, dilapidated house where I think Conner is most likely to have Aria. From the sign out front, it looks like it’s recently been sold. Xander stops behind me, followed by Max. There’s only one empty house on this street in view of the dick hot dog graffiti she described. I’d spotted Conner’s car two streets over. He’s made his best attempt to hide what he’s doing. And what’s disturbing is that a coherent, unharmed Aria wouldn’t allow him to haul her around without making noise. So, either she was knocked out when they arrived and he carried her through the streets like that, or… he left her in the house, unconscious, and moved the car. In any case, I’m positive she’s in there, and we’ve already discussed how this is going to go down. It’s the most important play of our lives, and we can’t fumble it or get it wrong.

All nine of us exit the vehicles, quietly closing doors and huddling up.

I point to the window at the side of the run-down house. I don’t have a fucking clue how Conner would have access, but it doesn’t matter. All I can focus on is Aria. “That’s the window she was looking out.” Our gazes simultaneously shift to look behind us at the graffiti-covered sign.

Xander’s jaw is locked tight. “Okay, Nate and I go in first through the basement. I think that’s where he has her. Beau and Max, in through the front door, Micah and Griff, the side door next to the garage. If we have any trouble with him, he won’t have an out if we’ve got his exits blocked.”

“Don’t worry. This motherfucker isn’t getting away with this.” Micah’s voice rumbles low in the dark, overgrown side yard.

Daphne winces, looking at her phone. “The detective says to let them handle it.” She gives a nervous chuckle. “Not a chance we’re waiting, though. Sorry, Detective Jones.”

I jerk my head. “Yeah, fuck that. That’s my girl in there.” I swivel my head toward Lyla. “You said you can pick a lock?”

She nods once. “Yeah. I can do the back first, then come around to help the others if they haven’t found a way in.”

Scarlett heaves out a breath, her eyes wide and nervous. “Daph and I will wait out here until you tell us otherwise. We’ll make sure no one leaves.” She lifts a baseball bat and swings it up to rest it over her shoulder. “Thanks for thinking of weapons, Griff.”

He rolls his bright-blue eyes, but quickly focuses with a nod. “Let’s do this.”

We split up. As Xander and I pass the window, I glance in, but it’s dirty and dingy. I can just make out a figure. No. Two. Fuck. And they’re struggling on the floor. My heart slams in my chest, and I take off at a sprint around the house. When I get to the basement door, I tug on it, but it’s definitely locked. I growl in frustration.

“Shh. I told you, I got this.” Lyla pushes me aside and whips something out of her pocket. It’s a bobby pin, but she has it bent all funny. True to her word, though, she has the door open in under thirty seconds.

“I don’t want to know where you learned that, but thank you,” I murmur.

She gives a tight nod and starts toward the front of the house. “See you in there.”

I slowly pull the door open, trying not to give away our presence. We slip inside, creeping forward on quiet feet. Poking my head around a stack of boxes, rage explodes within me. Conner is on top of her, his pants half down, bare ass hanging out. Aria’s trying her hardest to buck him off her.

In the seconds it takes me to race toward her, I take in her ripped dress, a swollen, purplish bruise on her cheek, and her torn panties on the floor. Her bound hands. My mind riots. I grip Conner by the shoulders, pulling him from her, and flip him over onto his back. His mouth is wide open in shock when I slam my meaty fist into it over and over and over again. I can’t stop. Won’t stop. My vision is clouded by the image of this perverted rapist on top of my girl. This abusive son of a bitch is never touching her again. Never. I will protect her with everything I am. Blood splatters everywhere as I continue to pummel his face until I can no longer recognize the bastard that had his hands on my girl.

The sound of my fists hitting bloody flesh and bone supersedes everything else in my mind. Fucker. I slam my fist down again. Blood gurgles from Conner’s mouth. Hope that hurts, motherfucker. You deserve every ounce of pain and misery I’m doling out. You deserve more. You deserve a beating every day.

From somewhere I hear people calling out to me, and then as I give my head a shake, their voices get louder. Their hands grip my arms, pulling me away.

I blink, realizing Griffin and Micah have a firm hold on each of my biceps and are hauling me away from the bloody mess that is Conner. “I’m not done.” My voice is gritty and low. My breath heaves from me.

Xander appears in front of me, dark eyes boring into mine. “Look at me. You have to be done. If you want to be here for Aria, you need to not get arrested today.” He pauses, blinking fast. “Trust me. I fucking get it. You want to end him. And I wish I could let you. But I can’t. For her sake. She needs you.”

“Aria.” My voice cracks, and I turn my head to where she’s huddled on the floor in Lyla’s embrace. Hands shaking, I unbutton the shirt that’s covered in Conner’s blood and use it to wipe off as much of the mess off my hands as I can before I sink to my knees beside her.

I can barely hear her whisper. “You found me. You came for me.” My eyes meet her brown ones, wet with tears but within them I also sense a profound relief. No more secrets. No more hiding. No more torment at the hands of her own personal demon.

My chest clenches, not only from the pain I know she’s endured, but also at the surprise in her quiet voice. “I’ll always come for you.”

A small sob escapes Aria’s lips as she reaches for me, and Lyla helps her shift into my arms. A second later, Scarlett wraps a big blanket around Aria’s half-naked body. Curled up in my lap, Aria begins to shake uncontrollably.

I run my hands over her back in soothing strokes, because I don’t know what else to do for her. “Always,” I murmur, pressing a kiss to her forehead.

My eyes flick around this ugly, dark place. Aside from Conner, who is moaning on the floor, the room is filled with people who want only the best for Aria. Everyone is pitching in to help. And that’s how it should be. It’s what she deserves.

Emotion rises within me. I love this girl. She’s my everything. I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that I’d do anything for her. Literally anything.

---