Forbidden (Blood Ties #7)

There would be more broken women.

More ruined families.

I stared at the image in the photo frame that sat beside Riven’s bed.

More sisters sold to cruel, controlling men.

“I have to go,” I whispered. “I’ll call as soon as I can. Remember what I said, tell London Harmon is now the one in control. He’ll know what to do, and Vivienne…it was really good to hear your voice.”

I didn’t wait for her to respond.

I didn’t think my heart could take it.

My finger stabbed the screen, ending the call. But I didn’t place it back in the dresser, instead, I tucked it away in the clothes, closed the drawer, and quickly backed out of the room. I was playing with fire, not knowing the moment I’d be burned. The empty apartment waited when I closed the door, but there was still one more bedroom I hadn’t searched. One last bedroom I was terrified to see.

Memories of that warehouse came rushing back. The Priest’s screams haunted me as I made my way back through the apartment. Darkness, that’s where I’d stood while I watched London torture him, and that’s what waited for me now.

I stood in the doorway, peering into the gloom.

Steady, harsh breaths filled the space. I knew what he’d looked like then, bloody and broken, as he’d turned his head to search the space where I stood through the slit of one bloody, swollen eye.

I took a step, made my way inside, and waited for my eyes to adjust to the dim light. The shrouded outline on the bed rose and fell with every breath. I suppressed a shiver as I watched him. He was hurt…but how badly hurt? It had to have been…how long now?

I took a step and stood over him. The choked hiss told me he was still healing. Had London broken some ribs? Had he done deeper damage? I wasn’t sure. But I knew one thing…The Priest wouldn’t help me now. I’d turned away and taken a step toward the door when a low murmur cut though the room.

“I know you.”

Cold rushed through me. I tried to keep the tremble from my voice as I turned around. “No, I don’t think so.”

He pushed upwards, sitting up. I couldn’t help but stiffen. Maybe he wasn’t as wounded as I’d thought?

“I do…I do know you.” His dark eyes narrowed in on me. “I just need to remember how.”

NINETEEN

Riven

Shrill,terrified, screams tore along the hallway. I winced at the piercing sound as a Daughter was wrestled through the doorway and shoved into the meeting room.

She stumbled, then fell to her hands and knees in front of me. Her hair was down, covering her face.

“There.” Coulter sucked in hard breaths, his eyes blazing.

There was a red handprint blazing on his cheek. Looked like he’d picked himself a fighter…

She slowly lifted her head. Her busted lip was a damn mess and the remnant left by his fist was already swelling on her cheek. If this was what her face looked like, I’d hate to think what the rest of her was like.

Flickers of Helene pushed in. Her power. Her rage. The icy sting of wrath moved through me at the thought of her like this. If anyone raised a hand to her, they wouldn’t have a goddamn hand for long.

Coulter stabbed his finger at her and fixed a deadly glare on the woman cowering in front of me. “Do your fucking job. I want that bitch…I want herbroken.”He met my stare. “I want to see it all. Every. Fucking. Thing. I want to see all your processes. How they’re trained.” He looked at my brother. “And what we can expect when they’re done.”

Hate moved through me. I slowly bent down, brushed her filthy, greasy hair from her face, and tilted her gaze to mine. She flinched, her brown eyes shining with terror. I searched the amber of her stare. But inside, I was panicking. The Daughter’s face faded until all I saw was Helene’s. The thought of touching someone else made my goddamn skin crawl.

I hadn’t felt that before.

But I felt it now, and as that sickening feeling took hold, I realized I was trapped.

Caught between survival and…what was this…love?