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“Why are we here?” Bitterness coated my question.
I hadn’t expected to end up on Kylian’s boat. I’d surrendered to Dayton so he would take me far away from Kylian, back to where we’d come from—Dayton’s stomping grounds. It was where he wielded the most power. His money had a long reach, though.But for how long?He couldn’t have as many allies in Chicago willing to bend the law in his favor as he did in California.
I braced myself for whatever came next. He hated being questioned unless it was a chance to boast about his brilliance. And I suspected now might be one of those times, especially when the next hit didn’t come.
The blond Adonis swung his gaze my way—such evil lurking behind a pretty package. I hadn’t seen the rot he hid until it was too late, and I bet he’d fooled plenty of other unfortunate women. That was why it had taken me time to trust Kylian. But witnessing how he treated his mom had tipped the scale for me.It was a gift I didn’t think I could ever have again—trusting a beautiful man. But for the short while we’d been together, Kylian had shown me I could.
“Aurora?” Evalyn called from the deck.
No!She couldn’t be there. I took an unsteady step forward, and the room spun dangerously. “I’ll make her go away,” I told Dayton as I stepped toward the stairs leading above deck.
He yanked me close and whispered, “Call her down. We can use her.”
We? As if we’re on the same team?“No.”
A cruel glint flashed in his dark eyes right before he backhanded me. I crashed into the banquette, and I couldn’t swallow the cry of pain as my hip hit the corner.
“Aurora?” Footsteps hurried across the deck, then the door opened.
“No! Go away!” I shouted.
Dayton grabbed me by the throat, his fingers digging into already-bruised flesh. Cold steel pressed against my temple. “Shhh.”
I opened my mouth to scream another warning, but his grip stole my air just as Evalyn appeared on the stairwell, the door clicking closed behind her. Her deep-blue eyes, the same as Kylian’s, took in the situation within seconds. Her lips formed an O at the sight of the gun Dayton held to my head.
“Hello, Ms. Wilder. So good of you to join us.” Dayton’s fingers eased, and I gasped painfully for air. “Won’t you have a seat?”
I rushed forward to block her, but Dayton’s suddenly tight grip in my hair yanked me back. Evalyn closed the distance between us, her hands stretching toward mine, but he drew me to his side.
“This won’t solve anything, young man.” Evalyn’s voice was stern, her features shuttered.
“Oh, but it will.” Dayton laughed, the sound dark and disturbed. “Have a seat, or my sweet angel will suffer… more.”
Evalyn did as he asked, and fat tears rolled down my face. This wasn’t supposed to happen. They should have been safe. But I was a fool. I’d sacrificed myself for nothing. I should have called the cops then run. At least then he would have chased me, but the Wilders wouldn’t have been involved.
A drawer opened behind me, and Dayton shoved a thin rope into my hands. “Tie her up.”
I shook my head, tears coming faster, blurring my surroundings.
Dayton grabbed the back of my hair and pulled me close, his breath fanning the side of my face. “Do you need another lesson?” With his free hand, he caressed my wrist, the one he’d broken when I’d disobeyed him on another occasion.
I pleaded with my eyes for Evalyn to escape. I didn’t want her to suffer. She already had from her illness, so goddammed much. I hated what I’d brought to her and Kylian’s doorstep.
“Go ahead, Aurora,” Evalyn said. “It’ll be fine.”
Pressure circled my wrist until I cried out, and Evalyn half stood.
I held out my other hand to stop her. “Okay.”Stop.“I’ll do it.” I mouthed,I’msorry, before gently wrapping the rope around her wrists. It wasn’t enough, though. I had to keep Dayton distracted so he didn’t see how loosely I tied it. “What do you want, Dayton?” I tried to infuse my voice with steel, but it was difficult. I craned my neck to look at him over my shoulder.
“I want what I always have—you. And to punish anyone who stands in the way of that.”
“Evalyn isn’t a part of this. And you’re way off the mark if you think Kylian cares about me. He won’t stand in your way. He’ll probably pay for the plane ticket to get me to leave.” I suppressed the shiver that threatened to broadcast my emotion.I hated talking like that in front of Evalyn, but I had to speak the same language as Dayton if I had any hope of getting him to listen. I needed him gone before someone, namely Evalyn, got hurt.
“She’s the bait to lure your mistake to us.”
I ignored what he said, needing answers and a little more time to make sure she could quickly get out of the rope without it being evident to Dayton. “How did you find me?”
“The picture online.”
