Chapter 32: Chapter 32

“No!” I scream. “No!”

Greg starts pulling me toward the pond near the solarium.

“I’ll press charges!” I scream. “There are witnesses.”

“Who? Your high school buddies?” Greg laughs. “That one bitch would’ve stuck around to watch, if given the chance.”

“People saw me come in here, Greg! You won’t get away with this!”

“You’re an ex-con. And I own this club. Who do you think they’ll believe?”

I try to stay calm. But my heart is beating a hundred miles a minute. I dig in my heels, knowing if he gets me into the solarium or outside… he’ll overpower her. He’ll probably kill me and with the clout his pack has, they’ll never find my body.

If anyone even bothered to look for me.

This can't be happening!

I dig my heels in again and scratch my nails down his hands and arms.

“B*tch!”

Greg drops me beside the pond.

He flexes and his arm ripples with fur as he partially shifts. I see his nails extend but before I can get up, he’s on me. His nails pressing into my throat and the other hand constraining my arms so I can’t fight.

He shoves my face into the pond.

I panic instantly.

Water floods my mouth and rushes up my nose.

I thrash and try to force my head up out of the water.

He holds me down.

No. No. No.

Not like this.

Blackness rims my vision and my efforts slow. I want to fight, but with no air, my movements are slow.

As I start to lose consciousness, my head is dragged back up. I suck in a giant gulp of air and then choke as the water in my lungs comes rushing out of my throat.

I heave. But before I can spit it all out or catch my breath, I’m shoved back down again.

He’s punishing me, I realize.

Greg lost face when Sean beat the sh*t out of him all those years ago.

Greg never got over it, and while he can’t take on Sean because of his family, I am an easy target.

As I fight and panic, cold water gushes into my mouth and nose, suffocating me.

In the next instant, I’m above water, gagging.

“Help! Someone help me! Please!”

He tsks… “Grace,” he drags me up until his lips are by my ear. “You’re weak. Pathetic, really. And look… do you see at the corner of the room… Sean is watching.” He laughs.

My eyes meet Sean’s across the distance.

But there is no emotion there.

Nothing of the man he’d been. The one who vowed to love me forever.

Lily claps her hands as if Greg is giving her a spectacular performance.

“Stop!” I scream. “Sean, please!”

Lily walks over and squats down beside me. Greg holds me captive for her.

“You have the gall to scream for my fiancee? You pitiful excuse for a wolf, you should’ve died in prison.

Or you should have the honor to kill yourself.”

I spit up water and it lands near her feet.

I’m weak. Too weak to argue with her. I try desperately just to clear my airways and breathe.

“My sister is dead.” Lily sneers. “Death is too good for you! You’re going to suffer, Grace Cummins. I’m going to make sure of it.” She nods to Greg. “Make her pay. Make her bleed.”

My face smashes into the water again. My eyes burn. The water is dark. Cold. I’m drowning while my former mate watches.

I don’t deserve this!

Lily attacked my grandfather. SHE set these events into motion. And what happened with her sister was truly an accident. I wasn’t drinking when the car lost control. I didn’t mean for my car to crash into Jennifer’s.

She lost her sister.

I lost my baby.

I lost everything.

My vision dims and then flashes bright as I’m once again above the surface and the glittering chandeliers above brighten the room.

It’s surreal.

I wheeze and scream again, “Help!”

In an adjacent room are hundreds of people. At least some of them have to hear me scream.

Yet no one comes. No one helps.

Would I die like this?

Had I survived prison only to end up the victim of some spoiled heir’s revenge?

"Enough! Bring that woman to me!" A voice suddenly sounds, echoing in this big empty room..

I blink rapidly, but my vision is too blurry to see.

But I know that voice. Know it intimately.

“Brother?”