His Downfall

ZANE

The door swung open with a violent jerk, and the sight that greeted me froze me in my tracks. Shay was bound on the bed, her body bare. Luca was there too, just as naked, jumping off the bed.

A growl erupted from my throat, and I lunged at him, pinning him to the ground before he could react.

Forest moved in swiftly, untying Shay. She dressed quickly.

“Shay, you need to leave with Forest now! We’ve taken care of all his men, and Noah should be stopping the boat any minute. Get back to my yacht.”

“But Zane—” Her voice broke, tears streaming down her face.

“Forest! Get her out of here! Conner should be wrapping up, we only have five minutes. Carry her if you have to, just go!”

Forest did as I instructed, scooping Shay up and leaving the room. Max walked in, wiping blood off his hands. “All clear, boss. His men are down and Conner is heading back to the deck.”

“Help me tie him to this bed. He’s going down with this ship, I swear to God! This is his last play.”

I grabbed an arm and hoisted him off the ground.

“You messed with the wrong guy this time, and my woman on top of that. You escaped once, but not this time. That’s a promise.”

“You think this is the end for me? I always find a way back. Keep dreaming,” he hissed as we secured him tightly to the bed.

Once I was sure he wasn’t going anywhere, I pulled a knife from my pocket, twirling it casually.

“Did you do what I think you did with my woman?” I grabbed his cock, pressing the knife against it.

“Why, Zane, are you telling me you’re gay?” He laughed.

I pressed the knife harder, drawing blood. He yelped. “You’re about to die. Tell me if you used this piece of shit on my woman!”

“Ask her when you see her. Ask her how I compare to you,” he said, laughing again.

I cut deep, severing his cock from his body. His screams filled the room as I dropped it onto the floor, then proceeded to cut off his balls one by one.

Blood dripped from my hands as we watched him convulse until he drew his last breath. Conner walked in, taking in the bloody scene.

I drove the knife into Luca’s heart, twisting it to ensure he was dead.

Max handed me a rag to clean my hands. “Say ‘hi’ to your brother for me in hell,” I said, my voice cold.

“Boss, we need to go. We only have about two minutes to get off this ship. The captain is on our boat, he’s the only one left alive.”

He tugged on my arm. We turned and ran, jumping onto the waiting speedboat. Conner held out a detonator and pushed the button, setting off an explosion.

We watched as the ship burned and sank into the ocean. I leaned against the rail of the boat, my hands shaking. Conner touched my shoulder. “He’s gone. He won’t bother you again.”

Tears welled up in my eyes.

“I didn’t protect her, Conner. I promised her I would, and I failed. He raped her. He fucking raped her.” I slammed my hands on the rail, making it rattle.

“Boss, I know you’re hurting, but she needs you now more than ever. She’s scared, hurt, and needs your support.

“She’s strong, but she’s broken right now. You need to be there for her, to comfort her.

“You did your best to protect her, but he got to her one last time. Don’t let this drive a wedge between you two.

“You need to be her rock right now. Show her that you’re there for her, no matter what,” he said, his hand on my shoulder.

I sank onto the cushions, wiping the remaining blood off my hands. Tears streamed down my face. I had failed her. Luca had gotten to her, done what I promised would never happen again.

I was too late this time.

Max sat down beside me.

“Boss, you need to get this out of your system before you see her. If she sees how broken you are, she’ll close up.

“When we get back to the ship, you need to be strong, like Conner said. We’re here for you, but she needs you in a way only you can be.”

I took a deep breath, nodding slowly. When we got back to the ship, Forest was waiting at the loading port. He looked at me and frowned.

“You know, huh? She’s in your room waiting for you. She hasn’t been crying, but I can tell she wants to.

“Don’t let her retreat into that shell. It took me two years to pull her out of it. If you need anything, I’m here.”

I walked up to our room and as I opened the door, Shay threw herself into my arms. I held her tight as she sobbed.

It took everything I had not to break down with her. I let her cry until she was done, then she pulled away. I tried to smile at her, but I could see the pain in her eyes.

“Let’s clean up a bit, okay? I’m covered in blood, and now you are too. How about we take a shower together?”

She gave a small nod, and we made our way to the bathroom. I turned on the shower, and we both started to undress. I helped her step into the shower, and she picked up a washcloth, scrubbing her skin with it.

She was scrubbing so fiercely that her skin was starting to turn a raw shade of red. I gently took her hand in mine, our eyes meeting, and she let out a sigh.

“Sorry, it’s an old habit. It just...it makes me feel cleaner, you know? Scrubbing until it hurts, it feels like everything is washed away.

“Please, don’t look at me anymore. Just leave, let me be.”

She tried to push me out of the shower, but I held my ground. She kept pushing for a few more minutes, then finally, she collapsed into my arms.

“I’m not beautiful anymore; you won’t like how my body looks now,” she whispered, tears streaming down her face again.

“Shay,” I said, gently lifting her chin so she was looking at me, “you’re still beautiful, just as you’ve always been. I’m never going to stop loving you or your sexy body. Do you understand? You’re perfect for me, now and always.”