Biting my shoulder viciously, he forcefully shoves three fingers in me, laughing when I fail to hold in my scream at the dry intrusion and enjoying my attempts to wiggle out of his tight hold.
“Looks like our first time will be memorable,” he says, tossing me onto the bed and quickly pulling off his pants as I crawl across the bed. As I reach the edge, he grabs my leg, yanking me back to him. When he positions himself to shove inside me, I pull back my leg and kick him flatfooted in the nose. Covering his face with both hands, he stumbles back and falls to the floor, shouting.
“You fucking cunt! Don’t move!”
“Fuck that,” I mumble, running from the room, grabbing a serrated knife from the kitchen, and burst into the living room. Hitting my knees in front of Abel, I gasp at how pale he is, but I cut the zip ties from his hands and ankles then tuck the knife into the front pocket of my ripped shirt. “Come on, big guy. Time to go. I need you to stand up for me. I’m not leaving you, and I can’t carry you. You have to stand. Come on.” I pull him to stand, but he sways, unable to put pressure on his injured leg.
“Don’t fucking move, Eliana.” I freeze, seeing the pistol aimed at Abel, center mass.
“Please, he didn’t do anything. I’ll stay with you. Please, just let him go.” I beg, stepping forward, trying to position myself between Richard and Abel, knowing that he wants me too much to kill me.
“No, I’m sorry, not going to happen. I will not cave this time, Eliana. You need to be taught a lesson, and this is the perfect time. You have practically begged for a firmer hand for years. I have been too easy on you since day one, showering you with gifts and affection. If I had been tougher on you before, none of this would have happened. I really thought that when I killed Joshua in front of you, it would be enough to break your stubborn streak, but it looks like you are going to need a lot more discipline. I am really going to enjoy putting you in your place, Eliana.” He gives me a chilling grin, licking his lips.
“My mother killed Joshua, Richard. Why do you keep saying you killed him? What else have you done to us?” My voice wavers.
“Your whore of a mother-” He smiles darkly. “She hated your father with a passion that burned brighter than any love she could have ever had for you. I truly enjoyed showing her all the ways she could hurt him without him catching on. I helped her to toy with all of you. I used her hatred and desperation for vengeance to get me closer to this moment with you, all while keeping suspicions miles away from me. She was entertaining at times, but she tried to hurt you, so she had to die. It was rather nice being able to be the one to put that bullet in her back in the clearing. She talked too much. Riding over to rescue you with Andrew was one of my more impulsive decisions, but it was worth it. Speaking of your naïve father…” Richard sneers, raising the gun back up when we hear the nearing sounds of motorcycle engines. “Now, where were we?”
I step into Abel, giving him a quick shove, knowing he’s already unsteady on his feet, and he falls right before Richard pulls the trigger. One. Two.
I hit my knees with a grunt and touch my stomach, confused when I feel something wet, “What?”
“No!” Abel bellows, covering my wound with his hands. “No, no, no.”
Richard drops to my side, pulling me from an already weak Abel, and scooping me up in his arms, “Why? Why would you do that, Eliana? I love you. Why couldn’t you just listen to me? Why does everything have to be a fight with you?”
“Because, Richard, Jamesons never submit,” I spit.
“You don’t understand. I did this all for you. I love you. I know you love me, too. It didn’t have to be like this. I could have made you happy.”
“You could never have my heart, Richard. I gave it away years ago. The damn thing doesn’t even reside in my own chest anymore. You need to understand this, Richard- I will never be yours. I would rather die, but-” I spit, pulling the knife from my shirt and jamming it into the same area they stabbed Joshua. “-I’m damn sure taking you with me.” He drops me roughly to the hardwood floor with a stunned expression from the unexpected power shift.
I look him in the eyes, hissing, “You never loved me, Richard. I don’t think you’ve ever loved anyone other than yourself. Not even your own daughter. What would she think of the man you’ve become? She loved you so much, worshiped the ground you walked on.”
“What would she think?” He laughs painfully. “I’ll have to ask her when I get to hell. That’s if she can speak down there. I did cut out the bitch’s tongue right before I killed her, just like Puckett. She just wouldn’t keep her mouth closed. She knew what the consequences would be. Such a simple minded girl, a real disappointment.”
“You killed her, too?”
“All for us. She was nothing compared to you.” Richard lays back with a thud, chuckling. “They will all die out there you know? I have men positioned everywhere. I knew they would come. Unlike your father, I am always prepared. So listen closely, sweet girl. You are about to hear every single one of them die. I am all you have left, and you’ve buried a knife in my chest. Unappreciative brat. You will be alone forever because I can guarantee you none of them will make it in here to you.” He turns his head to me, smiling as blood trickles from the corner of his mouth, and something in me breaks.
“Will you just fucking die already, you twisted bastard?!” I grab the hilt of the knife, pulling it from his chest with a sickening sound, gagging, and then bury it in his throat. One. Two times. “You are nothing! You lose, Richard. They will come for me. They always do. You. Lose.”
The bikes shut off outside. Richard reaches for my hand, accepting his fate but unable to acknowledge my hatred for him in his final moments. Instinctively, I pull my hand back with a sneer. Keeping my gaze locked on his, I watch as the life fades from his eyes, and his blood pools around us, slowly merging with my own. Abel crawls to me, wrapping me in his arms, and tries to stem the flow of blood from my abdomen. We both jump at the sound of gunfire and shouting, knowing that our family is in trouble and that neither of us is physically capable of doing a fucking thing about it.
Attempting to stand, Abel collapses three times before giving up, wrapping me in his arms and rocking me again. “They’re coming, Darlin’. Why didn’t you just run when I told you to? Stay with me, E. Don’t you leave me. You promised. You’re fighting back, remember?”
“Tired of fighting, big guy. I love you. I love all of you. Tell them not to be sad. I’ll be fine. Someone’s already waiting on me.” I wipe away his tears with shaky fingers, accidently smearing the blood covering my hands across his cheek, and turn when the door bursts open.
“Princess? No!” Costin bellows, running to me and scooping me up.
“There’s my brave knight,” I breathe out with a small smile, closing my eyes, truly grateful that my last minutes will be spent in his arms. “I missed him.”
“No Princess, eyes open! If you go, I’ll follow.” He would, too, so I force my eyes open. “Abel, how bad?”
“Can’t walk. It’s my leg. I’ll live, just get her out of here.”
“I’ll send someone back for you, man. Princess, hold on.”