The Billionaire’s Bride by L. Steele

The Billionaire’s Bride

1

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Edward

The darkness pulls at me. I am falling, twisting, writhing. The sound of harsh breathing, groans reach me. I turn toward it, reach out my hand. It’s Baron; it has to be. "Don’t hurt him." I cough. "Please don’t. I’ll do as you say. I’ll let you do anything to me; just don’t touch him."

"Is that so?" My captor’s footsteps approach, and I flinch. I want to turn my face away. Want to squeeze my eyes shut and pretend whatever he is going to do is not happening to me. I am not here, not in this room with no windows.

How long have I been here? Days…weeks maybe? I’ve lost count of time, my entire existence narrowed to what I can feel, touch, sense…since I’d been blindfolded after I’d been taken.

My kidnappers had shoved me in a room. I had resisted and they had hit me on the head. When I’d come to, I’d heard the shuffle of other bodies, heard the breathing of the others, enough to realize that I wasn’t alone. They had kept us bound, gagged, blindfolded in the same room. Then Baron had managed to reach me and free my restraints. We’d attempted to free the other boys, but didn’t get far before the kidnappers had returned. One look and they could read our intentions. They’d dragged me and Baron out, separating us from the rest. They’d locked us up together, blindfolded but not gagged.

I’m scared, so scared. So is Baron, though he tries not to show it. We’ve made a pact, that if we get out of here alive… We’ll never allow anyone else to control us ever again.

Every time the kidnappers come back, they beat us. They’ll leave, but never for long. They keep coming back for more. They feed us just enough to keep us alive. My entire world has narrowed to the next thud of boots on my back, my shoulders, on my chest. Beaten and left nearly unconscious.

The next time one of them returns, he tears off our blindfolds. Asshole is wearing a mask so we can't make out his features. I have the impression of a tall man, broad shouldered and with gray eyes. He tells me what I have to do. I refuse and he beats me again, this time until I black out. When I awaken, my kidnapper is ready. He tells me if I don’t give him what he wants…he’ll beat Baron.

I hesitate and he plows his fist into Baron’s head, into his side. I hear the sound of ribs cracking and feel the anger thrum at my temples. "Don’t," I beg him. "Don’t do it."

"Are you ready to give me what I want?"

I hesitate again. This time he rams his fist into Baron’s stomach. I hear Baron gasp in pain and somehow, that is so much worse than being beaten up myself. Somehow, hearing him hurting is much more horrible than anything this man could do to me.

"I’ll do it," I force myself to form the words. "I’ll do whatever you want."

He grabs my collar and tugs me up to my feet. My knees knock together, my shoulder throbs, my stomach knots, and I hate the weakness that boils up my throat. I swallow it down, will myself to stand straight. To push my chin up, thrust my chest out. I am not afraid, I am not. He turns me around, shoves me against the door, reaches for my pants and tugs them down.

It hurts, it hurts.I glance sideways take in the signet ring he wears on his pinky finger; the design on its surface is a bow and arrow. I glance up meet Baron’s frozen eyes. His gaze widens, but he holds my gaze as the bastard buggers me.

"I won't make it."

"You don’t have a choice." Baron bares his teeth. "The only way is forward."

Then pain slices through my head.

"No." My eyelids snap open. "No." My voice echoes in my ears. I take in the white ceiling, the walls, the smell of antiseptic and that sense of suspended reality that clings to a place which can never be a voluntary destination for anyone. Clearly, I am in a hospital. I try to rise up, but my body protests. My chest hurts. Pain slices through my side and I groan.

"Edward." A face appears in my line of sight. "You’re awake?"

I stare up into her green eyes, emerald light, welling with emotions. A tear slides down her cheek. I reach for her and my shoulder protests. I grimace.

"You were shot." She glances down at my chest.

I follow her gaze and spot my left arm in a sling. I am wearing a hospital gown that gapes in the front to reveal a bandage around my chest.

"I’m alive," I mutter. That has to count for something, right?

"You were very lucky. The bullet grazed your side; a few inches more and—" Her bottom lip quivers and tears fill her eyes.

"Hey," I grip her arm and tug. She sits down on the side of the bed. "I didn’t make it this far to die."

"Where did you go, Edward?" She swallows. "Why did you leave me?"

I blow out a breath. "I had to, Eve. I just had to find a way to get my head screwed on right. I needed time to sort through all of my feelings."

“And did you?" She tugs on her hand and I release it. "Did you manage to clear your head?"

"No." I twist my lips, "No, I couldn’t stop thinking of you. Every moment I spent away from you was a mistake."

"Oh." She wrings her fingers together. "I… I don’t know what to say."

"There’s nothing to say; I am back now and—"

She rises to her feet, puts distance between us. "You left me, Ed. You shagged me, then walked out on me with no explanation."

"I was confused, Eve." I struggle to sit up. My side twangs, pain slices up my spine and I push it away. "I had just given up the one thing that had grounded my life until then. I walked away from my faith. I was ready to leave everything behind… I wanted to get away from it all. Instead, I found myself on your doorstep.

"You broke your vows." She adds quietly, "You shagged me."

"I needed you, Eve."

"And I needed…" she raises a shoulder, "a man who would stay with me after taking my virginity."

I swallow. "I was your first; I’ll never forget that."

"I…tried to forget you. I didn’t want anything to do with you, not after how you treated me."

My heart begins to race. The pulse pounds at my temples. "And now?" I clear my throat. "How do you feel about me now?"

She trains her gaze on me. "I don’t know." She glances away, beginning to straighten my bedclothes, "When that bullet hit you and you collapsed and I thought I’d lost you…" Her chin wobbles, "I knew then, that I still had feelings for you."

My shoulders relax, some of the tension draining out of me.

"As do I, for you."

"But it’s not enough." She squares her shoulders. "I can’t forget how you abandoned me. You didn’t even have the decency to tell it to my face. You simply walked out."

"I’d told you I would have to leave."

"You didn’t even wait until I woke up."

"You’d have stopped me," I point out. "I had too much shit to sort out. I knew if I stayed, I’d be too taken up by you. As soon as I slept with you, I knew it was a mistake."

She stiffens, and I firm my lips. "I didn’t mean it that way."

"Sure, you did." She scowls. "You regret sleeping with me."

"No." I sit up. Every part of me protests, and I wince.

Ava protests, "What are you doing?"

"I am fine." I push my legs over the side of the bed and stand up. My knees protest, my thighs spasm. Sweat breaks out on my forehead and I feel lightheaded, but at least I am upright. "See?" I say through clenched teeth. "I’m standing, aren’t I?"

"Edward," she admonishes me, "get back into bed."

"Why don’t you make me?" I take a step toward her and my entire body protests. I grit my teeth, forcing myself to stay upright. "Come on, Eve, tuck me in."

She scowls. "I only stayed to make sure you were okay."

"I’m not okay."

"You’re standing, aren’t you?" She blows out a breath. "I… I need to get going, anyway."

"Not yet." I straighten my spine, "I need you, Eve."

She shudders, closes her eyes. "I… I am not sure what I need."

"You still want me," I insist.

She takes a deep breath, pushes her shoulders back. "I survived without you all these days."

"Is that enough for you? Surviving?"

"I did a good job of it, thanks to Baron."

"Baron?" I draw in a breath, trying to figure out how she knows about him. I asked him not to contact her. "Did he look after you while I was gone?"

She tips up her chin. "I don't need a man to take care of me."

"Too bad," I set my jaw, "I did what I thought was best in the circumstances."

"Best for you or for me?"

"Best for all three of us."

She laughs, "You have no idea what you are talking about."

"Don’t I?" My legs tremble; the dull thud of pain in my side ratchets up. Damn it, I can’t afford to be weak. Not when I have to get back on my feet as soon as possible. It’s the only way I can show her that I am worth forgiving. Sweat beads my forehead. Stay on your feet, don’t you dare collapse on the bed.

"I knew I couldn’t leave you unprotected, and I didn’t trust anyone else to take care of you."

"Except Baron?"

"Except Baron."

"He got there in time that day. If it weren’t for him reaching me, I… I’d have—" Her chin trembles. Tears gleam in her eyes.

A hot sensation stabs at my chest. I close the distance between us, wrap my free arm around her " Don't cry, Eve." I tuck her head under my chin. The scent of jasmine laced with that lush womanly scent of hers, fills my lungs. I am instantly hard. Shit. I am trying to comfort her, yet being this close to her is sheer torture.

"Why did you do it, Ed? Why did you send him to me?"

I stiffen. "Did he hurt you, Eve? Did he do something to upset you?"

She rubs her cheek against the rough hospital gown. "The only person who’s hurt me here is you."

I squeeze my eyes shut. "Don’t say that, Ava."

"It’s true, though." She pushes against me, but I hold her close for just a second more before releasing her. She steps away, putting distance between us, and my gut twists.

"Eve," I frown at her, "what’s wrong?"

"Nothing." She twists her mouth. "Everything."

"What do you mean?"

"Just that," she folds her arms around her waist, "I am not the same woman you left behind."

"It’s only been two weeks."

"A lifetime."

I purse my lips. Who’d know that better than me? My life had changed in an instant when those bastards had abducted me. Seven lives…changed in the blink of an eye. We’d never been the same again. So yeah, I know what she’s talking about, but still… It hasn’t been that long. I drag my fingers through my hair, wince when every nerve in my body seems to protest. Shit, I must be more beat up than I’d realized. "So...what are you saying?"

"That, it’s best if we spend some time apart."

"No fucking way that’s happening." I take a step toward her and she skitters back. That stops me. "You afraid of me?"

"No." She shakes her head. "Of course, not."

I scowl, "Then why—"

The door opens then, and Baron walks in. He glances between us. His gaze takes in my features, sweeps over my bandaged arm, before coming to rest on Ava.

His brow furrows. "Are you okay?" He walks toward her, and she holds up her hand.

"I… I’m fine, just need some space."

"Not happening," he snaps. "You were attacked, and from what that man said before I took him down—"

"You mean before I took him down?" I interject.

He turns to survey me, "You look like shit."

"No thanks to you," I growl.

"I shot you by mistake. You know that, right?"

"Is that right?" I take in his jeans and shirt, the ruddy glow of his features. Bastard looks in the peak of health, while I feel like I could keel over at any moment.

"You know it is." He frowns. "I was aiming for the guy who broke into the studio."

"Only I got him first."

"About that," Baron scowls, "how did you have a gun on you?"

I arch an eyebrow, "Because, I am one of the Seven?"

"But..."Ava swallows, "you were a priest."

"Precisely." I dig my heels into the floor to stay steady, "Because I was a priest, I know people from all walks of life, enough to be able to procure a gun. Besides, no way was I returning unarmed. Not when I knew I'd need to keep you safe, Ava." I glance between them. "Turns out, I was right to do so. If I hadn't arrived in time, I'd never have shot that asshole."

"He’s alive, by the way," Baron offers.

"Too bad." I glower. My legs begin to tremble. I sway. Both Baron and Ava step toward me. Their shoulders brush and she stiffens. So does he. They spring apart as if an electric current shocked them. More likely, an electric connection did pass between them. I sit down on the bed, look between them, before turning to him.

"Did you fuck her?"