12

Ava
Oh my God. Everything I’d heard about the Damned was correct. They were absolute psychopaths who thought they could control everyone around them. I was shaking and wasn’t certain if it was from fear or anger. Why would Kennedy’s parents want her to have anything to do with this insanity? Why would they dare push her into marrying one of the assholes?
I took several deep breaths, trying to collect my sanity.
Visions of Theo’s bloodied face remained in the forefront of my mind.
I’d watched as Christian had dragged the poor guy from the party room, shoving him into another. Then I’d followed, hiding in the shadows and listening from only a few feet away. No one had paid any attention to my departure, or so I’d hoped, although I could certainly sense there were eyes everywhere. Waiting. Watching.
I’d shifted into a darkened room as he’d stormed by, holding my breath for fear of being caught. Several rumbles of thunder had added to a heightened level of fear, but they’d been unable to mask the brutal thuds indicating the poor kid whisked from the ballroom was getting beaten. Who the hell did these assholes think they were?
Then I’d remained where I was, still trying to catch my breath and calm my nerves. The man who’d been used as a punching bag had limped from the other room, gasping for air. Another man appeared out of the shadows, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed. What I’d overheard had horrified me.
“Don’t worry, Jonas. I’m leaving,” the poor guy had said as he’d continued gasping for breath. His lip had been split in two locations, and there was no doubt he’d have two black eyes in a few hours-let alone that his nose would need reconstructive surgery.
Jonas had chuckled, the sound sending an icy chill through my veins. “You fucked with the wrong people, Theodore. You’re lucky you’re still alive.”
“Fuck you, buddy. You can’t touch me, and everyone in this house knows it.”
“Don’t fool yourself. You knew the rules. You broke them. Kill without question. Follow orders. Don’t tell.”
Kill without question. I’d had imagined I’d heard the words. I’d been shocked I hadn’t screamed, merely shrinking further into the darkness of the room, praying to God another member of the Elite wouldn’t grab me in the process.
“I did what was asked of me.”
“You left a witness.”
My mind could barely process what I’d heard. A witness. What was the group really doing? Mafia. I’d been a fool to think the brutal life wouldn’t bleed into their activities. They were trained killers.
“You asshole. I wasn’t sent to kill his wife. That’s sick.”
I managed to dart a quick look into the hallway, almost losing my footing. Jonas had jerked his head up, issuing a primal growl as he glared toward the room I’d hidden inside of. The scar on the side of his face had been almost as terrifying as the moment.
“No. Witnesses.” Jonas had snapped. “Go before I kill you myself.”
As they both passed, Theodore had slapped his hand on the wall, leaving a bloody handprint. It was obvious he’d done so on purpose. I was sick to my stomach. How could this be allowed to happen? How could Kennedy be a part of this charade? There was no way my best friend could know what was happening. None.
Still shaking after another two or three minutes had passed, I’d finally eased from my hiding place. I’d decided at that moment that I would force Kennedy to leave even if I had to drag her out of the building. I thought about telling my father or going to the authorities, but what good would it do? While I’d purposely tried to ignore the gossip mill threading through the campus, it was obvious that the Elite owned more than just the people working for and around the campus. They owned a good portion of Lexington, Kentucky as well, including the police.
Now taking quick steps and constantly glancing over my shoulder, I returned to the main room, realizing several new people had arrived. As I milled through the crowd, the feeling of being watched continued. Even the girls were scrutinizing me, their hate-filled gazes a clear indication I was an outsider.
In fact, I had a feeling I was the only person invited to the party that wasn’t a member of their private group. My journal continued to plague my mind. I had no desire to become a member, and I planned on convincing Kennedy she’d be a fool to accept what her parents believed was good for her. I ignored the harsh glares, thankful that Christian hadn’t returned to the room. However, suddenly I had the creepy-crawlies, my skin tingling. While everyone was dancing and drinking, there didn’t seem to be a student in the room who wasn’t watching my every action.
I jumped from the sound of thunder, my yelp attracting even more attention.
Rain was pouring down outside, bolts of lightning flashing through the massive floor to ceiling windows. Still no sign of Kennedy.
“Where are you?” I asked under my breath, noticing Jonas from the corner of my eye. My skin crawled again, unable to lose the feeling that he’d somehow known I was hiding. Oh, God. This was so bad. He wore a smile that could only be described as manic, the look in his eyes crazed. I gave him a once over on purpose, controlling my breathing.
The crowd was suddenly suffocating. I wasn’t used to them. Most of my classes were small in comparison to others, the majority of students studying business and marketing. My heart drifted into my throat, a light fog forming around my eyes. I needed air but refused to leave without her. Damn it. I’d only been gone for two minutes.
After searching the entire ballroom, I thought I noticed her bright blonde hair from a distance, although I couldn’t confirm given the distance. Relief flooded me, and I quickly followed. She was heading through another doorway, glancing over her shoulder at least once. Was there fear in her eyes? And who was the man leading her? I pushed my way through the guests, wrapping my fingers around the lever just before the door closed. Without thinking, I ventured into the hallway.
When the door shut, I heard a soft click and realized the area was private, no one getting in without a code. What was she doing here? Was this where all the incidents of debauchery took place or where they killed their victims?
My thoughts drifted to what she’d told me earlier-that the members of the Elite were sadists. Was she being punished for the fact that I’d mouthed off to one of the Elite? I knew enough about the practice of BDSM to understand that even though it was supposed to be consensual, there were those who enjoyed inflicting pain for the art of doing so.
There were a few people up ahead of me, all moving toward something. I could feel it. I tried not to call attention to myself, hanging back as I trailed behind them. The design of the hallway reminded me of catacombs leading into a cave, and I could swear we were going underground given the slight slope of the floor. If I was correct, that meant there was likely no other way out than the one I’d entered.
I was fooling myself by continuing to say I could handle the situation. Terror ripped through me, but I refused to allow anything to happen to Kennedy. She’d do the same for me.
Strange murmurs from a distance kept my attention rapt, although those walking ahead of me remained quiet. I could swear there was reverence as well as purpose in their steps. I hung back as one by one they began to disappear through an oversized doorway. What little light illuminated the corridor was limited, almost as if the room was glowing. The closer I came, the more I realized the lights were flickering. Candles.
I darted my head into the doorway, realizing I was correct, although the candles were flameless instead of being real. That didn’t change the fact the glow only made whatever was going on seem erotic in nature. While I could barely understand what I was seeing, I was certain Kennedy was being led up to the stage.
No. No! This was crazy.
Only after rising onto my tiptoes did I realize the girl I’d followed wasn’t Kennedy after all. Before I had a chance to venture any further inside, I felt a savage pull and was jerked back into the hallway.
Thick fingers wrapped around my throat, and I was pushed against the wall. I immediately slammed my fists against a hard body, fighting with everything I had. “Get off me.”
“I heard you were a little fighter.” The stranger tightened his hold, his fingers digging into my skin.
I wanted to respond, but my heart was in my throat. He had a vengeful look on his face, his strong jaw clenched tightly. I involuntarily dragged my tongue across my dry lips, and he snickered.
“You’re in a restricted area, little pet.”
Little pet.
I was thrown by the use of the two words, and my body’s immediate reaction, my nipples taut.
While I didn’t recognize the man’s deep voice, the husky tone was unsettling. The dim lighting made his features appear ominous. The stranger was very tall, at least six foot five, dwarfing me easily. He was broad shouldered with huge arms, the muscles bulging against his suit jacket. His scent reminded me of a forest just after a rainstorm, fresh and inviting. Yet I sensed danger infused with his use of power.
I continued to fight him even as it felt as if the breath was being sucked from my body.
Nothing could hide his gorgeous, carved physique. His jaw was chiseled, his lips meant for kissing. I blinked several times, fighting the ridiculous urge to see what his mouth tasted like.
“And you’re a very bad girl.”
His seductive tone was tainted with a hint of implied danger. It was also a clear indication Jonas had seen me.
“Don’t touch me.”
He laughed. “I take what I want. That’s a privilege afforded to members of the house.”
His lips were dangerously close to mine, his heated breath cascading across my face.
“Let. Me. Go.” My voice was raspy, my throat closing.
“Mmm… Is that what you really want, Ava ?”
Oh, God. He knew my name.
“No,” I squeaked.