“It’s your fault, isn’t it? She’s here because of you,” I accuse him because I know it’s true. How else would Ella have found me or Carter? It was a sick plan from the start and we played right into it. How the fu*k can my father live with knowing what was done to these girls? Katherine has been through the same thing Ella’s experienced all because of a sick monster.
“I know you’re angry, but you don’t understand my thinking. I felt bringing such publicity would hurt our family name as well as the Hamiltons’.”
“Like fu*k it would! He raped Carter’s sister. He’s a sick fu*k. I’ll kill him myself,” I growl, pivoting. I pull his door open and glare back at him. “Don’t you dare come near me. You’re as bad as he is.”
With that, I walk out on the man who raised me. The man who taught me who I was. And as I step into the lift, I realize I have no idea who the fu*k I am anymore.
* * *
“Bennett.” My office door flies open and I glance up to find my best friend.
I glance at Ella. She’s been taking notes on our new acquisition, but I need to talk to Carter privately. “I’m sorry to cut this short, sweetheart, but I need to speak to Cart about something. I need his help and it can’t wait.” My body is still fueled with anger as he steps into the office and shuts the door.
“What’s up?” The concern on my best friend’s face is clear.
When he reaches Ella, he grips her shoulders, rubbing them methodically, which seems to calm all three of us. The tension is mounted high in my office. The three of us shared something intimate and to have them both here relaxes the anger waging war inside me.
“You know I’d do anything I can to help.” It’s true. He would.
“Ella, I’ll call you in once I’ve spoken to Carter.” I’d rather not have Ella here for this.
She stares at me for a moment with worry marring her beautiful face. My words may be gentle toward her, but my tone isn’t. Then she nods and leaves us to it. The man I trust my life with cocks his head to the side, staring at me in question.
“I found the man.” I need to give him more than that, but I’m not sure how he’s going to take it. I didn’t do so well with the news, but the problem is, this has more to do with Cart than it does me.
Silence falls around us. It’s an angry, rage-fueled hush. He slips into the seat Ella just vacated, waiting and watching for more. I didn’t want her to hear the horror Katherine faced. I’m sure the talk of this happening would have the memories flooding her mind sending her into another state of panic.
Carter doesn’t question me; he doesn’t say anything. The silence is deadly.
“I was at my dad’s offices today,” I inform him. “My team found the arsehole who’s hurt Ella, but there’s more to it than that.” My voice is a deep rumble.
My phone rings. When I glance down, I notice it’s Sarge, the man who’s going to find the predator and bring him to me for his last rights.
“Sarge,” I answer, listening to his response. “Mate, I need a location on the man in the photo I sent through. I’m not sure about the name he’s using at the moment, but can you run a facial recognition on him? Real name Carlo Bianchi, but I have a feeling he’s been using an alias.”
“Yeah, whatever you need. We’ll find him,” Sarge responds. “What do you want us to do after we’ve located him?”
“I need two men on him immediately. Don’t engage. This is personal and needs to be handled with the utmost care and privacy.” Our eyes meet and realization dawns on his face. There’s no mistaking it. We’ll handle this. “Thanks.”
“My uncle?” he questions. His voice is dangerous. There’s venom coursing through him. I see it alight in his eyes. It burns like a goddamn beacon in the night.
“There’s more.”
“How much fu*king more?” he growls, anger dripping from every word. Sighing, I sit back, trying to figure out how the hell I’m meant to tell him that the man who hurt Ella also hurt his sister.
“His first victim,” I utter, dragging my stare to my best friend. “It was Kat.” There’s no verbal reaction, merely a white-knuckle grip on the arms of his chair. There’s a deafening silence that hangs between us once more. This is indeed personal. “My fu*king father was in on it. I don’t know the details, Cart, but there’s some shit that went down. I’ll find out what. But we need to keep Ella safe because I have a feeling he’s coming for her with revenge in mind.”
“I’ll take Ella home.” He pushes up, stalking to the door. He opens it and steps outside with me hot on his heels. Ella’s gaze meets ours as we close the distance between my office and her desk. “I want you home. I’ll take you. Stay there until Bennett and I can sort out this mess,” he murmurs with pure rage in his tone.
She glances at the paperwork on her desk and responds, “But, I’ll—”
“This isn’t up for debate.” I stare at her.
She knows better than to argue with either of us because her safety is important. I don’t want her in public alone. Her tormentor is out there, and we’ve just confirmed that Carter’s uncle is the one who’s responsible. We can’t tell her. She’ll lose it. Once this has been sorted out, I’ll make sure she knows we did it for her. Hopefully she’ll never have to learn about Carter’s uncle being the man who violated and broke her.
“Fine, I’ll take my laptop home to work from there.”
It’s settled. This will end today. He will pay, and I’m going to love every fu*king minute.
Ella
I can’t argue with two alpha men. It’s pointless. I push up from the chair and turn to head to my desk. Carter and Bennett haven’t told me what they’re going to do, but I have a feeling it’s not legal.
Shutting down my laptop, I slide it into the black leather satchel along with the charger. I don’t need anything else, and when I glance up I find Carter staring at me. “What?”
“You’re beautiful. I look at you and wonder what you’re doing with us.”
I giggle because that’s the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard. Both he and Bennett are handsome. They could be male models. Chiseled, tanned skin under the immaculate suits. Eyes that shine like an expensive pair of gemstones. Every inch of them is perfect.
“Carter, there are times you say the stupidest things.” My retort earns me a smirk and he narrows his eyes at me.
“Ella, you do realize your cheeky mouth is going to earn you a good hard fu*king in the backseat of my car,” he murmurs hungrily against my cheek.
I don’t doubt he’s serious about it, and I can’t stifle my gasp.
“You say that like it’s a punishment,” I tease playfully and he steps back, regarding me with a predatory glance. The heat from it has my core pulsing with need. As much as my body protests from both men worshiping me, I still want more.
These men have turned on an insatiable need inside me and all I want is for them to devour me. “Let’s go, Princess.”
Bennett meets us in the foyer and gives me a hug. “Be careful,” he whispers with a soft kiss on my cheek, then leaves us. His hands roam my body, cupping my ass, squeezing hard, causing me to whimper. “I’ll be at your apartment soon, sweetheart.”
“How are you feeling?” Carter questions me with wariness lacing his tone.