Authors: Carrie Cox

Tags: #romance, #serials, #billionaire brothers, #billionaire, #Alpha Male

Steel 3: Blackthorne MC (5 page)

I felt hollow inside, and I held my breath. I knew what was coming before he even said it.

"We can't take you back, Ella. There's been a change of plan,” Tom said quickly, finishing off what Chad had started to say.

I shook my head. "What? No, that's not right! Victor
promised
I could leave today." I said the words slowly and calmly because I knew I was in danger of completely losing it and getting hysterical.

Tom moved closer to me and put a huge hand on my shoulder. "Look, Ella, it won't be forever, and it's not so bad around here, is it?"

I took a step back, making his hand slip from my shoulder. "I've got to get back to school. I've got a
life
. People will be wondering where I am? You can’t keep me here!”

Tom scratched the end of his nose. "School doesn't start until September. I might never have gone myself, but I know that much.” He grinned at his brother, and I was so mad, I smacked his arm.

“It’s not funny! I can’t stay here.” I shook my head in disbelief. "I don't think you realize how serious this is. You're holding me hostage. You're not letting me leave when I want to. This is illegal.”

Chad snorted and didn't look very bothered. "Well, Victor's got quite a bit of experience of doing things illegally. I shouldn't think that will worry him too much."

I was so furious I couldn't think straight. I dumped the holdall on the floor.
How could they do this to me?

Then I heard Nick calling my name. I turned around and saw him approaching me with a look of concern on his face.

"Did you know about this?" I demanded. I was so furious they had led me to believe that I was going home. They had just been playing with me all along.

I didn't wait for Nick to answer.

"Ella, wait," he said as I stalked past him. "Where are you going?"

"I'm going to see Victor. He can't do this to me."

In an instant, Nick was by my side. "That's not a good idea. Let me talk to him for you."

I looked up at him angrily, searching his face for any evidence that he was lying to me.

Eventually I said, "I'm going, Nick. Whether he says I can or not. I may have to walk five miles back to town, but I am getting out of here
today
."

I stormed back through the bar and headed up to the corridor where I knew Victor kept his private rooms, but I didn't get very far.

There were two heavies on the door. Two men I didn't recognize, and they wouldn't let me pass. I was so furious I raised a fist, intending to… Well, I’m not really sure what I was intending to do, but before I had a chance to do anything, Nick clasped me by the shoulders and pulled me back towards him.

“Please, Ella, trust me. I'll talk to him.”

I was sick of listening to promises that never came true. I pushed myself away from Nick and turned back to the two heavies on the door.

“I want to see Victor. Now!” I shouted at them.

But they didn't move and they didn't look too impressed with my demands. They just stood there like immovable hulks and smirked at me.

Nick moved between me and the two men on the door.

“I need to talk to Victor,” Nick said. The bigger of the two men nodded and stood aside to let Nick pass.

When I tried to follow, he moved back into position and blocked my path

"Not you."

I glared at him furiously, but there wasn't much I could do as Nick slipped through the door to see Victor, leaving me in the hallway.

I paced back and forth in the corridor chewing my fingernails. I had no idea what Nick was planning to say, or whether he would be able to persuade Victor to let me leave.

But even if Nick didn't manage to reason with Victor Blackstone, I’d meant what I said. One way or another, I was getting out of there. I was sick of playing victim.

Nick

"Nick?" Victor looked up from his desk and set down the papers he'd been looking at. "I'm surprised to see you so early. What's the problem?"

He looked at me with those cool, assessing eyes of his, and I was certain he knew exactly what my problem was.

I didn't know why he was acting this way. Why had he led Ella to believe he was going to let her go home only to change his mind at the last moment? Victor was a lot of things, but I'd never realized what a twisted sadistic son of a bitch he really was.

It took all my self-control not to tell him exactly what I thought of him. I needed to make him listen to reason.

"Ella, was about to leave when Chad told her she couldn't go. She is really upset."

Victor nodded slowly. "I should have guessed it would be about Ella." He nodded at the chair in front of his desk, obviously annoyed at me pacing up and down his office.

I wanted to refuse, but I didn't want to risk getting him angry. I sat down in the chair, tense and on edge.

Victor leaned back in his chair, steepled his fingers and rested them under his chin. "I've spoken to Damien."

Damien, that snake
. I should have known that somehow he would be behind this.

"Since when do you listen to your brother?" I couldn't keep the mocking tone out of my voice, and Victor noticed it.

His eyes narrowed. "Since he started talking sense."

For a moment, Victor just glared at me, and then finally, he said, "Damien told me she's been asking a lot of questions. Questions about her friend, Claire."

I shrugged. “Well, of course she has. Isn't that natural? And that just goes to prove that she
doesn't
know what happened."

Victor chuckled. “Sometimes, Nick, you amaze me with your naivety. You have many talents. But I sometimes think you don’t have that little bit extra needed to be a member of this crew. Your personality doesn't quite fit.”

If that little bit extra he was referring to was behaving like a complete asshole, I couldn't say I was sorry.

I ignored Victor's attempt to rattle me and continued, pressing home my point. "She doesn't remember what happened, Victor. We should just let her go home."

Victor cocked his head to one side. “True. But she doesn't remember what happened because she'd been drinking. "

"That's right."

Victor sighed. "The trouble is, memories have a tendency to come back, and when they do, I want her here. Nick, do you understand me? She's dangerous."

I leaned back in disgust. "She's a college kid. She's not dangerous."

"She's dangerous to
us
."

I clenched my fists. "She wants to go home. How are we supposed to keep her here without keeping her a prisoner?”

"I have no intention of making her a prisoner," Victor said slowly with a smile creeping on his face.

“No? Then how are you going to get her to stay?"

"I'm not," Victor said bluntly, and then he gave me a cold smile. "
You are
."

I frowned. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Victor leaned forward in his seat, resting his elbows on the desk. "You've always had a way with the ladies, Nick.” He gave me a mocking smile. “You've always been able to charm women. This time, I suggest you use it to your advantage. Persuade her to stay."

"I can't do that." I said the words through gritted teeth.

Victor raised an eyebrow. "That's a shame, Nick, because I think things will be a lot easier for Ella if she stays here of her own free will for a while longer."

I understood the implication behind his words and I felt sick to my stomach.

What the hell was I going to do? It was so ironic. Victor was forcing me to persuade her to stay, when that was the one thing I wanted more than anything.

"I hope you cooperate, Nick. I think the situation could turn quite ugly if you don't."

I glared at him angrily, but I knew it was futile. I had to make sure Ella was safe, and to do that, I needed to follow Victor’s orders.

I got to my feet and gave Victor a curt nod. "Fine. I'll try."

I didn't wait for his response as I walked out of the office.

Outside, I saw Ella standing there waiting for me. Her face was open and trusting, and I felt like a sledgehammer had hit me in the chest.

I needed to persuade her to stay here with me, and I didn't have the first idea how to go about it.

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