Page 48 of Ravaged By the Dark

Renee stood and walked around the chair, purposefully placing it between her and him. “So you were a SEAL, and you’re now what exactly? Please spell it out. I don’t want there to be any confusion.”

“Depends on who you ask. I’m a monster to most, a savior to others, a myth, maybe a legend, but my mission is to clean up trash like Tyson. I was actually looking for Cody here when he stumbled into my lap. He’s just lucky that I found him here where you stopped me rather than somewhere else. He would be meeting an untimely end right about now.”

Cody made a snorting noise and crossed his arms over his chest as he leaned back in the chair until the front legs were off the ground. “Not fucking likely.”

Arek ignored Cody and instead focused his attention on Renee. She looked shell-shocked as she gripped the chair. He wanted to go to her and let her know he’d never hurt her, but she didn’t look like she wanted him anywhere near her.

“Wait, did you kill X and Slick from the Syphons,” Cody asked, and Arek wanted to land another blow to the fucker’s face.

His eyes never left Renee as he answered. “Yes.”

“Damn man, they were messed up, like the wrong kind of fucked up dead. We couldn’t figure out why the Syphons were all up in our business about their guys, thinking that we killed them. This makes a lot of sense now. You were setting us up. Shit, I should’ve seen something like that. Instead, I thought it was another gang pinning shit on us.”

“You can stop talking now,” Arek said, and Cody gave him a smirk.

Prick.

“Look, Renee…I came here tonight to keep you safe. I learned that Tyson is after you, and like your brother said, he is messed up.”

Her eyes lifted to his. “And the two of you aren’t messed up?”

“Not Tyson messed up. I hate to admit it, but he’s right, Sis. It’s why I’m here. Tyson’s done waiting, wants to take you earlier than I negotiated for, and I don’t think I can delay him. If you just didn’t antagonize him so much—”

“So what, you want me to let him talk to me like I’m his property and touch me however he wants?” Renee’s voice rose, her hands balling into fists. “Is that it?”

“No, of course, I don’t. It’s just…it excites him when you fight back. He likes to hear people scream. Maybe if you’d played meek or acted like you were infatuated with him, he would’ve lost interest years ago, but now he jacks off yelling your name so I can hear it.”

Renee’s face turned a shade of green, her eyes dropping to her lap and her hands twisting the end of her sweater.

“You should just slit his throat.” Arek shrugged. It seemed like the most logical answer.

“Dude, you have no idea. Don’t you think I would if I could? That guy sleeps sitting up with a gun in his lap. He picks the most fortified room in any location and only has his most trusted guys around him when he goes out. Yes, he trusts me, but only to a point. I’m not even allowed a weapon when I have a meeting with him privately. The guy is completely paranoid, and for good reason.” Cody moved the peas to the other side of his face. “Why haven’t you already left, Sis? You were supposed to be the fuck out of here.”

“What?” Renee looked at her brother.

“I know you’ve been working toward going to that fancy New York dance school. I thought you’d be gone by now, across the country and far away from the freak.”

“I can’t now,” Renee said, so softly Arek could barely hear her.

“Why not? You have to get out of here and find somewhere safe. He will rape you. He will cut you up, and he will—”

“Enough!” Renee looked between the both of them. “I don’t want to hear any more. You want to know why I’m not gone? Because I don’t have the money. I almost had enough saved up in tips, and Mom stole it before she took off. Now she’s selling the house, and I can’t stop her.”

“Shit, Sis…”

“And then there’s this!” Renee grabbed the envelope on the table, her hands shaking as she pulled out a piece of paper and slapped it down on the table. Arek grabbed it before Cody could. He opened it and read it, and he looked at Renee. Her eyes looked tired like she had the world sitting squarely on her shoulders, and it was still bitch slapping her.

He handed the rejection letter to Cody.

“And!” Renee’s voice raised as her emotions swirled around the room. It broke Arek’s heart. “I already know what he wants. You’re both too late. I woke up with him in my bed.” Tears welled in Renee’s eyes.

The earlier wild dark emotions were back and riding Arek.

“Did he hurt you,” he asked quietly, and Renee rubbed her arms as she looked up to him.

“No, I pretended that I would go willingly, but he had to leave right then. I said I didn’t want J.J. to see anything like what he had planned. He made me promise not to try and run. Said he’d know if I tried, and he would hunt me down.”

Her voice hitched as the tears fell. He took a chance and wrapped Renee up in his arms. Her arms slid around his waist as he kissed the top of her head and knew he would do anything to help her. Right or wrong, he was going to protect her with his life if necessary.