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Chapter 18
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2024-10-29 19:42:56QUINN
I was beginning to realize that no matter how tolerable Gunnar could be, no matter how nice he seemed, deep down he would always look at me as a way to get back at my family. After sharing the little information he did this morning, he had me come into work with him and still pretend to be his loyal assistant. I thought of spiking his coffee with laxatives more than once today. That would have taught him a good lesson and maybe I'd take away all the toilet paper so he would suffer even further.
My diabolical plan was sounding more and more appealing in my head.
I forced myself to refocus. Gunnar had dragged me to yet another meeting for the day and I was mentally exhausted. For some strange reason, the board members wanted the company to go public, allowing anyone who wanted to buy shares in the business to buy. That didn't sit well with Gunnar. To him, he worked too hard to allow strangers to rea
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QUINN"What are we doing here?" The redbrick warehouse we were parked in front of looked vacant from the outside. Small square windows lined the upper portion of the building, murky with dust which made it difficult to see inside — those windows were too high up anyway."You'll see," I didn't appreciate how cold Gunnar's response was. It was colder than the chill gracing the night. We were near a river, the sound of water should have been soothing but it only added to the eerie atmosphere.He got out of the car and gestured for me to do the same. Of course, it would be asking too much of him to open the God damn door for me. Snorting under my breath at the thought, I stepped out of the car. The cool breeze tousled my wavy locks from one side to the other. I shivered for a beat not because of the temperature but because of fear of the unexpected. Gunnar was being vague and I wasn't sure what I was about to wal
Gunnar Chapter 20
GUNNAR"She's a fucking Harper and you're protecting her?" Ace's voice bellowed. Luckily, Quinn's bedroom was at the other end of the house. I hoped she wouldn't hear him."We're protecting her," I corrected, meeting Jericho's eyes before settling on Ace, "All three of us because it's in our best interest," I stressed the word our so they knew how important this was, "Mickey wants her and we want Mickey.""So you want to use her as bait?" The corner of my brother's lips quirked into a coy smirk. He wasn't always this morbid but he apparently embraced the darkness wholeheartedly. Ace still wasn't one for torture. It allowed his guilt to creep in on him so he chose to kill without a thought because, with the job already done, there was no way to convince himself to back out."No," I growled out the word, grip tightening around the crystal glass holding my whiskey, "I've done that to her already.
Gunnar Chapter 21
QUINNMy arms burned from Gunnar's touch, skin humming at the warmth that seeped in. His confirmation that I would be okay placated the storm wrecking my insides. I wanted to hate him for what he did and I wanted to hate myself for not doing anything to stop him but I couldn't. It was traumatizing, watching Gunnar pull the trigger the way he did and as much as that made me angry, it didn't make me hate Gunnar completely.What did that say about me?I watched blankly as Jericho offered me an apologetic smile before turning on his heel and leaving. He was the kinder one from the lot, I deduced. Ace, on the other hand, was just as bad as Gunnar. Maybe even worse. He seemed to despise me and having me under the same roof had his skin crawling with agitation. I suddenly understood, now more than before, why Gunnar chose to keep the truth hidden. Of course, we needed to tell them the truth so they knew why I sudden
Gunnar Chapter 22
QUINNThe house was bathed in darkness. Ace wasn't home. I assumed he had a job to do, someone to take care of and I was surprisingly elated about that. After our conversation, I tried to avoid both him and Gunnar like the plague. Jericho gave me the space I needed but offered to take care of Venus a little while longer. I didn't refuse him because I was still wallowing in my pit of despair.It had been a few days since I came to this house. An eerie silence was all that was left behind after everyone left in the mornings. The helpers barely even made a sound. The only time that silence would lighten was when Jericho came home. He would walk Slash, his German Shepard, and Venus together before going to the kitchen to make us lunch. Jericho knew I wouldn't eat with any of them, I hadn't done so from the time I arrived, so he always asked someone to bring the food to my room.Tonight, however, I was hungry beca
Gunnar Chapter 23
GUNNAR The words tasted sour on my tongue as they rolled off. They hung in the air, a potent stench that threatened to suffocate me. It was a memory I lived to forget but it haunted me every waking moment. And now, she was forcing me to relive it by making me talk about it. I never wanted to be the one to tell her. Maybe she didn't have to know. All she wanted to know, in the beginning, was what her family had brought her into. But here she was, fishing deeper than she needed to. She needed to stop because she wasn't going to like where this little fishing expedition of hers was about to lead. "I'm through with this topic," I gritted, pinning her with a hard glare, "and it will be best if you're through with it, too. You're not leaving this house. You've got your question answered so I don't see a reason for you to leave." I turned to flee but she stopped me by curling her cold fingers aroun
Gunnar Chapter 24
QUINN The scalding water from the shower pelted onto my back, washing away my dirty deeds from the night before. It would be our little secret, one I hoped desperately wouldn't happen again. Images invaded my thoughts. How his smoldering gaze bore into mine as those sinful lips brushed against my skin. How his tongue worked me as if he had done this before to my body. The marks littering my skin was his claim, one I couldn't wait to evaporate from my skin. Because sleeping with him was a mistake. The sweetest, most exhilarating mistake that I would make over and over again given the chance. But I couldn't do it. I felt bad for him and what had happened to him when he was younger, however, what he did to me to exact revenge was demented and I wasn't certain I could look past it. Being caught up in the moment landed me naked in bed with him, having his own way with me. There couldn't be a repeat.
Gunnar Chapter 25
QUINN It was like something feral snapped in Gunnar. He no longer saw Ace as his brother when he pushed off the marble island, he saw Ace as someone trying to disobey his direct orders. Instead of protecting me as Gunnar wanted, he planned to put my life in danger. It wasn't about me. It was about the blatant disrespect Ace was beginning to display. At least, that was my deduction from Gunnar's reaction. His steps held purpose as he strode out of the kitchen. I slid off the island and practically ran to meet his stride. My organs were begging me to slow down just to breathe for a second but I pushed through the burn. Again, I wouldn't forgive myself if I caused a rift between these three brothers. Right now, I was a major stumbling block between Ace and Gunnar. I followed Gunnar to the opposite end of where our rooms were situated. There wasn't a difference between this half of the house and that half —
Gunnar Chapter 26
QUINN "I feel terrible. You took care of Venus longer than necessary and I'm staying in your home and now you're leaving without me having at least one decent conversation with you," I whined, shifting on the balls of my feet as I stared up at the nice brother. Jericho fisted his hair and then looped a hair tie around it, "I figured at least one of us three needed to cut you some slack. Anyway, you only think I'm nice because you don't really know me." "Do you want to kill everyone just because you don't like them?" I sarcastically quizzed with a smile that felt real after so long. Jericho pretended to give my question some thought, bright green eyes reflecting the afternoon sun, "No, I don't think so." "And do you spew orders expecting everyone to follow them as if you're God's gift to mankind?" My question dripped with just as much sarcasm as the first one. Jericho bit back his smile, shaking his head vigorously, "I
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QUINN"He's in a meeting at the moment but he should be done soon," Priyanka informed me while we both shot Gunnar's secretary a glare that could kill.She was getting on my last nerve. I had been trying to get into Gunnar's office for the past half an hour and she refused to let me in. Since she wasn't part of the meeting, I figured that it had little to do with Astor Architecture and a lot to do with another arms deal. Gunnar had told her not to let anyone in while he was busy but I was almost certain that didn't apply to me."He won't mind if I go in but I'll wait since I'm apparently not permitted entrance," I sarcastically muttered, propping my hands on the curve of my hips."Forget it. Talking to her is like telling a brick wall to move," Priyanka snarled but that quickly turned into a grin when she turned to me, "you've got to tell me everything. Did you finally get that Vitamin D t
Gunnar Chapter 40
GUNNARThis was the last place I wanted to be, the last place I expected to be. I had to exercise every bit of my restraint. Last night I had let Quinn down. I wasn't about to do it again. She would completely hate me if I decided to make my way down the hall to do to her father what he had done to mine. But I couldn't take it. Knowing that he was only meters away from me had my palms itching with vengeance. He deserved everything he had coming to him and more. So much fucking more, and I wanted to be the one who delivered his punishment. I wanted to deliver him to his maker so he could suffer for the sins he committed.Quinn shuffled beside me. She had been tossing and turning for the entire night. I had returned to find her asleep and decided not to disturb her by waking her up. She may have been asleep but she was restless, mumbling incoherent words in her sleep while tears slipped out of the corner of her eyes. I manag
Gunnar Chapter 39
QUINN I looked into Mickey's dimming eyes and then dropped my gaze down to the blood coating my hands once more. My entire body felt cold, every hair standing on end. I watched Mickey open and close his mouth but I couldn't hear anything. Matter of fact, I couldn't hear anything past the ringing in my ears. The ringing began to dull down and someone's deep, frantic voice cut through. They were clearly shouting my name but it sounded muffled — so far away. Someone's rough hands tugged my body away from Mickey's. Another gunshot sounded, causing the ringing to pick up yet again. The bullet entered Mickey's skull, blood splattering everywhere. A scream filled with utter terror ripped from my lungs and — because of my reflexes — my hands flew to my mouth, smearing blood all over my face. "Shhh..." The person behind me cooed in an attempt to calm me but he was failing. Hot
Gunnar Chapter 38
QUINN I had watched many movies where the protagonist found themselves in life-threatening situations. Usually, they would watch their life flash right before their eyes. But of course, it was different for me. I just blankly stared down the barrel of the gun Mickey had pointed at my chest. My warning bells weren't ringing anymore. I simply took in a deep breath, feeling as calm as the ocean before a storm. Honestly, if I knew this was how things were going to play out, I would have probably not gone along with Eddie's plan. All I was meant to do was seduce him, the way I was meant to do with Gunnar. I figured I could play the part. Once he made his move, I was fully ready to off the son of a bitch. It would have been self-defense. According to Eddie, Mickey had cameras all over his home. If that was where we ended up, then this night would have played out differently. Mickey would have been dead and I would have had foo
Gunnar Chapter 37
GUNNAR I glared at the man sprawled on the floor with my brother's foot lodged against his throat. Crouching down beside him, I gave him more incentive to follow my instructions by pressing the cool metal of my gun into his temple, "Call your men off on my brother." "Vaffanculo figlio di puttana," he sputtered, trying to push my brother's boot off his throat. The bastard's face began to turn bright red, beads of cold sweat tricking down his hairline. I shook my head. Pathetic. This was a waste of my time but I had to make sure Jericho was safe first before I could take another step. He was my priority at the moment because I knew Quinn was safe — for now, at least, "Kill him." I rose to my feet dismissively, engaging the safety on my gun and tucking it into my waistband. My psychotic middle brother grinned, excitement lighting up his hazel eyes when he pulled the trigger. A loud bang r
Gunnar Chapter 36
QUINNReflecting on the past, actually thinking about the majority of my childhood, I was slowly beginning to realize that my brother had prepared me for this life as best as he could without actually giving anything away. When I was young he used to play-fight with me and while doing so he taught me how to throw a perfect punch and a few kicks.When in doubt, always aim for the crotch.That was the advice he had given me on multiple occasions. I never thought that any of that information would come in handy but things always worked out in the most unexpected ways. In all fairness, I really wished I had more training to deal with what lied ahead. Maybe some knife-throwing classes. I had good aim so I could see that working out.It was dark and there was a distinct chill in the air that had goosebumps littering the exposed flesh of my arms. I wore a spaghetti strap body con dress that ended
Gunnar Chapter 35
QUINNI watched Venus run around in the garden. It was early. The morning sun kissed my face as it rose into the sky, offering it an orange-red blend. I inhaled the crisp air, the breeze carrying sweet notes from the flowers surrounding me."You're out here by yourself?" Ace sat down beside me, draping an arm behind me on the wooden bench. He sounded a little surprised by me being alone."Your brother is asleep," the corner of my lips twitched upward at the thought, "I didn't want to wake him." I turned to Ace, looking him up and down for a quick beat before saying, "you just came home?"He hummed in response, mouth opening into a massive yawn. Ace blinked his eyes, trying to hide his fatigue but he was failing, "I've been busy," he brought two fingers up to his lips, tracing the seam in deep thought, "I'm doing a job for Gunnar, and let's just say, I need to be thorough with my recon beca
Gunnar Chapter 34
GUNNARI couldn't concentrate. Not on one fucking thing. The entire day was a waste. Every meeting I had was a blur, my thoughts constantly going back to this morning. I wouldn't have minded the thought of fucking Little one senseless replaying itself in my mind on a constant loop. But it wasn't. It was our conversation afterward. She wanted to see her father. Deep down, I knew I couldn't stop her. She had a right to see her family. I just wished I knew what bullshit he was feeding her.Ace was with her so I knew she would be safe. I trusted my brother not to let me down. He knew how much this meant to me, how much she meant to me. I was done trying to understand it — done trying to convince myself that I felt nothing for her. All I knew was that I slept better at night with her in my arms. I could breathe easier knowing that I would be going home to her. My heartbeat thrummed a little harder knowing that she was saf
Gunnar Chapter 33
QUINNI had never felt so intimidated before, that too, at the sight of my own home coming into view. Part of me wanted to turn back, run for the freaking hills, and then some. Another part knew I deserved the answers I was searching for. If there was a chance for my life to return to anything close to normal, I needed this."Remind me again why I'm here?" Miranda scowled in the back seat of the SUV. Ace had the driver's seat and I took the passenger seat, "I'd prefer to be miles away from this guy," she pointed her finger at Ace's head."Don't look at me," I shrugged a shoulder but offered her a sympathetic smile. Miranda honestly shouldn't have been here, "I'm not the one who brought you along.""No you weren't," she huffed in agreement, "it was this tyrant of a man that dragged me out of bed and brought me here," Miranda shoved Ace's head but he barely even flinched."I
