Oh, my God.
But then suddenly Aydin turned and jerked his chin, gesturing to me, instead.
What?
My heart dropped into my stomach, and Will gritted through his teeth, “You son of a bitch.”
I stepped forward, dropping my weapon. “Me?” I said, but I already knew the answer. “You brought me here?”
All the enemies and all the people who had something against me if they knew my secret, and it turned out to be someone I’d never met?
He didn’t sentence Will to Blackchurch. He smuggled me in for revenge.
Aydin’s eyes fell, and he tightened the rope around Will’s wrist. “I want him to know what this feels like,” he murmured. “To watch the one woman it physically hurts to look at, because you want her so much, give her time and loyalty and love to another.” He glared over at me. “I want him to feel this.”
Alex stepped up next to me, and I could hear her breathe.
“Then why not try to seduce me?” I charged before she could say anything. What was with all the big brother shit?
He just chuckled. “The only thing more powerful than the heart is the brain, and it was so much more useful to get into your head than into your bed.”
I shook my head. “Or maybe you didn’t want to take me away from Will, but Will away from Alex. Maybe she was the one you wanted to hurt.”
He shrugged. “Either way.”
The room fell silent except for Taylor’s shaking. I looked over, not that worried about him, but Aydin was going to have to help him. Close the wound or something.
My hand shot to my hair. He brought me here.
But that meant he also gave me the knife. Did he think that was going to be enough protection?
The floor above us creaked—as well as the wood in the walls—and I smelled smoke in the air, but then thunder cracked overhead, the lights flickered, and I raised my weapon again, opening my mouth to speak.
But Aydin spoke first. “You both will stay down here,” he told Will, “and if Micah and Rory know what’s good for them, they’ll fall in line.”
He turned to the guys, ordering them, “Take the women to my room,” he told them and then looked at us. “I’ll be up to see you ladies in a while.”
I tensed.
“Maybe they’d like some exercise tonight,” he said, staring at Will. “I’ll take them to the pool. Party of three.” His voice lowered, but I could still hear the smile in his tone. “Maybe Emmy will play out that little fantasy of hers and put Alex to some good use the way everyone else has.”
I lunged. “Will!”
Micah grabbed me, and I dropped the gun, shooting my palm up to his fucking nose as Alex shot out and caught Rory’s arm, spinning him around and shoving him into the wall.
He headbutted the stone, and I dropped down, picked up my bayonet, rushing to Will.
But Aydin was there, stopping me and taking me in his arms, wrapping them around me like a steel band and holding me hostage.
“Wendy, Wendy,” he taunted. “It’s true, then. One girl is worth twenty boys, it seems. So glad you’re on my team.”
His mouth came down on mine, his scruff and sweat grinding against my lips as he moved over me, stealing my breath.
Will.
I grunted, a sob lodging in my throat as I pressed against his blood-soaked shirt and tried to twist my head away.
Oh, God.