"I want what I'm owed!" he shouts.
"The company isn't mine," I say quietly. "My father would never leave his precious company to a woman, least of all to me."
"You think I want the company?" He laughs in contempt. "I could have taken the company from Vincent years ago. I'm not stupid, Autumn. I know exactly how he operated the company. I know every illegal and back-alley deal he made. I don't give a fuck about the company. I'm not spending the rest of my life cleaning up his messes."
I lick my suddenly dry lips. "Then w-what do you want? What does he owe you?"
His eyes meet mine, shining with madness and lust, and I know. Before he ever says a word, I know.
Me.He's talking about me.
"He waved you in front of my face for years," he growls, spittle flying from his lips. "And then he took you from me. He poisoned you against me."
My stomach heaves, revulsion coursing through me. He's insane. Completely insane. My father didn't turn him into a monster. He wasalwaysthat. We just didn't know it until it was too late.
"Ineverbelonged to you," I say, my voice shaking with emotion. "And I never will. I was a teenager, Jimmy. And you were a sick, twisted psycho!" I yank my arm free of his hold, bringing my leg up at the same time.
My knee connects with his groin. He doubles over, crying out in pain. I elbow him in the face and then make a break for it. I know there's no way I'll be able to make it to the car and get out of here before he recovers, so I don't try.
I run for the stairs, hoping like hell the house that once felt like a cage will now offer a little bit of safety. I need it right now. Desperately. Because I refuse to let this man win. Not now. Not when I have a future with Zane waiting for me.
CHAPTERTEN
ZANE
“Ifucked up.” The sense of foreboding that’s been nagging at the back of my brain slices through me as Playboy’s words echo in my ear. “The alarm went off at the estate.” He isn’t making any sense.
“What?” I grip the phone tightly and roar, causing Jude to stop and look at me.
“Autumn insisted on driving herself to your apartment, and I let her.” My heart squeezes in my chest as the torment in his voice cuts through my soul. “And the alarm went off at the estate.”
“Calm the fuck down and explain this to me. Make goddamn sense,” I manage to growl past the growing lump of horror filling my throat. Please, God. Don’t let him mean what I think.
“Jimmy Gatlin has Autumn. She never made it to your apartment, and the alarm at the estate just went off. I’m on my way there now.” His garbled words all run together, but I hear the most important part. That dickhead motherfucker has my soulmate. Oh, hell no. My knees buckle, and I only remain standing by sheer will and the need to get my girl back.
“Fuck,” I roar and run out of the courthouse.
As I reach my SUV, Jude grabs my shoulder. “I’m driving.” He shoves me into the passenger seat, and I’m too overwhelmed thinking about what could be happening to my girl to even resist.
“The estate,” I manage to tell him as I slam my hand down on the dashboard. The pain shooting up my arm is nothing compared to the pain tearing my heart in two. Thank God, my friend puts two and two together and heads straight for the old Romano Estate.
“I heard enough of the conversation.” Jude presses the Bluetooth button on my steering wheel and barks out orders once Cash answers. “Jimmy Gatlin kidnapped Autumn. I’m on the way to the Romano Estate with Zane, and Playboy is headed there, too.” My brother’s curses fill the SUV cabin.
“I’m calling Dillon. We’re right behind you.” I hear Cash talking to someone in the background as he hangs up.
“Do you have a weapon in your vehicle?” he asks me, and I know he doesn’t have one since we just came from the courthouse.
“No.” I’m ready to crawl out of my skin as fear and worry overwhelm me. I can’t lose my little rebel now. No fucking way. “I’m going to kill the bastard with my two hands.”
Jude takes the turn onto the estate on two wheels and nearly drives up onto the elaborate front steps. “We don’t have time for subtlety,” he roars, throwing the SUV into park. I’m out the door and racing up the steps without even checking to see if my friend is following me. I don’t fucking care.
“Stuck-up bitch. Come out, come out wherever you are.” I hear the whiny bastard’s voice coming from upstairs as I burst through the front door. I somehow make it up the stairs while my heart threatens to beat out of my chest. The next thing I know, I’m kicking the double doors on the left of the stairs open.
“No!” the soon-to-be-dead asshole roars. “You can’t stop me.” He’s wildly waving the gun around, but I ignore the danger and rush the dickhead. I kick the gun out of his hand and hear it scatter across the floor as I wrap my hands around his pudgy neck. I give him several hard shakes before slamming him up against the wall.
“Stop!” my girl yells from across the room. “Make Zane stop before he kills the jerk and spends the rest of his life in jail.” The red haze covering my vision lifts slightly, and I turn to see Jude holding Autumn back. Playboy rushes in the door, and I see his body visibly relax when he sees Autumn standing next to Jude. He pulls her out of my boss’ hold and wraps his arm around her shoulders while murmuring in her ear.
“Don’t worry.” Jude glances between Autumn and Playboy and me before smirking. “Zane won’t spend a moment in jail.” He points at Jimmy Gatlin. “No one is going to look too hard for that fucker.”