Emery’s POV

I couldn’t seem to catch my breath as my chest rapidly heaved up and down, panic flooding my veins. I could feel every painful heartbeat, the sound echoing in my ears. It was like everything was in slow motions and I didn’t have control over anything. All I could make out in my anxious state was the very familiar gold and marble staircase moving around me. I felt sick as I looked around my former prison. None of this was real! It couldn’t be!

I had to be experiencing one of my terrors. That was the only explanation for what was going on. I mean, there was no way in hell my father could have found us, not when I was finally settling into the life I always wanted. He couldn’t have taken that all away in a blink of an eye! I refused to believe it. Those brown eyes were going to wake me up from this nightmare any minute…

Only those brown eyes never came, and the more and more I screamed and cried, the more I started to realize that this was my new reality. My father’s men had taken Brian away from me and dragged Jolie and I back to this forsaken hellhole! For all I knew, they could have killed Brian and the guys back at the compound, giving me no other choice but to be forced into marriage with a pretentious stranger. Not the man I loved…

My heart throbbed painfully in my chest at the thought. No… the Avenged guys couldn’t be dead. I couldn’t have caused any of this, right? Oh god, I could never forgive myself if anything happened to Brian and his friends because of me. I had to find him. I had to make sure he was okay and that my father’s men didn’t hurt him too badly. I had to make this right!

“No! Take me back! I need go back,” I cried, thrashing in Chris’ arms as he carried me back to my room. “Take me back!”

“I’ve really missed this, Em,” Chris chuckled, patting my ass as he carried me over his shoulder. “It’s so good to forcibly carry you back to your room again.”

I let out a cry of rage and fought harder. If I could just get away from Chris and back to those vans, I could find out where Brian had gone. “Fuck you! I said put me down! I need to find him… please… I need to find him!” I screamed, punching and hitting every inch of the big muscular guard I could reach.

“Ouch, will you stop it, Em,” Chris cursed over his shoulder at me before I hit him square in the face. “Fuck! What the hell is your problem?”

“Take me back! I need to go back!” I continued to yell over and over again, my throat feeling raw. I needed to see those brown eyes and feel his warm embrace. Brian was the only person I felt safe with and I had to get him back. I couldn’t cope with all this on my own, especially not with an arranged marriage hanging over my head.

Chris let out a loud grunt as I kicked him in the stomach. “Fucking hell… they must have done a number on you.” His voice sounded strained as he tried his best to keep me restrained. “Just fucking relax, will you!”

Chris roughly dumped me off his shoulder onto the bed, my body bouncing lightly across the plush mattress. He ran his hand over his head with a pained expression on his face, probably trying to ease the ache of my hits.

“I need to see him…he’s the only one who can help,” I panted, my chest heaving up and down as I quickly sat up. My tear-filled eyes were pleading with him to see reason. “Take me back! Please, take me back!”

“Why would you want to go back?” he questioned, shaking his head in disbelief. I tried to scramble off the bed toward the door but Chris just caught me and pushed me back toward the bed, not letting me past him. “I don’t know what the hell those guys did to you, Em, but you need to calm down before you father comes up here!”

“You don’t understand!” I yelled, my sobs turning angry now. “I need to see him! I need to make sure he is okay!”

“No, what you need to do is put some fucking clothes on before your father sees you!” Chris shot right back, raising his voice at me. He motioned toward my body, which was only clothed in one of Brian’s old t-shirts and my panties.

“I order you to take me to him! NOW!” I bellowed, stomping my foot. I didn’t give a damn what I was wearing. All I wanted was to prove to myself that I hadn’t gotten the one man I had ever love killed.

Chris chuckled and shook his head, matching every move I made toward the door with a block. “You and I both know that ordering shit didn’t work with me before, and it certainly isn’t going to work with me now, doll face.”

“I NEED TO SEE HIM NOW!” I screamed again, charging at Chris.

In one swift motion, he picked me up and tossed me back on the bed. I landed with a soft oomph on the mattress, my eyes narrowed as I glared back at my guard.

“Don’t give me that look, Em. Just put on some clothes, will you? We don’t have much time. Don’t make him any more pissed than he already is or you will never see whichever one ‘he’ is again,” Chris grumbled, throwing me a pair of shorts and a long sleeve shirt.

I huffed out a growl as I turned away from Chris to change my clothes. As much as I hated to admit it, he was right. If my father saw me like this, he would kill Brian in a heartbeat. I couldn’t let that happen, not when I still had a small hope that he was okay.

I quickly pulled on my shorts and pulled over Brian’s shirt before stuffing it inside one of my pillowcases. “What the hell is this?” Suddenly I felt a hand grip my arm and spin me around, only dressed in a bra. “Is that a scar?”

Panic ripped through my body and I couldn’t help but swing my other arm with all my might, trying to free myself. My mind was flashing back to that cold basement with Joey’s grimy hands forcing me down to that room… I had to get away. I had to fight!

“Fuck that hurt!” Chris cursed, recoiling and dropping my arm as I stepped back away from him, shaking my head. No one was going to handle me like ever again! “Em what—”

“Don’t touch me!” I screamed back, the memory flashing through my head making me sick. “Take me to him now! Please take me to him now!” I cried, pulling on the shirt. I hugged it tightly around my body, rocking back and forth. I could still recall every second of that horrid encounter and I willed the memory away. If I let my mind wander back to that place, I’d never come back…

“What the hell is your problem?” Chris continued to shout back, looking back at me like I was an alien. He was running his hand over the red spot on his jaw. “You need to calm the fuck down! You’re father is going to be here any minute!”

“No! Take me to him! Please… or just tell me where he is!” I yelled back, shaking my head and rocking back and forth. I kept trying to push that vial memory out of my head but every time Chris moved towards me I found myself back in that room. “I need to see him!”

“Stop fucking saying that! You know damn well that I cant take you to those bastards!” Chris growled. Obviously I was getting on his nerves but I didn’t care, not if it got me closer to those brown eyes… “Besides, I don’t even know where they took them!”

“But they’re here?! He’s here?!” I gasped, moving towards the door just as it opened. “Take me where he would keep them! Please! Please! I need to see him!”

“There you are, would you freaking calm your sister down?!” Chris said, directing his attention toward my sister and her guard who just walked in the door. Within an instant, Jolie was by my side, looking me up and down. She gently guided me back towards my bed and sat me down. “Pagano will be here any second and-”

A loud knock sounded at the door and I saw both Jeremy and Chris stand up straighter “Shit…” Chris muttered and I robbed closer to my sister, trying to control my ragged breath. I was so close to the edge again that I could barely comprehend what was real and what was fake.

The door opened and my eyes instantly locked on the man I feared the most. The man who could take everything I loved away from me in an instant—my father. I narrowed my eyes as I watched him enter the room, my body literally trembling from both fear and anger. How could he be such a heartless bastard? How could he not care about his daughter or sell them off?

Just the sight of him made me snap back to reality. If I didn’t get ahold of myself I wouldn’t only lose Brian, I would lose Jo too… and I couldn’t suffer that much loss. It would kill me… hell, not knowing if Brian was okay was torture enough!

Jo squeezed my hand as he stepped into the room, looking us both up and down with a sick smile. What the hell was wrong with him? I was pretty sure he was the most vial person I had ever met, well maybe besides those Vipers. God, how could I have never notice noticed how evil and twisted he was before?!

“Ahh, what a sight for sore eyes,” he said, his voice booming in my now silent room. “My two beautiful girls, right back where they belong.” With that he leaned down and kissed both Jolie and I on the cheek and I had to fight the urge to spit back at him. “It’s so good to have you back home.”

I opened my mouth to retort but Jolie spoke first. “It’s good to be back too,” she said, her voice shaking every so slightly as she subtly elbowing me in the side. Was she kidding me? It was good to be back in prison where our father planned on selling us off to the highest bidder?! Oh, my blood was starting to boil. If they thought I was going to sit idly by and let my father take away everything, they had another thing coming. I wasn’t going to lose my freedom and Brian without a fight!

“I’m so glad I was finally able to find you and I’m so sorry it took me so long,” Father continued and I squeezed Jo’s hand hard. Why? So he could get his paycheck faster? “But don’t worry, I will make sure those Avenged monsters pay for what they did to you!”

Jolie and I both sucked in a harsh breath at his words, looking at each other. No, he couldn’t hurt them… “They-they didn’t do anything to us,” I replied, shaking my head. All I could picture was Brian’s beaten form in front of me and I couldn’t let that happen, not any more that it already had. I had to get him out of here, even if it meant being trapped in this prison forever. I wouldn’t be the cause of his suffering.

My father leaned down in front of Jo and I, taking our hands in his with that sickly sweet smile still plastered on his face. “You don’t have to be afraid of them anymore… they wont hurt you again,” he vowed and Jo and I frantically shook our heads. “I will make them pay!”

“They didn’t hurt us!” Jo burst, chewing on her bottom lip. She looked like she was going to be sick and I had the same feeling in my gut. Being back here with our father was a nightmare come true. “They-they saved us…” I added, my voice quivering.

My father scoffed and stood up. “They saved you?” he mocked. “We shall see about that. You’ve got an appointment with the doctor in ten minutes and if he finds anything out of place, I will personally kill those bastards. You girls are mine… and no one takes things that belong to me without consequence,” he vowed darkly and I narrowed my eyes at him.

“We are fine,” I almost growled, earning a raised brow from my father. “Look at us! We are here! We’re back and don’t need to see the doctor,” I said, my heart rate increasing again. The last thing we needed was some new doctor to examine us and tell him that I was no longer pure. The ruthless bastard would surely kill all of if he found out that his daughters fell in love with his number one enemies.

“You will go to the appointment without a fight and then report to my office. We have some important business to discuss,” Father warned, pointing a finger between Jo and I before turning toward the door.

I felt the anger bubbling inside of me and before I could stop myself I was standing, my fists clenched at my sides. “Discuss what? How you sold my hand in marriage to the highest bidder without my consent?!” I spat, hearing Jo suck in a breath next to me. She pulled on my arm begging me to sit down but I couldn’t. All of my anxiety was quickly replaced by anger and hate toward the man standing in front of me and I couldn’t hold it in anymore.

“One of those Avenged bastards told you about that, did they?” my father said in quiet tone, his back to me.

“They didn’t have to, it was all over the fucking news!” I hissed, my chest heaving up and down. “If you think I would willing marry someone to fill your pockets you’ve got another thing—”

My father turned around and grabbed my face in one hand so fast that I didn’t have to do anything besides gasp. He roughly squeezed my chin as he narrowed his dark eyes at me.

“And if you think you can talk back to me, you’ve got another thing coming, Emery,” he hissed in a deadly tone. “You will do what I tell you to or you will face the consequences, and I can guarantee you wont like them. I’ve arranged a meeting with Mr. McGinley on Friday and you better be on your best behavior. And for your sake, you better hope those Avenged bastards didn’t lay a hand on you,” he threated, pushing me back towards Jo before turning to Jeremy and Chris.

“You will make sure they get to the doctor an then lock them in my office. They go nowhere else and that is a direct order,” he snapped before storming out of the room.

Jolie quickly wrapped her arms around me, pulling me into her arms for comfort. How could he be such a ruthless bastard?


Matt’s POV

“Will you stop fucking pacing? You’re driving me crazy!” Gates snapped, pulling at he roots of his hair. He looked like he was losing his mind and I knew the feeling.

I could barely stay in my own skin, thinking about Jolie being held captive upstairs. Had Pagano checked over the girls like he said? What would he do to Jo when he found out the truth? I didn’t care what happened to me, but if he laid one hand on her I swear I would fucking murder him. He had put both of those girls through enough and I had to do something—anything to get Jo away from her father.

“What do you want to do?” I snapped, glaring between Gates and Vengeance who were both sitting on their ass. “I cant just fucking sit around and wait for Pagano come back! We need to come up with a plan, or am I the only one who cares about getting the girls out of here?”

Gates narrowed his swollen eyes, pointing a warning finger at me. “You know damn well that isn’t true!” he warned with a locked jaw.

“How are we supposed to help them when we cant even help ourselves?” Zack retorted, looking between Gates and I.

“Then fucking think of something!” I raged, clenching my fists in frustration. Why was I the only one trying to come up with a solution?!

Fucking hell, I was losing my damn mind not knowing what was going on with Jolie, especially since I promised her I’d never loser her again. And I wouldn’t have if her father’s men hadn’t stormed our compound in the dead of night. I still had no idea how they found us or broke through our alarm system. The only thing I was sure of was that Pagano would pay for his crimes.

“Don’t you think I’m trying?” Gates growled, pulling even harder at the roots of his hair. This was the worst I had seen him, which was really saying something considering he almost lost it when the Vipers had the girls, though in my opinion this was worse. We knew what Pagano planned for his girls and once he sold them off, they were gone. My heart ached painfully in my chest at the thought. “We are in a fucking electric cage! If I had my way I would be stabbing a knife into Pagano’s chest for even thinking about selling Emery to that fucking prick! So don’t stand there and act like you’re the only one who lost something here!”

I took a menacing step toward the bar, glaring at Gates. I knew he was right but it didn’t ease the feeling of helplessness that was overwhelming. “We have to do something,” I finally hissed back. “We can’t let Pagano fucking win this…” I was starting to feel desperate, which wasn’t setting well with me.

“We know that but Pagano has done a pretty damn good job of making sure we have nothing to work with,” Zack sighed, running his hands over his face before letting out a curse. His nose still looked jacked, but at least it had stopped bleeding. “What we need is for one of his guards to make a mistake…”

“That’s it,” Gates said, sitting up with a small smirk on his lips. “Zack you’re a fucking genius!”

Zack chuckled and leaned against the back wall of his cell. “It’s about time you caught on,” he said, earning a middle finger from Gates.

“Don’t let it go to your head, Vee. We still need to wait for them to come back and open up our cells,” Gates continued. “They out numbered me before but I wont give those bastards another opportunity. I wont back down, not until I’ve got Emery back in my arms,” he vowed and I nodded my head in agreement. Last time was a lucky shot, the next time they wouldn’t see me coming.

“I know you two are anxious to get he girls back, but you have to play this carefully,” Zack added. “We need to wait for the perfect opportunity, not just jump into this the first time they open the cell. We need to take them off guard or this wont work—”

Zack was interrupted by the sound of a heavy door banging shut and footsteps echoing down the stairs. I instantly turned my attention toward the basement entrance and stood up to my full height. I wasn’t about to let these Pagano swine think they intimidated me.

“You motherfuckers sure do have some explaining to do,” one of the big brute looking guards said, stepping into the dim light of the room. He was dressed in a Pagano jacket with an extra crest on the sleeve. What was this Pagano’s right hand man? He couldn’t even be bothered to interrogate his own prisoners? “Though I honestly expected more form the infamous Avenged Sevenfold…” he sneered, looking between us as a group of cronies followed close behind.

“And I expected to see the boss, not some peon,” I smirked, learning back against the wall with my arms crossed over my chest. If this jackass thought he was going to get any information out of us.

“Oh, that’s funny coming from the man who gave away his own compound,” the man smirked and my breath caught in my throat. What the hell was he talking about? I hadn’t left the compound since we got the girls back, except to make a delivery to Jason and Matt Berry… No-no they couldn’t have followed me back. I check to make sure no one was tracking me! This bastard had to be bluffing.

“Not so tough now, are we?” He chuckled, looking around at his men with a smug expression. “It was too fucking easy to follow you and your men home from that little ‘drop’,” me mocked. “And you should really consider a better security system. Our code scrambler easily opened the door and no one was on duty. For someone with your reputation, it was disappointing to say the least.”

I clenched my fists and my jaw, trying to control my rising temper. This bastard had to be lying. There was no way he followed us home undetected and broke into our compound without a struggle. I refused to believe it, especially since Vengeance was supposed to be on lookout. I just hoped Christ and Jimmy could put the pieces together to find us.

“It was child’s play, especially with Grant’s testimony that you had Pagano’s daughters,” he said and my eyes shot over towards Gates. He wasn’t talking about Viper’s leader’s newest little sidekick, was he? No, he couldn’t be. I watched him fall after Gates shot him in the head… “What? Didn’t think he survived your little cover up attack?”

I narrowed my eyes at the guard as he stepped right up to the bars, glaring me down that that cocky smirk. If the bars hadn’t been electric, I would have easily knocked him on his ass. “You did didn’t you? You thought you could keep Pagano’s pretty little girls all to yourselves?” He taunted, stepping even closer. “Too bad your supposed master marksman missed.”

“I didn’t fucking miss! I nailed that son of a bitch in the back of the head!” Gates snapped, unable to stay silent anymore. I mentally cursed his short fuse as the guards looked between us, shaking their heads.

“So you admit you were at the Viper compound?” the guard continued. I wanted to punch that fucking smirk off his face. Oh and I would… I just needed to wait for the perfect opportunity. “Not so funny and talkative now, are we Shadows?”

The man shook his head as he walked around the space between our cells, looking at us like animals in a cage. I could feel my chest heaving up and down with anger, plotting how I would kill him with each step he took. “I’m really disappointed. I finally get to meet the infamous Avenged Sevenfold and you are all backed into the corner of your cells with your tails between your legs. All because you got caught with Pagano’s daughters…” he mused, licking his lips. “So tell me, how were they? Were they as good as they looked?”

I narrowed my eyes and looked over between Zack and Brian, trying to plan my course of action. I wanted to argue with this guy and beat the shit out of him for talking about Jolie that way, but I knew I couldn’t say anything. That’s what these guys wanted. I didn’t know what kind of sick game this guard was playing but I wasn’t buying in. If Pagano heard how he was talking about his paychecks, he kill him on the spot. So what were they playing at?

“Oh come on, tell me you didn’t want a taste of them?” the guard chuckled, earning a nod from men behind him.

When we didn’t respond, he let out an exasperated sigh. “Come on, we all know you had a piece of them! We all could tell how we found them in your filthy compound. But don’t worry, you’ll pay for taking Pagano’s property when the tests come back in the morning. Pagano wanted me to tell you he would personally beat the shit out of you if there were a hair out of place. So get ready boys… you’re in for a world of pain. No one pulls the wool over Pagano’s eyes without paying with their lives. I know I will personally enjoy watching you suffer.”

I narrowed my eyes at Pagano’s captain and he chuckled. “You don’t scare my Shadows. I took you out easily before and I could do it again, only next time no one will standing in the way of me ripping your throat out.”

I scoffed and shook my head, like he’d ever get the chance. I’d fucking kill him before laid a hand on me.

Suddenly the sound of the door at the top of stairs echoed in the prison room and we all turned to look up the stairs. Did Pagano finally decide to show his face?

“Marks, Pagano wants a word with you in the south wing,” a familiar voice sounded, earning a curse from the guard in the middle of the room. I couldn’t see who had entered the room over the men standing in the basement.

“Enjoy your night, boys as it will probably be your last,” the man name Marks sneered before turning to head back up the stairs, leaving a man with dark hair standing alone in the middle of the room.

I instantly recognized him as Jolie’s personal guard, Jeremy, and my blood started to boil. How could he stand idly by when he knew what Pagano was doing to the girls? Let alone think he could touch her and call her his own. Jo belonged to me and no one was going to change that. I would get her back and they would all fucking see!

“He’s probably right,” Jeremy said, crossing his arms as he looked between the Vengeance, Gates, and I like we were animals in the zoo. “After seeing the girls in their currently state, your days are numbered…”

Notes

So the girls are back home with their father is sending them to his doctor? Will he tell daddy the truth or will he protect the girls? Will they be able to get out of this mess, or will Pagano win?