The laughter came next. Sultry, feminine, familiar.
Haley’s fists clenched as she rounded the corner into the living room.
There he was. Brute.
Lounging on the leather couch, a cigar between his fingers, his emerald eyes dark with amusement. But it wasn’t just him.
Two half-naked women draped over him like he was some king in a den of sin. One was straddling his lap, her hands roaming over his chest, giggling at something he had just whispered in her ear. The other sat beside him, her fingers toying with his belt buckle.
They hadn’t even noticed her.
She took a slow breath, trying—failing—to keep her voice calm.
“Get them out.”
Brute’s gaze flicked up lazily, and a smirk curved his lips. “You’re back.”
Haley didn’t move. “Get. Them. Out.”
The woman on his lap finally turned her head, raising a brow as she looked Haley up and down. Then, with a smirk, she ran her nails down Brute’s chest. “Who’s this?”
Brute chuckled. “My wife.”
The second woman gasped, eyes wide in mock surprise. “No way. I thought you said you weren’t married.”
Haley’s blood boiled. She stepped forward and grabbed the whiskey glass from the table, hurling it against the wall. The loud shatter echoed through the room, making the two women jump.
“Get out.”
The one in Brute’s lap huffed, rolling her eyes. “Relax, sweetheart. It’s just a bit of fun.”
“A bit of fun?” Haley’s voice was like ice. “Do I look like I’m having fun?”
Brute exhaled slowly, taking another puff of his cigar before finally speaking. “Sit down, Haley.”
She scoffed. “Are you out of your damn mind? You bring two whores into my house and have the audacity to tell me to sit down?”
Brute’s smirk deepened. “You’re upset.”
“I swear to God, Brute, if you don’t get them out of here—”
He cut her off, voice suddenly sharp. “Or what?”
Haley stiffened.
The room fell into an eerie silence, the tension crackling like a live wire.
Brute leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees, his cigar dangling between his fingers. “You’re not going anywhere, Haley. You never were.”
She lifted her chin. “You don’t own me.”
His smirk vanished. In the next second, he grabbed the wrist of the woman in his lap, forcing her off of him. She yelped as she stumbled to her feet.
“Leave!” he snapped.
The two women exchanged a glance before scrambling to grab their clothes. The second one barely had time to put on her heels before they both rushed out of the house. The door slammed behind them, leaving nothing but silence.
Haley’s breath came in quick bursts as Brute stood up, towering over her.
“What do you want from me?” she demanded. “You don’t love me, you don’t respect me, so what the hell do you get out of keeping me here?”
Brute’s expression remained unreadable. “Because you belong to me.”
“I’m not a possession, Brute!”
His gaze darkened, and his voice dropped to a dangerous whisper. “You think you have a choice?”
Haley’s pulse spiked. “I do. I’m leaving.”
She turned sharply, heading for the door, but his next words froze her in place.
“Your brother.”
Her stomach plummeted.
Slowly, she turned back around, eyes burning. “What did you say?”
Brute took another slow drag of his cigar, exhaling the smoke before speaking. “Do you even know where he is, Haley?”
Her throat tightened. “You wouldn’t—”
“Wouldn’t what?” He tilted his head. “Keep something so precious to you under my control?”
Her entire body went numb.
Brute smiled, taking a step toward her. “I saved you, didn’t I?” His voice was almost soothing, like he was speaking to a child. “You and your brother. You were just kids, lost on the streets, running from a stepfather who used you as his personal punching bags.”
Haley’s hands trembled. She hated that he was right.
He had been the one to pull them off the streets when she was eighteen. The one who fed them, clothed them, protected them. And then… he took control.
He had shipped her brother off, promising it was for work, for a better life. She had believed him. She had no reason not to.
Until she realized she had no idea where her brother actually was.
And Brute?
Brute never told her.
Never let her contact him.
And every time she asked, his answer was always the same:
“He’s safe. That’s all you need to know.”
Her nails dug into her palms. “Where is he?”
Brute’s smirk returned. “Now, now. That’s not how this works.”
Haley’s chest rose and fell rapidly. “You’re a monster.”
His hand reached out, cupping her jaw in a firm grip. Not painful. Not gentle. Just enough to make her listen.
“And yet, you wear my ring.”
She slapped his hand away. “I’m done.”
Brute chuckled, shaking his head. “No, Haley. You’re not.”
She turned again, making a beeline for the front door. But before she could reach it—
“You wouldn’t dare.”
The low warning sent a shiver down her spine.
Haley’s grip on the doorknob tightened. Slowly, she turned her head, meeting his gaze over her shoulder.
Brute took a step closer, his voice almost gentle. “Because if you do, you’ll never find him.”
Her breath hitched.
He smiled, knowing he had her. “You’re mine, Haley. ‘Til death do us part.”
The words seeped into her bones, like cold iron locking around her throat.
She had no choice.
Not unless she wanted to lose her brother forever.
Brute had trapped her.
And this time, she had no way out.
