Dare Trilogy | Book 3 Editing | ✓

3.11.5 | Be A Raizada

Edited on August 5th, 2020

| . . . C H A P T E R . . . 3.11.5 . . . B E - A - R A I Z A D A . . . |

A face I never imagined I would see again stared down at me. Over the years, his features seemed to have aged reflecting his true nature within. The psychopath that he is. Shyam repeated the question he asked no more than a minute ago and when I had refused to reply, he'd walked over to crouch in front of me, as if intimidating me would make me cower and give up the information he so dearly desired. "Where is he, Lavanya? Where is my son?"

In the other corner of the room, Anjali struggled against the rope he'd tied her hands with behind her. "He is not your son!"

He smirked, standing and turning to face her. He stalked stalking towards her, and I wish - I wish I could do something to keep him from advancing towards her. From touching her. "You can keep me away from him, Anjali, but you can't separate my blood that flows in him."

He was trying to pull the nature versus nurture debate here, and he is so going to lose that war in the long run because Aarav would never be him. Monsters aren't born. They are made and Aarav is farthest from that. Darkness is never going to touch him so long as we were alive.

Anjali held his gaze, refusing to falter and letting him win. "Go to hell."

The sound of a devil's laughter pricked our ears. "Anjali, Anjali, Anjali. Ah." He exhaled getting some sick satisfaction seeing her riled up. "Has Khushi turned you in a fighter?" His hand reached for her face, his thumb tucked under her chin. "You have no idea what it does to me."

Anjali cringed away from his touch, turning her cheek to him. With his back to me, I couldn't see the lust in his eyes but I didn't need to. Hearing it leaking in his voice disgusted me.

How could we have had sick bastards like him around us and not have known till it was too late? How could my brother have ever gotten involved with him? Partaken in his crimes and become someone I won't recognize if I ever see him again.

Again, he chuckled basking in her reaction. "What were the odds, right? Of the two of your lives becoming this entwined. Anyway, that ends tonight. It's either you or her. I do look forward to seeing what choice your dearest chote will make. And to think he had a detective looking for me!" He laughed, arrogant. "How naïve can he be to think he can catch me?"

"He will find you," I cut off his monologue. "Arnav will, and when he does..." I held back the temptation to smile at him when he turned to face me. "... you will never be a free man again. You'll get what's coming for you."

"Is that so?" He smugly said, "Never would've figured you to pick him over your brother. I'd have imagined you'd do anything to save him."

I bite back the bitterness and hurt stabbing at my heart and emotions I once held for Vivek. Even past that, Shyam was wrong. I may be feeling all different kinds of betrayal right now, but I hadn't lost sight of right and wrong. I knew where my loyalties laid - clear as day.

"He means nothing to me."

There is no saving someone who never wanted to be saved.

"Hmm, that's too bad." His thoughts were unreadable in his expressions. Not that I cared trying to decipher what went on in his brain. There was no reasoning with a psychopath and a serial rapist who had no remorse for his actions. After a moments pause, he added smacking his lips. "Well, enjoy your last night together."

He locked the door after him.

For moments, silence loomed between us. Neither of us knew what to say to the other, but there was a feeling that we were both on the same page. Thinking. Worried. Terrified of how this was going to play out. We knew Shyam had every intention of coming back in our lives with the messages he kept sending to get under our skins. Retraumatize us. We tried preparing for it too. But, it wasn't enough. We didn't think everything through. We didn't plan on him kidnapping anyone, let alone both Anjali and me.