Forbidden Desire: Craved By My Brother's Best Friend

Rescued

Annika's POV

I stood frozen, stunned by Vaughn’s audacity. I knew he carried himself like he owned every room he walked into, but this was different. He was alone here, outnumbered, and completely at Kade’s mercy. He should have backed down. Instead, he stood there as the situation amused him.

The thugs shifted, muscles tensing as they prepared to attack. My head snapped toward Kade. My lips parted to scream when a sharp ringing tone cut through the room.

The men froze and a strange silence filled the room and my breath caught. No one moved at first, the ringing continued. Whoever had the phone was hesitant to pick up. It obviously wasn't a good time.

One of the thugs eventually moved and pulled out his phone, unable to ignore it. He glanced at the screen and his face went pale the moment he saw the caller ID. He answered quickly, stepping aside while Rowan and Kade stared in confusion. I watched everything unfold, my heart hammering as the thug listened in silence. His expression changed gradually as the seconds passed.

I could feel the shift instantly. He glanced at the others, shook his head once, and hung up.

Kade’s patience snapped. “What are you waiting for? Handle him immediately,” he ordered sharply, clearly impatient.

The rest of the thugs stared at the one who answered he seemed to be the leader. The thug who had answered shook his head. “Sorry, Mr Lancaster. We cannot,” he said. He seemed to be the leader

Kade’s face paled. “What do you mean? I f*****g paid you.” he barked, his veins bulging on his forehead as he struggled to hold back his rage.

The thug stayed silent. Vaughn let out a soft laugh. Kade turned to him slowly, realisation dawning. Vaughn’s calm confidence filled the room. It made me relax a bit.

“You really think money is everything,” Vaughn said, his low voice carrying a sharp mocking tone. He glanced at the thugs as his gaze hardened. “Hold them down,” he instructed.

Cecily stepped back toward Kade, her voice shaking. “What is going on? Are you turning on us?” she quivered with genuine fear

The thugs did not hesitate. In seconds they had Rowan, Kade, and Cecily pressed against the floor. The men protested and struggled, but their efforts looked pathetic. Vaughn’s gaze fell on the document I had signed. He picked it up and started reading the contents

His expression darkened as he scanned the pages. Then came the sound of paper tearing. He ripped the document into pieces that fluttered down like confetti.

I watched in stunned silence. I was so stunned by the turn of events that I didn't know how to react. My knees were still pinned to the spot as I watched Vaughn walk in alone and disable the entire room

The scattered paper covered the cold floor. A knot loosened in my chest as the humiliating words scattered across the marble floor. Kade and Rowan’s eyes turned bloodshot seeing their efforts destroyed. Their voices blended together in angry shouts.

“What do you think you are doing?” Rowan barked. “Stay out of this.”

Vaughn glanced at the scattered pieces. “You really are bold to make her sign that. Forcing a signature from the Reed daughter. Aren’t you scared, boyfriend?” He mocked, his tone dripping with amusement. Rowan’s face twisted at his taunt.

Vaughn’s smile remained but his eyes remained glacier cold as he spoke. “If you are smart you'd better shut it or I might involve the authorities and we both do not want the hassle.”His voice stayed steady, almost bored.

Rowan raged screaming at the thugs, “You cannot go against us. We paid you.” but they still didn't budge

Kade's jaw clenched, and his gaze was locked on Vaughn. This was probably the first time ever he had been held like this.. “Stay out of it. You have been warned.”

Vaughn’s eyes glinted. “Unfortunately I cannot. How many times do I have to repeat that,” he said, clearly annoyed. "You talk too much." He shut them. His gaze swept over them until it settled on me. He didn't turn into a gentleman to help me up.

His gaze flickered before he turned back to Kade who was being pinned down.. “Where is the best friend?” he asked

The question snapped me out of my daze. Erica. I scrambled up from the floor, ignoring the soreness in my arms, and rushed toward the bedroom Erica and Kade had shared. The room was a mess from the earlier struggle, furniture pushed aside and clothes scattered. I spotted the closet door immediately. A chair had been jammed against it from the outside.

I yanked the chair away and pulled the door open. Darkness spilt out first, then the sight inside hit me like a blow. Erica lay crumpled on the floor, unconscious. Bloody scratches covered the walls where she had clawed desperately. Her nails were torn and bleeding.

A scream ripped from my throat. I dropped to my knees and gathered Erica into my arms. “Erica, wake up. Please wake up.” My voice broke as I rocked her gently, tears streaming down my face.

Vaughn appeared behind me in seconds. He took in the scene without a word, then crouched down and carefully lifted Erica into his arms. “We need to get help,” he said, his tone leaving no room for argument.

I followed closely, my legs shaky as we moved through the living room. The men on the floor shouted protests, but the thugs held them firm. I couldn't care less about them. Vaughn did not spare them another glance, either. He carried Erica out of the suite with me right behind me.

The hallway felt longer than it should have, every step echoing too loudly in my ears. I kept glancing back at Erica’s pale face resting against his shoulder, her breathing was shallow but steady. The sight of her torn nails and the bloody scratches she had left on the closet walls kept flashing through my mind.

We reached the elevator and Vaughn pressed the button with his elbow, careful not to jostle her. The doors slid open and we stepped inside. The mirrored walls reflected the three of us back at me. I looked like a wreck, my hair was messy, eyes red and swollen. Vaughn on the other hand appeared completely composed, as if he had not just walked into a room full of threats and turned everything upside down.

Vaughn rushed out of the hotel with Erica completely knocked out in his arms. My emotions were all over the place, but every thought kept circling back to her condition. I could not stop seeing those bloody scratches on the closet walls or the way her nails had been torn from clawing desperately to get out. I stayed right beside him as we reached his car waiting at the curb. He opened the back door and carefully laid Erica across the seat. I climbed in beside her without hesitation, pulling her head onto my lap.

“I am so sorry,” I whispered, tears falling onto her hair as I stroked it gently. “Hold on, Erica. Please just hold on.”

Vaughn slid into the driver’s seat and started the engine. He drove fast but controlled, one hand on the wheel while the other held his phone to his ear. I caught fragments of his low voice giving instructions to the hospital. The city lights blurred past the windows as I kept apologising softly to my unconscious friend, my hand never stopping its gentle strokes through her hair.

The car finally slowed and stopped at the emergency entrance. Bright lights flooded the interior as paramedics rushed out. They opened the back door and carefully transferred Erica onto a gurney. I stepped out after them, legs shaky, tears streaming down my face. Vaughn stayed right behind me like a shadow, his presence steady even as everything felt like it was falling apart.

I ran after the gurney, my voice breaking. “Wait, please. She is claustrophobic. She was locked in a closet. Please help her.”

One of the nurses stopped me gently at the double doors. “You need to wait in the waiting area, ma’am. We will take good care of her.”

I froze, watching them wheel Erica away until the doors closed behind them. My knees felt weak. The weight of everything crashed down at once, the gangbang, the arrest, the forced signatures, the closet, and now this. A sob built in my throat and I started to break down right there in the hallway.

Then a pair of strong arms wrapped around me from behind and pulled me into a firm hug. It felt weird at first, Vaughn’s cedar scent surrounding me, his chest solid against my back. But the comfort I desperately needed won out. I turned and buried my face against him, crying harder as his arms tightened around me.

“I have got you,” he murmured against my hair, his voice low and steady. “She is going to be okay. Just breathe, Annika.”

I clung to him, letting the tears fall freely. For the first time since this nightmare started, I did not feel completely alone.