Her Rock

Chapter 35

What's going on? Why would Julian order that? "What the fuck is this? A strip club." I hear Declan grit.

Hayes stares at him like he didn't hear what Julian said. But Julian waits a good five seconds before raising his voice, "Well, take it the fuck off."

Hayes jumps and his eyes widen. His head drops to the ground and his hands slowly slip out of his suit jacket before he takes his time shrugging it off. His hands then start to fumble with the buttons of his dress shirt. Everybody watches Hayes with confusion and some with curiosity.

I watch as more skin is revealed with each button that becomes undone. The same tan clear skin as Declan's emerges. And just like his father and brother, he was too built with lean muscle.

After his shirts unbuttoned he pauses letting out a shaky breath, he looks to Julian one last time, in which Julian raises a brow. Hayes's eyes find the floor again as he slides off the black shirt letting it slip to the ground.

His upper half now naked to rest of us. What I see devastates me, a feeling of nausea washes over me.

Ugly red slashes cover every inch of the bare skin on his back. They are old but still look so so painful. The scars look mean and unforgiving, whoever did this had no remorse.

Declan's eyes glaze over Hayes's back and then he looks at the whip in Julian's hand. That's when it hits me of how little I know about Declan's childhood, how little he's told me. He's gone through so much and still manages to smile. My heart feels like it's being ripped out of my chest and torn into a million little pieces.

Little droplets of water start pool out of my eyes and drip down my cheeks. This is the extent Julian holds his sons to, both of them. He beats them, humiliates them, belittles them. He's inhuman. For what Hayes has done to me, a little piece of my heart aches for him.

But for Declan, my heart feels permanently damaged, like it has been broken into fragments and blown into oblivion.

What is wrong with him? I've never seen how horrifically twisted Julian is until right now at this moment. He's even taking pleasure in it.

"What the actual fu...." Declan nearly whispers the last part.

My head is spinning this is so much to process all in one day. I fiercely wipe my eyes even though I know it's no use.

Julian points at Hayes's back, "These are achievements, pain is strength." He takes a second before saying, "Punishment is is harsh but crucial."

"You Declan are not loyal, you speak out of hand, you have no respect, and today that's going to change." He pauses, "You have no honorable achievements consider this a gift."

"Bullshit it is." Declan sneers.

"Un-fucking-believable." Wes breathes.

He thinks he's going to do to Declan what he did to Hayes...umm not in a million years. Even if I were in hell full of raging fires I would burn myself to get to Declan.

Julian gets closer and kneels in front of Declan, "Forgive me for not asking sooner, where's my darling Ella? She hasn't been home in days, doesn't she miss her family?" He fakes concern. I gulp nervously.

Declan's face is covered in red...He was mad, as mad as I've ever seen him. His green eyes glare with such hatred. "Shut the fuck up!" "Don't say her name."

With that Julian's lips quirk up satisfied. He stands up, "Well then." He pats off his knees and signals one of his cronies over. One of Julian's men stands in front of Declan while Julian walks behind Declan with the whip in his hand.