“Tell her,” Anne says. “It’s not like it matters, any longer.”
“Since he shared his plans with me in jail,” Zane says.
It was a scam all along. That’s why Zane brought Anne to live in the house. It was to seduce Damian, and when that didn’t work, they settled for plan B—kidnapping me.
“How did you even find me?”
“It wasn’t too hard,” Zane says. “When Dami put out word to our network that he was looking for you, the information was bound to reach me. He may have thrown me out like trash, but we still share the same connections. I reckoned you only have two friends in this world—Reyno and Phil. Anne watched Reyno’s place, and I waited outside Phil’s. Was no big surprise when the two of you arrived like lovebirds in heat. I have to say, you made it pretty easy for me. You practically ran into my arms.”
I never liked Zane, but I thought his actions were born from jealousy. Now he fills me with nothing but disgust. “Since when have you been scheming with Harold?”
“Since you made Dami get rid of Anne.”
“You mean since your backup plan when you couldn’t get Damian’s undivided attention failed.”
“Doesn’t really matter now, does it?” he says. “It’s all just logistics.”
Not all of it. “Did you fall in love with him before or after he made his money?”
His face twists into a mask of fury. He lifts his hands, but I don’t cower. I push out my chin, waiting for the blow. I’ve taken worse.
Anne grabs his wrist. “Don’t. If Damian asks for proof that she’s alive, we don’t want to show him a bruised face.”
Glaring at me, he lowers his hand.
“I need water.”
Zane nods at Anne. “Give her some. You’re right. We need her in good shape.”
“Why me?” she whines.
“Fuck it.” He kicks my chair and marches to an adjoining room.
Anne smiles at me. “You better hope Damian wants you back badly.”
Damian
It’s after midnight when I knock on Phil’s door. He opens it warily, as if he’s expecting trouble. My instincts go on high alert.
“I’m looking for Lina.”
“Lina?” He scratches the back of his neck.
“My wife,” I grit out, suppressing the urge to knock his head against the wall.
His gaze moves to the lounge for a fraction of a second. “Why would she be here?”
Shoving him back, I walk inside and shut the door. If I need to get rough with him, I don’t want witnesses.
“Hey, man.” He raises his hands. “Easy. She’s not here.”
I scan the lounge. My travel bag and Lina’s handbag lie on the sofa. Premature relief and rage mix in my veins. I lift him by the front of his T-shirt, walking him back through the house.
“Bedroom,” I say.
His toes barely touch the ground. He’s tripping all over himself as we move deeper into the house.
“First door left,” he chirps.
The bed is empty. The second room holds only a desk and chair.
I shake him. “Where is she?”
“I don’t know!”
Something crunches under my shoe. The remains of a broken wineglass lie in a red stain on the carpet.
Dragging him behind me, I go to the kitchen. There’s a stack of dirty dishes in the sink and a wineglass with a red ring in the bottom on the counter.
Two wineglasses. One dropped in the hallway. I swear to God, if he put a dirty finger on her, I’ll hack it off.
I smash his body into the wall. “Where is she?”
“This is not what it looks like.” He cowers. “I can explain.”
Fucking coward. “I’m listening.”
“She came to the gym, said she needed a place to crash. Look man, I don’t know what happened between the two of you, but she was pretty shaken up. I couldn’t leave her there and I was anyway locking up, so I brought her home with me.”
I twist his T-shirt and slam his shoulders into the bricks. “And then?”
“We got here, and she got all weird on me, attacked me and shit.”
“Think carefully about what happened, because I’ll find Lina. When I do, your stories better match up. If they don’t, you’re dead.”
He starts to cry. “I knew you were bad news, man. I never should’ve let you into the gym.”
“Man up, Phil. Start talking.”
He wipes snot from his nose. “I gave her wine to chill because she was so strung out, as in really flipping, if you know what I mean. And I mean, a girl isn’t at a guy’s place to watch television, right? She was here for a revenge fuck.”
I still at the phrase, rage clawing through me. If he put his dick in her, he’s definitely dead.
“She said she was tired. I mean, she was hinting, man. When a woman says she’s tired, she wants to go to bed, right? So, I showed her the bedroom, and she started getting all weird.” He saws his teeth over his lip, clearly not eager to carry on.
“Then what?”
“Then I kissed her, and she fucking bit me. She slapped me and scratched me like a wildcat. I tried to calm her down, but she kneed me in the balls and took off.”
That’s my Lina. My Lina. I barely hold it together enough to finish my interrogation. “Where did she go?”
“I don’t know. She ran off in the direction of the main road.”
I narrow my eyes. “Leaving her bags behind.”
“Like I said, she freaked out, man.”
“You touched her.”
He pales. “Damian, please. You’re a man. You know how it is.”
“Do not compare me to you.” I grab his hair and drag him to the counter. “Let me tell you something about how it is. When a woman says she’s tired, it’s because she’s tired. If she says she doesn’t want to fuck you, it’s because she doesn’t want to fuck you. Get it?”
“Yes, yes!” He tries to pry my fingers from his hair.
I grab his wrist and slam it down on the fake marble surface. “Splay your fingers.”
“No! No! What are you doing?”
I take a meat knife from the block. “Do as I say, or you’ll lose all five.”
“Oh, fuck. Fuck, fuck. No, man. I didn’t do anything.”
“Shut up. Let this be a valuable lesson and be glad it’s only one.”
He falls down, using his weight to try and pull free.
“Splay them, Phil.”
He slobbers like a puppy, crying and spluttering incoherent words, hanging off the side of the counter.
“Your choice.” I position the knife. “Five fingers.”
“No! Wait!” He pulls himself up by his free hand, screaming and crying. Snot flies everywhere, but he splays his fingers.
“I’m going to be nice. I know you need your index and middle finger to grip weights, so I’m going to take your ring finger.”
“Oh, man. Oh, man oh man oh man—”
I drop the knife.
He pisses himself.
I let go. “You’ll want to call an ambulance before you bleed to death. Better explain it as a kitchen accident or I’ll come back for the rest. Got it?”
He drops to his knees, clutching his arm against his chest. I find his phone in the bedroom and put it on the floor next to him.
Outside, Brink stands on attention. “The screams woke the neighbors, sir.”
There’s light in all the neighboring windows on both sides of the road. Just as well. I’ll be interrogating every single person in this neighborhood.
I tell Brink of my intention and instruct him to start at the other end.
“Shall I wait to deal with the cops?” he asks.
I shake my head. “They won’t come.” Not in this neighborhood.
Lina
The curtains are closed, but enough light filters through the thin fabric for me to make out we’re in a cheap hotel room. Anne brings me a sandwich and a glass of milk, which she feeds me. When I’ve eaten,
she nods at Zane.
“It’s time,” she says.
The bread gets stuck in my throat. Damian will never part with his mine. Everything that happened between us was because of that mine. I was a means to an end, not the end. My head still aches, and my muscles are stiff from sitting in one position all night. The bonds are tight. The chair is hard, reminding me of how sore my butt and tender my asshole are, but all of these discomforts are minor compared to the thudding of my heart as Zane presses the dial on his phone.
“If Damian agrees to your demands,” which I’m dead sure he won’t, “are you going to let me go or just kill me anyway?” If I had any money, I would’ve put it on the latter.
“You’ll just have to wait and see,” Anne says.
The alarm clock says it’s ten in the morning. By now, Damian would be at the office. He would’ve had breakfast, been to the gym, and showered. Maybe he looked for me, or had his men search the streets around the pharmacy where I dodged Brink.
The strain on Zane’s face is clear when he holds up a finger, indicating Damian is taking his call.
Zane’s voice sounds hollow and haunted. “Hallo, Dami.”
Whatever Zane tells himself, he cares about more than the money. He cares about Damian. How far will he let his greed drive him? Does he care enough to not go through with this? I hold my breath, but if I was hoping Zane would change his mind, it’s squashed at his next words.
“I presume you’re looking for Lina. If you want her back, you’ll follow our instructions. Check your inbox.”
He hangs up.
“What if he calls the police?” Anne asks.
“He won’t,” Zane says. “It won’t help.”
He’s right. I’m not sure anyone can help me now.
Damian
I stare at the email, seething with suppressed fury. Zane took Lina. He kidnapped my wife. That terrifies me. Zane hates Lina. He blames her for everything that’s not her fault.
Brink enters the study, looking grim.
Zane fucked me over well. For the amount he’s asking with little over a day’s notice, I don’t have a choice but to sell to his nominated investor. I’d be selling back to Dalton Diamonds. The evidence I have to deliver with the deal will ensure Dalton walks away a free and wealthy man, once more. Bitterness fills my chest. My mine will fall back into Dalton’s hands, but it’s nothing compared to the emptiness I’d feel if Lina is gone.
“Sir?” Brink reminds me he’s still waiting for my instructions.
“Did our men find anything?”
“No, sir.”
No trace of Zane. He knows how to wipe out his trail.
“Lina?”
“Nothing new, sir.”
“Thank you.”
When he leaves, I dial the head of the security company. Maze is discreet and trustworthy. His business depends on it.
“What’s the situation?” he asks tersely.
“You saw the demands.” I forwarded him the email in an encrypted message.
“Dalton must be in on this.”
“No doubt.”
“How are you dealing with him?”
“I first want Lina back safely.”
“What about the demands?”
“I’m going to meet them.”
There’s a pause before he replies. “Have you considered all options?”
“Yes.” I drag a hand over my face. “There are too many places in this city to hide.” It doesn’t mean I’m not trying. I’m using every connection and all the influence I’ve got.
“Look, I know your business dealings aren’t one hundred percent clean, but the cops have a larger network and workforce. They’ll gladly take on the case and turn a blind eye for a bribe.”
“Too risky. You read Zane’s threat.”
“Will he go through with it?”
“If he must.” I shudder at the thought.
“Whatever you need, my men are at your disposal.”
I thank him and hang up. Then I call my attorney and set up a meeting for within the hour.
Lina
My kidnappers untie me twice to use the bathroom. They feed me another dry sandwich and a glass of water. Thirsty, I drink every drop. They take turns to eat, sitting on the bed and watching me intently. Too late, I realize my mistake. As if on cue, my headache starts to slip and my vision splits. They drugged me.
“What did you give me?”
No answer.
Goosebumps break out over my skin. My scalp itches. A wave of nausea hits me. When it passes, my head starts to buzz. My control starts to falter. I fight it, but it’s no use. My eyes draw close.
“She’s gone,” Zane says.
“Let’s get her in the car. We can start driving to Germiston.”
“Not before the money comes through.”
“What difference does it make? She’ll be at the bottom of the lake before noon.”
“I don’t want to be on the move before the deal is done. Someone may recognize us.”
“We have disguises.”
“Still, I don’t want to take a chance.”
“Damian won’t let this go. I don’t like just sitting here.”
“Check the email. As soon as we have proof, we move.”
Their voices drone on and tune out. It feels as if I’m falling into a jar full of jelly beans. Color erupts behind my eyelids, but before I can enjoy the rainbow, it turns into nothing.
Chapter 20
Damian
The disadvantage of being a diamond magnate is that everyone wants your money. You always risk kidnapping, or worse, having your loved ones kidnapped for ransom. The advantage is that you have power at your disposal. You have resources at your fingertips. The advantage of being an ex-con is that you have connections and loyalty.
Lucky for me, I am both. Zane is nothing. By taking my wife, he broke a code of conduct. By blackmailing me with her life, he signed his death warrant. Not one of our jail connections will protect him. The minute word has gone out, and I made sure it went out wide, our allies distanced themselves from him. Most added money to the price I put on his head. A man doesn’t turn on his people. It’s like killing your mother. My allies did what anyone would do for family. They dropped whatever shady dealings they had going on and started to hunt for Zane.
For the right incentive, be that money or fear, people will always talk. It just so happened that the night cleaning lady at the airport saw a man and woman carrying someone into the hotel across the highway. She took a photo with her phone. It wasn’t hard to identify Zane and Anne’s physiques, even if they wore wigs. Zane’s solid build and vanity betrayed him. I’d recognize those made-to-measure crocodile leather boots anywhere.
I would’ve gladly paid the thirty million Zane is asking. There’s not enough money in the world to make up Lina’s worth. Not even the mine is worth her life. She’s family, the future mother of my children. She’s the motivation that kept me going in jail. I’m not even sure it was about the business. Yes, I wanted to take back what Dalton stole from me. Yes, I wanted revenge. Lina has always been a part of the plot to achieve those goals. Somewhere along the line, she became the plot. Standing here, outside the hotel, I suddenly know with startling clarity that’s not true. She didn’t gradually turn into the end-goal. She’s always been the goal.
The gun in my hand shakes slightly as I internalize the insight. The moment is huge, as huge as it’s about to get when I break her free. Around me, the day rolls out like any other day, as if I’m not at the biggest turning point of my life. The smell of smoke from a neighboring township hangs thick in the air. It burns my nostrils. The sky is blue with swatches of clouds on the horizon, a promise of late afternoon rain. The sound of traffic from the highway is a constant noise. People are carrying on with the business of living. The day and its extraordinary mundaneness imprints in my mind. My body hums with adrenaline and awareness.
It’s an easy mistake to believe the change in my ambitions crept u
p on me, but they already changed the day I first walked into Dalton’s house. From the moment Lina gave me her shawl, diamonds weren’t my priority, any longer. It was her. It is her. Knowing she’s in room number sixteen with a man and his sister who could push a gun against her head and pull the trigger is worse than torture. It kills me. What have they done to her? What are they doing to her even now as I load and check my gun?
Pulling up her image in my mind, I imagine her scared and lonely. I remember the night I requested an audience with Dalton and how out of my depth and ashamed of my poverty I’d felt, but certain of my abilities and hopeful of my future. I sure as hell wasn’t scared, but Lina was, and fuck me for not realizing it until now. When she offered me her grandmother’s shawl, she said it made her feel safe. She was scared that night, but I was too occupied with my own, selfish mission, with convincing Dalton to invest in my project, to realize that in giving me her warmth and security, she left herself vulnerable. When I saw her standing in the hallway, I saw a beautiful girl dressed in a gown that cost more than what I earned in a year. Revisiting the scene in my mind, I see her wide eyes and tense shoulders. I see the way she turned into herself when Dalton wrapped his arm around her. She feared that night. Why? Because Dalton was choosing her a husband. She was dressed up like a showpiece. That was what the business dinner was about.
When I showed Dalton my discovery, I made up his mind. I sealed the deal on Lina. All he needed after getting rid of me was the mining rights. That’s why he gave her to Clarke. Unknowingly, I set Lina’s fate. Fuck me. I only have myself to blame for how our history turned out. The accusations I loaded on her shoulders for not waiting, for not believing in me, are unfounded. There was nothing she could’ve done to alter the path I paved with my naïve ambition. Dalton’s greed would never have allowed it.
The knowledge shatters me. It makes me hate myself more than I already do. The insight comes too late to change how Lina and I have started, but I still have the rest of her life. I’ll live to make it up to her. I’ll be what she wants, who she needs. I’ll forsake the reason that made her run. I swear this to myself, Lina will never have another reason to escape me. If I can have her back in one piece, I’ll never crack a whip over her back again. I make the oath as I wipe the sweat from my face on my sleeve, getting ready to take down the door that stands between us.
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