by L. P. Dover
Connor brought over a first aid box and straddled the bench in front of me. “Get ready,” he said, passing the bandages and a needle to Micah. “It’s going to hurt like a bloody bitch.”
I couldn’t even feel the needle being threaded through my skin. All I wanted was to get to Faith. Reed typed away on his phone and held it in front of my face. There was a blinking blue dot in the parking garage of the hotel.
“There’s Faith. She’s probably getting ready to get in Cartwright’s car.”
“We have to hurry,” I hissed. “There’s no telling what they’ll do to her to get revenge on me.”
Thoughts of them hurting her ran rampant through my head. It made me so goddamn sick I couldn’t see straight. Maybe it was from all the blood I’d lost too. Either way, it didn’t matter. Adrenaline coursed through my veins and I was ready.
Luca rushed into the locker room with a bag full of cash. “We got our money. The Cartwrights hightailed it out of here.”
Micah scoffed. “I almost beat the shit out of Cartwright’s pompous ass nephew.” He smacked me on the shoulder. “Don’t get mad if I happen to put a bullet in his head before you get to him.”
“No,” I snapped. “Cadoc and William are both mine.”
He stitched up the last of my wounds and I put on my clothes, not caring that I had dried blood all over my body. There was about to be more once I got done with the Cartwrights. I looked over at Micah and Luca. “You two stay here and make sure everyone gets out. I don’t want you a part of what’s about to happen next.”
Marco nodded. “Go. We’ll handle everything here.”
Strapping on my holster, I could feel the stitches stretch as I lifted my arm. Once I had my gun loaded and secured, I was ready to go. I turned to Reed who had a concerned expression on his face as he looked at his phone.
“What’s wrong?” I asked, storming over to him. I peered over his shoulder at his phone and there was nothing, but a blank map. No blue dot signaling where Faith was. It was as if everything came crashing down. “Where the fuck is she?” I shouted.
Reed clenched his phone. “I don’t know. Cartwright must have a jamming device in his car. It’s what my brothers and I use to make our phones untraceable.”
And that was where we went wrong. My father used the same devices in his cars to keep people from following him. I should’ve known. How the fuck could I have overlooked that! I’d grown soft on the game at such a young age…it was time for me to get out of all of this. But now I had to find Faith.
I can’t live without her, all of this would be for nothing. Rage coursed through me and I punched the wall, splitting my skin even more. Wherever Cadoc took Faith, we wouldn’t be able to find her until she got out of the car. My body shook so fucking bad I thought I’d explode.
“We’re going to find her,” Reed promised.
All I could see was red. “It might be too late by then.”
Chapter Thirty-Five
Faith
We’d gotten into Cadoc’s car and his driver drove us away from the hotel. Cadoc didn’t seem upset at all that he’d just lost everything. He sat facing me while William took the seat beside me, his arm outstretched behind my headrest. I thought we’d be heading to a restaurant like he’d said before, but when the driver took us to the interstate, a bad feeling settled in my stomach.
“Where are we going?” I asked.
Cadoc smirked. “Somewhere far from New York.”
I could see the truth in his eyes. William moved closer to me, and I couldn’t get away from him. “You’ll love it,” he said, tracing a finger down my arm, “it’ll be a new beginning for us.”
“What the hell are you talking about? You said it was just dinner,” I hissed, glaring at Cadoc.
He shrugged. “Plans change, my dear.”
Just then my phone rang, but William had grabbed my bag first and pulled it out. “Right on time,” he said, chuckling.
He handed my phone to Cadoc and he put it on speakerphone. “Dominic. I figured you’d be calling soon.”
Dominic’s voice was so guttural and raw I could barely recognize him. “Where’s Faith?”
Cadoc held my phone out and nodded for me to reply. “I’m here,” I said. “And I’m okay.” I looked over at William who had an evil glint in his eyes. “At least for now,” I added.
Cadoc snorted. “She’s fine, Corsino. I don’t plan on hurting her if she follows the rules. You see, my plan all along was to leave town. I had a feeling you’d win the fight. That’s why I made sure to have everything in place.”
“Where are you taking her Cadoc?” Dominic demanded.
Cadoc stared right into my eyes and smiled. “She’ll be safe. But most importantly, she’ll be far away from you. You’ll live every day wondering what we’re doing to her. I’d thought about killing her and sending you the pieces, but that’d be a waste of such a beautiful creature. I figured keeping her away from you would be torture enough. You might have won the power, but I have the woman you love. That right there is a win to me.”
Dominic’s growl made me shiver. “So help me God, Cadoc, I’m going to rip you the fuck apart.”
Cadoc burst out laughing. “You have to find me first. Now say goodbye to your woman. It’s the last time you’ll ever hear her voice.”
“I’m going to find you, Faith,” Dominic promised.
Before I could respond, Cadoc lowered the window and threw my phone out onto the highway. “All right, enough of that.”
“The police will be able to track you,” I said, hoping to get rid of that smug smile on his face. “It’s called kidnapping. They’ll add that to your murder charge.”
Cadoc shook his head as if that meant nothing. “I’ve been planning this escape for a long time, my dear. The police can’t track me. I have a jamming device on this car, my phones, and the house we’re going to. It’ll be like we don’t exist.”
My stomach dropped. It didn’t matter that I was wearing a tracker; they wouldn’t be able to find me. I couldn’t even think of anything to say. Dominic had Reed and Micah on his side. With them working together, they’d find me. I had no doubt. I just had to be patient.
“Having you with us is a bonus,” Cadoc continued. “We get your stimulating company while knowing it’s fucking with Corsino’s mind. I’m sure you know what your punishment will be if you try to escape. Your parents can’t stay hidden forever.”
Bile rose up the back of my throat, but the mention of my parents infuriated me. He was right though. They wouldn’t be able to stay hidden forever. Eventually, they’d come back from Australia and he could find them. “Leave my parents out of this. You got me, that’s what you wanted. I already know what you’re capable of. I’m not going to risk my parents’ lives.”
Cadoc beamed. “Good. Then we should have no problems.”
Huffing, I leaned my head against the window, watching the road fly by in a blur. “How long till we get where we’re supposed to be?” I asked.
“About twelve hours,” he answered.
I jerked my head up and stared at him. “Seriously?”
He nodded. “Might want to take a nap, my dear. It’s going to be a long ride.”
Laying my head back down against the window, I tried my best to block everything out of mind. I didn’t want to think about what the next twelve hours were going to be like. All I knew was that I was in hell.
***
Usually car rides made me sleepy, but there was no sleep for me. Cadoc’s car was stocked with drinks and I made sure to guzzle as many as I could so I’d have an excuse to use the bathroom. If there was a GPS jammer installed on his car, the second I got out, my tracker would work. I just had to hope it was enough bread crumbs for Reed and Dominic to get an idea on where we were headed.
The sun had come up and we’d crossed over the Canadian border into New Brunswick where we stopped at a large, white house by the ocean with an amazing view of the Bay of Fundy Islands. I was amazed that
someone like Cadoc Cartwright could own such a place.
“Welcome home,” he said, grinning wide. He stepped out of the car and William followed him. William offered me his hand, but I glared at him and got out on my own.
Cadoc spread his arms out wide. “What do you think?”
There was no denying the beauty of the place. “Not bad,” I commented, “for a prison.”
Cadoc chuckled. “Your view will change. Why don’t you go inside and rest? It was a long drive.”
What I really wanted was to get the tracker out of my bra and toss it on the ground outside. Then, all I’d have to do was wait. “Actually, I’d love to take a shower,” I replied, “but I have no clothes.”
William opened the trunk and pulled out three large suitcases. “You do now. Your room’s upstairs, second door on the left.” He carried my suitcase inside and I followed him up the stairs to what was supposed to be my room. The walls were light blue and the large four poster bed was covered in a lacy white bedspread.
William set my suitcase down. “You’ll learn to love it here. I can offer you a whole hell of a lot more than Corsino. Who knows, you might end up liking it.”
“Doubtful,” I said, glaring at him.
He smirked. “Suit yourself.”
Once he shut the door, I locked it and opened the suitcase, grabbing the first T-shirt and pants I could find. I hurried into the bathroom and turned on the shower, but then decided against it. Knowing how sick and twisted Cadoc was there were probably hidden cameras everywhere. I slipped off my old clothes and put on the clean ones, discreetly sliding the tracker of the padding of my bra and stuffing it in my pocket. The sooner I could get outside, the quicker I could be found.
Cadoc and William were in the kitchen when I made it downstairs, their voices hushed. Cadoc heard me before I could even make it down all the stairs.
“Where are you going, my dear?” he called out. He appeared around the corner with his arms crossed over his chest.
I nodded toward the large bay window that overlooked the ocean. “I want to take a walk.”
William appeared by his side. “I’ll go with her.”
“Fine,” I said with a shrug. “Let’s go.”
I started toward the door with William behind me. Just knowing he was there chilled me to the bone. I didn’t like him being so close to me. Once outside, I discreetly stuck my hand in my pocket and dropped the tracker onto the ground. It felt good to have it outside.
“I’m shocked to see a smile on your face,” William called out.
The wind whipped by me and I breathed it in. I’d be free soon. Closing my eyes, I stood there and listened to the water. “Trust me, it’s not because of you,” I countered.
“Might want to watch that mouth of yours,” he warned. “My patience only goes so far.”
Clenching my teeth, I held back my next words. “It’s been a long day. Guess I’m just tired.” I didn’t want to be on the receiving end for when his patience ran out. William had never really scared me before until now.
Chapter Thirty-Six
Faith
Hours and hours had passed and I kept looking out the window for a sign … but there was nothing. The sun had gone down and with it my hopes of freedom. My phone was gone and there wasn’t a landline in the house. Cadoc and William were smart. I had no doubt they expected me to try something. Knowing my luck, I’d get caught and I really didn’t want to know what the consequences of that would be. The only answer was to give it time.
Cadoc and William were downstairs, celebrating their victory with whiskey. William was drunk and I’d heard him tell Cadoc he was going to come to my room. The thought terrified me. People did stupid things when they were drunk and I really didn’t want to know what homicidal maniacs did when they had too much to drink.
Turning off my light, I slid into the bed and pulled the comforter up over the back of my head. My body was exhausted and my eyes felt like sandpaper. Footsteps echoed on the hardwood floor and they drew closer. The second I heard my doorknob turn, I froze.
The door opened and I laid as still as I could. The smell of whiskey hung in the air along with the scent of William’s cologne. He pulled the covers back and slid into bed with me, but I jumped out before he could touch me.
“What are you doing?” I gasped, moving as far away from the bed as I could.
The moon was the only light in the room, but it was enough to see his evil leer. “I just wanted to cuddle,” he said, slurring his words.
Several choice words came to mind, but I held them back. Provoking him wasn’t the smart thing to do. I’d learned that the hard way. Swallowing hard, I tried to keep calm even though all I really wanted to do was jump out the window to get away from him. “I’m exhausted, William. It’s been a really long day for me.”
He patted the bed, his patience running thin by the annoyed expression on his face. “Either you come here now or I’ll make you.”
My eyes burned. “How about a raincheck? I’m obviously not going anywhere.”
Huffing, he jumped out of bed and fumbled with the button on his pants. “I’m tired of waiting. It’s been too fucking long.”
I didn’t know what to do. Crying would get me nowhere, but I didn’t stand a chance against him physically. I could fight him, but I feared his retaliation would be brutal. William dropped his pants to the floor and took off his shirt as he made his way toward me. I backed up against the wall, but there was nowhere else to go. William grabbed my wrist and pulled me toward the bed.
“Let me go,” I shouted.
Before he could throw me on the bed, Cadoc appeared in the doorway. “What the fuck is going on here?”
I jerked my arm out of William’s hold and retreated to the other side of the room. Cadoc glared at William. “What do you think you’re doing?”
William stood up straight. “She’s mine. It’s time she realizes that.”
Cadoc shook his head. “Not like that you’re not. Get out.”
William grabbed his clothes off the floor and stormed out of the room. As much as I hated Cadoc, he’d just saved me. “I’m sorry about that,” he said. “William’s always been a sloppy drunk, but rape is never acceptable. He’ll pay for that.”
Crossing my arms over my chest, I couldn’t stop from shaking. You’ll both pay for it, I thought to myself.
He slowly made his way out the door and as soon as he was gone, I locked it. I knew he could get in if he wanted too, but it’d give me the extra seconds to prepare in case he came back. I turned on the bedroom light and searched around the room for anything that could be used as a weapon. There was nothing except for a pen inside the drawer of the small desk that sat in the corner. I snatched it up and held it to my chest. If William tried to sneak back into my room, I’d use it to stab out his eyes.
I turned off the light again and crawled back into bed. I’d thought last night was one of the hardest nights of my life, but I was wrong. The threat of my parents’ safety loomed in the air, but there was a new threat I had to worry about.
William.
He wanted me. And I didn’t know how long I could keep him away.
***
Sleep came off and on for me, but with every little noise, I jolted awake. When I looked over at the clock, I’d only been asleep for an hour. Usually, sleep made the time move faster. Not now. It was a slow agony. Tears burned my eyes and then they soaked the pillow. All I wanted was to go to sleep and wake up in Dominic’s bedroom.
A small creaking sound just outside my door made me gasp. I held my breath hoping it was just my imagination, but then doorknob clicked and I realized it was the lock. “Please God,” I prayed, “don’t let him do this to me.”
I’d never been attacked by a man sexually, but I knew of some girls who had. My heart broke for them because I could only imagine the level of horror they faced. Now I faced it and I was terrified. My door opened very slowly and I squeezed the pen in my hands. My body shivered but I wa
s damp with sweat. I wasn’t ready. The door closed gently and I listened for footsteps but there were none. I thought maybe I’d imagined it all, but then a hand clasped over my mouth and an arm around my waist.
“Shh … it’s me. Don’t scream.”
Tears fell down my cheek and I jerked around. I flung my arms around Dominic’s neck and he kissed me. “You’re here,” I cried.
He cupped my face in his hands, but I could barely see his face. “I have to get you out of here. Reed’s waiting.”
Taking my hand, he led me over to the window. There was a line of rope wrapped around his shoulder and he tied one end to the bed and tossed the rest out of the window. A figure in black waited down below and it was Reed. I knew they’d find me.
Dominic pulled me into his arms. “Climb down the rope to Reed. I’ll be out there soon.”
I knew what he was about to do. “I love you,” I said, kissing him quickly. “Do what you have to do.”
He cupped my cheek. “I love you too.”
Grabbing onto the rope, I carefully climbed out the window and slid down. Dominic took one last look at me and disappeared into the house. It was over.
Chapter Thirty-Seven
Dominic
The time had finally come. We kept track of every single time Faith’s tracker came back online. They’d made stops at three different gas stations, all headed toward Canada. If it wasn’t for her smart thinking, we wouldn’t have found her as soon as we did.
Fortunately with Reed’s training with the FBI he knew how to get us into this hellhole of a property without detection which got us to Faith’s room quickly enabling us to free her. As soon as we found out where she was, and made it to the property, we observed the area and got lucky when we saw Faith by the window in the room she was in. Reed had hacked into Cadoc’s security system and disabled it so we could walk around freely without him being alerted. So far the plan was going off without a glitch.